21 Days China Impression Tour with Pandas and Tibet

 Day 1 Thursday 1-July-10     Meal(s) ()   Arrival / Beijing

Transfer via: by air-own arrangement SQ802   arrive in Beijing at 14:55
Program: Arrive in Beijing, you will be met and transferred to hotel, free at the rest of the day.

Accommodations: Sunworld Hotel Beijing****
Tel: 010-58168999, Fax: 010-65139095 

Day 2 Friday 2-July-10     Meal(s) (B)   Beijing

Program: Three of you will be collected from hotel first, then be transferred to airport with guide and drier and welcome your nephew’s arrival.

Accommodations: Sunworld Hotel Beijing**** 

Day 3 Saturday 3-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Beijing

Program: Full day tour for the Temple of Heaven, The Tian'anmen Square, The Forbidden City.

-The Temple of Heaven: The place where the ancient emperors used to pray for the God's bless of the whole nation
-The Tian'anmen Square: The largest city square in the world
-The Forbidden City: The largest imperial palace in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties with a history of around 600 years

Accommodations: Sunworld Hotel Beijing****

Day 4 Sunday 4-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Beijing

Program: Full day tour for Mutianyu Great Wall with Cable Car of 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.

-Mutianyu 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
-Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest): The Beijing National Stadium, also known as the bird's nest was the main track and field stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics and host to the Opening and Closing ceremonies.
-National Swimming Center (The Water Cube): The National Swimming Center, known as 'The Water Cube', was one of the most dramatic and exciting venues to feature sporting events for the Beijing Olympics in 2008

Accommodations: Sunworld Hotel Beijing****

Day 5 Monday 5-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Beijing / Lhasa

Transfer via: by soft sleeper on train (arranged by us) T27 (21:30-17:30)
Program: Full day tour for Hutongs by rickshaw, Xiushui Street, The Summer Palace, then be transferred to railway station and take train to Lhasa, you will stay overnight on the train.

-Hutongs: The old narrow paths where common people lived. All the Hutongs crisscross with each other, dotted with the Kindergarten, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Tea House, and the lake, House of Gong Infante and local people's houses among them
-Xiushui Street: A market near the embassy area where you can find a number of duplicates of clothing in traditional Chinese style such as clothes, caps, gloves. Enjoy bargains with sellers and pleasant surprise of finding a real treasure if you are lucky enough
-Summer Palace: The largest and best-preserved royal garden in China with a history of over 800 years

Accommodations: On the train

Day 6 Tuesday 6-July-10     Meal(s) ()   Lhasa

Program:  You will enjoy the amazing Tibet train journey and experience the altiplano, snow mountain and wild animals.

Accommodations: On the train

Day 7 Wednesday 7-July-10     Meal(s) ()   Lhasa

Program: Arrive in Lahsa, be met and transferred to hotel, free at leisure to acclimatize yourself to the high latitude.

Accommodations: Lhasa Xin Ding hotel****

Day 8 Thursday 8-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Lhasa

Program: Full day tour for the Potala Palace, The Jokhang Temple, The Barkhor Street.

-The Potala Palace: Perched upon Marpo Ri Hill, 130 meters above the Lhasa Valley. It is the greatest monumental structure in Tibet.
-The Jokhang Temple: It is the spiritual center of Tibet.
-The Barkhor Street: The Barkhor is the oldest street in Lhasa as well as  the center of old Lhasa and remains very traditional. It is a place where Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts are assembled."

Accommodations: Lhasa Xin Ding hotel****

Day 9 Friday 9-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Lhasa

Program: Full day tour for the Norbulingka Park, The Sera Monastery, The Drepung Monastery, The Tibetan Family.

-The Norbulingka Park: Norbulingka means "Jeweled Garden". It was constructed as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama at very beginning, and later served as the whole governmental administration.
-The Sera Monastery: It is known as one of the three greatest monasteries of Tibet.
-The Drepung Monastery: It is one of the biggest monasteries in Tibet.
-Tibetan Family: Common Tibetan people welcome you to their homes, greet you in their traditional way and entertain you with their typical food."

Accommodations: Lhasa Xin Ding hotel****

Day 10 Saturday 10-July-10     Meal(s) (B)   Lhasa / Xian

Transfer via: by air (arranged by us)   HU7768 (13:55-19:10)
Program: Free at leisure, you will be transferred to airport for Xian. Arrive in Xian, be met and transferred to hotel.

Accommodations: Bell Tower Hotel****
Tel: 029-87600000, Fax: 029-87271217

Day 11 Sunday 11-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Xian

Program: Full day tour for the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, The Bell Tower, The Great Mosque of Xian, in the evening, you will walk around Hui Street.

-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.
-The Great Mosque of Xian: It is the largest and best preserved of the early mosques of China. Built primarily in the Ming Dynasty when Chinese architectural elements were synthesized into mosque architecture

Accommodations: Bell Tower Hotel****

Day 12 Monday 12-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Xian / Chengdu

Transfer via: by air (arranged by us) MU2347 (13:35-14:50)
Program: Visit the Ancient City Wall, Cycling along the Ancient City Wall, History Museum in Xian, then be transferred to airport for Chengdu. Arrive in Chengdu, 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.
-History Museum in Xian: 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: Green Land Hotel****
Tel: 028-82938899, Fax: 028-86748112

Day 13 Tuesday 13-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Chengdu

Program: Full day tour for Panda Base, Marquis Wu, Jinli Street.

-Panda Base: people here can approach the pandas and take closely look and even pet them if desired.
-Marquis Wu: It is a place to commemorate Zhuge Konming in Three Kindoms around 2 and 3 centuries.Zhuge Kongming is an avatar in China.
-Jinli Street: Chengdu is a city brimming with a strong leisurely ambience. Jinli Street, located to the east of the Wuhou Memorial Temple of Chengdu (the most famous Three Kingdoms period (220 - 280) relic museum in China) is particularly representative of this city.

Accommodations: Green Land Hotel****

Day 14 Wednesday 14-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Chengdu / Lijiang

Transfer via: by air (arranged by us) MU5856 (14:30-15:50)
Program: This noon, you will enjoy the authentic Sichuan food-Hot Pot for lunch. Then be transferred to airport for Lijiang. Arrive in Lijiang, be met and transferred to hotel, visit Lijiang Ancient Town.

-Lijiang Ancient Town: The town was built in the late Song dynasty and the early Yuan dynasty and was listed by the UNESCO on the list of the world's major cultural heritages in 1997.

Accommodations: Lijiang Yinxiang Gucheng Wenyuan Hotel****
Tel: 0888-5102222, Fax: 0888-5102988

Day 15 Thursday 15-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Lijiang

Program: Full day tour for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Yak Plateau, Lijiang Mural, Dongba Village.

-Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: The mountain consists of 13 peaks. Among of them, the highest peak is 18000 feet above sea level. It is a treasure of wild plants and rare animals.
-Yak Plateau: It is the part of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where the Yi and Zang Monority ethnic Tribes live.
-Lijiang Mural: It is located in the Baisha Village on the plain north of Lijiang. It is a mixture of artists of Chinese Taoist, Tibetan and Naxi Buddhists and local dongba shamans. This rich fusion had resulted in a tremendously powerful art.
-Dongba Village: sanctuary of the Naxi ancient culture.

Accommodations: Lijiang Yinxiang Gucheng Wenyuan Hotel****

Day 16 Friday 16-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Lijiang

Program: Full day tour for Black Dragon Pool, Mu's Residence, Lion Hill.

-Black Dragon Pool: The park holds the Black Dragon Pool and got it's name because of it. The pool is listed in the Collections of Famous Pools in China because of its beauty.
-Mu's Residence: Mu's Residence is situated in the southwest of the Old Town of Lijiang. It is the Tusi Mu's Yamen of the Naxi Ethnic Group in Yunnan
-Lion Hill: Both the hill and the wooden structure called Wangulou provide good views of the Old Town and the surrounding countryside.

Accommodations: Lijiang Yinxiang Gucheng Wenyuan Hotel****

Day 17 Saturday 17-July-10     Meal(s) (B)   Lijiang / Kunming / Guilin

Transfer via: by air (arranged by us) & by air (arranged by us) MU5952 (12:20-13:10) & CZ3248 (17:05-18:25)
Program: Free at leisure, you will be transferred to airport for Kunming first, then you will connect the flight to Guilin at airport on your own. Arrive in Guilin, be met and transferred to hotel.

Accommodations: Guilin Bravo Hotel****
Tel: 0773-2823950, Fax: 0773-2851344

Day 18 Sunday 18-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Guilin / Longsheng / Guilin

Program: Full day tour for Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces, Zhuang Ethnic Tribes, Yao Ethnic Tribes, then drive back to Guilin.

-Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces: Longji, as known as the Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces, is located in Longsheng County, the mountainous region on the northeastern part of Guilin. They were first built in the Yuan dynasty (about 800 years ago)and completed in the Qin dynasty by Zhuang people.

Accommodations: Guilin Bravo Hotel****

Day 19 Monday 19-July-10   Meal(s) (B, L) Guilin / Yangshuo 

Program: Full day tour for Li River Cruise, West Street, in afternoon, you will take bike to visit the countryside, even visit the local family, 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.
-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.

Accommodations: Guilin Yangshuo Green Lotus Hotel****
Tel: 8886666, Fax: 8886999

Day 20 Tuesday 20-July-10     Meal(s) (B)   Yangshuo

Program: Enjoy your free time in Yangshuo.

Accommodations: Guilin Yangshuo Green Lotus Hotel****

Day 21 Wednesday 21-July-10     Meal(s) (B, L)   Yangshuo / Guilin / Hong Kong

Transfer via: by air (arranged by us) HX122 (18:00-19:30)
Program: In the morning, drive back to Guilin, visit Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, Seven Star Park, then be transferred to airport for Hong Kong. Arrive in Hong Kong, you will arrange on your own.

-Elephant Trunk Hill: Located at the conjunction of the Li River & the Peach  Blosom River, the whole hill looks very muh like a giant elephant with a long trunk, it is the symbol of Guilin city.
-Reed Flute Cave: Known as "the Palace of Natural Arts" where you can see beautiful stalactites & stalagmites,learn how they are formed.
-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.

Service Ends!