China Majesty --13 Days

Special Price: $1669 + tax

SFO / Beijing / Xian / Hangzhou / Suzhou / Tongli / Wuxi / Shanghai / SFO

Day 1: USA / Beijing
We start our Tour by boarding Air China wide bodied Boeing 747 flight bound for Beijing, China, the capital of modern China. We cross the international Date Line and spend the night during the 11.45-hour flight.

Day 2: Beijing ( D )
Arrive in Beijing in late afternoon and warmly welcomed by our English-speaking local guide. Transferred to the hotel, and a welcome dinner is reserved for us. We will stay at the super 4-star Century Ocean BW Hotel while in Beijing.

Day 3: Beijing ( B, L, D )
Beijing is the Capital of China, once served as the Capital City for 5 dynasties over a period of 800 years. We start today's tour from the Tiananmen Square – the largest square in the world. The present Tiananmen Square has an area of 440,000 square meters and has become a relaxing place for the common people to fly kites and walk. Behind the Tiananmen Gate Tower is the Palace Museum , also known as the Forbidden City . The City was built between 1406 and 1420 and served as the Imperial Palace for 24 Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This complex, being the world largest Imperial Palace, features more than 800 buildings with resplendent golden-glazed roofs, red lacquered pillars and vermilion walls. In the afternoon we will tour the Temple of Heaven where the Ming and Qing Emperors worshipped the God of Heaven and preyed for a good harvest. You can visit the most brilliant buildings there, the Circular Mound Altar ( Yuanqiutan ), Imperial Vault of Heaven ( Huangqiongyu ) and Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest ( Qiniandian ) from south to north. What's more, you can have a chance to experience the magnificent atmosphere of the Echo Wall around the Imperial Vault of Heaven. For evening entertainment tonight, we will watch a formal acrobatic show.

Day 4: Beijing / Xian ( B, L, D )
After breakfast in the hotel, we will take our coach to the Great Wall , one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Wall is about six thousand kilometers in length from east to west across the country, and the only manmade structure visible from the Moon. Afternoon we will visit the Summer Palace , which was built in 1750 as a royal recreational resort. About 75% of the Garden was covered with water---the Kunming Lake. Among its famous features are the 700-meter-long corridors with its wonderful Painted Gallery, the Marble Barge, and several magnificently painted pavilions and pagodas. It is said that the huge amount of money used for building the Summer Palace was supposed to build a Chinese Navy, however, the huge Marble Barge by the vast Lake was the only thing relating to the Navy. We will enjoy the famous Beijing Duck banquet for dinner tonight. After dinner, we will take the evening train to Xian.

Day 5: Xian ( B, L, D )
We have early arrival in Xian, the capital of Shaanxi Province. Xian has a history of nearly 6,000 years. Xian, once the largest city in the world, was the starting point of the famous ancient Silk Road. About eleven ancient dynasties in the Chinese history once claimed Xian as their Capital. We will f irst visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda of the ancient Tang Dynasty, and then visit the Medicine Market and the Great Mosque. We will also take a walk along the Old City Wall , which has witnessed history of many thousand years. You also cannot miss a visit to Shannxi Provincial Museum , where you can learn more about this ancient city. While in Xian we will stay at the Bell Tower Hotel * * * *.

Day 6: Xian ( B, L, D )
Today, our tour begins with a visit to the astonishing underground ruins, Museum of Qin Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses. Concealed under earth, those thousands of life-sized clay warriors, horses and chariots, as part of the Tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang, were discovered accidentally by a farmer while digging out a well near his home. We will go to the excavation site to see those lifelike warriors and horses and then visit the Huaqing Hot Spring , where the Queen of Tang Dynasty used to take her bath.

Day 7: Xian / Hangzhou ( B, L, D )
We are taking the morning flight to Hangzhou. Hangzhou, the Capital of Zhejiang Province, is one of the most beautiful cities in China. It was praised in an ancient Chinese poem as a “ Paradise on Earth ”. Today, we will start our tour with the majestic Lin Yin Temple , which is known as the Temple of Inspired Seclusion. Afterwards we will go to see the mysterious Fei Lai Feng (Peak Flown From Afar). We can also enjoy a cup of traditional Chinese green tea Dragon Well Tea on the Tea Farm. We will stay at the Lake View Hotel * * * * by the West Lake.

Day 8: Hangzhou / Suzhou ( B, L, D )
After breakfast we will tour the beautiful West Lake recreational area. In the afternoon, we will transfer to the Jia Xing Port to board a cruise ship to Suzhou along the ancient Grand Canal. While in Suzhou, we will stay at the Glamor Hotel * * * *

Day 9: Suzhou ( B, L, D )
Resting in the arms of the ancient Grand Canal, Suzhou is well known for its old delicate gardens. Narrow canals threaded between white walled houses have earned Suzhou the name “Venice of the East”. We will visit the Tiger Hill and the famous Lingering Gardens. After lunch we will visit the Han Shan Temple. As Suzhou is the centre of textile industry in China, today we may be able to visit a Silk Factory, where we will witness the born of world-famous Suzhou silk and silk embroidery.

Day 10: Suzhou / Tongli / Wuxi ( B, L, D )
After breakfast, we will drive for Tongli , a beautiful small water village near Suzhou, which is famous for the traditional houses there. We will take a coach to Wuxi before dinner. While in Wuxi, we will stay at the Lake Beach Hotel * * * * *

Day 11: Wuxi ( B, L, D )
We will have a tour around this small yet beautiful city. We will go to the famous Yuan Tou Zhu –the Turtle Head Park by the Lake Taihu. Lake Taihu is the 2nd largest fresh water lake in China. In the afternoon, we will visit Xihui Garden, where we will experience the peaceful life style of the local people here. A tour to the Old City is particularly interesting.

Day 12: Wuxi / Shanghai ( B, L, D )
We are taking a Coach to Shanghai after breakfast. Shanghai is the most important commercial center in China, and the largest city in Asia. It is nestled in the fertile Yangtze River Valley, a home to 14 million people. We will v isit the Jade Buddha Temple , which is famous for its huge Jade Buddha, each of them was carved out of a single piece of Jade. After lunch w e will visit Yuyuan Garden , a finely designed maze of elegant pavilions and ponds in the old part of the city. We will have a night tour to the famous Bund, the most loved waterfront stretching in China, about one mile along the Huangpu River. We will stay at the Guangdong Hotel * * * * *.

Day 13: Shanghai / USA ( B, L )
After breakfast we will go to the famous Nanjing Road to experience the elegant hustle and bustle of the downtown avenue. We will cross the Huangpu River to visit the newest and the modernest city in the whole world---Pudong. In the afternoon we will transfer to the Airport and take our flight back home to USA. We arrive in SFO the same day at about 12:00 noon. ( end of the tour )

Note: Single room supplement is $360 for the whole trip.