11 Days Yangtze Cruise and Tour to Beijing, Xi'an and Guilin

Day 1  Mon 8-Jun-09     Meal(s) ()    Chicago / Beijing

Transfer via: by air United Airlines 851 at 15:15PM arrival in Beijing-own arrangement 
Program: Arrive in Beijing, you will be met and transferred to hotel, free at the rest of the day

Accommodations: Redwall Hotel***
Tel: 010-51098666, Fax: 010-51098999

Day 2  Tue 9-Jun-09     Meal(s) (B, L)   Beijing

Program: Full day visit the Badaling Great Wall, The Ding Tomb, The Sacred Road, On the way back to hotel, you will be driven to visit the main 2008 Beijing Olympic venues, take an exterior visit of both the Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest/Olympic Stadium), National Swimming Centre ('The Water Cube'), Beijing, feel free to take some photos of the stadiums. In the evening, you will be transferred to the Lao She Tea House which we have reserved well for you, you can pay cash there

-Badaling Great Wall: 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.
-The Ding Tomb: The only underground tomb of the thirteen tombs of the emperors in the Ming Dynasty.
-The Sacred Road: The way guarded on both sides with stone statues by which the ancient emperors went to hold a memorial ceremony for the ancestors.

Accommodations: Redwall Hotel***

Day 3  Wed 10-Jun-09     (B, L)   Beijing

Program: You will arrange on your own

Accommodations: Redwall Hotel***

Day 4  Thu 11-Jun-09     Meal(s) (B, L)   Beijing / Xi'an

Transfer via: HU7882    1715-1900 arranged by us 
Program: Visit Hutongs by rickshaw, the Summer Palace, then be transferred to airport for Xi'an. Arrive in Xi'an, you will be met and transferred to hotel

Accommodations: Melody Hotel Xi'an***
Tel: 029-87288888, Fax: 029-87273601

Day 5  Fri 12-Jun-09     Meal(s) (B, L)   Xi'an

Program: Full day tour for the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Bell Tower

-The Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses: The greatest archaeological findings of the century: the army of terra-cotta warriors and the bronze chariots entombed in vast underground vaults at emperor Qin's tomb.
-Big Wild Goose Pagoda: It is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists.
-The Bell Tower: The wooden tower, which is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, is 36 meters (118 feet) high.

Accommodations: Melody Hotel Xi'an***

Day 6  Sat 13-Jun-09     Meal(s) (B, L)   Xi'an / Guilin

Transfer via: FM9329   1520-1705 arranged by us
Program: Visit the Ancient City Wall, the Great Mosque of Xi'an, History Museum in Xi'an, then be transferred to airport for Guilin. Arrive in Guilin, be met and transferred to hotel

-The Ancient City Wall: It is the largest and best preserved present city wall in ancient China and is probably the best military battlement in the world.
-The Great Mosque of Xi'an: It is the largest and best preserved of the early mosques of China. And it was built primarily in the Ming Dynasty when Chinese architectural elements were synthesized into mosque architecture.
-History Museum in Xi'an: It is a magnificent architectural complex in the Tang Dynasty style. The Museum possesses a treasure of 113,000 historic and cultural artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi, and it covers an area of 1,100 square meters for exhibition.

Accommodations: Hotel Universal, Guilin ***
Tel: 0773--2828228, Fax: 2824944


Day 7  Sun 14-Jun-09     Meal(s) (B, L)   Guilin / Yangshuo

Program: Full day tour for Li River Cruise, West Street, Big Banyan, the Moon Hill, stay overnight in Yangshuo

-Li River Cruise: Depart from your hotel in the morning. Be transferred to the Zhujiang Pier (about 1 hour drive) for a 4.5 hours wonderful cruise. You will enjoy the picturesque mountains, peaceful green fields, farms and villages with water buffalos, cows wondering around on both sides of the river bank. Disembark at the one-thousand-year-old town Yangshuo in the afternoon. Have a short exploration to the old town before to be transferred back to Guilin city.
-West Street: West Street is the oldest street in Yangshuo with a history of more than 1,400 years. Situated at the center of Yangshuo County, West Street has become, since the 1980's, a window of eastern and western culture and the biggest 'foreign language center' in China.
-Big Banyan: 6 kilometers away from the County of Yangshuo, you will find a prominent and towering tree: the Big Banyan Tree. It has survived wind and rain over centuries since it was planted during the Sui Dynasty (581-618).
-The Moon Hill: 50 minutes' bike from Yangshuo, there lies the Moon Hill. Named for the crescent shaped cave running through the moon, Moon Hill is one of the highlights in Yangshuo.

Accommodations: Aiyuan Hotel, Yangshuo***
Tel: 0773-8811966, Fax: 0773-8811916

Day 8  Mon 15-Jun-09     Meal(s) (B, L)   Yangshuo / Guilin / Chongqing

Transfer via: HU6212   1950-2055 arranged by us 
Program: In the morning, drive back to Guilin, visit Elephant Trunk Hill, Seven Star Park, Reed Flute Cave, and then be transferred to airport for Chongqing. Arrive in Chongqing, be met and transferred to the dock. Board the ship from 17:00 to 24:00 and the ship will depart Chongqing at second early morning

-Elephant Trunk Hill: Located at the conjunction of the Li River & the Peach  Blossom River, the whole hill looks very much like a giant elephant with a long trunk, it is the symbol of Guilin city.
-Seven Star Park: The biggest park in Guilin, where you can see a giant Panda Yueyue, the Camel Hill, Bonsai Garden and more sites if you are energetic enough to climb some hills.
-Reed Flute Cave: Known as "the Palace of Natural Arts" where you can see beautiful stalactites & stalagmites, learn how they are formed. 

Accommodations: Blue Whale Ship*****


Day 9  Tue 16-Jun-09     Meal(s) (B, L, D)   Yangtze Cruise

Program: (8:00-10:00) Shore excursion to either Fengdu Ghost City or WanXian, or Shibaozhai (depending on river conditions). Then return to the ship and sail towards the magnificent Three Gorges

Fengdu, with fantastic temples of underworld demons and gods, is constructed on the Mingshan Hill by the river band. It is known as the "Ghost City" and is a place for punishing the devil and awarding the good.
WanXian: One of the most important and largest ports on the Yangtze. It is widely known for its variety and hustling markets. Fifty percent of the city will be resettled after the Three Gorges Dam Project is completed.

Accommodations: Blue Whale Ship*****

Day 10  Wed 17-Jun-09     Meal(s) (B, L, D)  Yangtze Cruise

Program: (08:00-13:00) Passing through Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge
                   (13:00-16:30) Boat excursion to Shennong Stream
                   (17:30) Passing through Xiling Gorge

Shennong Stream is another tributary of the Yangtze River, and its fast-flowing, 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.

Accommodations: Blue Whale Ship*****

Day 11  Thu 18-Jun-09     Meal(s) (B, L)   Yichang / Beijing

Transfer via: HU7110     1700-1910 arranged by us 
Program: (08:00-10:00) Shore excursion to The Three Gorges Dam Site

(13:00) Disembark at Yichang, be met at the dock and transferred to airport for Beijing. Arrive in Beijing, you will arrange by yourselves.


Service Ends!