China
Day 1 Depart USA
Day 2 Arrival Beijing
Day 3 Beijing
Day 4 Beijing – Xian (night train)
Beijing is the capital, the government center of China and has approximately ten million inhabitants. It is still expanding on a daily basis because of the steady stream of Chinese entering the cities from the rural areas of China. Beijing is a huge city; the simplest way to get around is by subway, taxi, or taxi-bus. For example, to travel from one sightseeing activity to the next will usually take you at least half an hour by cab. The center of the city is located around the Tiananmen Square. Here you will find the famous, Forbidden City, the mausoleum of Mao and the large hall of the people. One of the most beautiful parks of Beijing, the Beihai Park, is located right behind the Forbidden City. Here, you can rent a boat and row on the lake together with the locals. Also the Hutongs, the famous old neighborhoods of Beijing should not be missed. Some of these neighborhoods are zoned to protect them against the massive amount of new construction. Take time to visit some of the countless temples. The “Temple of the Heaven” completely constructed of wood, is located in the southeast of the city. It consists of several buildings and a large alter that are all built in complete symmetry. In the northeast of the city, you find the so-called Lama temple where these days, Lamish Buddhism is practiced again. From Beijing, the tour leader organizes an excursion to the Great Wall. Here, you have time to explore a small part of the world’s largest construction project in the world. Travel is included in the price of your trip for this excursion but the entry fee is not. Most of the time, the tour leader will try to combine this with a visit to the summer palace that is located just outside of Beijing and situated on a special man made lake. At nighttime, you have the possibility for example, to pay a visit to the Chinese opera and taste the specialty of Beijing; the Peking duck. We take a night train to Xian traveling in comfortable, soft-sleeper compartments, which sleep four.
Day 5 Arrival Xian
Day 6 Xian – Guilin (flight) Guilin – Yangshuo (bus)
In ancient days, Xian, a former capital of China, was the origination point of the Silk Route, which gave the city a very cosmopolitan character. In the center of the city, right behind the drum tower, you still find the old Islamic neighborhood and vast mosque complex with side buildings and gardens. This neighborhood is great for fun walks and good food. You also find many art and antique shops. A thick wall has always surrounded the old center of Xiang and most of it has been restored and allows the opportunity to walk on top of the wall. You will have a beautiful view over the city from the old clock tower where in the past the clock was rung every morning. Near the south wall, you find the provincial museum, which holds some of the largest collections of Chinese treasures, including lots of pottery and calligraphy. Outside of the walls, you can visit the large and the small Wild Goose Pagoda; both typical old Chinese buildings. We allocate half a day in Xian to visit the world famous Terracotta Army created by the first (Yellow Emperor) of China; Qin Shihing. This ancient army is located about 18 miles outside of the city and was only discovered in 1974 by farmers working the fields. The tour leader organizes this excursion. We travel by bus, which is included, however the entry fee is not included. We board a plane to Guilin followed by a bus, which takes us to Yangshuo (about 2 hours).
Day 7 Yangshuo
Day 8 Yangshuo
Day 9 Yangshuo – Guilin (bus) Guilin- Shanghai (flight)
The village, Yangshuo is located in the middle of a landscape that consists of mist-covered rice patties. Rivers and steep rising peaks are very well known from Chinese prints. When you wake up in the morning, you will see those mountain giants through the curtains. In spite of the growing number of souvenir shops and tourist cafes, Yangshuo still breeds a very rural atmosphere. It is an ideal place to rent a bike so you can explore the neighborhood with or without local guides. Close by Yangshuo, you find the Moon Hill where you have a spectacular view over the surroundings. It is also fun to randomly pick a little road and see where you end up. In Yangshuo, you can rent a small boat at night and go up the river to watch the local fisherman catch their fish with the help of specially trained cormorant birds. A boat trip over the Li River in combination with a bike trip will leave an unforgettable impression. At the conclusion of the river trip, you can visit one of the many terraces for a glass of wine or a beer and a local snack. You can spend your last night or purchase your final souvenirs in this relaxing little town. We take a bus to Guilin, then a flight to Shanghai.
Day 10 Shanghai
Day 11 Depart Shanghai – Arrival U.S.
We end in the harbor city, Shanghai where you can go for endless walks in the interesting neighborhoods. You will find impressive modern buildings and old temples. The famous boulevard, the Bund, gives you a good impression of the characteristic architecture dating back to the thirties. The Bund is also a spot where you’ll be a very early witness to the many Chinese that practice the immensely popular Tai Chi. With the new Pearl Tower Shanghai now harbors one of the tallest buildings in the world with a fantastic view over this gigantic city. A boat trip over the Huangpu River shows you the vast harbor area of Shanghai. At nighttime, you have a large choice of restaurants, bars and theaters that have a feel of the past. Also, you may choose to go to an acrobatic performance.
Day 1 Depart USA
Day 2 Arrival Beijing
Day 3 Beijing
Day 4 Beijing – Xian (night train)
Beijing is the capital, the government center of China and has approximately ten million inhabitants. It is still expanding on a daily basis because of the steady stream of Chinese entering the cities from the rural areas of China. Beijing is a huge city; the simplest way to get around is by subway, taxi, or taxi-bus. For example, to travel from one sightseeing activity to the next will usually take you at least half an hour by cab. The center of the city is located around the Tiananmen Square. Here you will find the famous, Forbidden City, the mausoleum of Mao and the large hall of the people. One of the most beautiful parks of Beijing, the Beihai Park, is located right behind the Forbidden City. Here, you can rent a boat and row on the lake together with the locals. Also the Hutongs, the famous old neighborhoods of Beijing should not be missed. Some of these neighborhoods are zoned to protect them against the massive amount of new construction. Take time to visit some of the countless temples. The “Temple of the Heaven” completely constructed of wood, is located in the southeast of the city. It consists of several buildings and a large alter that are all built in complete symmetry. In the northeast of the city, you find the so-called Lama temple where these days, Lamish Buddhism is practiced again. From Beijing, the tour leader organizes an excursion to the Great Wall. Here, you have time to explore a small part of the world’s largest construction project in the world. Travel is included in the price of your trip for this excursion but the entry fee is not. Most of the time, the tour leader will try to combine this with a visit to the summer palace that is located just outside of Beijing and situated on a special man made lake. At nighttime, you have the possibility for example, to pay a visit to the Chinese opera and taste the specialty of Beijing; the Peking duck. We take a night train to Xian traveling in comfortable, soft-sleeper compartments, which sleep four.
Day 5 Arrival Xian
Day 6 Xian – Guilin (flight) Guilin – Yangshuo (bus)
In ancient days, Xian, a former capital of China, was the origination point of the Silk Route, which gave the city a very cosmopolitan character. In the center of the city, right behind the drum tower, you still find the old Islamic neighborhood and vast mosque complex with side buildings and gardens. This neighborhood is great for fun walks and good food. You also find many art and antique shops. A thick wall has always surrounded the old center of Xiang and most of it has been restored and allows the opportunity to walk on top of the wall. You will have a beautiful view over the city from the old clock tower where in the past the clock was rung every morning. Near the south wall, you find the provincial museum, which holds some of the largest collections of Chinese treasures, including lots of pottery and calligraphy. Outside of the walls, you can visit the large and the small Wild Goose Pagoda; both typical old Chinese buildings. We allocate half a day in Xian to visit the world famous Terracotta Army created by the first (Yellow Emperor) of China; Qin Shihing. This ancient army is located about 18 miles outside of the city and was only discovered in 1974 by farmers working the fields. The tour leader organizes this excursion. We travel by bus, which is included, however the entry fee is not included. We board a plane to Guilin followed by a bus, which takes us to Yangshuo (about 2 hours).
Day 7 Yangshuo
Day 8 Yangshuo
Day 9 Yangshuo – Guilin (bus) Guilin- Shanghai (flight)
The village, Yangshuo is located in the middle of a landscape that consists of mist-covered rice patties. Rivers and steep rising peaks are very well known from Chinese prints. When you wake up in the morning, you will see those mountain giants through the curtains. In spite of the growing number of souvenir shops and tourist cafes, Yangshuo still breeds a very rural atmosphere. It is an ideal place to rent a bike so you can explore the neighborhood with or without local guides. Close by Yangshuo, you find the Moon Hill where you have a spectacular view over the surroundings. It is also fun to randomly pick a little road and see where you end up. In Yangshuo, you can rent a small boat at night and go up the river to watch the local fisherman catch their fish with the help of specially trained cormorant birds. A boat trip over the Li River in combination with a bike trip will leave an unforgettable impression. At the conclusion of the river trip, you can visit one of the many terraces for a glass of wine or a beer and a local snack. You can spend your last night or purchase your final souvenirs in this relaxing little town. We take a bus to Guilin, then a flight to Shanghai.
Day 10 Shanghai
Day 11 Depart Shanghai – Arrival U.S.
We end in the harbor city, Shanghai where you can go for endless walks in the interesting neighborhoods. You will find impressive modern buildings and old temples. The famous boulevard, the Bund, gives you a good impression of the characteristic architecture dating back to the thirties. The Bund is also a spot where you’ll be a very early witness to the many Chinese that practice the immensely popular Tai Chi. With the new Pearl Tower Shanghai now harbors one of the tallest buildings in the world with a fantastic view over this gigantic city. A boat trip over the Huangpu River shows you the vast harbor area of Shanghai. At nighttime, you have a large choice of restaurants, bars and theaters that have a feel of the past. Also, you may choose to go to an acrobatic performance.
