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Day
1
Depart from Heathrow or your preferred airport for a scheduled flight to Beijing.
Meals on board. Day
2 Beijing
Upon arrival in Beijing, you are greeted at the airport by our English speaking
guide and transferred to your hotel by private transport. The rest of the day
is at your leisure to recover from jetlegs and get ready for the adventure to
come! (China is 8 hours ahead of UK) Day
3 Beijing
A full day city tour to soak up the atmosphere of Beijing. This includes visiting
historical sites such as Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and the
Forbidden City. Then we will go to watch an entertaining acrobat show.
(includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Our
welcome dinner in the evening provides an opportunity to
sample special Chinese cuisine combined with live music, singing
and dance entertainment.
Day
4 Beijing
The highlights of today's tour include a visit to the Great Wall, the only
man-made wonder on earth visible from the moon. We travel to the Ming Tombs
and walk on the Sacred Way to see the resting place of thirteen Chinese
Emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Enjoy the famous Peking Roasted Duck dinner upon
your return. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) We
will visit Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, which was originally constructed
in the 5th century and is regarded as the most strategic section of the Wall.
The section is quieter and less commercial than some other areas and it provides
the opportunity to visit the Sacred Way, another highlight of the Great
Wall heritage.
Day
5 Beijing
to Xian
Today, our tours includes a visit to the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan),
which dates back to the 12th century when the Jin ruler built his
Gold Mountain Travelling Palace. We walk along the Long Corridor
beside Kunming Lake and take a detour to the Garden of Harmony before
taking the ferry next to the Marble Boat. In the next part
of our tour we take a fascinating Rickshaw ride and visit
an old residential area and see how local people live. Our guide
will then escort you to Houhai, a popular relaxing and eating
out place for both Western and Chinese tourists. For travellers
who would like to experience shopping in China, we can take you
to the popular shopping street - Xiushui Silk Market. In
the evening, we take a flight to Xian, the former capital
of China and starting point of the ancient Silk Road. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch)
Day
6 Xian
As
the ancient capital of China for many dynasties, Xian has
a lot of historical sites to offer. We will take a city tour which
includes visiting Xian's well preserved Ancient City Walls,
built in the early Ming Dynasty (about 600 years ago) and the
historic Bell Tower where you can overlook the entire
city. Our tour guide will also escort you to Fanggu Street
in the city centre, where the shops have all been reconstructed
to resemble ancient China. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch).
Day
7 Xian
Today, the highlights include Terra-cotta Warriors. You will
visit the luxury underground palace of Emperor Qinshihuang, The
Archaeological Museum of 6,000 life-size Terracotta Warriors and
their horses. The warriors were the after life protectors of the
first emperor who united China (221BC-206BC). Following this we
will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built as a Buddhist
Monastery during the Tang Dynasty. In the evening we attend a re-enactment
of the royal arts performance of a 7th century Tang Dynasty Show,
with a special Dinner of dumplings included. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day
8
Xian to
Wuhan
We take a flight to Wuhan, a city in South China that is
regarded as the major connection point for railways and airlines.
Now we are in the 'middle' of the country, and the city provides
an opportunity to discover the real China. Our tour will take you
to Hubei Provincial Museum which houses a vast and precious
display of ancient Chinese items, many of them over 3000 years old.
We
will also take you to a traditional shopping street where locals
have their Chinese traditional silk dress such as Qipao and
Changshan made. The tailors can provide tailor-made
next
day ordering service and the price is a real bargain! (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day
9 Wuhan
to Yichang
In the morning, we visit the famous Chinese landmark
of Huanghelou pagoda, which is the inspiration behind numerous Chinese
poems. Later we drive to Yichang for the start of your river cruise (approx. 2.5
hrs). Board the cruise in the evening. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Day
10 Yangtze River
Shore excursion to see the Three Gorges Dam project in the morning.
Later we sail through the magnificent Xiling Gorge. Entertainment
and organised activities are available on board ship. In the evening you will
be invited to attend the Captain's welcome dinner. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch,
Dinner) Day
11 Yangtze
River
Today we take a shore excursion to see Shennong Stream
or Lesser 3 Gorges (depending on the sailing schedule). Your cruise
sails through the impressive Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge. Entertainment
and organised activities are also available on board. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Day
12 Yangtze
River
Shore excursion to Shibaozhai or Fengdu (depends
on sailing schedule). Entertainment
and organised activities are
also available on board,
with your farewell dinner party in the evening. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Day
13 Yangtze
River / Chongqing to Guilin
Arrive at Chongqing, the city with the highest population in China.
Today we will go to the People's Square
before visiting the pandas in the City Zoo. If time
allows, we will also visit the Yangtze River Museum. The
museum displays many interesting and historic features and artifacts
that were found in and along the river, prior to the three gorges
project commencing. Later you take a flight to Guilin and
are transferred to your hotel. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
*highly
recommended optional tour*
For
travellers who want to see the Giant Pandas in their own
habitat, we recommend our optional
tour to see
the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, in
Chengdu
city. It is the best place to see Chengdu's most famous residents.
Day
14
Guilin
Guilin
is a beautiful city set among picturesque mountains alongside the
majestic Li River. Many of our travellers loved Guilin
and Yangshuo very much. Li' River Cruise. Depart from
your hotel in the morning for the hour drive to Zhujiang Dock,
where we will board your boat for a cruise down the picturesque
Li River with lime stone pinnacles, water buffalos and tranquil
rice paddies alongside the river banks. Lunch will be served on
board and we will disembark upon arrival at Yangshuo. Yangshou
is an charming ancient small town that is famous for its beautiful
scenery. After our tour we
take a coach journey back to the city. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day
15 Guilin
to Yangshuo
Todays
tour is to the delightful Fubo Hill or Elephant Trunk Hill (depends
on local situations), and a visit to Reed Flute Cave, an underground cavern
of exotic rock formations. Later we fly back to Beijing.
(Includes: Breakfast, Lunch) Day
16 Beijing
to home
Be transferred to Beijing Airport for schedule flight
for your return home. (Includes:
Breakfast) Hong
Kong extension (£350 per person) Day
15 Guilin
to Hong Kong
After the
tour you are transferred to airport for flight to Hong Kong. Upon arrival, transfer
to your hotel (superior/moderate deluxe standard). The rest of day is free at
leisure. (Includes:
Breakfast) Day
16
Hong Kong
Half day
morning tour to the Victoria Peak, Stanley Market, Aberdeen Fishing Village. Rest
of the day is free at your leisure. (Includes:
Breakfast) Day
17
Hong Kong
You are
transferred to airport for flight home. (Includes:
Breakfast) Or,
for the same price, you may choose the option of 3 nights/4 days in Hong Kong
incl a flight to Hong Kong. (flight & accommodation only) Group
Departure Dates & Price 2008 (£)
| Ref |
Dates |
Twin
share | Upgrade
to 5* cruise | Single
supp | |
CEYC1 |
March 9 | 2080 |
2240 |
420 |
| CEYC2 |
March
30 | 2120 |
2280 |
420 |
| CEYC2 |
April
13 | 2120 |
2280 |
420 |
| CEYC2 |
May
11, 25 | 2120 |
2280 |
420 |
| CEYC2 |
June
8, 22 | 2120 |
2280 |
420 |
| CEYC3 |
July 6, 13 | 2195 |
2360 |
420 |
| CEYC3 |
September 14 | 2195 |
2360 |
420 |
| CEYC3 |
October
5, 19 | 2180 |
2340 |
420 |
| CEYC2 |
November 2, 9 | 2120 |
2280 |
420 |
We
also arrange private tour or tailor made departure according to this itinerary,
please contact us to discuss your requirement. Price
Includes (The
prices shown above are 'per person', in Mainland China) - All
flights including
airport tax. We can also arrange your local airport departure and return from
£60. Please enquire at the time of your booking.
- All
train tickets soft sleeper.
- All
airport/hotel transfers.
- Sightseeing
tours (including entrance fee) by professional English-speaking tour guide.
- Selections
of deluxe hotel accommodation in well furnished rooms with private facilities.
(minimum 4 star, often with opportunity to free upgrade to 5 star)
- Meals
as specified in the itinerary.
Price
Does Not Include
Your
Accommodation for this tour Excellent
4 and 5 star hotels and cruises with the same standard. In some
remote areas, the hotel standard can be lower but we will provide
you with one of the best available in the area. Please visit Accommodation
for
details.
Fact
of our tour arrangement Our
itineraries are designed at a sensible pace to provide you with
a real opportunity to enjoy touring the country, with a combination
of escorted sightseeing, and some free time. China is huge, please
take into account flight time required when considering a tour suggestion.
Guaranteed
departure from 2 people. Small group travel with like minded people and flexibility
on tour. Normal group size 16 people. Suitable for all age travellers. Add on
tours and city extension available, for details visit Optional
tours
page. Our
itineraries are regularly checked and updated to provide ideal and latest sightseeing
spots for our travellers. We organise our own special activities to introduce
the real China to our travellers, and connect you closer to the local people. Your
Meals We include all breakfast (mixture of western & Chinese) at
your hotel and most Chinese lunches and dinners on tour. Each lunch and dinner
is selected to ensure you can try a wide variety of tasty dishes. All meals included
in the itinerary are pre-booked. We think it is part of the experience of trying
out a few meals by yourself while you in China. Therefore the hotels we select
provide a good choices of cuisine with English menu. Alternatively there are plenty
of restaurants to choose from in the main sightseeing area in Chinese cities.
A good meal (dinner) in a restaurant should cost about £5 per person. Flights
As agent
of many airline consolidators, we can obtain flights in various class, with reputable
airlines such as BA, Air China, Virgin, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Finnair etc.
Depends on the availability we will choose airline for you and will try to arrange
direct flight when possible. We can also provide land-only tours if you prefer
to organise your own flights and save airmiles. The
itinerary is designed according to the most updated information of flights and
cruises sailing schedules available, although occasionally the sequence in which
cities are visited and duration of time spent in each city can change due to local
conditions which are out of our control. The above itinerary highlights the main
attractions that are to be visited each day. Further places of interest may be
visited during your stay, which will provide unique ethnic and cultural handcraft
shopping opportunities. We reserve the right to change, amend or alter the itinerary,
although we will act in your best interests to handle any amendments. Please refer
to the booking form for detailed terms & conditions. | 
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