Highlights

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA

Depart from your local airport for Beijing.

Day 2: Day of Travel

Cross the International Date Line

Day 3: Arrive Beijing

Arrive in Beijing, China’s imperial capital whose rich history dates back to more than 3000 years ago.  Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel.  Our guide will assist with check-in, allowing you to enjoy some free time to relax afterwards.  Welcome dinner will be at or near your hotel this evening. (D)

Day 4:  Beijing

Morning excursion to the Mutianyu Great Wall, including round-trip cable car rides.  Mutianyu Great Wall has a long history and a splendid culture. Located 70 kilometers away from the center of Beijing, it is one of the famous sections of the Great Wall in Beijing and represents the essence of the Ming Dynasty’s Great Wall.  To the northwest, there are famous Great Wall landscapes known as Jiankou, Niu Jiao Bian, and Eagle Flying Upside Down.  The terrain is steep and rugged, with continuous undulations, resembling a soaring dragon. In spring, the mountain is covered with beautiful flowers; in autumn, the mountains are adorned with red leaves and abundant fruits.  Mutianyu Great Wall is renowned both domestically and internationally and is praised as an outstanding section of the Great Wall.  Enjoy a light lunch after your visit.

In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Heaven.  The Temple of Heaven is a complex of imperial religious Confucian buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing.  The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and then later restored by the Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest and other seasonal rites.  The Temple of Heaven was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1998 and was described as “a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of one of the world’s great civilizations.”

Enjoy a Peking Duck Dinner in the evening. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Beijing – Xi’an

Visit Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City in the morning, followed by lunch. In the afternoon, explore Beijing’s traditional Hutongs and enjoy a tea ceremony experience at a local residence.  Transfer to the airport for the flight to Xi’an.  Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and enjoy a light dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Xi’an

Visit the world-famous Terracotta Warriors.  The Terracotta Army is a collection of  terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.  It is a form of funery art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BC in his mausoleum with the purpose of protecting him in his afterlife.

The figures, dating from approximately the late 200s BC were discovered in 1974 by local farmers outside Xi’an.  The figures vary in height according to their rank, the tallest being the generals.  The figures include warriors, chariots and horses.  Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army hold more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remain in situ.^[2]  Other, non-military terracotta figures have since been found in other pits, including those of officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians.

Enjoy lunch after your visit.  In the afternoon, visit the Xi’an City Wall and explore the Muslim Quarter.  In the evening, enjoy a Dumpling Banquet accompanied by a Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show. (B,L,D)

Day 7: Xi’an – Chongqing

Transfer to the railway station and take a high-speed train to Chongqing, with a boxed lunch provided.  Upon arrival, meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel.  Visit Jiefangbei and the 1941 Cultural District, followed by hot pot dinner with Chinese traditional performance.  In the evening, enjoy a night cruise on the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers to admire Chongqing’s illuminated skyline. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Chongqing – Yangtze River Cruise

Visit the pandas and experience the famous Liziba Monorail Station.  Enjoy a private lunch. In the afternoon, explore Shibati (Eighteen Steps), Longmenhao Old Street, and Xiahaoli Historic District.  Transfer to the pier and board the Yangtze River cruise ship.  Embark on a 4-day downstream cruise from Chongqing to Yichang.  Enjoy the sumptuous embarkation buffet dinner, and join the Captain’s Welcome Reception Party while sailing through Chongqing’s mesmerizing night views. (B,L,D)

Day 9 Yangtze River Cruise

Visit Fengdu Ghost City, a temple dedicated to afterlife, which incorporates beliefs of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.  In the evening, join the optional tour to the War Fire of the Three Kingdoms live show, and delve into the romantic saga of one of China’s most fascinating historical periods.  Enjoy the Crew’s Cabaret Show for the rest of the evening. (B,L,D)

Day 10: Yangtze River Cruise

In the morning, enjoy a tour of the White Emperor City – a historical site and museum showcasing ancient artifacts and the rich local culture of poetry; later back onboard, sail through the spectacular Qutang Gorge and the Wu Gorge.  In the afternoon, board a small boat to explore the Goddess Stream, a serene tributary of the Yangtze. (B,L,D)

Day 11: Yichang – Zhangjiajie

Disembark in Yichang in the morning, and visit the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric project, and Three Gorges Engineering Museum.  You will also have the choice of visiting the Dam’s Ship Elevator, followed by lunch.  After lunch, transfer to Zhangjiajie and check in at the hotel.  In the evening, enjoy traditional Western Hunan (Xiangxi) cuisine at Suoxi Shanzhai. (B,L,D)

Day 12: Zhangjiajie

Explore Yuanjiajie Scenic Area and ride the famous Bailong Elevator.  This is a glass double deck elevator built onto the side of a cliff in the area of Zhangjiajie, an area noted for more than 3,000 quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks across most of the site, many over 660 ft in height.  In order to ascend to the top of one such pillar without a two-hour hike, the elevator ascends 1,070 ft in just one minute and 32 seconds.  It was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest outdoor elevator and is purported to be the fastest passenger elevator with the largest loading capacity.

Enjoy lunch at Sky Garden (Kongzhong Tianyuan).  Continue to Tianzi Mountain.  Tianzi Mountain was known as “Qingyan Mountain” because of its green stones.  The mountain is named after the early Ming dynasty farmer Xiang Dakun of the Tujia ethnic group, who led a successful local farmers’ revolt and called himself “Xiang Wang Tianzi”, meaning son of Heaven and which is the traditional epithet of the Chinese emperor.  Descend the mountain by cable car.  Return to the hotel and enjoy dinner at Zhaisao Dangjia. (B,L,D)

Day 13: Zhangijie – Shanghai

Visit Tianmen Mountain, including sections of the Glass Skywalk, Tianmen Cave (Heaven’s Gate), and Guigu Cliffside Walkway.  After Dinner, transfer to the Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport for the flight to Shanghai. (B,L,D)

Day 14: Shanghai

Visit Yu Garden and the Yu Garden Bazaar.  Boasting over 40 scenic spots, including pavilions, rock formations, and ponds, it is now a key site under state-level protection.  A centerpiece is the Exquisite Jade Rock a porous 3.3-m, 5-ton boulder.  Rumors about its origin include the story that it was meant for the Huizong Emporer the imperial garden in Bianjing, but was salvaged from the Huangpu River after the boat carrying it had sunk.   Next enjoy a tour of the Former French Concession, Nanjing Road, and The Bund.

Dinner at Lost Heaven on the Bund, followed by transfer back to the hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 15: Shanghai

Visit the 118th floor observation deck of Shangai tower and explore Lujiazui, Shanghai’s iconic financial district. Emjoy lunch at a panoramic restaurant in Pudong. Afterwards, enjoy shopping at AP Plaza, followed by a farewell dinner on the Bund. (B,L,D)

Day 16: Depart for Home

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the United States. (B)

Tour Map