Pandas & Yangtze Cruise

Upon arrival at Beijing Airport, please clear yourself through customs. Our English-speaking guide will meet you at the arrival hall, after which we will drive you to the hotel. Have a good rest to restore yourself for the following 16 days China tour. Or, you can take a short walk around on your own. 
 
Accommodation: The Great Wall Hotel Beijing - the former Sheraton

After breakfast, our guide will host a 30-minute group meeting at the hotel lobby. Some travel guidelines and tips will be shared so that everyone in the group can make good preparations for the trip.

Then, start your morning excursions to the famous Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. As an imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Forbidden City has a mysterious aura. An a la carte welcome lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a nicely decorated and noted local restaurant will follow allowing you to taste diversified Chinese food and Peking Roast Duck.

In the afternoon we will visit the Temple of Heaven, a delicate ancient architectural complex where emperors once offered sacrifices to the God of Heaven. Later, we'll lighten up the evening with an exciting Chinese Kung Fu Show at the Red Theatre.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

No Beijing tour is complete without visiting the Great Wall. This morning, we will set off to the suburban Mutianyu Great Wall. As one of the most remarkable achievements, the great wall was originally built to protect ancient Chinese empires from the barbarians. Today you will have a chance to reach the wall and get a glimpse of its majesty. The cable car will take you up and down the mountain since it is an energy-consuming climb. The most important thing for you is to enjoy walking on the wall and appreciate its amazing wonder.

There is a limited choice of good restaurants nearby, thus we kindly suggest you have a sufficient breakfast at the hotel and have some fast food for lunch individually.

We return to Beijing in the afternoon. The remainder time of the day will be arranged for you to explore a traditional local market. After that we will drive you back to the hotel.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast

For first-time visitors, the Summer Palace, a former imperial summer resort, is one venue you should not miss. It is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden as well as a world-famous tourist resort. Then there will be a photo stop in the Olympic sports venue, the National Stadium (also the Bird's Nest).

A la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) will be scheduled at an elegant local restaurant.

Explore Hutongs in the afternoon. It is fantastic to experience the area by rickshaw and get an insight into the culture of old Beijing. You will also have a chance to try your hand at Chinese Paper Cutting. After that, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Xi'an. Our professional guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area of the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel

We will visit the amazing Terracotta Army this morning to appreciate the undeniable excellence of the ancient craft works of the Qin dynasty. The site mostly has cheap tourist restaurants nearby, so we would like to drive you back to the city center to have a real home-cooked a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) in a local family home. 

After lunch, a visit to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda & Xi'an Museum is scheduled. Also a delicious dumpling dinner will be served tonight along with the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch, Dumpling dinner

The City Wall Park is a good place to experience more of the local Xi'an lives, so today your first stop will be spending some leisure time in the park. We also have a special arrangement for you here. That is learning to practice Tai Chi with a master. Then ascend the ancient City Wall and have a panoramic view of the city while strolling on it. The brick road on top of the wall is broad and you can rent and ride bicycles for fun if you like.

Around noon, enjoy an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) at a famous local restaurant.

In the afternoon, we continue to visit Shaanxi History Museum and the Great Mosque. You will also have a chance to wander along the bustling Muslim Street, passing quaint shops and seeing local markets. Delicious Muslim food and interesting souvenirs can be found there as well, such as Yangrou Pao Mo (lamb meat soup with flat bread), hand-made noodles and barbecued meat skewers.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

Catch a morning flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival, our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area. Your Guilin sightseeing starts with the famous Reed Flute Cave, which is a 240 meter karst cave that has various shapes of stalactites and stalagmites. Then we head to the Elephant Trunk Hill. The shape of the hill is just like a giant elephant scooping water from the river with its long trunk, hence got the name. After that, we will transfer you to the hotel.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Guilin Grand Bravo Hotel

After breakfast at the hotel, we drive to the pier to appreciate the picturesque scenery of Li River by cruising down from Guilin to Yangshuo. As the lunch on the ship is the basic Chinese box lunch, it will not be up to your taste, we suggest you have a big breakfast at the hotel this morning. 

Disembark at Yangshuo in about 4 hours, you will take a stroll on the famous West Street. Yangshuo is quite popular among tourists, particularly if you're into cafes and bars along with the hills and rivers. Also, the local famous dish called beer fish is worth trying. Then we take you to enjoy the countryside scenes of rural Yangshuo. On the way, you also have a chance to visit a local peasant's home and get a close touch with the country life. Finally, we drive you back to Guilin. 

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, catch a morning flight to Chengdu. Upon your arrival, our guide will be waiting for you outside the baggage claim area and transfer you to the hotel. We will leave you free time for lunch and rest for the remainder of the day, and our guide is glad to offer advices of nice restaurants.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Chengdu Oriental Plaza

Today we will have a pleasant date with China's national treasure, the giant pandas at the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The pandas are highly active in the morning. You will sure be entertained when you see the cute and chubby panda bears eating bamboo shoots or playing with each other. Then, continue to the Broad and Narrow Alleys where old houses and alleys of the Qing Dynasty have been turned to tea houses, restaurants, shops and bars. You can make your own arrangements for lunch. You might try some local snacks in the alley or choose a courtyard restaurant to enjoy your lunch.

In the afternoon, visit Jinsha Site Museum, a significant relic of the ancient Shu civilization discovered in 2001. The Gold Sun God Bird unearthed from the site has been selected as the logo of China Cultural Heritages. After the museum, you will come to the most popular Renmin Park. Have a pot of tea there and feel the local life.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast

We leave the whole morning free for you. You can take time to explore this pleasant city further and have lunch by yourself. 

In the afternoon, our guide will drop you off at the railway station and help you board a high speed train to Chongqing. It is a two hours trip. Upon your arrival, our guide in Chongqing will meet you at the station. Explore Jiefangbei CBD and Ci Qi Kou Ancient Village, where can make your own dinner arrangements. Tonight, you will board a 5-star Yangtze cruise ship, which sets sail at 21:30.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Cruises: Century Diamond with balcony

The ship arrives at Fengdu at about 08:30. We will disembark and visit the "Ghost City". In Chinese legends, Fengdu is the 'Capital of Ghost Country' or the 'Netherworld', hence the name Ghost City. Covered with luxuriant trees and interspersed with temples and pavilions, the scenic area is more like a landscape painting rather than a Ghost City. Re-embark and continue the cruise. This evening, you will be invited to join in the Captain's Welcome Party. Have fun!

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning, the ship will reach Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. The cruise guide on-board is expected to make a formal presentation. Get your camera ready! After lunch, we will disembark to experience an interesting excursion to the Shennv Stream by boat which will add much joy to the marvelous day. It lasts 3 to 4 hours. Back to the ship and cruise down the western section of Xiling Gorge. 

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydro-electric project is your last excursion stop on Yangtze. Pack your belongings for disembarking before the visit. Afterwards, the cruise ship company will drive you to the Three Gorges Tourist Center and our local guide will meet you there. Then you will be taking a high speed train to your last scheduled destination, Shanghai. It is a 7.5 hours trip, so music, books or movies are good things for this train journey. On arriving at Shanghai railway station, you will be met by the guide and transferred to the hotel.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel

After breakfast, you will start your trip from Shanghai Museum, one of the top four museums in China. Then head to the ancient Yu Garden, where you can see traditional Chinese architecture, beautiful man-made hills and ponds. We will leave you some free time there to explore the surrounding Yu Bazaar. 

Around noon, you will enjoy an a la carte farewell lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) at a popular local restaurant. 

Your afternoon trip will begin with a walk in the Former French Concession. Afterwards, you will be transferred to the city's landmark site, the Bund, and take a one-hour cruise tour along the Huangpu River - the mother river of Shanghai. As the symbol and a microcosm of the city, the river has witnessed the glory, humiliation, despair and prosperity of Shanghai. After the whole day of sightseeing, our guide will transfer you back to the hotel and bid farewell to you.

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

Today you will check out of your hotel before noon, and find your own way to the airport according to your flight schedule. We will be of your assistance at any time you need. We wish you a pleasant journey home!

Meals included: Western buffet breakfast