China Explore Hidden Treasures

110: 24 Days Luxury & Standard Beijing  Datong  Pingyao  Xian  Chengdu - Leshan - Emei - Chengdu  Lijiang - Dali  Kunming Guilin  Hangzhou Suzhou - Zhouzhuang - Shanghai

Day01 Arrival in Beijing: Our guide will meet you outside the customs at Beijing Airport and transfer you to the hotel to register. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the city at leisure. Taking photos to record various landscape and people's lifestyles during your visit makes a memorable photo tour of a lifetime. Meals: No meals, advice freely available

Day02 Beijing: This morning, you will have a stroll on Tiananmen Square, the world's largest urban city square. Then walk through the Golden Water Bridge to enter the Forbidden City, the best-preserved also largest imperial architecture complex in the world. To avoid having lunch at the tourist eateries arranged by most agencies, we will offer you an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a noted local restaurant, where you can taste the authentic Chinese food. In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Heaven, one of the most delicate and beautiful existing ancient royal site where the Emperor appealed to the Heavens for a bountiful year. After that, you will enjoy a lively Chinese Kung Fu Show at the Red Theatre. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

Day03 Beijing: Today, you will take an excursion to the Great Wall, an ancient military defensive project which meanders over a vast portion of the country. The section you will visit is the Great Wall at Badaling, which is the best-preserved and most developed among all existing ones. We do not offer lunch today. You can ask for some suggestions from your guide. In the afternoon, you will visit the Sacred Way and one of the Ming Tombs. The Sacred Way is a road leading to the Ming tomb which is decorated by stone statues in different postures and functions. The Ming Tombs cover a group of ancient mausoleums while the oldest one dates back to 600 years ago. On the way back to downtown, you will pass by the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium). Our driver will make a stop for you to view this magnificent edifice at close quarters. Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Day04 Beijing - Datong: This morning, you will first visit an imperial garden, the Summer Palace. As a royal garden, the Summer Palace has absorbed some best parts of the traditional architecture and presented various gardening styles. To experience old Beijing history and special culture, you will be delighted by the Hutong tour. Around noon, you will enjoy a rich a la carte lunch (valued at CNY100.00 per person and included in our price) at a decent local restaurant with nice environment. The sightseeing in Beijing ends here and you will take a soft sleeper train to Datong, where our local guide will greet you at the railway station and transfer you to register in the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

Day05 Datong: You will explore the Hanging Monastery this morning. Seen from below, the Hanging Monastery looks like hanging in the air, hence the name. Then continue your trip to the Yungang Grottoes, one of the four most famous grottoes in China. The last site you will visit today is the Nine Dragons Screen, the oldest and largest glazed screen in China. As is implied in its name, the screen mainly displays nine vivid and different shaped dragons. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day06 Datong - Taiyuan - Pingyao: You will take a soft sleeper train to Taiyuan. Upon your arrival, our local guide will meet you at Taiyuan railway station and transfer you to the ancient city Pingyao, about 58.4 miles (94 km) southwest of Taiyuan. On the way, visit the Qiao Family's Compound, formerly the private house of a wealthy local merchant. Our guide will help you check in the hotel. Stay overnight in Pingyao. Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Day07 Pingyao - Xian: Today's visit will bring you to the City Wall of Pingyao, the best-preserved county-level ancient City Wall. Then get down from the wall and have a stroll on the Ming-Qing Street, which was once reputed as the 'No. 1 Financial Street of Great Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)'. Afterwards, visit Rishengchang Exchange Shop, the first private bank in China; and Tongxinggong, an establishment which provided private escort service in ancient times. Then you will take a bullet train (second class seat) to Xian. Upon your arrival, our guide will greet you at the Railway Station and transfer you to the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day08 Xian: Explore the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Here, you will see the life-figured terracotta warriors arranged in a big, orderly arrayed combat formation, seem ready to set out anytime. Today's lunch is arranged on your own. The sightseeing this afternoon will take you to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Shaanxi History Museum. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a brick pagoda in the shape of a square pyramid, built for collecting Buddhism materials taken from India. Shaanxi History Museum is a comprehensive museum exhibiting almost all aspects of human life from primitive ages to the year of 1840. This evening, you will enjoy the local specialty Dumpling Dinner and Tang Dynasty Dance and Music Show at Shaanxi Opera Theater (Addr: No. 165, Wenyi Road). Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dumpling dinner

Day09 Xian - Chengdu: After having breakfast at the hotel, you will visit the City Wall. Different from the one in Pingyao, the City Wall in Xian is much longer and grander. Then, pay a visit to a local Chinese family and a home-cooked a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) will be specially served for you in the home of the family to taste the authentic home-made dishes. Your visit continues to the Great Mosque, one of the oldest and most renowned mosques in China, and its nearby Moslem bazaar. Board an afternoon flight to Chengdu. Upon your arrival, our local guide will pick you up on time and transfer you to the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch

Day10 Chengdu: The sightseeing today starts with Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center, where you can appreciate the lovely giant pandas in real life. After that, you will have a stroll on Broad and Narrow Alleys of Chengdu, a place to experience the local folk customs. Last stop will be the Jinsha Site Museum, where you are able to appreciate abundant exquisite artifacts and have an insight into the ecological environment, life style and the sacrifice rite of Jinsha. Now the museum is not only the landmark reflecting the profound historical culture of the city, but also an important center showing the Shu culture dated from more than 3000 years ago. Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Day11 Chengdu - Leshan - Emei: You will travel to Leshan by our private car and then take a boat to see Leshan Giant Buddha, the biggest Buddha carving in the world. Afterwards, you will head to Mt. Emeiand check in the hotel at the foot of Mt. Emei.Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day12 Mt. Emei - Chengdu: You will spend much of the day exploring Mt. Emei including its two must-see temples, Baoguo Temple and Wanjian Temple. Baoguo Temple, housing a giant porcelain Buddha and a huge bronze bell, is the Buddhism activity center of Mt. Emei. Wannian Temple is well-known for its Buddhism culture and delicate architectural layout. After the visit, we will transfer back to the hotel in Chengdu. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day13 Chengdu - Lijiang: You will be escorted to the airport to board a flight to Lijiang. Our local guide will welcome you at Lijiang Airport and transfer you to the well-located hotel. After checking in the hotel, you will be guided to stroll in the Square Street of Lijiang Old Town. The small bridges, running brooks, cobbled streets, grey tiled roofs of the residential houses and Naxi minority women in all types of clothing and hair-dressing in this ancient town will give you a feeling of mistakenly entering a fairyland. Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Day14 Lijang: A journey to Baisha Village, once the political, economic and cultural center of Lijiang, is scheduled today. You will see some constructions in traditional Chinese style in the village. Afterwards, visit a local Naxi family, where you may get a sense of the minority people's life. Next, you will appreciate the  Baisha Murals, a wonderful art form of minorities in west Yunnan, and finally come to the Shuhe Old Town and pay a visit to the Tea-Horse Road Musuem. Afternoon is free for you to explore the fantastic and beautiful old town on your own. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day15 Lijiang - Dali: After breakfast, you will leave for Dali, which is about three hours' driving distance away from Lijiang. One the way, you will first visit the Bai Traditional House in Xizhou. The dedicate wood and stone carvings here stand out as something really unique. You then stop at Zhoucheng to observe the famous tie dyeing. After checking in the hotel in Dali, you can explore the surrounding area a bit on your own. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day16 Dali - Kunming: Your sightseeing schedule today includes the Erhai Lake Park, the Three Pagoda Temple and Dali Old Town, all of which are the city's most typical and attractive spots. Afterwards, you will be taken to the airport to board a late afternoon flight to Kunming. Our local guide will greet you at Kunming Airport and transfer you to the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day17 Kunming - Guilin: Today, you will take an excursion to the Stone Forest, a typical example of karst topography which is reputed as 'No. 1 Wonder of the World'. Here, you will appreciate numerous stones in intricate but vivid shapes or postures. Then fly to Guilin in the afternoon. Our local guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day18 Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin: Enduring memories will be created today as you cruise down the Li River to Yangshuo. During the cruise, you can appreciate the magnificent hills mirrored in the aquamarine water, buffaloes grazing along the banks and local peasants rowing a small boat or fishing raft along the river. After the cruise arrives in Yangshuo, a short trip to the countryside will then be arranged for you to enjoy the natural and rural beauty there. You will also visit a local villager's home to experience the farmers' lifestyle in this small town. Late in the afternoon, we will transfer you back to Guilin. (Tips: Lunch will be provided on the cruise today. We suggest you have a larger breakfast at the hotel since the lunch on the cruise cannot meet our serving standard). Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Day19 Guilin - Hangzhou: A city tour in Guilin starts with the Reed Flute Cave, a brilliant water-eroded cave. This is a spectacular world of stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars and stone flowers created by carbonate deposits. The Elephant Trunk Hill, famed as the symbol of Guilin city, comes next. The hill has impressed visitors by its distinctive appearance, which resembles an elephant sucking water with its long trunk. Take an afternoon flight to Hangzhou. When you arrive in Hangzhou, our local guide will welcome you at the airport and escort you to register in the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Day20 Hangzhou: Your first destination in Hangzhou is Lingyin Temple (Temple of Soul's Retreat). Concealed among peaks and forests, the 1,700-year old temple is one of the top ten Zen Buddhism temples. As the landmark of Hangzhou, West Lake is renowned for the beautiful landscape and historical sites. In the afternoon, you will enjoy the picturesque scenery of the lake on a sightseeing boat, and at the same time, your guide will tell you the stories and legends about the lake. Then you will visit attractions near the lake, including the Red Carp Pond and Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum. Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Day21 Hangzhou - Suzhou: Today your journey extends to Suzhou by a high speed train. Our Suzhou guide will meet you at the railway station and take you to the hotel. Following is a visit to the Tiger Hill, where a number of historical sites are located, among which the Tiger Hill Pagoda is the landmark of Suzhou city. Then, visit two most famous classical gardens in Suzhou, the Garden of the Master of the Nets and the Humble Administrator's Garden. Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Day22 Suzhou - Zhouzhuang - Shanghai: We will drive you to Zhouzhuang today, which truly merits its name as a water town in embrace of lakes. The local residences, unique traditions and people's lifestyle are well preserved in the township; hence comes the reputation of 'Number One Water Town of the Nation'. In the town, you will visit the Shen House, which was the private property of the descendant of Shen Wansan, once the number one millionaire of south region 600 years ago. Then we will drive you back to Shanghai and transfer you to the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Day23 Shanghai: Your Shanghai journey starts from Shanghai Museum, which boasts numerous ancient artworks. Next stop is the classical Yuyuan Garden specializing in delicate design, quiet atmosphere and elegant scenery. At noon, you will enjoy a palatable a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a popular local restaurant. After lunch we will transfer you to the Bund area to take a short cruise on the mother river of the city, Huangpu River. Along this river, the best part of city landscape has gathered and you will see a typical urban city view during the cruise. You will have some free time to explore the Bund area, where more than 20 buildings of different eras, countries and styles stand and then visit an old street. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

Day24 Departure from Shanghai: Today, our guide will transfer you to the airport and see you off there. We wish you a pleasant journey home and thank you for choosing us. Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Quotation Includes

• Domestic airfares & train fares
• Hotel accommodation with breakfasts
• A la carte lunches as itinerary specifies
• Private English-speaking guides
• Private drivers & air-conditioned vehicles
• Entrance fees to tourist sites

Quotation Excludes

• International airfares
• Entry Visa fees
• Personal expenses
• Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers