China Classic
--15 Days

Special Price: $2099 + tax

SFO / Beijing / Xian / Kunming / Guilin / Shanghai / Suzhou / Shanghai / SFO

Day 1: SFO– Beijing
We start our Tour by boarding Air China wide bodied Boeing 747 flight bound for Beijing, China, the capital of modern China. Our flight CA 986 departs out of SFO at 2:20 pm. The group will meet at SFO Air China counter at 11:20 am, and a briefing about the China trip will be given by a waytochina staff. We are going to 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. We will enjoy the famous Peking Duck banquet for dinner tonight.

Day 4: Beijing – Chengde ( B, L, D )
After breakfast we will take the comfortable coach to Chengde of Hebei Province, the largest imperial garden of modern China. We will have an afternoon tour of this famous ancient Mountain Resort of Chengde. We will stay at the Mongolian Style Hotel Chengde Yurt Spend One's Holidays Village.

Day 5: Chengde – Beijing ( B, L, D )
In the morning we will visit the Puning Temple as well as the Small Potala Palace of Tibet. Then take the coach back to Beijing. On the way, we will visit the Great Wall at Jinshanling section. The Great Wall, which is one of the Seven Great Wonders of the World, is about six thousand kilometers long and the only manmade constructions visible from the Moon. We will have a hiking about 40 minutes before getting to the Great Wall. You can relax yourself in the beautiful natural scenes. We stay at the Century Ocean BW Hotel.

Day 6: Beijing - Xian ( B, L, D )
After breakfast at the hotel, we will go to the Giant Panda Zoo, where you can have a chance to see the lovely Giant Pandas, the living fossil of China. Then visit the Summer Palace, which was built in 1750 as a royal recreational resort. 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. Afternoon we will experience the elegant hustle and and bustle in the Wangfujing street, Beijing’s prime shopping area, where we see all the world famous brand name stores. After dinner, we will take a night train to Xian on the soft sleeper.

Day 7: Xian ( B, L, D )
We have early arrival in Xian, the Capital of Shaanxi Province. This once largest city in the world was also the starting point of the famous ancient Silk Road. During its 6,000 years of history, eleven ancient dynasties had claimed Xian as their Capital. We will first visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda of the ancient Tang Dynasty, and then visit the Medicine Market and the Great Mosque. We will take a walk along the Old City Wall, just like the former president Bill Clinton once did during his visit in Xian. While in Xian, we will stay at the 4-star Bell Tower Hotel.

Day 8: 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 life sized warriors and horses and then visit the Huaqing Hot Spring, where the Queen of Tang Dynasty used to take her bath.

Day 9: Xian / Kunming ( B, L, D )
We are taking a morning flight to Kunming. Kunming is named as “the City of Eternal Spring” because of its mild weather. There is only the warm and gentle spring. We will visit the world famous Stone Forest, enjoying the stones of thousands of forms. We will also visit a natural minority village to experience the everyday life of the local people. We will stay at the 4-star Golden Dragon Hotel.

Day 10: Kunming / Guilin ( B, L, D )
After a complete city tour, we will fly to Guilin, a southwest city that is famous for its splendid natural scenery. We will visit the Elephant Trunk Hill, which looks very much like an elephant drinking in the river. We stay at the 5-star Royal Garden Hotel.

Day 11: Guilin = Yangshuo ( B, L, D )
Have a wonderful tour to Reed Flute Cave in the early morning. But today’s highlight is a wonderful cruise along the Li River. We can enjoy the beautiful scenes of the river banks while having a special lunch on the cruise ship. We will stop at Yangshuo and start an interesting tour to the town. Depending on the hotel room availability, we may stay at the Yang Shuo New Century Hotel to experience the small town mentality, and we may be able to visit one of the poorest villages in that remote but picturesque area, and talk to the good-hearted villagers.

Day 12: Guilin / Shanghai ( B, L, D )
We will fly to Shanghai in the morning. In the afternoon we will visit the Yuyuan Garden, a finely designed maze of elegant pavilions and ponds in the old part of this city. We will also walk along the famous commercial street, Nanjing Road, to experience the unique hustle and bustle of the downtown area. We will have a night tour to the Bund along the Huangpu River after dinner. We will stay at the 5-star Guangdong Hotel.

Day 13: Shanghai - Suzhou ( B, L, D )
In the morning, we will visit the Jade Buddha Temple, which is famous for its two big Jade Buddha, each of them was carved out from a single piece of Jade. In the afternoon, we will cross the Huangpu River to visit the newest and the modernest city in the whole world--- Pudong. After dinner, we will take our coach to Suzhou. While in Suzhou, we will stay at the 4-star Glamor Hotel.

Day 14: 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 Hills and the famous Lingering Garden. After lunch we will visit the Han Shan Temple and the Lion Forest. Suzhou is the centre of textile industry in China and if time allows we will visit a local Silk Factory to witness the born of world-famous Suzhou silk and silk embroidery.

Day 15: Suzhou- Shanghai – USA ( B, L )
Enjoy your visit of the small water town of Zhouzhuang today. The historical town has kept its original layout and many traditional houses. After an early lunch we will drive to Shanghai Pudong Airport for our flight back home to the USA. We arrive in SFO the same day at about 12:00 noon. ( end of the tour )

Note: Single room supplement is $430 for the whole trip.