Golden Triangle & Yangtze

After breakfast at the hotel, we will proceed to visit Tiananmen Square and then the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is composed of a large amount of majestic palaces, and you will see plenty of valuable treasures exhibited in the halls. The Treasure Gallery and the Clock and Watch Gallery will be included for you specially. Strolling around the Forbidden City, you may wondered that why there are very few birds. As you could see, there is almost no tree in the Outer Court, so that birds have no place to inhabit. In addition, special materials were tiled on the roofs as well as ridges, so birds could hardly stand on or stick to the extremely slippery roofs. Thus, no bird would stay here anymore over time. How amazing!

An imperial lunch at the Fangshan restaurant follows. It is located inside the Beihai Park with spectacular scenery and would give you an impression of how the Chinese emperors had lived in the olden days. Dishes are prepared according to the recipes of the imperial kitchen with exquisite and fresh raw materials and ingredients. They are served in delicate tablewares and waiters donning palace outfits signify the origin and legend of each dish.

Then we will visit the Temple of Heaven, where you can experience the interesting acoustic principle of the Echo Wall, Three Sound Stone and the Circular Altar. 

As dinner is on your own, we would recommend the 1949 Hidden City, a famous restaurant with a nice ambience. A must try here is the roast duck with its tender meat, sweet and crispy but not greasy skin. Our guide will help you order the dish. It costs about CNY300 per person at your own expense. Please return to the hotel by taxi after dinner.

Meals: American breakfast, Imperial lunch

The Great Wall should be on most visitors' must-do list of their China tour. This morning, our guide will accompany you to conquer the Mutianyu Great Wall, one of the most famous sections of the Great Wall throughout the whole country. The dense distribution of watchtowers along the rolling ramparts are the main highlight of Mutianyu. A round-trip cableway is included to make your hike much easier. Lunch is not included today, but our guide is glad to offer you some recommendations near the site. 

Then we will transfer you back to downtown Beijing. En route, you will have a chance to take photos of the Bird's Nest when driving by. Afterwards, you will be guided to visit the Hutong alleys of Beijing by rickshaw. Explore the traditional culture of this old capital city by visiting the local residential area and their courtyards.

After the Hutong visit, we will drop in to a nearby restaurant named the Family Li Imperial Cuisine. Although the decoration of this restaurant is simple but it is highly recommended by many VIPs, including Bill Gates and many other foreign ambassadors in China. The founder of this restaurant is the grandson of Li Zijia, who was once in charge of the meals for the emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi during the Qing Dynasty. Popular dishes include Sweet and Sour Ribs, Beijing Style Fried Lobster with Fungus and Bamboo Shoots, Beijing Smoked Pork, Deep-Fried Fresh Scallops and so on. The guide will assist you in your ordering. Meal average cost is about CNY350-CNY500 per person at your own expense. You will return to the hotel by taxi.

Meals: American breakfast

As the largest and best preserved royal garden in China, the Summer Palace is one of the must-see destinations. Spend the morning strolling around the garden and experiencing a boat ride on the Kunming Lake if weather allows. Then we will turn to visit the Yonghe Lamasery. After enjoying a hearty a la carte lunch, we will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Xian. Upon arrival, our guide and driver will welcome you and then escort you to check into the hotel. 

Meals: American breakfast, A la carte lunch

Xian is indeed an ancient city due to its profound history and valuable cultural relics. When people talk about Xian, the first thing that comes to mind is the Terracotta Army Museum. Therefore today we will visit this awesome wonder of the world and have the opportunity to take photos with the life-sized warriors at close range. An a la carte lunch at an elegant local restaurant follows before transferring back to downtown Xian.  

In the afternoon, we will visit the Shuyuanmen, an ancient cultural street featuring the antique-style buildings and various distinctive stores. At the eastern end of the street is the Forest of Stone Steles Museum, built during the Northern Song Dynasty. It is an art treasure house with a collection of the earliest and most famous stone tablets in the country. You will have the chance to learn calligraphy for 1.5 to 2 hours in the museum if interested.

For dinner tonight, the Real Love Restaurant at Huang Cheng Xi Yuan is recommended. It is very romantic to enjoy your meal in the open air with a view of the city wall. This meal will cost you about CNY150-CNY200 per person. Take a leisurely stroll around the city center after your meal before taking a taxi back to the hotel.

Meals: American breakfast, A la carte lunch

In the morning, you will visit the City Wall Park first, where you will meet local people doing various morning exercises. Then ascend the City Wall with our guide's company. Renting a bicycle and cycling around the wall will be a good experience for you. It is also from here that one is able to have a bird's eye view of the city. Lunch is on your own and our guide will gladly assist. 

Proceed to the Great Mosque in the afternoon. It is one of the four largest mosques in China built in a mixed style of traditional Chinese and Muslim architectures. There is a Moslem Street nearby with many snack stalls and souvenir shops that are worth exploring. Tonight, enjoy an imperial dinner show at the Tang Dynasty Palace. The show reflects the royal singing and dancing themes that took place during the Tang Dynasty 1,400 years ago.

Meals: American breakfast, Tang Dynasty Dinner Show 

Your exploration of the ancient capital will round off with a visit to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Then we will transfer you to the airport for flight to Chongqing. On your arrival, our guide will pick you up and accompany you to visit the ancient Ciqikou town that has over 1,800 years of history. After that, you will check into the deluxe New Century Cruise Ship to continue your luxury China tour on the Yangtze River. Enjoy a buffet dinner on the cruise ship before your cruise leaves at 21:30. At the same time, the Captain's Welcome Party will be held tonight and you are welcomed to join in.

Meals: American breakfast, Dinner

As the ship sails along the Yangtze River, you may feast your eyes with the enchanting riverside scenery. You will also get a chance to take an onshore excursion to the Fengdu Ghost City which is famous for its variety of structures relating to the netherworld.

After getting back to the ship, you can participate in activities on board, such as lectures about regimen, traditional Chinese medicine, and pearls. Alternatively, you can unwind with beautiful views along the river.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, the ship will pass through the Qutang Gorge, the shortest part stretching from Baidicheng, Fengjie County, to Daxi Town of Wushan County, and the Wu Gorge. Then you will disembark to take a boat adventure to the Shennv Stream. The excursion takes two to three hours and you will see the macaques and the ancient plank road. Return to the ship for your next voyage, passing through the Xiling Gorge in succession.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, please pack your luggage and complete the check-out procedure, then you will disembark and visit the Three Gorges Dam, which is a hot tourist destination by combining modern engineering, natural scenery and cultural landscape. After the sightseeing, you will be transferred to the Three Gorges Tourist Center in Yichang city by the cruise company and met by our local guide. Then you will head to the train station for a 7.5-hour bullet train to Shanghai. Upon reaching Shanghai, our guide will be at the train station to meet and escort you to the hotel. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today's first stop is the Shanghai World Financial Center at a height of 492 meters (1,600 feet), which will show you its luxury and grandness. Then you will visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, the best place to get a deep look into the city's construction development. After enjoying an a la carte lunch, you will explore the classical Yu Garden and the nearby bazaar. Then it will be a relaxing time as you will follow your guide on a stroll along the famous Bund area. In the evening, you will enjoy an amazing Era Acrobatic Show at the Shanghai Circus World. We believe that the show will leave you with a deep impression.

Meals: American breakfast, A la carte lunch

Today, we will take a comfortable ride to the Nanxun Water Town. There, you will see the exquisite Little Lotus Garden, the historic Jia Ye Tang Library, and Zhang Shiming's Former Residence, which combines both Chinese and western architectural features. We will also have a boat trip along the water lanes in the town. At noon, you have the choice of selecting your preferred restaurants in the town. Our guide will offer you some recommendations. After the visit, we will escort you back to Shanghai. You will be free for the rest of the day.

We suggest you have dinner at the Jade Restaurant where Cantonese cuisine is served at a cost of around CNY150-CNY200 per person. Try their famous dishes as commended by other diners, such as the Shrimp Dumplings, Sichuan Dandan Noodle and Dim Sum. It is at your own expense. 

Meals: American breakfast

Your 13 days luxury China tour will end today. Please take your entire belongings and check out from the hotel. Our guide and driver will transfer you to the airport and help you check in for your leaving flight. Bon voyage!

Meals: American breakfast