13 Days / 12 Nights

Day 1 – Arrive Beijing
Arrive this afternoon in Beijing the capital of the People’s Republic of China, which is over 3,000 years old. You are welcomed at the airport and escorted to the hotel.

Day 2 –Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Summer Palace
Start your tour this morning with visit to the Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world and the Forbidden City, the 250 acre palace containing more than 9,000 rooms. Closed to the common people for centuries, it was only opened to the public in 1949. Later, explore the Summer Palace, the retreat of China’s royal families for over 2,000 years and enjoy your cruise on the shimmering waters of Kunming Lake. Tonight you will enjoy a traditional Peking
Duck dinner. (BL)

Day 3 – Great Wall Excursion
Embark on your day excursion to the Great wall, stopping en route at the iconic Beijing 2008 Olympic Center, the Bird’s Nest & Water Cube for photography opportunity. The highlight of your stay in this ancient capital is a visit to the Great Wall. It is easy to see why the Great Wall, built 2,300 years ago and extending 3,750 miles, can be seen by astronauts from space! You will also visit the Ming Tombs, including a nice walk on the Sacred Way, which was regarded as the formal entrance to the Tombs. Also visit the Tomb of Emperor Zhudi, founder of the Forbidden City. Evening enjoy cultural show. (BL)

Day 4 - Temple of Heaven & Hutong Tour
Morning visit the Temple of Heaven, possibly the country’s most popular symbol. It was believed to be the closest place to heaven and was where the emperors would communicate with the gods. You will tour some of Beijing’s thousands of hutongs, or ancient city alleys. The hutongs were built as part of a city building plan that followed the etiquette systems of the Zhou dynasty, which had specific protocols regarding how residential areas should be set up. (BL)

Day 5 - Beijing / Xian - Big Wild Goose Pagoda & Banpo Neolithic Museum
This morning fly to Xian, once the largest city in the world. Xian was the national capital for eleven Chinese ynasties
and a major link between Asia and Europe. You will be met and transferred to the hotel. Afternoon visit the Big Wide
Goose Pagoda Temple, regarded as the landmark of Xian and the Banpo Neolithic Museum, a living village site of Chinese primogenitors of 20000-8000 years ago when China was at Neolithic Age. Tonight enjoy Dumpling Dinner at the famous Defachang Restaurant. (BLD)

Day 6 – Terra Cotta Warriors
Xian captured the interest of the world in 1974 with the discovery of the astonishing third-century BC burial sites of
the first emperor to unite China, Qin Shi Huangdi. Visit the archaeological site to see thousands of Terra Cotta Warriors, which have been standing guard over the Imperial Tomb for 2,000 years. Enjoy the Circle vision movie of the historical story. Later visit Shan’xi Provincial Historical Museum. Afternoon return back to the city and visit the City Wall, the best preserved military wall surrounding the ancient city. In the evening, enjoy a Tang dynasty dinner show. (BL)

Day 7 – Xian / Chongqing
Morning fly to Chongqing, the biggest metropolitan in west of China. Proceed to visit the museum of Yangtze River, the Hall of People, and Memorial of General Stillwell. Following your tour, embark on your luxury boat to explore and discover the mysteries of the Yangtze River. Yangtze River with its Three Gorges is the third longest river in the world and the largest in China. The views and sights along the river with isolated small villages, local temples and pagodas, brings images beyond our imagination. Relax and enjoy your downstream Cruise on
the Yangtze. (BLD)

Day 8 - Fengdu
Sail this morning through great gorges and the deep mountain valleys. Afternoon, enjoy your shore excursion to the ghost city of Fengdu. With nearly two thousand year’s history, it combines the cultures of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism with the mystique of ghosts. Fantastic temples of underworld demons and gods, shows the Chinese ghost culture. (BLD)

Day 9 – Qutang Gorge / Wu Gorge / Shennong Stream
Qutang Gorge finds the river carving its way between sheer precipices of overhanging mountains on both sides. Continue through the wondrous Wu Gorge, a meandering landscape of dazzling peaks and rocks, forming a whimsical gallery of natural beauty. Upon arrival at the famed Shennong Stream, board the small boat and sail deep into the fabled Three Lesser Gorges. Enjoy the vistas of Parrot Gorge and Dragon Boat Gorge with their breathtaking scenery. Return back to the boat and continue to the third Xiling Gorge as we pass through many historical sites. Sail through the huge Three Gorges Dam and the 5 ship locks. (BLD)

Day 10 – Xiling Gorge / Yichang / Shanghai
Take a shore excursion to see the massive construction of Three Gorges Dam, the world largest hydroelectric project. Continue sailing down in the second section of Xiling Gorges. Disembark in Yichang and proceed to the airport for your flight to Shanghai, “the Paris of the East”—China’s most westernized and largest city. Upon arrival, you are met and transferred to the hotel. (BL)

Day 11 – Shanghai Sightseeing
Your morning tour of Shanghai includes a visit to Yu Yuan Garden and a drive along the famous Bund, the wide, treelined avenue along the Huangpo River and the former “Wall Street” of foreign powers. Afternoon visit Xintiandi, famous shopping, eating and entertainment district of Shanghai. Later, enjoy a performance by famous Chinese acrobats. (BL)

Day 12 - Shanghai
Enjoy your morning visit to the Shanghai World Exhibition (Shanghai EXPO). The Exhibition covers a large area of over 3.3 Square Miles with 27 master halls. The theme is to show all new creations, concepts, designs, technologies and present it to the world. (Shanghai EXPO is on May 1-Oct.31, 2010, but the pre & post exhibition are open for visiting on Feb 1- Apr 29 and Nov 1- Dec 31, 2010. If visit to Shanghai EXPO is unavailable, we will provide an excursion to the ancient water-town Zhujiajiao as an alternative). Afternoon visit Shanghai Museum, one of best museum’s in the world with a huge collection of finest cultural relics. You will get an opportunity to see stone sculptures and carving, bronze-ware, porcelain, calligraphic works & Chinese paintings and ancient furniture. After the Museum we stroll out the North Gate to the People Square, the surroundings are the best collection of modern architecture. (BL)

Day 13 – Shanghai / Home
Morning transfer to the airport for your flight for back home. (B)