China Tour from Hawaii

On the day of departure, please make your own way to the airport for your flight to Beijing. At present, there is no direct flight from Hawaii to Beijing. You can make your flight plan following the real-time flight schedule.

Upon arrival at the airport, meet your guide who’s been waiting outside the customs area. Transfer to the hotel with your driver. Have a good rest to refresh yourself and be ready for the start of your China tour tomorrow.
Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong

The itinerary of this China tour from the United States starts from Tiananmen Square, where you will pass by such monumental buildings as Monument to the People's Heroes, the National Museum of China, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. Connecting the north of the square is the Forbidden City, the imperial palace of Chinese emperors of the last two dynasties, which we will visit next. The trip will also cover its Treasure Gallery.

Around noon, an a la carte welcome lunch will be served to introduce you to authentic Chinese food and Peking Duck.

Enjoy the first half of this afternoon at Yonghe Temple. Your guide will make sure you won’t miss its Five-Hundred-Arhat Mountain – one of the most treasured of all. 5 meters (16 feet) tall, delicately carved out of red sandalwood, this mountain has five hundred mini arhats sitting or standing on it, all made of metal materials including gold. It’s not an exaggeration to say the temple incarnates a big half of the history of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Dating back five centuries, it played a glorious role in bridging the central government and Tibetan people with beliefs in Tibetan Buddhism. Visit Temple of Heaven next.

This evening will find you appreciating Peking Opera at Liyuan Theatre. Arrive about half an hour earlier before the show starts, or you will miss the chance to watch the artists painting their face and take photos with them.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

After breakfast, you will be guided to Mutianyu Great Wall, the longest and most charming section of the Great Wall of China. A round-trip ride on cable car up and down the Wall, plus a glass of red wine on the wall to toast this memorable moment, are arranged.

As the nearby restaurants do not meet our service standards, lunch is not arranged today. We suggest that you bring some fast food. Should you want to dine at a nearby restaurant, your guide will be pleased to offer some recommendations.

Drive back to downtown and have a photo stop at the Olympic National Stadium, aka Bird’s Nest for its look. Today’s trip will culminate in a rickshaw tour through Beijing’s historical hutong alleys and a visit to a local family. Hutongs are not only branches to connect the city’s main roads, but traditional living quarters for locals. This is where real life happens: here an old man is cycling by, there a grandma is reading newspaper or mending clothes under eaves.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Your tour of Beijing continues with a visit to the Panda House in Beijing Zoo. Then, wander about Summer Palace, a vast imperial garden blending nature and age-old Chinese buildings, of which the Marble Boat, a boat-like pavilion on an immense lake, is particularly impressive for its European style.

Afterwards, you will be transferred to the airport for a flight to Xi'an. Upon landing, meet your local guide outside the baggage claim area, who will take you to the hotel.

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

The first and foremost stop of your Xi’an tour is of course the Terracotta Army, which has guarded the oldest imperial mausoleum in China, of the Founder of the Qin Empire, for over 2,000 years. While Greeks carved their statues from marble, the Qin craftspeople chose clay instead to be sculptured and fired to create terracotta figures. The local clay had been shaped and fired to form a very strong sculpting base.

Take the secrets of the emperor with you and let’s head to a farmer’s house to learn how he discovered the first terracotta warrior. A gift is also prepared for you: you will carve a mini clay solider with the guidance of an artisan and bring it home.

Drive back to downtown in the afternoon to explore the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. This evening, enjoy an elaborately-designed Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show over a delicious Dumpling Dinner.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dumpling dinner

Tip:
If you are coming in January, February, March, or December, please arrange your own dinner and evening activity for today, since the theater is usually closed at these periods.

The day begins with a leisurely visit to the City Wall Park, where you can observe the day-to-day life of locals and learn to do Tai Chi martial art with a master. Continue to climb the ancient City Wall, to have a bird’s eye view of Xi’an in contradictions between the old and the new.

Around noontime, explore the lively Muslim Quarter to try local food for lunch. Then visit the Great Mosque. The last stop for today is Shaanxi History Museum, a national-level treasure trove.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

This morning, take a flight to Guilin and check into the hotel. Visit karst beauties of Reed Flute Cave, a palace of stalactites, and Elephant Trunk Hill, which resembles a giant elephant sticking its snort into the Li River.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Sheraton Guilin Hotel

Appreciate the breathtaking scenery around while cruising down the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo. At noon, refuel your energy with a simple Chinese box lunch.

Disembark in Yangshuo in about 4.5 hours. You will be driven to the countryside of Yangshuo (you can also choose to ride a rental bike or scooter) to soak up its amazing rural views and pay a visit to a local villager's home. Finally, transfer back to Guilin.

Tip:
As some may find the lunch the cruise company offers too boring, it’s suggested you have a hearty breakfast and bring some snacks for supplement.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today is the last day of your China tour from Hawaii. Please pack your luggage, check out before 12:00, and go to the airport for your flight home. As there is no direct flight between Guilin and Hawaii, you are recommended to fly from Beijing, Shanghai, or Hong Kong to Hawaii via Tokyo, which takes a total of around 12-16 hours. You may also make a flight plan that fits your budget best by consulting flight trackers. If there are some other cities you want to add to your tour itinerary, please contact your private travel consultant. We wish you a pleasant and safe journey home!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast