Middle Kingdom Journeys

A Glimpse into the Middle Kingdom - A Journey of China Highlights

2010 Departures: All year round

Trip Length: 13 days

Activity Type: Touring

Trip Price: From $ 2,599 per person

It is a customized journey.

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Trip Highlights:

China has always been a popular travel destination for culture and nature lovers around the world. This trip will bring you to visit the most popular as well as most symbolic areas in China: from the ancient capital to the fast-changing mega-metropolis city, from the wild north to the spectacular south.

City

Beijing, Xi’an, shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Guilin, Yangshuo

Day-by-day Itinerary

Day 1:

Arrive in Beijing, Pick up at airport by our guide. The rest of the day is free to have a rest.

Day 2:

Beijing, Relive China’s history with a tour through Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City including the Clock Museum and Treasure Hall.  Climb up the Jingshan to get a bird-view of this splendid complex of imperial buildings.  After lunch we visit the Hutongs, a labyrinth of lanes that have served as houses to Beijing’s residents for hundreds of years.  Enjoy Peking Duck dinner tonight.

Day 3:

Beijing, We depart early this morning for an excursion on the Great Wall.  In the afternoon, we will visit the Ming Tombs and the Sacred Road.

Day 4:

Beijing to Xi'an, Our program starts from a visit to the Temple of Heaven with a Tai Chi learning lesson by our master.  Then we visit the Summer Palace with a boat cruising on the beautiful Kunming Lake and a visit to the Suzhou Street.  Take a late afternoon flight to Xi’an. Enjoy a distinctively Xi'an dumpling dinner.

Day 5:

Xi'an, Visit the Terra Cotta Army in the morning.   After lunch, we return to the city to visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. As sunset approaches, we stroll along the Ming Dynasty City Walls that still encircle the old city, and then continue our exploration of Xi'an cuisine at a local restaurant for dinner.

Day 6:

Xi'an to Shanghai, Learn about Xi’an’s former status as ancient capital of China by visiting the Shaanxi History Museum.  After a lunch we visit the Great Mosque and walk around the Muslim quarter. We drive to the airport for flight to Shanghai.  Tonight is free to have rest or explore on your own.

Day 7:

Shanghai, Our morning is entirely taken up with a visit to the Shanghai Museum.  We then move on to the old Chinese city and the Yu Garden, where we have a light lunch of Shanghai's famous dumplings, "xiao long bao."  In the afternoon we embark on a walking tour of some of the tree shaded streets of the French Concession.

Day 8:

Shanghai to Suzhou to Wuzhen, We drive 2 hours to Suzhou and first stop at the Silk Museum. Upon arriving in Suzhou, we explore the Garden of the Master of the Nets and The Garden of Humble Administrator - the two most famous gardens in Suzhou.  A visit to the newly opened Suzhou Museum will be the highlight of our Suzhou Tour.  Drive to the water town Wuzhen in the late afternoon and spend the night there.

Day 9

Wuzhen to Hangzhou, After a leisure morning walking around the water town, we drive to Hangzhou.  Our first stop in Hangzhou is Linyin Temple, one of the biggest temple complexes in China.  Approaching sunset, we cruise on the West Lake, one of China's most beautiful lake laden with romantic love stories.

Day 10

Hangzhou to Guilin, We drive to Nine Creeks, hike along the valleys of the Longjing tea plantations and end the hike at the Tea Museum, where we will sample the famous green tea of the area.  We transfer to airport for our flight to Guilin in the late afternoon.

Day 11

Guilin to Yangshuo, In the morning, we take a leisurely boat cruising along the Li River to Xinping, an ancient town near Yangshuo.  Upon arrival in Xinping, we walk around the picturesque countryside surrounding Xinping.  We arrive in Yangshuo late in the afternoon, and the rest of the day, we are free to explore the bustling West Street of Yangshuo.

Day 12

Yangshuo, We start our morning biking exploration through serene villages to the Moon Hill. We return to Yangshuo for lunch then spend the afternoon exploring the countryside by bike.

Day 13

Back Home, We depart Yangshuo to Guilin for our flight back home.  Trip ends.

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