China Tour from Chicago

Today, fly to Beijing. According to the current flight schedule, there is no direct flight from Chicago to Beijing. You may consider to connect a flight via San Francisco where there is a direct flight to Beijing, which is operated daily and takes about 14.5 hours. Or you may choose your preferred connecting flights. You are advised to confirm the travel date with your private travel consultant before booking a flight.

On arrival at the Beijing Airport, your guide will meet you and transfer you to a luxury hotel we’ve booked for you. Boost your energy with a good rest to prepare for your coming adventure.

Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong

Let’s kick off your China tour with a visit to Tiananmen Square, a landmark of the city where national-level gatherings like the Flag-raising Ceremony are held. Stroll north towards Forbidden City, the royal palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911) and our next destination. Moreover, we will visit the Treasure Gallery inside.

At noon, an authentic Chinese a la carte welcome lunch with Peking Roast Duck will be served (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price).

The afternoon will see us seeking some spiritual enlightenment at Yonghe Temple and Temple of Heaven; the former is a lamasery and the latter the altar visited by Chinese emperor to ask Heaven to bless his nation. There is a treasure not to miss at Yonghe Temple: a huge copper pot. On December 8 of the lunar calendar each year at ancient times, it would fill with congee cooked by monks to be doled out among poor people. The tradition still remains. If today falls on the date, you will see people queuing at the temple for a blessing sip.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

Today’s highlight is the Mutianyu Great Wall, which we will ascend and descend by cable car. You will see how the Wall traces out the curve of steep mountain ridges, embellished with frequent watch-towers. Red wine will be offered to celebrate your Great Wall trip. We do not provide lunch today since the restaurants nearby are poorly-rated; we suggest you take some fast food by yourself.

Drive back to downtown. Have a photo stop at the National Stadium (the Bird's Nest) and view its distinctive appearance from a distance. Go on a tour by rickshaw through age-old Hutong alleys, and round off today’s trip with a family visit in one Hutong.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today's first stop is panda house in Beijing Zoo. Go on to the Summer Palace, a summer resort for Qing-era royal families. Engineered with an unprecedentedly massive effort, it beats all other imperial gardens in China. Qingyan Stone Boat is a special building - and the only one here - in a western style, a boat-like pavilion rising from a lake carved from a giant rock. It is as well-designed for draining water as it is beautiful.

In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Xi’an. On arrival at the airport, your local guide will drive you to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Xi'an

While in Xi’an, our biggest highlight is of course the world-famous Terracotta Army, built to guard the mausoleum and serve the afterlife of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210 BC). After breakfast, we will wonder at this grand clay army and other unearthed relics on display. We will also visit the family of the man who excavated the first terracotta warrior of the Army. With the knowledge gap filled, let’s head to a workshop, where you will follow steps to craft a mini terracotta soldier of your own and take it home.

In the afternoon, proceed to Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. 64 meters (210 feet) tall, the Pagoda is China’s oldest square brick tower dating back to Tang area (618 – 907 AD), and had been the highest building until the 1970s. For that reason, it was and still is a landmark of Xi’an, important enough for its image to be found on the city emblem. In the evening, a Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show will be arranged over a delicious dumpling dinner.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dumpling dinner

Tips:
Guests visiting in January, February, March, and December need to arrange the dinner and evening activity on their own for this day, since the theater is usually not available at these times.

Today's itinerary starts with the City Wall Park, where you can learn some moves of Tai Chi, a form of traditional Chinese martial art, from a master. Then, ascend the ancient City Wall and enjoy a panoramic view of the city. Cycling around the City Wall is also interesting; you can rent a bicycle on the spot.

Towards lunch time, we will explore the Muslim Quarter, a busy snack street and neighborhood of Muslims in Xi’an, for some local food. Rou Jia Mo, Chinese Hamburger made by stuffing meat (usually pork) into flatbread or baked leavened flour dough, is a representative Shaanxi street food eaten across the region. While at the Quarter, pork is changed to beef, giving a different flavor and texture. Seasoned and braised, the beef will be shredded and filled into the flatbread. Try it and add a special flavor to your Xi’an tour! Next, visit the Great Mosque and the Shaanxi History Museum.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today, let’s explore the essence of Guilin, a city boasting world-class karst beauty. On arrival at Guilin’s airport by morning flight from Xi’an, your guide will meet you and accompany you to the Reed Flute Cave, a karst cave to find myriads of curious stalagmites, stone pillars and stone flowers; and then to the Elephant Trunk Hill. After that, you will be transferred to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Sheraton Guilin Hotel

After breakfast, go for a cruise along the Li River, one of the biggest highlights of your tour, to appreciate a landscape painting enchanted by the overlapping green hills on the banks. After about 4 hours, we will dock at Yangshuo and go on a countryside tour via rental bike or a private car. We highly recommend you ride a bike to align with the nature, amid a landscape weaved with grotesque hills, paddy fields, rivers, and hamlets. Later, pay a short visit to a local peasant house for some hands-on experience of local rural life. Drive back to Guilin for an overnight stay.

Tip:
The ship we’ve selected for you is the best-rated for its great cost efficiency, so please understand that you will eat a simple Chinese box lunch; you might have a hearty breakfast at the hotel if you like.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today, take a morning flight to Chengdu. Your guide in Chengdu will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. In the afternoon, visit Jinsha Site Museum. After that, stroll Chengdu’s most popular People's Park to experience the relaxed lifestyle of local life; have a pot of tea and live like a local.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Chengdu Oriental Plaza

While in Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas, of course we won’t miss giant pandas at Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Let’s add some adorable fun to your journey! The next stop is Wide and Narrow Alley, a historical area of Chengdu with traditional buildings serving as souvenir stores, teahouses, and restaurants where you can try some authentic local specialties.

In the afternoon, drive to the railway station for a 2-hour bullet train ride to Chongqing. Our local guide will meet you at Chongqing Railway Station and help you board a 5-star Yangtze cruise ship, which leaves at about 21:30. Enjoy a buffet dinner on board and be a guest of your captain’s Welcome Reception Party.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dinner
Cruises: Century Glory

Start today by doing Tai Chi martial art to stretch muscles before breakfast. Later, come ashore to have some spooky memories at Fengdu Ghost City, where dead people are judged by King of Hell according to Chinese folklore.

After lunch onboard, go on to soak in the charm of the Yangtze River and join cultural activities scheduled by the cruise ship company.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today your cruise tour through the Three Gorges finally comes! Indicating Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge as a whole, the Three Gorges is acclaimed as “a gallery stretching hundreds of li” (1 li roughly equals to 0.3 miles), for the landscape that integrates mountains, rivers, and cultures into a splendid scroll painting. You are to travel through the only Must-See Gorge on Earth that can be cruised. Sailing through the Wu Gorge, we will also take a turn for a side shore excursion along Shennv Stream.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The cruise ship will come to Yichang today. Pack your luggage for disembarking and we will arrive before the Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydro-electric project in the world. From the observation deck, you can overlook the Dam, as well as find a spectacular contrast between the serene Gaoxia Flat Lake at the upstream and the turbulent Yangtze River at the downstream. Afterwards, head for the Three Gorges Tourist Center where your guide will pick you up and take you for a 7.5-hour bullet train ride to Shanghai. Upon arrival, your local guide in Shanghai will meet you at the railway station and escort you to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World

Our first stop is the Shanghai Museum, a window to peek into China’s artistic past from exhibited ancient artworks. Then, we will head to Yu Garden, once a private residence and thus more than a garden, to appreciate its intricate layout, exquisite pavilions, and rockeries. After that, an a la carte farewell lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) will be served.

Let’s head for Duo Yun Bookstore, “the bookstore above clouds”, at the 52nd floor of Shanghai Tower for a panorama of the cityscape beneath. Continue to take a walk at the Bund area, where to find a world-famous group of buildings in various western architectural styles and capture the impressive skyline of modern skyscrapers. From there, take a one-hour cruise on the Huangpu River. You will then have some time to explore the Bund area on your own. After that, we will take you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

Today, your China tour from Chicago has reached its end. Please arrange your own way to the airport for your homeward flight. As there is no direct flight between Shanghai and Chicago, you may fly to Chicago via Hong Kong, the two of which are directly linked by the flight CX806, available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. You may also choose other connecting flights based on the latest flight schedule. We hope you have a nice journey home!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast