China Tour from Montreal

Today is the day for you to depart from Montreal’s airport. You will arrive in Beijing in about 14 hours. As there is no direct flight from Montreal to Beijing, you may consult flight trackers to make a flight itinerary that suits you best. Please double check the arrival time of the flight you are going to book; we will confirm the flight information with you in advance.

Upon arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport, meet up with your Beijing guide waiting for you outside the customs. Your driver will transfer you to the booked hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and get ready for your coming fantastic tour in China.

Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong

The first stop for today is Tiananmen Square, the largest urban square in the world. Pass a beautiful stone bridge and we will arrive before the Forbidden City (ticket to Treasure Gallery included), the palace complex for Ming and Qing (1368 - 1911) Chinese emperors. The Treasure Gallery we will visit, which displays invaluable curios belonging to the imperial family, was originally built as the retirement place of Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1735 - 1795). Intriguingly, walking through the eastern lane next to the Gallery, you will be told that the thick walls on either side were once hollowed out to house garrisoned imperial guards. You can still see the blue bricks atop the arched gates of those rooms, which have been refilled for safety reasons since the City was open to public.

Around noontime, you will have an a la carte welcome lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) with Peking Duck at a good restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit Yonghe Temple, a lamasery functioning since centuries ago, and Temple of Heaven, the world's largest building complex for the emperors to ask for blessings from Heaven. Spend your evening at Liyuan Theatre to enjoy a performance of a UNESCO intangible Chinese cultural heritage, Peking Opera; we will set off earlier for you to watch them painting make-up on their face at their dressing room.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

Please have a big breakfast at the hotel, as we will spend almost half a day hiking the world-famous Mutianyu Great Wall. To make it effortless to ascend and descend, we will arrange a round-trip cable car. You will discover a breathtaking landscape, starred by what is fondly called “Chinese dragon” that seems to stretch endlessly. We will celebrate this moment with a toast of red wine. The restaurants nearby are not up to our standards, so we do not provide lunch today. You may want to bring some snacks with you.

On the way back downtown, we will have a photo stop before Olympic National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest due to its appearance. The majority this afternoon will see you travelling in Beijing’s past through its old Hutong alleys via rickshaw. A unique cultural heritage, the Hutong area is where to experience Beijing’s thick historical atmosphere and traditional local life. We will round off your tour here with a family visit.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Start this morning with a visit to Panda House in Beijing Zoo. Then, head to Summer Palace, the largest royal garden in China, which will fascinate you with a blend of nature and Chinese-style architecture, including a seventeen-arch stone bridge over a vast lake, the Kunming Lake.

Later, your Beijing guide will take you to the airport for your flight to Xi'an. On landing, meet your Xi'an guide and transfer to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is on your own arrangement.

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

Your tour in Xi'an starts with a visit to the Terracotta Army, funeral objects excavated from burial pits of the mausoleum of the first Chinese emperor - Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210 BC). A stereotype is that Asians are generally short in stature. Take a look at the soldiers, averaging 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) tall, of the army, and you will be amazed. It’s likely that each and every single of them was hand-picked by the emperor (1.98 meters or 6.5 feet tall!) himself, as his imperial guards. Out of the museum, you will visit the family of the first person among discoverers of the Army to learn about its discovery, and later craft a mini clay soldier of your own with processional help, which you will bring home.

In the afternoon, we will visit Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, another historical site for you to learn about this ancient city. At night, we will arrange a splendid Tang Dynasty Show with a delicate dumpling dinner for you.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dumpling dinner

Please note:
Guests coming 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 open at those times.

After breakfast at the hotel, take a stroll at City Wall Park, where you can observe local life and participate in a Tai Chi class to learn some basic moves of the martial art. We will then climb the ancient City Wall, on which you can either walk or ride a rental bike (the rental fee isn't included in our price) to feel its ambience.

At noon, we will treat you to a local-flavor lunch at Muslim Quarter, a food market enjoying national fame. Find peace at the tranquil Great Mosque for a while, before we pay a visit to Shaanxi History Museum, the pearl of Xi'an and a treasury of China.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Local lunch

After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to the airport for your morning flight to Guilin. Upon arrival, your Guilin guide will take you to the hotel and help you check-in.

The first stop of your tour in Guilin is Reed Flute Cave, where you will appreciate an extravaganza of stalagmites and stalactites. The next is Elephant Trunk Hill, another karst marvel, in the shape of a giant elephant.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Sheraton Guilin Hotel

Today, we will take you on a Li River Cruise to Yangshuo. You will lose yourself in an otherworldly landscape, with rolling hills on either bank greeting you and passing by. It’s an endless Chinese landscape scroll painting in reality, one that best describes the spirit of the art form. Image on the back of the 20-yuan bank note - of Guilin’s iconic landscape - would then be familiar to you; why not take one with you, look for the same view, and merge them to make a unique photo?

After 4.5 hours, the ship will arrive in Yangshuo, where your guide will show you around its idyllic countryside. Yangshuo is one of the world’s best-preserved karst regions to find over twenty thousand karst hills and seventeen crisscrossing rivers. You can ride a bike or scooter to savor the sceneries. Visit a local family before we come back downtown.

Tip:
The cruise ship is especially highly-rated for its cost-effectiveness, so it’s the best option for this package except that you will have a Chinese box lunch. You might wish to have a large breakfast at the hotel and bring some snacks, in case you find the lunch too simple.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to the airport for a flight to Shanghai. Your Shanghai guide will pick you up at the airport and take you to the arranged hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free for you to relax.

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

Shanghai Museum, exhibiting countless precious ancient artworks like bronzeware and calligraphies, will be the first stop of your tour in Shanghai. After that, visit Yu Garden, a classical garden with delicate pavilions, ponds, rockeries, and cloisters. We will then wander through the Yu Bazaar next to it, where you can taste local snacks and browse for souvenirs.

At noon, we will serve you an a la carte farewell lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a well-known restaurant.

In the afternoon, go up to the 52nd floor of Shanghai Tower and while some time away at Duo Yun Bookstore on its viewing platform, named the Cape of Good Hope, for a panoramic view of modern Shanghai. Later, head to the Bund and take a Huangpu River cruise to enjoy the charm of Shanghai to the fullest. Explore the Bund at your own pace for a while, until it’s time for us to drive you back.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

Your 12 days China tours from Montreal Canada is coming to a pleasant end today. Enjoy your last meal in China, take a break, and leave for Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) for your flight home. We recommend taking a taxi to PVG, which would cost about CNY 200 and take around 1.5 hours. We wish you a nice trip home! As there is no direct flight from Shanghai to Montreal, you can transfer in Vancouver or make a flight plan according to the real-time flight schedule.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast