Departure Dates: Daily

Additional Costs

Package Price

12/01/2006 to 03/31/2007*

04/01/2007 to 05/31/2007

06/01/2006 to 11/30/2006

Land Price  (year round)

Single Room Supplement

Airport Tax

Adult

$2199.00

$2299.00

$2399.00

$1499.00

$699.00

$100

Child**

$1699.00

$1799.00

$1899.00

$1199.00

N / A

$100

*12/01 to 12/24: High Season Surcharge may apply    **Child: 2-11 years old, stay with adults without bed

Day

Itinerary

1

USA - Beijing

We start our vacation by boarding an international flight bound for Beijing, the bustling capital of modern day China.  Spend the night onboard as we cross the international date line.

2

Arrive Beijing

Evening arrival.  As Beijing was recently selected as the site of the 2008 Summer Olympics, we can see that the city is in the midst of much change in preparation for its many visitors.  With no sightseeing slated this evening, we are free to catch up on rest in our luxury accommodations.

3

Beijing

On your tour, visit the Forbidden City, a huge complex of palaces, pavillions, courtyards and gardens.  Walk through nearby Tian'anmen Square, site of many history-making events.  Enjoy a famous Quanjude Peking Duck Lunch, then to visit Beijing's famous Temple of Heaven.  You could also take the chance to watch the Acrobatic Show in the evening.

4

Beijing

A full-day excursion takes you 40 miles north of Beijing to the Great Wall, a not-to-be-missed experience.  This afternoon, a visit to the emperors' Summer Palace, a place of rest and recreation for the royal families as far back as a thousand years ago.

5

Beijing - Urumqi

Fly westward across the country from Beijing to Urumqi.  Of all the cities in the world, Urumqi is the farthest from the sea!  You are about to step on that mystical road where the East meets the West.  Tonight you are treated with the famous regional cuisine.  Stay overnight in Urumqi.

6

Urumqi (Mt. Tianshan)

Enjoy an approximate 70 miles drive to the placid Mt. Tianshan and Heavenly Lake (Tianchi), properly named for its steep green pastures, virgin conifer forests, and snowy mountains.  The elevation is 6000 ft.  This evening in Urnmqi is a good time to get a feel for this crowded and lively city where people of 13 indigenous nationalities live.  Stay overnight in Urumqi.

Urumqi - Turpan

First to the Southern Mountains Valley, a grassland; then drive to Turpan, an oasis amid the desert, and renown for its grapes and honeydew melons.  En route, we pass by the Flaming Mountain where the sun beats down mercilessly on the reddish-brown sandstones and makes them immensely hot.  Tonight enjoy a Xinjiang folklore performance.

Turpan - Dunhuang

Turpan is famous for its grapes and fruits so we visit the Grape Valley; then off to the famous Karez Wells, an underground irrigation system that carries melted snow from Mt. Tianshan to the fields below.  Today you will see the ruins of the once prosperous ancient cities of the Gaochang Mountain locale described in the noted Chinese classic novel.  It an important garrison town on the Silk Road to the West. Stay overnight on the train to Dunhuang.

Dunhuang

Today, arrive in Dunhuang of the Gansu Province.  Dunhuang, one of the most historic destinations along China’s Silk Road, is also a huge center of Buddhist art. In 1900 a grand and priceless discovery was made: hundreds of carvings, documents, embroideries, and paintings left by the ancient monks came up into the world.  You will visit the world famous Mogao Grottoes, designated as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO for its 1,600-year accumulated cultural, architectural, and art treasures.  They are China’s oldest monumental Buddhist grottoes, the first of which was constructed in 366 AD.  Housed in the remaining 492 cave temples are over 2,400 sculptures and 45,000 square meters of frescoes.  Other attractions include the Humming Sandy Mountain, and the Crescent Moon Springs.  Take a camel ride in the desert (optional).  Stay in Dunhuang.

10

Dunhuang - Xian

Your journey continues with a flight to Xian, the ancient capital city for 11 dynasties in Chinese history.  Get a feel for this medieval metropolis as you take in the view from the old city walls, with a tour of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a seven-story structure offering spectacular views of the ancient walled city and the Four City Gates.  Enjoy a dumpling dinner banquet, followed by an on-stage show of Tang Dynasty dance and music.

Xian

After breakfast, visit the Tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang and see the awesome Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses, widely regarded as the eighth wonder of the world.  After lunch, visit Hua Qing Spring Pool, the favorite resort of the famous Lady Yang, one of the four great beauties in Chinese history, and the Neolithic Banpo Village.

Xian - Shanghai

You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Shanghai.  Shanghai, China's largest city (home to 14 million people), is also China's principal port on a deep estuary of the Yangtze River.  Often regarded as "the Paris of the East," Shanghai has retained the flavor of its past European influences.  Visit the Bund, the famous riverfront promenade lined with grand historic buildings from the city’s colonial past.  Tour the Old Town with its winding alleyways, lined with shops, tea houses and restaurants. Explore the elegant and tranquil Yu Yuan Gardens, an example of garden architecture from the Ming dynasty.  Enjoy Shanghai cuisine for dinner.

Shanghai

A whole day at leisure to fully explore Shanghai.  Shanghai combines the legacy of its past with the creative energy of the 21st century.  Today, the new Pudong area is fast overtaking other Asian cities as the financial and trade center in the East.  With high-rise offices, and double-decker expressways, the new and rapidly developing Shanghai is symbolic of the many changes afoot in China.  Wander along Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s principal shopping district.  Visit Longhua Temple, the most venerated and largest temple in Shanghai, or the Temple of Jade Buddha.  Explore the People’s Square, the political and cultural center of Shanghai, and site of the Shanghai Museum.  View the “Oriental Pearl” TV tower, a new landmark of Shanghai and the tallest TV tower in Asia.

Enjoy an optional excursion to Suzhou, also known as the “City of Silk” or “Venice of the East”.  Suzhou is famous for its silk industry, grand canals and elaborate gardens.

14

Shanghai - U.S.A.

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the USA.