China Highlights - 11 Days/10 Nights
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Day1-Begin Your Tour | Arrive Into Beijing | Optional Kung Fu Show |
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Day2-In Beijing | Guided City Tour Of Beijing | Tiananmen Square | Forbidden City | Summer Palace | Jingdu Pearl Factory | Optional Acrobatic Tour Today, your day unfolds with a guided city tour of Beijing, viewing historic landmarks like Tian'anmen Square, the largest open public square in the world, flanked by the imposing Tian'anmen Gate and crowned by a tower with a typical tiled roof and the Museums of History and Revolution. Tian'anmen ('Gate of Heavenly Peace') is the original gate of the Imperial Palace. Your city tour continues to the palace, better known as the Forbidden City. Admire this architectural masterpiece with exotic pavilions, serene courtyards, rich halls and flourishing gardens. The grand finale is a visit to the Summer Palace, a magnificent imperial garden located 12 km west of Beijing City. A summer retreat for emperors and a chosen few in the past, it is now the largest and most ancient preserved garden in China, and includes over a 100 ancient pavilions, mansions, towers, halls, temples, bridges and an enormous clear water lake. Later, we visit the famed Silk Alley markets boasting of more than 1000 stores and the Jingdu Pearl Factory. The rest of the evening is free if you wish to explore the city on your own, or you have the option of enjoying an astounding Acrobatic Show tonight. One of the oldest performing arts in the world, Chinese Acrobatics borrows elements from the opera, dance and Chinese Kungfu merging them into a wholly distinctive style. (B, D) |
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Day3-Onto Xian | Excursion To The Great Wall Of China And The Ming Tombs | Overnight Train to Xian Today, you will visit the only man-made structure visible from the moon, the Great Wall of China, one of the oldest historic monuments in the world and a symbol of China's ancient civilization. Just like a gigantic dragon, it winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus from east to west of China. Traditionally known as the "Wall of Ten thousand Li", it leaves you spellbound by its sheer magnitude and architectural splendour. Continue on an interesting drive along the Spirit Way guarded by stone animals and human figures, and arrive at the Imperial Tombs, the only existing burial chambers of the Ming Emperors. Evening, transfer to the train station for your train to Xian. (B, D) |
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Day4-In Xian | Guided City Tour Of Xian | Big Wild Goose Pagoda | Optional Tang Dynasty Show On arrival in Xian, proceed on a guided city tour of Xian with a visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which houses sutras collected by a wandering Chinese monk in India, celebrating the onset of Buddhism in China. And then, see the Ancient City Wall built in 1374 AD on the lines of the city of Changan in the Tang Dynasty. They are 11.9 km in girth, with a top width of 12 to 14 meters, built of grey bricks and are still standing from the Middle Ages. The gate towers built over each of the four city gates, painted a dark green, look lofty and magnificent, and form a tight defence engineering system. Later, shop for Chinese Jade and other artifacts along Ancient Style Street. Enjoy an optional viewing of the Tang Dynasty Show, for a performance of Chang'an music and dance, which originated in China's Tang dynasty over a 1,000 years ago. Also, walk through a display of various ancient Chinese musical instruments. (B, D) |
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Day5-In Xian | Excursion To The Terracotta Warriors This morning, visit the archaeological siteof the amazing Terracotta Warriors - a collection of 8,099 larger-than-life Chinese terracotta figures of warriors, horses and other figures, each celebrating Chinese unification. The figures vary in height, according to their role, the tallest being the Generals. In 1974, near Xi'an in central China, villagers chanced upon what has become one of the world's most astonishing archaeological findings - an 8,000 man army in battle-ready formation, each warrior a life-size figure in pottery made over 2,200 years ago. (B, D) |
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Day6-Onto Guilin | Excursion To Elephant Trunk Hill | Excursion To Fubo Hill Fly to Guilin this morning. Guilin is a famous city with beautiful scenery and one of the best places to shop for Chinese souvenirs, gems, traditional bamboo and wood carvings. On arrival, visit Elephant Trunk Hill, one of the most famous sights of River Li. The hill looks like an elephant dipping its snout into the Li River, and that gives it the curious name. Also, peer over the confluence of Li River and Peach Blossom River at the site. Next, visit Fubo Hill to the northeast of downtown Guilin and it has the famous Xinxi Marquis Temple built during the Tang dynasty. It is also one of Guilin's karst mountains, but with the most unique and interesting shape of all of them. (B, D) |
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Day7-In Guilin | Cruise On Li River This morning, embark on a cruise on River Li, covering 83 km from Guilin to Yangshou. A cruise along the Li River between Guilin and Yangshou is an unforgettable experience. As you take in the stunning scenery there's something interesting to see at almost every bend in the river. Between spectacular limestone peaks you'll see graceful bamboo groves, farmers tending rice paddies, and lumbering water buffaloes pulling carts or cooling off in the river. You may see fishermen gliding along on their narrow bamboo rafts and fishing cormorants. With the clear water and clusters of pinnacles, this section of the river seems right out of a Chinese painting. (B, D) |
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Day8-Onto Shanghai | Visit to the Bund | Cruise on Huangpu River Today, proceed to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. On arrival in Shanghai, you will be met and escorted by our representative to your hotel. This evening, proceed towards the Bund and the Old City, where the great trading houses and banks had their headquarters in the early twentieth century, about a mile long, it is the city's fulcrum. Later, enjoy a cruise on the Huangpu River, gazing at the mighty skyscrapers, the Monument Tower to the People's Heroes, the famous Waibaidu Bridge and Huangpu Park on one bank, and the Orient Pearl TV Tower, International Convertion Center, Jin Mao Building and the newly rising Pudong New Area on the other. The Yangpu and Nanpu bridges span the river. From the river, one can also view the ruins of ancient cannon emplacements and fortifications at Wusong and the magnificent view of the Yangtze River as it empties into the sea. (B, D) |
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Day9-In Shanghai | City Tour Of Shanghai Today after breakfast, depart on a full day sightseeing tour of Shanghai. See the alluring, centuries-old Yu Yuan Gardens located in the Old Town of Shanghai, which recreates a beautiful landscape of pagodas, pavilions, rockeries, fountains, ancient trees and precious flowers, the Town God's Temple, built in the 15 century, a well-known temple in Shanghai City. Combined together, the Yu Yuan Gardens and Town God's Temple makes the Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart, which features streets and shops of Chinese jade and traditional handicrafts, as well as those of local snacks. Later, view the Peoples Square in the Huangpu District, Shanghai's cultural and historical headquarters and the Century Park, the largest Park in Shanghai for recreation and business exchange. (B, D) |
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Day10-In Shanghai | Visit Zujiajiao | Shop at Nanjing Road | View the Oriental TV Tower This morning, proceed on a wonderful and exotic tour of Zujiajiao - also known as the Venice of China. Enjoy a boat ride in this ancient water town well-known throughout the country, with a history of more than 1700 years. Covering an area of 18 square miles, the little fan-shaped town glimmers like a bright pearl in the landscape of lakes and mountains. Endowed with another elegant name 'Pearl Stream' the little town is the best-preserved among the four ancient towns in Shanghai. Unique old bridges across bubbling streams, small rivers shaded by willow trees, and houses with courtyards attached all transport people who have been living amidst the bustle and hustle of the modern big city to a brand-new world full of antiquity, leisure and tranquility. In the afternoon, head to Nanjing Road, the main street of the French Concession for some great value-for-money shopping. See the visually striking Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the world's third tallest TV and radio tower. (B, D) |
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Day11-Homeward Bound Good times need never end! As you get ready for the airport and your flight back home, relive the high points of your Merair Travel & Tours Magical China tour. We are confident you will join us again, sometime soon…. (B, either at the hotel or onboard the flight) |
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