China Highlights - Discovery Your Way! (Since 1959)

 

Shenzhen Tour with Yangtze River Cruise

Day 1

Place & Transport: Arrive in Beijing, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Airport to Hotel Transfer (Beijing)

Day 2

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: Mutianyu Cable Car(round trip), Temple of Heaven, Great Wall at Mutianyu
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner at Roasted Duck at Hepingmen

- Mutianyu Cable Car(round trip): It is a challenging climb up to the Mutianyu Great Wall for it is much steeper than Badaling section. Here you have the option of taking the Cable car to the highest point or down to the foot in a few minutes instead of climbing more than 1,400 steps, while you can also have a bird view of the wall.
- Temple of Heaven: One of the most famous sites in Beijing, this is Ming architecture at its best: beautiful, controlled, and highly symbolic. The surrounding gardens are full of interesting activity, particularly weekend mornings. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
- Great Wall at Mutianyu: This less-crowded section of the Great Wall is a pleasant drive 90km NE of Beijing. A cable car takes you to a good section (avoiding a very steep climb), where you can walk along the wall, through the watch towers and enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains. You can return by cable car, walk down or walk along the wall for about an hour to descend by chairlift. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
- Roasted Duck at Hepingmen: In the evening enjoy the Peking Roasted Duck which is renowned as the most delicious food of Beijing

Day 3

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: The Forbidden City, The Tian'anmen Square, Hutong Tours in Rickshaw
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- The Forbidden City: The Imperial Palace, home to 24 Emperors between 1420 and 1911. Great squares, halls and gates contrast with the intricate networks of side halls, gardens, courtyards and quarters for those who lived in this 'city within a city'. The exhibitions, both permanent and temporary, are also absolutely fascinating. Expect to spend at least 2-3 hours, wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
- The Tian'anmen Square: The world's largest city square and enduring symbol of China's national pride, surrounded by many imposing buildings including the Heavenly Gate (entry to the Forbidden City), Museums, government buildings and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.
- Hutong Tours in Rickshaw: A maze of historic alleyways and old single storey traditional courtyard houses, now fast disappearing. Dotted around the hutong are the Drum and Bell Towers, Tea House, and local people's houses. Your tour includes a visit with a local family.

Day 4

Place & Transport: Beijing to Xian, Flight No. TBA
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Beijing), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Xian), Summer Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Summer Palace : Much-loved summer retreat of the Imperial families, the lovely landscaped gardens, halls, pavilions and corridors are set around the lake and rivers in natural harmony. You can expect to spend 2-3 hours here, including a 10 minute boat ride. Renovations (complete in 2010) mean that an individual section or building may be closed at any one time, but this is a huge site. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.

Day 5

Place & Transport: Xian
Today's Activities: Terracotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Forest of Stone Steles Museum
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Terracotta Warriors: Discovered accidentally in 1974, this incredible army of over 7000 soldiers, archers, horses and chariots in full battle array has guarded Emperor Qin's tomb since 210BC. Each figure is unique, and the painstaking repair and excavation continues in 3 pits which are protected inside huge hangars. 1.5 hours from Xian, there is also an excellent museum and film about the history of the vaults. Photos (no flash) are allowed. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda: A major Buddhist site, the simple, elegant brick Pagoda stands in the grounds of the attractive Da Ci'en Temple. The Pagoda was built in the 7th century to house the Buddhist materials that Xuanzang (Tripitaka) brought back from his epic journey to India. The Temple complex has several large halls with some great Buddhist statues and murals.
- Forest of Stone Steles Museum: A fascinating collection of inscribed stone tablets (steles), from very ancient to quite modern (Han-Qing Dynasties, 206BC-1911). All kinds of calligraphies and scripts tell stories, poems, classics, reports from around the Empire. Other exhibits include early sculptures and objects from Imperial tombs. This was once a Confucian temple, and the architecture and grounds are well worth a visit on their own account.

Day 6

Place & Transport: Xian
Today's Activities: Gao's Courtyard(includes Shadow Play), City Wall, Great Mosque
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Gao's Courtyard(includes Shadow Play): A traditional Chinese dwelling in the Muslim quarter that belonged to the founder of the successful Gao family, who produced many officials, officers and businessmen. The repairs won the 2002 UNESCO Asia-Pacific prize for cultural heritage protection. The courtyard buildings have exhibitions of period furniture, paintings, pottery, porcelain, photos and demonstrations of folk art, including a ‘shadow puppet’ play with traditional music.
- City Wall: The walls, ramparts, gates and watchtowers form one of the oldest and most complete city defences still around. Built in the 13th century on the foundations of the original Tang Forbidden City surrounding the city centre you can walk, rent a bike or take an electric cart around the full 14km circuit, with great views of the city on either side.
- Great Mosque: In the heart of Xi'an's Muslim quarter, close to the city centre, this is one of the largest Islamic mosques in China. Remarkable for the combination of Chinese architecture with Islamic practice, the courtyards align from east to west facing Mecca. The pavilions, halls and gateways are wonderfully decorated, and this is an active place of worship for the Hui descendants of Silk Road traders and travellers.

Day 7

Place & Transport: Xian to Chongqing to Yangtze, Flight No. TBA
Today's Activities: Cruise pier Transfer (Chongqing), Hotel to airport Transfer (Xian), Airport to Cruise pier transfer (Chongqing), Board the ship from 5:00pm to 8:00pm and departs Chongqing at 10:00pm.(Dinner is not included)
Meals: Breakfast

Day 8

Place & Transport: Yangtze
Today's Activities: Shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City (8:00-10:00am).

Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner

--Fengdu is where the devil lives, according to Chinese legend. They say that spirits go to heaven, and evil goes to Fengdu. The town is overlooked by Ming Shan Hill, home of Tianzi, the King of the Dead. The whole place has an eerie feel to it with deserted streets, tower blocks, empty shops and banks. The only people here are those who make a living from visiting cruise boats.

Day 9

Place & Transport: Yangtze
Today's Activities: Shore excursion to Shennong Stream(1:30pm-5:30pm).

Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner

--Shennong Stream is another tributary of the Yangtze River, and its fast-flowing, crystal clear water runs southwards through deep gorges. The stream races past large and small karst caves, flocks of swallows, sheer cliffs, deep gorges, waterfalls, three-colored springs, rapids, the ancient plank path, a suspended coffin in the cliff, groups of ancient tombs and marvelous karst formations.

Day 10

Place & Transport: Yangtze to Yichang to Wuhan
Today's Activities: Cruise pier Transfer (Yichang), Shore excursion to The Three Gorges Dam Site. Arrive in Yichang at 1:00pm.
Meals: Breakfast

--Three Gorges Dam, the largest water conservancy project ever undertaken by man and it has been a dream for several generations of Chinese people. The construction of the dam formally began in 1994. The body of the dam was completed in 2003, and the whole construction will be competed in 2009. It will be 2,335 meters long, 185 meters high, 18 meters wide on the top and 130 meters wide at the bottom.The tourists can get access to the top of the dam and enjoy different kinds of photo opportunities.

Day 11

Place & Transport: Wuhan to Shenzhen, Flight No. TBA
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Wuhan), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Shenzhen), Splendid China (inklusive China Folk Culture Village)
Meals: Breakfast

- Splendid China (inklusive China Folk Culture Village): A window for a glimpse of Chinese history and culture. More than a hundred miniatures of scenic wonders.

Day 12

Place & Transport: Depart Shenzhen, Flight No. TBA
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Shenzhen)
Meals: Breakfast

 

Featured Hotels

City Superior Class Deluxe Class Tourist Class
Beijing Crowne Plaza Beijing Sunworld Hotel Beijing Days Inn Forbidden City Beijing
Xian Sofitel on Renmin Square Xian Meihua-Goldentang International Hotel Xian Citylion International Hotel
Wuhan SHANGRI-LA HOTEL WUHAN Holiday Inn Riverside Wuhan Crown Hotel
Shenzhen Shenzhen InterContinental Hotel Shenzhen Metropark Hotel Shenzhen Universal Hotel

 

Price of this tour

Tour ClassYour Group Size 1 person 2-5 persons 6-9 persons Single room supplement
Superior Class 4360* 2883 2545 932
Deluxe Class 3217 2245 1938 426
Tourist Class 3037 2152 1847 337

* Prices are in US dollars, for one person. Prices are for references only and may vary according to your travel time . Click here to change prices to your Currency

* Better discounts are available when traveling in low season (from November to March) or when traveling in a large group. Please Contact Us for more details.

* The Price quoted for one person includes the single "Single room supplement".

 

Your Choices for This Tour

Take it as a PRIVATE tour: You have choice to make this tour be customized as a Private Tour for your own party of 1, 2 or more people that you know. To be in a private tour, you will have freedom to change the travel dates. Inquiry about this tour
Customize this tour and allow others to join your group: You may also want to customize this tour programs and dates to fit your needs, but at the same time to enjoy group tour benefits, China Highlights can help you to achieve this by advertising for people from all over the world who may love your tour and fit your schedule to join your China tour. Inquiry about this tour and allow others to join in

 

 

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