13 Days Brilliant Winter Tour

Day 1

Beijing Arrival

Transfer via: Flight on your own arrangement

Upon your arrival you will be greeted by our local guide and then transferred to your hotel by a private air-conditioned car. For the rest of the day you will enjoy some leisure time.

Day 2

Beijing (B, L)

Sightseeing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Hutong tour

This morning our tour will begin with a visit the Tiananmen Square, the symbolical heart of China and gathering place for the masses. It is the biggest public square in the world, which can hold one million people.

From here we will walk across the Golden River Bridge to visit the Forbidden City and experience the ancient Emperor's daily life. For 5 centuries Chinese emperors carried out their administration here. With almost 10,000 rooms, it was the centre of the Ming and Qing dynasties, a massive complex of palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens where 24 emperors used to live. Forbidden City was the largest palace in the world, and in the past it was indeed a forbidden place for commoners. Your tour here will include private access to the Emperor's palace.

We will experience a unique Hutong tour by taking a rickshaw after lunch. Hutongs are a kind of ancient city alley or lane and are very typical for Beijing. Most of them can be found close to the Forbidden City, and many were built during the three dynasties of Yuan, Ming and Qing. Today, the Hutong is a living museum of Beijing history showing the traditional lifestyle of Beijing people.

Day 3

Beijing (B, L)

Sightseeing: Mutianyu Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven

After the first day experiencing, today we will be transferred to the surrounding countryside of Beijing and visit the Mutianyu Great Wall, the pride of China and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Whereas Genghis Khan contemplated it as a military obstacle, Bill Clinton described it as an unbelievable achievement of the humankind. The hike takes about 2-3 hours.

After lunch, continue to visit Temple of Heaven, which was completed in 1420, and expanded over the years by two Qing Dynasty Emperors. It was the place where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. With the three blue-tiled cone-shaped roofs, a unique wooden and blue-tiled structure built without a nail, it has become a worldwide symbol of Beijing.

Day 4

Beijing to Xian (B, L)

Transfer via: Flight on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Summer Palace, Beijing National Stadium, National Swimming Centre, Ancient City Wall

This morning our tour will begin with a visit of the Summer Palace. Equally famous as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace is called 'Yiheyuan' (Garden of Nurtured Harmony) in Chinese. Until nowadays, it is the best preserved and the largest imperial garden in China. You will regret it if you leave Beijing without having visited this grand imperial garden.

After lunch, you will go to the airport. On the way, 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'),feel free to take some photos of the stadiums.

Then take the flight for Xian later. Arrive in Xian, you will be met and transferred to hotel, then visit Ancient City Wall. You will experience a half-hour's biking along 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. You can walk or rend a bike for a ride along the top of the spectacular city wall. The wall was built in the Tang dynasty (618 -907) and enlarged in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

Day 5

Xian (B, L)

Sightseeing: Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Today will be your highlights in Xian. Depart from your hotel after breakfast. You will visit the amazing 2000-year-old Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. Regarded as the 8th Wonder of the World, the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Over 2,200 years ago, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang in search of immortality, ordered the construction of a vast army of Terra-cotta warriors and buried with him to protect his empire after his early death.

Another highlight today is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Situated at south of the Xian city, as one of the main constructions in the famous Buddhist temple-Da-Ci-En Temple, where Famous Buddhist Master Xuanzang (Monk Tripitaka) stored his well-preserved collection of classic Buddhist artifacts brought from India in Tang Dynasty. Now it is the Landmark of the Xian.

Day 6

Xian to Harbin(B, L)

Transfer via: Flight on our arrangement
Sightseeing: St.Sofia Church

Taking the flight for Harbin. Arrive in Harbin, you will be met and transferred to hotel, and then visit the famous Church named St.Sofia Church. Walking around the central street, enjoy the Russian and European style buildings, the largest Orthodox Church in the Far East and the splendid whole scenery will never let you down.

Day 7

Harbin (B, L)

Sightseeing: Siberian Tiger Park,Sun Island Scenic Area

Have you ever heard about the “Harbin Ice and Snow World”.The dragon-head brand of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, it provides visitors a good opportunity to appreciate a galaxy of unique ice and snow art. When night falls, the sculptures are illuminated from the inside with colored lights, turn the place into a temporary fantast-land. Another highlights in the trip are the Siberian Tiger Park and Sun Island Scenic Area. Shaped of animals, plants, buildings, crystalline ice bridge everything is fantastic.

Day 8

Harbin to Yabuli (B, L)

Transfer via: Private vehicle on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Yabuli International Ski Resort

Our guide and driver will escort you from Harbin to Yabuli.

After breakfast, you will be transfer to Yabuli from Harbin (3 hours one way driving). Arrival Yabuli, free at the rest of the day. Covering an area of 23 square km, Yabuli International Ski Resort is the largest ski area with best facility in China. Yabuli has a number of qualities down hill and country trails, some of which are comparable with those in North America and Switzerland. In 1996, the resort hosted the 3rd Asian Winter Games successfully. The resort is not only famous as a ski resort in China but also renowned for its scenic beauty.
 

Day 9

Yabuli

Today, you are adviced to take part in some ice activities on your own. The ice entertainment you could choose including snow motorcycles, snow biking, horse-sled, off-road vehicle and etc. Lunch will be arranged on your own at the resort.
 

Day 10

Yabuli

Today, you are adviced to take part in some ice activities on your own. The ice entertainment you could choose including snow motorcycles, snow biking, horse-sled, off-road vehicle and etc. Lunch will be arranged on your own at the resort.

 

Day 11

Yabuli to Harbin to Shanghai (B, L)

Transfer via: Private vehicle and Flight on our arrangement

Our guide and driver will escort you from Yabuli to Harbin airport. On your arrival in Shanghai, be met and transferred to the hotel, free at the rest of the day.

After breakfast, you will be transfer to Harbin airport from Yabuli. Then take the flight from Harbin to Shanghai. Arriving in Shanghai, be met and transferred to hotel by our local guide.
 

Day 12

Shanghai (B,L)

Sightseeing: Shanghai Museum, Jade Buddha Temple, Yuyuan Garden

Today we will start the day with a visit of Shanghai Museum: The biggest museum in China, with a collection of over 120,000 pieces of Chinese art & cultural relics. It is especially famous for its treasures of bronzes, ceramics, paintings and calligraphy.

Then we head to the Jade Buddha Temple, the old-time and classical architectural style makes the temple unique and inimitable in this modern city. Both the Sitting Buddha and the Recumbent Buddha are carved with whole white jade. If you're lucky, you can watch the monks serving a ceremony in a side room. After lunch, we will visit the Shanghai World Financial Center: The building is for multi uses  you can see offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls on the lower floors. 175 rooms and suites and goes by the name: The Park Hyatt, Shanghai. The skyscraper reached 492.3 meters (1,615.2 ft) and became the tallest structure on mainland China, including Hong Kong, as well as the world's third tallest building (including unfinished ones), after the Burj Dubai and Taipei 101On September 14, 2007.

Then we take a relaxing walk to the lovely Yuyuan Garden, the most beautiful garden by the south of the Yangtze River. Wandering in the garden, you will find pavilions, corridors, streams, courtyards as well as many other natural features.

Day 13

Shanghai Departure(B)

Transfer via: Flight on your own arrangement

Today will be free for your own purposes, until our guide will escort you to the airport for your next destination.