Featured Tour Programs China Discovery
CHINA DISCOVERY
Featuring: Featuring: Beijing – Shanghai – Optional Suzhou and Hangzhou
Day 1 (Mon) BEIJING
Today you will take transpacific flight to Beijing China. Meals and snacks will be served on the flight. Movies will also be available.
Day 2 (Tues) BEIJING
Upon arrival at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel. For those arriving in Beijing earlier today, you may spend the rest of the day for leisure or join in the optional tours in Beijing at an additional expense.
Day 3 (Wed) BEIJING (AB, L, SD)
Today you will visit Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the largest and most intact conglomeration of ancient structures of the imperial palace. This was the palace for 24 Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors who ruled China for over 500 years. Take a photo stop at the National Center for the Performing Arts, also known as the National Grand Theatre, designed by the French architect Paul Andreu. You will also tour the Summer Palace, the famous resort of Empress Dowager Ci Xi. Feast your eyes on the Long Corridor, Longevity Hill, and Kunming Lake. Stop by the Pearl Museum/Factory. Attend a Peking Duck Dinner tonight.
Day 4 (Thurs) BEIJING (AB, L)
Today's excursion takes you to the Olympic Park where you will view the exterior of the Bird Nest-China National Stadium and Water Cube-China National Aquatic Center. Stop by a Jade Museum/Factory. Later in the day you will visit the astonishing Great Wall of China at Juyongguan Pass, one of the most remarkable feats of mankind. Visit a tea house to learn some Chinese tea culture. Later in the afternoon, enjoy the complimentary foot massage for your relaxation and spend the rest of the evening for leisure.
Day 5 (Fri) BEIJING (AB, L)
After breakfast, you will visit the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site - the Temple of Heaven where emperors used to pray for good harvest. You will also attend a morning lesson of Taiji (also referred to as Taichi by the Westerners) exercise on the site of the Temple of Heaven given by a professional. Taichi is a type of internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. T'ai chi theory and practice evolved in agreement with many Chinese philosophical principles, including those of Taoism and Confucianism. After lunch, you will stop by the Silk Shop and enjoy your free afternoon for shopping or leisure. You may also take an optional tour of Hutong (Chinese alleyways) by riding aboard a rickshaw pedicab through the narrow lanes of the old residential quarters in the afternoon ($45 per person).
Hutongs are a type of narrow streets or alleys in Beijing, formed by lines of siheyuan, traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong, and then joining one hutong to another. Hutongs represent an important cultural element of the city of Beijing. Thanks to Beijing's long history and status as capital for six dynasties, almost every hutong has its anecdotes, and some are even associated with historic events. In contrast to the court life and elite culture represented by the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect the culture of grassroots Beijingers. The hutongs are residential neighborhoods which still form the heart of Old Beijing. Taking a Hutong tour is a great way to enjoy the local cultures, giving you a unique opportunity to glimpse into the local resident's daily life.
Tonight you can attend an optional Kungfu show in the evening at the additional cost of $40 per person including admission and transfers.
Day 6 (Sat) BEIJING /SHANGHAI (AB)
After breakfast, you will take a flight to Shanghai, China's largest city and home to 20 million people. Often regarded as "the Paris of the East," Shanghai has retained the flavor of its past European influences. Upon arrival in Shanghai, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel for hotel check in. You will enjoy the rest of the day for leisure, or take an optional tour of Zhujiajiao at the additional cost of $45 per person.
In the early afternoon, you will be picked up from the hotel lobby for a bus ride to Zhujiajiao, a water village that is located on the outskirts of Shanghai. Zhujiajiao Water Village has been well known for the well preserved cultures and ancient architectural style buildings.
Day 7 (Sun) SHANGHAI/SUZHOU/SHANGHAI (AB)
Today you could enjoy your free day for leisure, or take an optional excursion to Suzhou with lunch included ($119 per person).
Today you will take a bus or bullet train ride to Suzhou, noted for landscaped classic gardens. You will cruise on the world famous ancient Grand Canal of more than 2400 years’ history to experience the unique cultures and glimpse the daily life of the local residents. You will also visit the silk embroidery factory, the Master of Fishing Nets Garden and the ancient Panmen Gate, the only existing water & land gate. Take a stroll along the famous Shan Tang Street with a history of more than 1100 years, where you can still experience the past prosperity of Suzhou and its traditional cultures well preserved. Return to Shanghai in late afternoon.
Day 8 (Mon) SHANGHAI/HANGZHOU/SHANGHAI (AB)
Today you could enjoy your free day for leisure, or take an optional excursion to Hangzhou with lunch included ($139 per person).
Proclaimed by Marco Polo as "the most beautiful and splendid city in the world", Hangzhou has been well known for its stunning natural and cultural beauty. This morning you will take a bus or bullet train ride to Hangzhou for a full day sightseeing. You will cruise the scenic West Lake, the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, while enjoying the fascinating sceneries around the lake. View the goldfish at Flower Harbour at the West Lake, which is considered one of the top ten scenic attractions of the West Lake. Visit the Pagoda of Six Harmonies, originally built in the year 970 AD. You will also enjoy some time learning the Chinese tea culture at a tea orchard for the famous Longjin tea, which was once granted the status of imperial tea by the emperor in Qing Dynasty. The pan-roasted green tea is produced mostly by hand and renowned for high quality. Return to Shanghai by bus or bullet train in the afternoon.
Day 9 (Tues) SHANGHAI (AB, L, SD)
The excursion today takes you to the Bund - a waterfront area that showcases many landmark buildings of western style built in the early 20th century, the bustling Nanjing Road, Chenghuangmiao Old Town, and Tianzifang, an old neighborhood with hidden alleyways full of boutiques and art galleries. You will also visit the well-known Shanghai Museum of Art and History, which ranks among the great museums of the world. Attend a farewell dinner celebration of Shanghai cuisine in the evening, followed by an optional cruise on Huangpu River to enjoy a fascinating night view of Shanghai at the additional cost of $45 per person with cruise fare and transfers.
Day 10 (Wed) SHANGHAI (AB)
Departure transfer to the airport for flight back home.