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| – | 21 days tour to Beijing, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Shanghai, Yichang, Yangtze River, Chongqing, Guilin & Hong Kong |
| • | $4,350 – Land portion all inclusive price |
| • | During the period of • March 31 – April 20, 2012 • April 21 – May 11, 2012 |
| • | 5 star hotel accommodation (4 star in HKG); 5 star cruise ship along the Yangtze River |
| Yangtze River and Tibet Fantasy Tour |
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---- 20 day tour to Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Lhasa, Chongqing, Yangtze River, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai
ITINERARY: *ABF - American Buffet Breakfast; B – Breakfast; L – Lunch; D –Dinner; SD –Banquet; ** Time – All times listed in the itinerary are LOCAL TIME; Day 01 Canada (Toronto or Vancouver) / North Pole You will depart from the international gateway of CANADA by your preferred airlines today and fly across the North Pole. Day 02 Beijing You will arrive in Beijing today. Beijing is a world-class capital with an incredible mix of historic and modern landmarks. Upon arrival you will be greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel. You will be on your own for rest of the day. Day 03 Beijing (ABF, L, SD) After breakfast, you will start your tour from the largest public square in the world - the Tiananmen Square, and then enter the intriguing Forbidden City, home of Chinese emperors for more than 500 years. In the afternoon, you will visit the harmonious Temple of Heaven, one of the best examples of Ming Dynasty architecture in China, also an ornate sanctuary where Chinese Emperors worshiped the Gods. Tonight, feast on the emperor’s cuisine - The Beijing Roast Duck Banquet will be arranged at a leading city restaurant. Day 04 Beijing (ABF, L, D) An unforgettable outing includes a walking to the wondrous Great Wall, Badaling part, where you will have the chance to climb a portion of this 3,700-mile vista and marvel. Its dramatic descends steep ridges and narrow valleys will scatter a good landscape for your camera. In the afternoon, visit the Ming Tomb and walk through the Sacrificed Way features the giant animal sculptures group. Day 05 Beijing (ABF, L) After the breakfast time, enjoy a Pedi cab tour of the Hutongs, the "old city" neighborhood of narrow alleyways and courtyard gardens hidden behind Beijing's modern facade. Visit Prince Gong's Palace, the Drum Tower, and old-style courtyard houses still inhabited by Beijing residents. After lunch, visit the Summer Palace, where the Empress Dowager Ci Xi would go to escape the heat of the city. En route, you will drive around the intriguing architecture of the 2008 Summer Olympic Opening Ceremony venues, the National Stadium which is nicknamed the "Bird's Nest" because of the unique design and the National Aquatics with the nickname of "the Water Cube (H2O3). Day 06 Beijing / Xi’an (ABF, L, D) A morning flight will bring your to Xi’an – the Ancient Chinese Capital thousands years ago. You will be greeted by local tour guide & transferred to hotel. Xi’an is a city of unsurpassed importance in China’s history; it is filled with archeological wonders and served as the capital for eleven dynasties. You will tour the Great Mosque, a haven of tranquility tucked into the bustling market areas of Xi’an. Also in your today’s itinerary will cover the Ancient City Wall, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Bell Tower. Day 07 Xi'an (ABF, L, SD) Today's highlight is a visit to the Archaeological Museum, home to more than 6,000 life-size terra-cotta warriors and horses excavated from the tomb of the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty. After lunch, visit the Shanxi Provincial Museum which contains relics from the earliest known inhabitants of China. In the evening, attend a Tang Dynasty (AD 600 – 780) Dinner Show. Day 08 Xi’an / Chengdu (ABF, L, SD) This morning, you will fly to Chengdu – the capital city of SICHUAN. Upon arrival, you will meet your local tour guide for your transfer to hotel. After your arrival, you will visit the Du Jiang Irrigation Project – the project was begun by Li Bing, king of west Sichuan, in 256 B.C. and completed by his son, Er Lang. The project has been maintained and expanded ever since, and it is perhaps one of the world's oldest irrigation schemes in continuous use today. Today’s highlight will be a one day tour to the Panda Breeding Centre in Chengdu. In 1980, a massive effort to study and assist the Giant Panda took place in Sichuan Province and initially lasted for 5 years. The effort was a joint effort by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Chinese Government. At end of the day, you will visit the Mt. Qingcheng – famous for its bamboo field. Enjoy a special local flavor dinner – Sichuan Snack Food. Day 09 Chengdu / Lhasa (ABF, L, D) Fly to Lhasa, the Holy Land in Tibetan language. Sitting 3,700 meters above sea level, Lhasa is a cultural city with a history of more than 1,300 years. It is also know as the solar city because it has longer time of sunshine. You need to spend a few hours in hotel to acclimatize to the 12,000-foot altitude. You will begin your tour from Norbu Lingka, which lies in the western suburbs of Lhasa. Built in the 1840s, it served as summer residence of the 7th Dalai Lama. Expansion since then has made it the present scale. The New Palace reflects the architectural style of palace, monastery and villa. On holidays, locals clad in the best costume sing and dance day and night here. Day 10 Lhasa (ABF, L, D) Potala Palace, Jokhang Monastery, Barkhor Street Today’s highlights will include the Potala Palace, which was built in the early 7th century, the palace stands on the Red Mountain in the west of old Lhasa City. The 13-story structure is 117.19 m high and consists of the Red Palace a stupa hall for Dalai Lamas of dynasties and White Palace for the living quarters of the Dalai Lamas and offices of the local government. It has become Tibet’s largest museum of cultural relics under key protection of the state, followed with the golden-roofed Jokhang Monastery, which was first constructed in 647 in the old section of Lhasa. Your whole day will ended with a stop at Barkhor Street, essentially a pilgrim circuit round the periphery of the Jokhang Monastery and a hive of market activity. Day 11 Lhasa (ABF, L, D) Visit the Zhaibung Monastery will be the first program after breakfast. Built in 1416, Zhaibung Monastery is the largest monastery of Yellow Sect, and holds many Buddhist classics and cultural relics. The monastery was the residence of 5th Dalai Lama before his moving to Potala Palace, and had about 10,000 monks in its heyday. It is here to have trained a great number of personnel on Buddhist philosophy. A visit to the Tibetan’s home will be arranged in the afternoon. Enjoy a Tibetan Singing & Dancing party in the evening. Day 12 Lhasa / Chengdu / Chongqing (ABF, L, D) An early morning flight will bring you back to Chengdu. If time permits, you will visit the Du Fu Cottage. The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu is located at the side of the Flower Washing Brook in the western suburbs of Chengdu. The cottage is the former residence of the famous Tang Dynasty poet, Du Fu. During his stay of nearly four years, he composed more than 240 poems reflecting upon the misery of the people. Followed program will be the General’s Temple – where recorded the details of General Zhu Ge Liang & the Three Kingdoms Period (A.D. 220 – 265). In the afternoon, you will be escorted (or take a 2 hours express train) all the way to Chongqing and check-in one of the 5 star Deluxe Victoria Cruise Fleet. The Yangtze River Odyssey Tour will start right from there. Day 13 Yangtze River Cruise (AB, L, D) Start your spectacular cruise down the mighty Yangtze River. Relax on deck or in the lounge, enjoying the beautiful scenery of the magnificent Three Gorges. Today you'll enjoy a shore excursion to Fengdu, the "Ghost City". Day 14 Yangtze River Cruise (AB, L, D) This morning you'll sail through Qutang and Wu Gorges. Enjoy a mid-day excursion to either Shennong Stream or the Lesser Three Gorges, depending on river conditions. This afternoon you'll enter Xiling Gorge, and then navigate the 5 stages of the new Three Gorges Dam Ship-Lock. Day 15 Yichang / Shanghai / Hangzhou (AB, L, D) This morning, you will enjoy a shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam site, where you'll have a birds-eye view of this awe-inspiring engineering feat. Continue sailing downstream through the Gezhou Ship-Lock. You will disembark from the cruise ship at noon time, you will have a half day tour in Wuhan including the Yellow Crane Tower, Han Dynasty Tombs. In the evening, be escorted to the airport for your flight to Hangzhou. Day 16 Hangzhou (ABF, L, SD) Hangzhou, one of the seven ancient capitals in China, was called “the Paradise on Earth” 1300 years ago. The Venetian traveler Marco Polo, after visiting Hangzhou, called it “the most beautiful and splendid city in the world”. You will visit the nation’s famous West Lake Garden, lingering along the zigzag path; you may find the same sceneries that can be found in traditional Chinese painting. After a short boat tour on the West Lake, you will also climb the Flying Peak, a typical Chinese pagoda on top of the hill where enable you to have a magnificent bird view of the city. Your last stop in the Dragon Well Tea Plantation will let the farmers demonstrate you how they prepare the world- famous “Dragon Well Tea”. A special local flavor dinner will be arranged for you the 1000 years old LOU WAI LOU Restaurant. After sunset, you may dwell along the lakeshore where you will behold the spectacular night view of the West Lake. Day 17 Hangzhou / Suzhou (ABF, L, D) A 2 hours railway journey to Suzhou will provide you a good opportunity to view the Yangtze River Delta area. The city of Suzhou is referred to as the “Venice of the East”. Take a relaxing stroll through one of Suzhou beautiful gardens, like the Humble Administrator’s Garden, one of the largest classical gardens in Suzhou as well as one the four best gardens in China. Enjoy a boat cruise along the Grand Canal, which is over 1,500 years old and connects Beijing to the rich coastal areas around Shanghai. Your tour programs will also include the Garden of Master Fishing Net. Day 18 Suzhou / Shanghai (ABF, SL, D) A short ride (about 1 hour) with private vehicle will bring to Shanghai, the economic heart of China. Your first day of sightseeing in Shanghai will start from the Bund. Along the waterfront you will see the European-Style architecture of the buildings that once housed the institutions of the colonial powers in the 19th century. Followed program will be a visit to the Old Town and walk down its narrow lanes past traditional buildings to the once private Yu Yuan Gardens. You end your full-day sightseeing tour with a stop at the Jade Buddha Temple. Tonight, you are sure to enjoy the amazing contortion and acrobatic show in Ritz Carlton Hotel. Day 19 Shanghai (ABF, L, SD) In the morning, you will make a visit the Shanghai National Museum. There you will find artifacts that span the length of China’s history, and enliven its cultural traditions. A special farewell dinner features local flavor will be booked for you in The Green Wave Pavilion Restaurant – right inside the Yu Garden. Day 20 Shanghai / Canada (ABF) Be free in the morning. At around noon time, your tour guide will meet you at the hotel lobby for the transfer to the airport for your back home flight [Passengers from East Canada will fly with Air Canada AC88 Shanghai/Toronto 14:30PM/16:00PM]. The whole trip is finished! PRICES – “International transpacific airfare is quoted separately”:
NOTES: HOTEL LIST – you may have better idea for the destination city by visiting the web-site of each hotel listed below:
The above tour arrangement is INCLUSIVE of: |
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