Start in: Beijing
End in: Shenzhen
Special Experience: Beijing Hutong tour by rickshaw, Li River cruise and cycling in Yangshuo, Chengdu Giant Pandas, Yangtze River cruise, Buddhism tour at Mt. Emei, sunrise at Huangshan
Splendid China Landscape Tour
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Beijing
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel 
Recommended Local Food: Fangshan (Imperial-style dinner)
Transfer via: International flight on your own arrangement
Upon your arrival at Beijing airport, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at your own leisure.
- Fangshan (Imperial-style dinner): Fangshan Restaurant Located in the Buildings of Yilantang (the hall by Rippling lack), Daoningzhai ( an imperial Study ) and Qinglan Huayun ( full bloom in the Sunlight ), has a Sixty year's History Since its First Opening to the Public in 1925. The Restaurant Originates from the Royal Family. It used to serve the Dowager 108 Kinds of dish according to Historical Records.
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing: Tiananmen Square,Forbidden City,Temple of Heaven
Special Dinner: Peking Duck Dinner
Today you will first visit the historic Tiananmen Square, and then the magnificent Forbidden City. In the afternoon, you will marvel at Beijing's splendid Temple of Heaven. Enjoy a famous Peking Duck Banquet for dinner.
- Tiananmen Square: the largest city square in the world and the spiritual heart of China, where the national flag is raised exactly at sunrise everyday.
- Forbidden City: located in the center of Beijing, used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties with a history of around 600 years, it is the grandest integral palace complex still remaining in China.
- Temple of Heaven: the place which was visited yearly by the emperors who performed intricate rituals to insure a good harvest for the whole nation at ancient times.
- Peking Duck Dinner: Peking Roast Duck is regarded as one of the most delicious dishes throughout the world. A Peking Duck Dinner is usually a fixed item on any Beijing tour itinerary. At time-honored restaurants such as Quan Ju De, you can savor the mouth-watering traditional Beijing specialty, and at the same time the chefs will show you how they cuts the meat into exactly 108 slices from one duck, each having a piece of skin.
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Sacred Road,Ding Tomb,Great Wall
Today's full-day excursion will take you to the majestic Great Wall, Ming Tomb and Sacred road.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Hutongs,Summer Palace
After breakfast, you will first visit Hutongs by rickshaw, and then the Summer Palace.
- Hutongs: the old narrow paths with lots of courtyard homes where common people are living. They are like villages within a megalopolis. Through the hutongs' teeming maze of alleyways, you will see the old houses and learn about the daily life of ordinary Beijing citizens.
- Summer Palace : Located on the northwestern outskirts of the city, it was an imperial summer resort of the Qing Dynasty. With its perfect layout, magnificent buildings and enchanting landscape, it is the most splendid classical garden in China.
Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden
Meals: B
Transfer via: China domestic flight on our arrangement
You will be free until you are escorted to take flight to Xian. Upon your arrival in Xian, you will be met and escorted to your hotel.
Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing: Shaanxi Provincial Museum,Ancient City Walls
Special Dinner: Dumpling Dinner
You will have a city tour to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum and the Ancient City Walls. Complete the day with a savory dumpling dinner.
- 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.
- 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.
- Dumpling Dinner: Dumpling or Jiaozi in Chinese is a traditional and popular food in China, especially in the north. At the dinner, nearly 20 varieties of dumplings that are steamed and stuffed with different delicious fillings such as vegetables, meats and seafood are served. These dumplings are not only tasty, but also characteristic with their colors and fragrance, style and culture meanings. All these make the dinner so unique that you should not miss it when traveling in Xi'an.
Accommodations: Guilin Park Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Terracotta Warriors and Horses,Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Transfer via: China domestic flight on our arrangement
Today, you will enjoy an excursion to the incredible life-size Terracotta Warriors and Horses, and then the Big Wild Goose Pagoda before your onward flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival in Guilin, you will be met and escorted to your hotel.
- 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.
- 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.
Accommodations: New Century Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Li River Cruise
Transfer via: Ship on our arrangement
After breakfast, drive to Zhujiang Pier (about 40-minute drive) to start the boat cruise along the tranquil Li River, the highlight of your sightseeing tour in Guilin, until you get to Yangshuo County. 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.
Accommodations: New Century Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Yangshuo County,Yulong River
Transfer via: Bicycle on our arrangement
After breakfast, you will experience an interesting and enjoyable cycling tour around Yangshuo.
- 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".
- Yulong River: a tributary of Li River, it is like a green ribbon winding peacefully through the rice fields and small villages. The unique-shaped pinnacles, the bamboo groves, the rice fields and the roaming water buffalos are all combined together to create a charming countryside picture.
Accommodations: Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Elephant Trunk Hill ,Fubo Hill,Reed Flute Cave
Recommended Local Food: spicy hot-pot
Transfer via: China domestic 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 Chengdu. Upon your arrival in Chengdu, you will be met and escorted to your hotel.
- 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.
- spicy hot-pot: In the past Sichuan Hot Pot was very spicy. Now people can taste hot pot with spicy, clear or milky soup. A hot pot may be divided into several parts, and a customer may instant boil food of three or four tastes in a same pot, in addition to various herbal medicinal hot pots. This kind of hot pot is suitable for the Chinese people from the south or the north, and for both Chinese and foreign customers.
Accommodations: Red Spider's Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Mt. Emei,Baoguo Temple
Transfer via: Private car on our arrangement
Be transferred to Emei Mountain to visit the Monkeys and Baoguo Temple. Then be transferred down of the Mountain.
- Mt. Emei: believed by Buddhists to be the home to Samantabhadra-patron of the Lotus Sutra and Bodhisattva of Pervading Goodness, the mountain is the highest of China's four holy Buddhist mountains with 3,099 meters above the sea level and known for its sunrise, sea of clouds, Buddhist Lamps, Buddha's Halo and naughty monkeys.
- Baoguo Temple: at 550m of Mt. Emei, the temple has a 25-ton bronze bell dating from 1564 AD.
Accommodations: Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Wangjianglou Park,Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage,Leshan Giant Buddha
Transfer via: Private car on our arrangement
Today, you will visit the giant Leshan Buddha, Dufu's Thatched Cottage and Wangjianglou Park.
- Wangjianglou Park: Wangjianglou means River Viewing Tower. It is a lovely, historic place with forests of 100 varieties of bamboo. The tower overlooking the Jin River in the park is more than 30 meters tall and was once the symbol of Chengdu. The extremely splendid tower itself was built in memory of Xue Tao, a Tang Dynasty female poet who loved bamboo and wrote many poems here.
- 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.
- Leshan Giant Buddha: the largest stone Buddha statue in the world with 71 meters in height. It is amazing that the head itself is 14.7 meters high and 10 meters wide with total 1021 buns of hair on it, while its 8.5-meter-wide instep can accommodate 100 people.
Accommodations: On the Cruise
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
Transfer via: Soft-seat bus on our arrangement
Half day tour to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. In the afternoon, you will be met and transferred to bus station to take bus to Chongqing. Upon you arrive in Chongqing, you will be escorted to pre-board the Regal China Cruise.
- 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.
Accommodations: On the Cruise
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing:
Transfer via: On the ship
Departs Chongqing at 08:00AM. Shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City or Shibaozhai. The ship company will choose one of the scenic spots as your excursion destination.
- Fengdu Ghost City: constructed on the Mingshan Hill by the river bank, it is so called because of the legend which goes that about 1,700 years ago, two officials, Yin and Wang (the combination of their surnames means "Ghost King ") became Taoists here and eventually Immortals. Now with fantastic temples of underworld demons and gods, it shows the Chinese ghost culture and is a place for punishing the devil and awarding the good.
- 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.
Accommodations: On the Cruise
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing:
Transfer via: On the ship
Shore excursion to Shennong Stream or Lesser three Gorges by smaller vessels. The ship company will choose one of the scenic spots as your excursion destination.
- Lesser Three Gorges: indicating three separate valleys along the Daning River, the chief tributary of the Yangtze River, they are called "Dragon-Gate Gorge", "Misty Gorge" and "Dicui (Emerald) Gorge" respectively. You can take a small boat to enjoy the spectacular views and experience a water-borne sensation you have never had before when the natural scenic wonders unfold in front of you with clear water flowing fast through the gorges, sheer cliffs and steep mountains rising on either side to create one fine art gallery.
- Shennong Stream: a small tributary of the Yangtze River is 60 kilometers long and is famous for its picturesque scenery. Shennong Stream is beautiful and ancient. When you take a sampan drifting along it, which is not without risk yet exhilarating and a challenge to battle with the nature. You will be attracted and surprised by its crystal clear steam flowing swiftly from north to south through deep gorges, steep ridges and peaks, thick vegetation and wild flowers, flying birds and a plank road built along a cliff and ancient hanging coffins. Sweet love songs will be presented to you by the local ethnic people.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Shanghai -Downtown
Meals: B
Sightseeing: Three Gorges
Transfer via: China domestic flight on our arrangement
Shore excursion to Three Gorges Dam site. And then be met and transfered to airport to take flight to Shanghai. Upon your arrival, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel.
- Three Gorges: spanning the Yangtze at Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei province, China. Construction began in 1994, and the 'Three Gorges Dam' 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. When completed, the water level will rise to 135 meters above sea level. The reservoir began filling on June 1, 2003, and it will occupy the present position of the scenic Three Gorges area, between the cities of Yichang, Hubei, and Fuling, Chongqing Municipality.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Shanghai -Downtown
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Shanghai Museum,The Bund ,Nanjing Road,Yu Garden,Yuyuan Market
Gala Event: Acrobatic Show
Today, your full-day excursion of incredible Shanghai will include: Shanghai Museum, the Bund and the Nanjing Road, Yu Garden and Yuyuan Market. Enjoy a wonderful Acrobatic Show tonight.
- Shanghai Museum: often ranked as China's best museum, it is the biggest museum in China with a fine collection of over 120,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts.
- The Bund : where the great trading houses and banks had their headquarters in the 1920s and the 1930s. The Bund is about about a mile long, it is the city's fulcrum.
- Nanjing Road: known as "China's No.1 Shopping Street" with a huge selection of merchandise on sale.
- Yu Garden: located in the Old Town of Shanghai and laid out in 1559 AD by a powerful Ming official, Yu Garden recreates a beautiful landscape of pagodas, pavilions, rockeries, fountains, ancient trees and precious flowers.
- Yuyuan Market: outside the Yu Garden, a bustling market with different snacks and trinkets.
- Acrobatic Show: Chinese Acrobatics is one of the oldest performing arts with its history tracing back to Neolithic times, during its development in the history, it has been absorbing plentiful merits from the opera, dance and Chinese Kungfu, and formed its own artistic features. In Portman Acrobatic Show, in a very typical Shanghainese setting and atmosphere, you will enjoy many breathtaking and stunning programs such as Calvaria Skills, Silk Suspending, Hoop Diving and so on performed by very skillful performers, you will truly have an unforgettable experience of your life.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Shanghai -Downtown
Meals: B
Enjoy a free day to explore this metropolis by yourself.
Accommodations: On The Train
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Humble Administrator's Garden,Lingering Garden,Tiger Hill Park,The No.1 Silk Factory
Transfer via: Soft-sleeper train on our arrangement
One full-day tour to Suzhou (100km away from Shanghai), which has been known as the Venice of the East. After your arrival,be met by your local guide, your tour in Suzhou includes: the classical Humble Administrator's Garden and the attractive Lingering Garden, the ancient Tiger Hill Park and the No.1 Silk Factory. Then you will be escorted to take overnight train to Huangshan.
- Humble Administrator's Garden: covers 10 acres and is the largest garden in Suzhou. It was built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty and is divided into the eastern, middle and western parts. All of this centers upon the broad expanse of a lake to form the poetic and picturesque garden landscapes and waterscapes with exquisite buildings and luxuriant vegetation.
- Lingering Garden: is one of the four most famous gardens in China and was constructed in 1593 during the Ming Dynasty. It is famous for its artistic way of dealing with the spaces between various kinds of architectural forms and garden courts.
- Tiger Hill Park: a symbol of the city, with a history of over 2,500 years, the Tiger Hill has had the reputation of being the No.1 sight of Suzhou, with a Song-dynasty leaning pagoda on top which was built in brick to imitate wood architecture.
- The No.1 Silk Factory: Suzhou is famous for its silk production. In the factory you can learn more about silk production and detailed steps of the silk making process, and you will have an opportunity to purchase some of the incredibly delicate works as well.
Accommodations: Beihai Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Mt. Huangshan
You will arrive in Huangshan in the morning time, our local guide will bring you to have a breakfast and then you will be transferred to drive 69 kilometers to Huangshan Scenic Area and take cable car to the top of the mountain. After check-in and lunch, you will tour Begin-to-Believe Peak, Brush Pen Peak and Lion Peak, the Cloud Dispelling Pavilion, etc. Stay overnight at the summit.
- Mt. Huangshan: located in the southern Anhui Province, extending about 40km from north to south and 30km from east to west, the Huangshan Scenic Area is comprised of numerous peaks of various heights and grotesque rocks of different formation, and is well known for its extraordinary aesthetic mountainous features. Here we can find all of the beauties of nature, with its charm lying especially in its oddly-shaped pines, fantastic rocks, sea of clouds and hot springs--the four supreme sights on the mountain. The picturesque Mt.Huangshan has been a famed destination for scholars, poets and the occasional hermits in Chinese history, and has long been effusively described as "awesome," "a wonderland" and "Heaven on Earth."
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Tunxi Ancient Street
Transfer via: China domestic flight on our arrangement
Enjoy the sunrise at Huangshan Mountain, and then take cable car down the mountain. Get back to city, and take a walk on the 600-year-old Tunxi Ancient Street. And then you will be escorted to take flight to Shenzhen.
- Tunxi Ancient Street: a well preserved bustling center of trade since the Southern Song Dynasty. It is paved with slabs of stone and is one mile long with old shops lining both sides of the street. These old shops are in perfect order and an unmistakable Huizhou architectural style.
China domestic flights as specified in the itinerary 
Accommodations for 20 nights, including
14 nights at four star or higher hotels, 2 nights at three star hotels, 3 nights at five star yangtze cruise ship, 1 nights on the train
41 meals, including 20 full breakfasts, 17 lunches and 4 dinners
(including Peking Duck Dinner, Dumpling Dinner)
1 gala evening events--Acrobatic Show in Shanghai 
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
We both found the Reed Flute Cave stunningly fascinating, made even so more so by the fact that we were along as the last ones to go through. We were very glad we went with the Longsheng rice paddies option even though it was the wrong time of the year. It was still beautiful with the Dragon's Backbone clearly visible-it was one of our favorite places. The Li River boat cruise was very enjoyable too.
- Adele and Giles Harding,South Africa
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