The Excitement of China Featuring China's New Architecture / 18 days
The following itinerary and quotation is still available in 2010. Destinations:Beijing - Urumqi - Turpan - Dunhuang - Xi'an - Shanghai - Sanya
Itinerary
Day 1: Beijing Arrival
Welcome to China. Upon arrival, our local guide will take you to your downtown hotel. The rest of the day is on your own to explore the city.
Day 2: Beijing (B+L+D)
Sightseeing: Tiananmen Square/ Forbidden City/Olympic stadium- Bird Nest/ National Aquatics Centre - Water Cube
Today you will visit Tiananmen Square which is considered as the largest square in the world. Subsequently, you visit the Forbidden City, the most complete imperial palace in China. Then go to visit the National Olympic stadium - the ‘Bird’s Nest’ - and National Aquatics Centre – the ‘Water Cube’. This large open-air stadium is an excellent stage for demonstrating architectural wonders. The Bird Nest design is based on returning to nature and inspires human nature. The National Aquatics Centre, known as the 'The Water Cube', was one of the most dramatic and exciting venues to feature sporting events for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Tonight, enjoy a Peking Duck Dinner in a famous restaurant.
Day 3: Beijing (B+L)
Sightseeing: Badaling Great Wall/ Ming Tombs/ CCTV new building
After breakfast, you will visit the Great Wall at Badaling where you will experience at first hand the wonder of the Great Wall. For lunch you'll sample some delicious fare in a local restaurant. Afterwards, you will pay a visit of one of the Ming Tombs. The Ming Tombs are the representative royal tombs of the Ming Dynasty. Thirteen emperors of the Ming dynasty from 1368 to 1644 were buried there. Along the way back to your downtown hotel, you will view the CCTV new building in the distance. It is thought by experts and reviewing arbitrators to be neither haughty nor humble, and with distinct individuality without exclusiveness.
Day 4: Beijing
Sightseeing: Summer Palace/ Temple of Heaven / China's National Grand Theater
China's National Grand Theater
Today you will start the day with a trip to the Summer Palace, which has a history of over 800 years. All the man-made hills, halls, pavilions and temples, including Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, blend together harmoniously in spite of their individual styles. After lunch, you will also pay a visit to the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven was built in the year 1420 and symbolized the meaning that the emperor could contact with the sky through it. Then you proceed to visit China's National Grand Theater in front of the entrance. The egg-shaped "bubble" structure just to the west of Tiananmen Square is covered with titanium panels and surrounded by water and greenery.
Day 5: Beijing – Urumqi by air (B)
The morning is at your leisure before taking your flight to Urumqi. Upon arrival, transfer to your downtown hotel. The rest of the time is free.
Day 6: Urumqi (B+L)
Sightseeing: Heavenly Lake / Southern Pasture / West White Poplar Gully
Heavenly Lake
Get up early in the morning and drive about 110km to visit the Heavenly Lake (Tian Chi). Surrounding the Heavenly Lake are snowcapped mountains, glacier forests and grassland alpine lakes, featuring a vertical natural landscape belt. It is a beautiful place to take a stroll. Then you will also visit the Southern Pasture. One of the most spectacular spots here is the West White Poplar Gully. Traveling through this narrow verdant gully is a unique experience for sightseers who love snowcapped peaks, waterfalls, dragon-spruce trees and wildflowers.
Day 7: Urumqi – Turpan by private van (B+L)
Sightseeing: Jiaohe Ruins / Karez Well / Emin Minaret
Jiaohe Ruins
Get up early in the morning and drive about 380km to Turpan. After checking in at the hotel, you will visit Jiaohe Ruins, which has a long history of about 2,300 years. Jiaohe Ruins is the largest and best preserved ancient city built from compressed earth anywhere in the world.
After lunch, you will visit Karez Well, which is a delicate irrigation system devised by the smart Xinjiang people 2,000 years ago. Then you will head to Emin Minaret, the largest ancient Islamic tower in Xinjiang.
Day 8: Turpan – Dunhuang by train (B+L+D)
Sightseeing: Gaochang Ruins / Baizikeli Thousand Buddha Cave / Flaming Hill
Flaming Hill
After checking into the hotel, your first stop in this city is Gaochang Ruins, the largest set of ancient city ruins ever found in the Western Regions. Afterwards, you will visit Baizikeli Thousand Buddha Cave, one of the most important Buddhist grotto relics in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Then you proceed to visit Flaming Hill - the hottest place in China. After having dinner, you will take the train to Dunhuang. Your accommodation tonight is on the train.
Day 9: Dunhuang (B+L)
Sightseeing: Echoing-Sand Dune / Crescent Lake
Crescent Lake
Upon your arrival in the morning, you will be met and transferred to the hotel. After checking in at the hotel, you will visit Echoing-Sand Dune and the Crescent Lake. Each time the wind blows, there is a sound from the mountain and when there is a breeze, the sound is like musical instruments, hence the name Echoing-Sand Mountain. Crescent lake is located in the arms of Echoing-Sand Mountain, appearing clear and beautiful.
Day 10: Dunhuang – Xian by air (B+L)
Sightseeing: Mogao Caves
Mogao Caves
You spend today on the site of Mogao Caves, which is located 25 kilometers (about 15.5 miles) southeast of Dunhuang City. It is regarded as the premier Buddhist spot in China. After lunch, you will take a flight to Xian and transfer to your hotel. The rest of your time is free.
Day 11: Xian (B+L)
Sightseeing: Terra Cotta Soldiers Museum / Bell Tower / Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Today you will visit what has been called the 8th Wonder of the World, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. It is one of the most important archaeological excavations and cultural findings of the 20th century. After lunch, you will drive back to the city to visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of symbols of Xian and a remarkable milestone in Chinese architecture. Afterward, you will visit Bell Tower. Originally built in 1348, the Bell Tower in Xian is situated in the very heart of the city and is the most well-preserved and best-known one in China.
Day 12: Xian - Shanghai by air (B+L)
Sightseeing: Provincial History Museum / City Wall
Starting the day early, you visit the Provincial History Museum, which houses a large collection of historic and cultural artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi Province. Later you mount the City Wall. It was restored in the Ming dynasty and is considered as the largest and most intact Ming Dynasty castle in the world. From there you can have a good view of Xian. In the mid-afternoon, you will take a flight to Shanghai and transfer to your hotel. The evening is on your own to explore the city.
Day 13: Shanghai (B+L)
Sightseeing: Jade Buddha Temple / Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall / Bund / Nanjing Road 
Urban Planning Exhibition Hall
In the morning, you visit the Jade Buddha Temple, which is renowned for its 2m-tall Buddha carved from a single piece of white jade, brought to China by a Burmese monk in 1822. After lunch, you will proceed to visit Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. Citizens and tourists can see the changes of the leased territory, the changing fortunes of the Bund, and the achievements of Shanghai in urban planning and construction since the reform and opening-up of the country. Then, you will also pay a visit to the picturesque Bund. Extending for 1.5 km on the shore of the Huangpu River, the Bund is a symbol of China’s prosperous future and Shanghai’s international past. Then you will stroll along Nanjing Road, which was considered as one of the World's Seven Great Roads in the 1930s and is always mentioned in travel guides as a must-see in China tours.
Day 14: Shanghai – Sanya by air (B+L)
Sightseeing: Yu Garden / Lupu Bridge / Shanghai World Financial Center
Shanghai World Financial Center
In the morning, you visit the Yu Garden, a former private garden, called a work of art, designed with different styles of traditional Chinese horticultural art. Afterward, continue by visiting the Lupu Bridge, which is the world's longest arch bridge and functions as a sightseeing attraction. The viewing platform of the Lupu Bridge is installed at the top of its giant-bow-like arch, which not only greatly enhances the panoramic view, but also enables sightseers to enjoy the 300- plus steps walk up the "slope" along the arch rib, making the experience more interesting and unforgettable. After lunch, you will pay a visit to Shanghai World Financial Center, a super tall skyscraper in Shanghai. It is a mixed-use skyscraper which consists of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls on the ground floors.
In the late afternoon, you will take a flight to Sanya and transfer to your hotel.
Day 15: Sanya (B)
Sanya
Free day. Relax on Yalong Bay.
Day 16: Sanya (B)
Free day. Relax on Yalong Bay.
Day 17: Sanya (B)
Free day. Relax on Yalong Bay.
Day 18: Sanya – Next destination (B)
The morning is at your leisure before boarding your flight back home.
Price
| Person | 1 | 2-5 | 6-9 | |
| Price per person( USD $ ) | 5 Star | 5779 | 3820 | 3299 |
| 4 Star | 5169 | 3518 | 2999 | |
| 3 Star | 4889 | 3378 | 2866 | |
Price list
Price Includes:
a. Entrance fees to all the scenic spots as listed above in the itinerary
b. Hotel accommodations with breakfast as specified (If there is no Western breakfast available, we have to arrange Chinese one instead)
c. All meals as specified in the itinerary. B=Western or Chinese breakfast, L=Chinese lunch in a local restaurant, D=Chinese dinner in a local restaurant
d. Internal flights including taxes and fuel fee or train/bus tickets as listed in the itinerary
e. Professional local guides and drivers in each destination city
f. Private Transfers between airports, docks, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing in each destination city by the private air conditioned car or van
g. Luggage Transfers between airports/docks and hotels
h. Arrangements for the planning, handling, operational and communication charges
i. Government taxes.
Price excludes:
a. International air and train tickets for coming to and leaving from mainland China
b. Visa fee
c. Excess Baggage Charges
d. Meals which are not specified with "B", "L" or "D".
e. Personal expenses such as drinks, laundry, tips to guides or drivers, FAX, telephone, excess baggage charges
f. Gratuities, tips to guides and drivers
g. Personal loss, illness or damages incurred during your trip
Remark : Quotations listed are valid excluding the periods of Chinese holidays and special events.
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