YOUR ITINERARY

Day 1: Depart USA. Your exotic journey to China begins today as you depart on an Air China wide-body jet flight bound for Beijing, China.

Day 2: Arrive Beijing. Evening arrival in Beijing, China’s historic and cultural capital. You’ll be met by your guide and escorted to your upscale hotel in the center of Beijing, within short distance of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Marriott Courtyard Beijing Hotel

Day 3 to 6: Beijing. Meet your fellow travelers at a special "orientation breakfast" hosted by your local guide. You’ll have several days to explore on your own. Your hotel is ideally located in the heart of the city within short distance of many major attractions, as well as the best shopping and dining. Your professional guide will be glad to make suggestions if you prefer to explore independently. To make the most of your visit and enrich your experience, your guide will offer you a chance to join some exclusive excursions to the city’s highlights as well as memorable evening activities. (B)

Day 7: Beijing/Shanghai. Today, board a short flight to Shanghai, China's largest city, bustling commercial center and port. In recent years, Shanghai has gone through a major revitalization and is now considered one of Asia's most vibrant and exciting cities. Transfer to your conveniently located hotel.
Holiday Inn Vista Hotel. (B)

Day 8 & 9: Shanghai. Two full days to savor Shanghai's exotic temples and colorful markets as well the modern additions to the cityscape. Your local guide will offer an optional full day city tour to explore the new and the old. You may also wish to take in a performance of the renowned Shanghai Acrobats. While in Shanghai, do not miss the optional excursion to Suzhou, called "Venice of the East" by the explorer Marco Polo. (B)

Day 10: Shanghai/USA. Today you’ll be escorted to the airport and bid farewell to China as you board your return flight. Your exciting journey comes to an end as you arrive the USA later today. (B)

• Round-trip airfare from
  San Francisco via Air China (New York departure add $129)
  
• Airline fuel surcharge
  
• Intra-China flights and all transfers
  
• Accommodations at superior first class hotels
  
• Full buffet American breakfast daily (B)
  
• Services of English speaking tour hosts

S P E C I A L O F F E R ------------------------ Purchase a minimum of two full-day optional tours from the list below and receive a FREE full day tour to The Forbidden City & Summer Palace with lunch, a $60 value! This offer is per person and non-transferable (the same person must take the two paid optional tours in order to be entitled to the free tour). No substitutions. Tours must be purchased in China through your Beijing tour host.

Optional tours:
To enhance and make your China visit more complete and memorable, you will be offered several optional tours and cultural/dining evening activities. You'll need to decide while in Beijing which of these tours you want to participate in and pay for through your local tour host. For any questions regarding the optional tours you may contact by email: ChinaOptionalTours@hotmail.com
Following are the optional tours
offered in Beijing and Shanghai:

------------------------ B E I J I N G -------------------------

Full Day Forbidden City and Summer Palace with Lunch. Start your day with a visit to the famous Tiananmen Square. You then enter the Forbidden City, an architectural masterpiece and home to the National Palace Museum. After an included lunch, venture outside the city to see the Summer Palace, summer resort of the Empress Dowager. ($60, lunch included.)

Full Day Great Wall and Ming Tombs with Lunch. Embark on an exhilarating full day excursion. First travel to the legendary Great Wall which extends over 3,700 miles and is the only man-made structure visible from the moon. There is time to mount the ramparts of this ancient wonder before proceeding to the Ming Tombs, burial site of the Ming Dynasty royalty. ($60, lunch included.)


Full Day Hutong (Old Beijing) & Temple of Heaven with Lunch. Enjoy an unforgettable look at behind-the-scenes of Hutong, the old city of Beijing. You'll ride on a traditional 3-wheel cycle through the labyrinth comprising this district. Walk along ancient alleyways and see where ordinary citizens live side by side with gracious old estates once owned by Beijing's old aristocracy. After an included lunch, proceed to the Temple of Heaven, a masterpiece of architectural harmony and precision. ($60, lunch included.)

Evening Opera Performance and Peking Duck Dinner.
Enjoy an elaborate Chinese Dinner Banquet featuring the famous "Peking Duck" and attend a performance of the renowned Peking Opera. ($45, dinner included.)

------------------------ S H A N G H A I ------------------------

Full Day Shanghai City Tour with Lunch.
Visit some of Shanghai's famous attractions including the fragrant Yu Garden and the Children's Palace where Shanghai's brightest and most talented youngsters are taught. Then, proceed to the fascinating Shanghai Museum, containing some of Asia's best art exhibits. Conclude the tour with a visit to the colorful Bund, Shanghai's famous waterfront. ($45, lunch included.)



Full Day Suzhou Excursion with Lunch.
On this most memorable excursion, embark on a scenic ride to the charming, canal laced Suzhou often called "Paradise on Earth." Here you embark on a short cruise on the ancient "Grand Canal." After lunch visit two of Suzhou's most famous gardens as well as other city highlights, before returning to Shanghai late this afternoon. ($60, lunch included.)



Shanghai Acrobats Performance with Dinner.
Delight in a breathtaking performance of the renowned Shanghai Acrobats. Chinese dinner will be included in tonight's activities. ($35, dinner included.)





Shanghai By Night River Cruise.
Enjoy postcard views of Shanghai as you take a 1-hour evening cruise along the Huangpu River. The glittering views along the river as well as those you'll enjoy while traveling along the Bund to embark the cruise are mesmerizing and offer a true testimony to the unique blend of past and future, east and west that Shanghai offers. Transfers from and back to your hotel are included. ($30)

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