Splendors of China
October 7 - 18, 2012
$2,890* 

Dreams will come true and everlasting memories will be created as you discover Majestic China with its rich history, exotic architecture and breathtaking landscape!

Tour Highlights

Day 1 - Sunday: Arrive Beijing, China

Arrive at the Bejing airport (remember you are flying home from Shanghai) where you will be met and transferred to our hotel.  Meet and greet your tour leader at 7:00pm and go for an optional dinner.

Day 2 - Monday: Beijing

Walking shoes today are needed as we explore the fascinating Forbidden City. Magnificent marble courtyards, huge halls, gilded temples and ornate pavilions are a masterpiece of architectural history. The Forbidden City (also known officially as the Imperial Palace Museum) was commissioned by the third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The palace was built between 1406 and 1420, but was burnt down, rebuilt, sacked and renovated countless times. The Forbidden City was the seat of Imperial power for 500 years, and is now a major tourist attraction. The total area of the complex is 183 acres, so it takes quite a while to walk through.

Walk in the footsteps of Emperors in Tiananmen Square; gaze across the vast space to the Great Hall of the People and stand before the massive Tiananmen (Heavenly Peace) Gate.

Climb aboard a rickshaw for a fascinating tour of Beijing’s old Hutong district. Ride along an intricate maze of narrow alleys, old houses and hidden courtyards. You can find an old man walking his bird, a housewife bargaining with the vegetable market and children frolicking in a kindergarten. It is a true moment in Beijing daily life.

Toniight we eat Peking Duck at our Welcome Dinner

Day 3 - Tuesday:   Beijing - Great Wall of China

Another Highlight Day - the Great Wall of China! We drive north to the mountains outside Bejing to stroll the ramparts of China’s famed Great Wall at Mutianyu. Among the orchards and pines the Great Wall was built and reconstructed to keep out the Normadic tribes to the North. Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is linked to the Gu Bei Kou section on the east and the Badaling section on the west. It was used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs.

Why walk up when we can take a cable car. There are two cable cars that will take us to the top of Mutianyu Great Wall. At Cable One stop you can take a walk down to the lower car, or up as high as you can to the point where the Wall renovation has stopped. Cable Two will take us up to the top of the Wall, to the East and at a lower elevation than the first. The platforms in this area offer a wonderful view of the wall. as well as access to Zheng Guan Tai gate which is the most famous and most striking of the Mutainyu gates.

After lunch we visit the Summer Palace with its beautiful ornamental plantings, languid willows and painted pavilions surrounding a scenic lake. Located in a northwest suburb of Beijing, the Summer Palace was originally a royal garden and a temporary dwelling palace for emperors of Qing Dynasty, It’s hardly surprising that, during the hot Beijing summers, the Imperial Family preferred the beautiful gardens and airy pavilions of the Summer Palace to the walled-in Forbidden City.

Tonight after dinner enjoy the Kungfu show at Red Theatre. The story of a young boy who dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master. On the road to enlightenment he encounters many difficulties and temptations.

Day 4 - Tuesday: Beijing

This morning we visit Beijing Olympic Green and have a photo opportunity at the Bird's Nest and Water Cube.

A trip to China would not be complete without viewing the cute Giant Pandas. so let's visit the Beijing Zoo. The zoo contains a diverse collection of animals, a number of exhibition halls and some sites of historical interest. The zoo is home to around 450 different species and has a population of some 5,000 animals.

Visit the Temple of Heaven one of the most holy places in China for more than five centuries. It was used as a complex of sacrificial buildings for the Ming and Qing emperors, and is one of the largest Beijing royal altars to Heaven, Earth, the Sun, the Moon and other deities or symbolic forces of Nature.

Then we stop at the Pearl Market, a 5 floor mega-market with vendors selling everything from Pearls to electronics.  Just remember to haggle.

Day 5 - Wednesday: Beijing-Xi’an

After breakfast we will be transferred to the airport for our flight to Xi’an. Upon landing we are met and transferred to our hotel.

Wear comfortable walking shoes to visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum: The history of Shaanxi is said to be the history of China, and this museum is quite simply one of the nation's best. Four major galleries in large, Tang-style buildings house a vast and impressive collection of Chinese artifacts, beautifully displayed. Most of the item labels are in English, although some other information on the exhibitions is not, but your guide can help here.

Day 6 - Thursday: Xi’an - Terra Cotta Warriors

A highlight of our tour is the remarkable archaeological site where the Terracotta Warriors, who guarded the tomb of China’s great unifier and first emperor Qinshuang, was discovered. Found by local farmers, so far over 700 warriors, 100 chariots, and 400 horses have been excavated from four pits.

What makes the Terracotta warriors in Xi'an so amazing is that each one is life size and unique. Each soldier was armed with a real bronze weapon and face, clothing and hairstyles had individual characteristics. . The charioteers had fully functional wooden chariots pulled by terracotta horses. Archers, spearmen, infantry, and generals have been excavated. When new, each soldier was covered with paint and had the appearance of a real living man.

Situated at the northern foot of Mt. Lishan in Lintong County, 18.6 miles from Xian City, Huaqing Hot Spring is famed for both its dainty spring scenery and the romantic love story of Emperor Xuanzong (685-762) and his concubine Yang Guifei in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Its long history and location among the wonderful landscapes of Xian should entice any visitor to visit and bathe in this hot spring.

Day 7  - Friday:   Xi’an

Today we explore the city of Xi'an.  The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, located inside Jianfu Temple, is an important Buddhist site, dating back to the Tang Dynasty, 1300 years ago.The pagoda is a symbol of Chang'an (Constant Peace) city. Xi'an was called Chang'an until the Ming Dynasty when Beijing became the capital of China. 

The walls, ramparts, gates and watchtowers form one of the oldest and most complete city defenses still around. Built in the 13th century on the foundations of the original Tang Forbidden City surrounding the city centre.

The Xi'an Bell and Drum Tower mark the center of the ancient capital. The wooden Bell Tower, which is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, is 118 feet high and stands on a brick base 116.4 feet long and 28.2 feet high on each side. The Drum Tower is located northwest of the Bell Tower. Both are called the 'sister buildings' or 'morning bell and dark drum'.

Then there will be time for the Market, a large shopping district made up of small lanes and alleys. The buildings are built in the architectural style of the Qing dynasty, and are quite colorful. Many vendors and peddlers set up booths along the narrow streets to sell local crafts and foods. There are also many tea houses where you can relax, have a cup of tea, and people watch.

Tonight enjoy a famaous Chinese Dumping Dinner.

Day 8 - Saturday: ,Xi'an - Guilin

This morning we will fly from Xi'an to Guilin, regarded in China as the countries most picturesque city. Two crystal-clear rivers meander through the city, which is encircled by mountains with unusual & bizarre rock formations and caves.

Explore Seven-Star Park, the largest and most beautiful park in Guilin , it features fantastic hills, rivers, caves and rocks. Located in the center, Seven-Star Hill consists of Putuo Hill with four peaks and Crescent Hill with three peaks. The southern entrance straddles the ancient Floral Bridge . Dragon Retreat Cave near the southern gate houses great numbers of stone tablets.

Day 9 -Sunday: Guillin - Yangshuo

A cruise along the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo is an unforgettable experience. As we take the cruise along the river, it is like sailing down a painting scroll with picturesque landscapes, such as the reflections of oddly-shaped peaks, limped waters, green hills, shepherd boys sing songs and fishermen. The scenery is charming and graceful, with clean waters lingering around and queer peaks reflected in water. That’s why former people described it as “one hundred meters of the Li River, one hundred meters of an art gallery”.

Learn to cook Chinese cuisine in a beautiful country setting, using local ingriedents.

West Street, the oldest street in Yangshuo has a history of more than 1,400 years. West Street has become a window of eastern and western culture and is the biggest 'foreign language center' in China.  The street is paved with marble and is 1,696 feet long and 26 feet wide, meandering in an 'S' along its length. 

Day 10 - Monday:  Guillin - Shanghai

Leave the countryside behind as we fly to Shanghai, the largest city in China.  Shanghai, an amazing mix of the ancient and hi-tech western civilization, is a multi-cultural metropolis with both modern and traditional Chinese features. Capture the essence of new and old China and experience the centuries of culture and history as we explore Shanghai together.

Ascend the Shanghai World Financial Center Observatory Tower, one of the world’s tallest buildings (1,615.2 ft tall), for an astonishing view over the entire city.

Spend the rest of the day on Nanjing Road, the main shopping street of Shanghai, and one of the world's busiest shopping streets.

Day 11 - Monday, September 13:   Shanghai

Walk along the famous Bund past the facades of the colonial buildings lining the Huangpu River and gaze across to the fantastic skyscrapers of the Pudong District on the opposite side. As we cross the Huang River view the Bund from this floating vantage point, see 80-100 year old buildings with diverse architectural styles: Gothic, Baroque, and Romanesque.  

Yu Garden, a classical garden in downtown Shanghai, boasts a history over 400 years. Each pavilion, hall, stone and stream in the garden is expressing the quintessence of South China landscape design from Ming and Qing Dynasty. Over forty spots, divided by dragon walls, wound corridors and beautiful flowers, form an unique picture featuring one step, one beauty; every step, every beauty.

Best shopping in Shanghai is the secret shops where you can buy anything and this is our opportunity to visit one of these locations.

Tonight enjoy our Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 12 - Wednesday:  Depart Shanghai

After our final breakfast together, we will be transferred to the airport for our flights home. Our singles tour of China is at an end.  Zai Jian China!