Start in: Guilin
End in: Shanghai
2008 Taste of China
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Guilin
Transfer via: Internal flight on our arrangement
Upon your arrival at Guilin, the most scenic city in China, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at your own leisure.
Sightseeing: Li River Cruise,West Street(Yangshuo),Yangshuo County
After breakfast, drive to Zhujiang Pier (about 40-minute drive) to start the boat cruise along the tranquil Li River which is the highlight in Guilin until you get to Yangshuo County. Along the river, you will be inspired by breathtaking views of peaks and pinnacles, crystal-clear water and reflections in the water together with the serene pastoral views of rice paddies and water buffaloes, you are certainly walking into a traditional Chinese painting by cruising on it. Free time in the afternoon after checking in the hotel in Yangshuo.
- Li River Cruise: Along the river, you will be inspired by the breathtaking views of peaks and pinnacles, crystal-clear water and reflections in the water together with the serene pastoral views of rice paddies and water buffaloes.You will certainly feel like you are walking into a traditional Chinese painting by cruising on this wonderful river.
- West Street(Yangshuo): a busy and exotic slate street in Yangshuo County, about 2km long crammed with shops, pubs, cafes and hotels, where you can relax yourself and do some souvenir shopping.
- Yangshuo County: founded in 590 AD, Yangshuo County has been booming because of tourism. With so many beautifully shaped mountains surrounding this county, it is described as "the world of green lotus and jade bamboo shoots".
After breakfast, you will experience an interesting and enjoyable cycling tour along Jima Road. Pay a visit to one of the local farmer's home en route.
Sightseeing: Elephant Trunk Hill ,Fubo Hill,Reed Flute Cave
Transfer via: Internal flight on our arrangement
Today, drive back to Guilin (1.5-hour drive) and have a city tour of the Elephant Trunk Hill, the Fubo Hill and the Reed Flute Cave before your transfer to the airport for your flight to Beijing.
- Elephant Trunk Hill : the symbol of Guilin, which resembles a giant elephant drinking water from the Li River.
- Fubo Hill: where you can see lots of Buddha statues left about 1000 years ago in the Returned Pearl Cave and have a birds' eye view of the whole city after climbing up to the very top.
- Reed Flute Cave: 5 kilometers away from the city center, famed as "A Natural Palace of Art", in which you can see lots of stalactites & stalagmites illuminated by the lights of different colors. You will also learn how they were formed.
Sightseeing: Ding Tomb,Sacred Road,Great Wall
Today you will have a visit to the majestic Great Wall (Badaling section), the Ding Tomb of Ming Tombs and Sacred road.
- Ding Tomb: the burial site of the emperor Wanli, the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty who ruled for 48 years until his death in 1620, it is the only underground tomb of the thirteen Imperial Ming tombs ever excavated.
- Sacred Road: the path lined with stone statues of animals, mystical beasts and officials who are supposed to serve the emperor in his afterlife, through which the sitting emperors would go to perform memorial rituals for the ancestors once a year.
- Great Wall: the most famous symbol of China and one of the world's most remarkable architectural wonders, it was built over 2,000 years ago and stretches about 6,700km.
Today all activities are on your own arrangement. You can explore the old city all by yourself.
Today all activities are on your own arrangement. You can explore the old city all by yourself.
Transfer via: the soft sleeper train on our arrangement
Today you could arrange your visiting all by yourself before your guide escorts you to the train station.
Sightseeing: Big Wild Goose Pagoda,Shaanxi Provincial Museum
Today our guide will meet you at the train station. After arrival, you will have city tour to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum and Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda: regarded by many as a symbol of the city Xian, the pagoda was built in 652 A.D. in the Tang Dynasty to house the sutras brought back from India by the famous monk Xuan-zang.
- Shaanxi Provincial Museum: opened in 1991, the largest comprehensive museum in the province. The museum exhibits over 3,000 historical relics which is just a fraction of their collection. Most of the exhibited items are rare treasures, showing you the splendid Chinese culture.
Meals: B
Sightseeing: Terracotta Warriors and Horses,Bell Tower,Ancient City Walls
Today, you will enjoy a full-day excursion to the incredible life-size Terracotta Warriors and Horses. After lunch you will visit the Ancient City Walls and the Bell Tower.
- Terracotta Warriors and Horses: discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, this is one of the most significant archeological finds of the 20th century. These 6,000 life-size painted Terracotta Warriors and Horses --individually sculpted from real-life models and arranged in battle formation have been protecting the mausoleum of the first emperor in Chinese history--Emperor QinShihuang for 2,200 years ago.
- Bell Tower: standing in the center of the city and built in 1582, the Bell Tower is a three-story wooden structure with traditional Chinese architectural features. It is so called because an iron bell is hung in the tower to give the correct time.
- Ancient City Walls : built during the 14th century on Tang dynasty foundations and they date from the Ming dynasty. The walls are the largest and best-preserved ancient fortress in the world. There is a gate in each of the four sides, and the gate towers built over each gate look lofty and magnificent and form a tight defence engineering system.
Transfer via: Internal flight on our arrangement
Our guide will escort you to your onward flight to the next destination-- Chengdu. Upon arrival at Chengdu, you will be met and transferred to the hotel for a rest before a delicious dinner of Sichuan food at a local restaurant.
Sightseeing: Giant Panda Breeding Research Base,Tea houses,Wenshu Temple,Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage
Today you will have a visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base first, then Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage and Wenshu Temple where you can spend some time sitting in its tea house to enjoy a cup of tea and absorb the special atmosphere of Chengdu.
- Giant Panda Breeding Research Base: 18km from the city center, housing 12 pandas in natural environments: it is the best place to see Chengdu's most famous residents and you can get to know more about this precious species in the museum there.
- Tea houses: Chengdu is one of the few remaining cities in China with a really authentic tea house (Chadian) culture. Thousands of teahouses dotted about Chengdu are hugely popular with locals, especially the elderly. Teahouses throughout the city are still important locations for social gatherings. Its distinct and unique atmosphere will let you get a good feel for Chengdu.
- Wenshu Temple: Chengdu's oldest and largest Buddhist temple was originally built in the Tang Dynasty. However, it is now a Qing Dynasty construction with exquisite relief carvings decorating many of the buildings. You can absorb the very atmosphere of Chengdu here: the temple is full of local worshippers burning incense on certain days; the tea house at the back of the complex is a great place to relax yourself and do some people watching, while the streets outside are filled with blind fortune-tellers, hawkers selling joss sticks, paper money and statues, and so on.
- Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage: located on the side of the Flower Washing Brook in the western suburbs of Chengdu. It is the former residence of the celebrated Tang dynasty poet, Du Fu (712-770AD) who was born in Henan province. At the age of 20 he left his home to travel within China. He used to be an official for 10 years in Chang'an (present Xian), the capital of the Tang dynasty, and was captured by rebels after an uprising. He then fled to Chengdu where he built this humble cottage and stayed for about four years.
Transfer via: the bus on our arrangement
Free in the day until our local guide escorts you to your onward bus to your next destination--Chongqing. Upon your arrival, our local guide will meet you and escort you to embark the ship. Departs Chongqing at 22:00.
Sightseeing: Shibaozhai
Shore excursion to Shibaozhai this morning.
- Shibaozhai: a gem of Chinese architecture, literally means Stone Treasure Fortress in English. It is a 12-storey red wood tower which was first built in Qing Dynasty with a history of 300 years. It was built against a rectangular rock with sheer cliffs on the river bank, 56 meters high, on the top of which you can enjoy a panoramic view of the rapid river and the surrounding countryside.
Sightseeing: The Three Gorge Dam
Transfer via: Internal flight on our arrangement
Shore excursion to Three Gorges Dam site this morning. After lunch, you will disembark the ship in Yichang at 13:00. Upon your arrival, our guide will meet you and help you transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai.
- The Three Gorge Dam: spanning the Yangtze at Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei province, China, construction began in 1994, it is now the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. The Dam will be 2,335 meters long, 18 meters wide, and its bottom will be 130 meters wide after completion in 2009, and by then the water level will rise to 135 meters above sea level. The reservoir began filling on June 1, 2003, and will occupy the present position of the scenic Three Gorges area, between the cities of Yichang, Hubei; and Fuling, Chongqing Municipality.
Transfer via: Internal flight on our arrangement
Today our guide will escort you to the airport for your onward flight to your next destination.
China domestic flights as specified in the itinerary 
Accommodations for 18 nights, including
1 meals, including 1 full breakfasts, 0 lunches and 0 dinners
Round-trip transfers---between airports, hotels and scenic spots in each city by private air-conditioned motor coaches with experienced drivers
A local English-speaking guide in each city
Entrance fees to scenic spots listed in the itinerary
Luggage transfers between airports and hotels
China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty insurance
Government taxes and service charges except tips for tour guides and drivers
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