14 Days / 13 Nights

Day 1 Tue: Depart Los Angeles
Depart from Los Angeles early this morning on board Eva Air for Taipei. Relax and enjoy the excellent service for which this airline is renowned.

Day 2 Wed: Arrival Taipei
Arrive in Taipei this evening. Upon arrival, you are welcomed and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. GRAND HOTEL. This afternoon embark on your half day tour of Taipei city. Visit the Presidential Square, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Martyrs’ Shrine for change of guards ceremony and the world famous National Palace Museum. The afternoon is at leisure. (B)

Day 3 Thu: Taipei / Taroko Gorge / Taipei
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for the short flight to Hualien. Upon arrival join a tour to Taroko Gorge, one of the seven wonders of Asia that no traveler should miss. Drive along a 12-mile stretch of highway built into awesome marble cliffs high above the rushing river. Your route will take you through 38 tunnels including the Swallows Grotto, the Tunnel of Nine Turns and the Marble Bridge of Motherly Devotion. After lunch you will visit Chi Hsing Beach and Stone Sculptural Park. Fly back to Taipei around 4:30 PM. Transfer back to your hotel. (BL)

Day 4 Fri: Taipei
Day at leisure in Taipei to pursue independent activities. (B)

Day 5 Sat: Taipei / Beijing
Depart this morning for 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 BEIJING GRAND CHANG AN HOTEL Afternoon is at leisure.

Day 6 Sun: 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. (BLD)

Day 7 Mon: 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. (BLD)

Day 8 Tue: 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 9 Wed: 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 dynasties and a major link between Asia and Europe. You will be met and transferred to XIAN AURUM INTERNATIONAL 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. (BLD)

Day 10 Thu: 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. Also visit Shan’xi Provincial Historical Museum. In the evening, enjoy a Tang dynasty dinner show. (BLD)

Day 11 Fri: Xian / Shanghai
Morning transfer 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 GALAXY HOTEL. Afternoon drive along the famous Bund, the wide, tree-lined avenue along the Huangpo River and the former “Wall Street” of foreign powers. Later visit Xintiandi, famous shopping, eating and entertainment district of Shanghai. (BL)

Day 12 Sat: Shanghai Sightseeing
Your morning tour of Shanghai includes a visit to Yu Yuan Garden and the Temple of the Jade Buddha. Afternoon is at leisure. Later, enjoy a performance by famous Chinese acrobats. (BLD)

Day 13 Sun: 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 on Feb. 1-Apr. 29, Nov. 1-Dec. 31, 2010 pre & post exhibition are open for visiting. 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. (BL)

Day 14 Mon: Shanghai / Taipei / Los Angeles
This morning transfer to the airport for your Eva Air flight back home. (B)