Beijing, Xian, Chongqing, Yangtze Cruise,
Wuhan, Suzhou, Shanghai
     
15 Days

Day 1:  Friday, Depart USA for Beijing
We begin our 15 day Grand Yangtze Tour by departing the US and taking an overnight flight to the capital city of China , Beijing .  Meals, movies and snacks will be served on the plane.

Day 2: Arrive in Beijing
Upon our arrival in Beijing , we will be met by a Pilgrim Tour representative and transferred to our hotel by our tour guide. The rest of the night will be free for our leisure. 

Day 3: Temple of Heaven, Local Pedicab Ride
Our first day of touring in China will begin with a visit to the delicately crafted Temple of Heaven , where the emperors used to pray for good harvest. After lunch, you will tour the Hutong (Chinese alleyways) by riding aboard a pedi-cab through the narrow lanes of the old residential quarters. You will have the opportunity to take a glimpse of the local residents’ daily life.  We will enjoy a welcome Peking Duck Dinner Party this evening.      (AB, L, SD)

Day 4: Great Wall, Ming Tombs
The highlight of today will be a trip to the astonishing Great Wall of China .  The Great Wall is the only man-made structure on Earth that can be observed from the moon. After lunch, we will visit the Ming Tombs, which are the burial sites for 13 of the Ming emperors.    (AB, L, D)

Day 5: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace
The excursion today includes a visit to Tiananmen Square , the Forbidden City , which is the largest and most intact conglomeration of ancient structures of the imperial palace. This was the palace for 24 Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors who ruled China for over 500 years. Lunch is followed by a visit to the Summer Palace , the famous resort of Empress Dowager Ci Xi.  Feast your eyes on the Long Corridor, Longevity Hill, and Kunming Lake . You may also have the opportunity time permitting to see pandas at the zoo in Beijing . In the evening you will attend an acrobatic show.      (AB, L, D)

Day 6: Xian,Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Dumpling Dinner
After breakfast, we will be transferred to the airport for our flight to Xian, the ancient capital city for 11 dynasties in Chinese history. We will take time to visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda upon arrival in Xian. We will enjoy a special dumpling dinner banquet, followed by an on-stage show of Tang Dynasty dance and music. (AB, L, SD)

Day 7: Terra Cotta Warriors, Hua Qing Spring Pool
After breakfast, we will 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. (AB, L, D)

Day 8: Shaanxi Provincial Museum, Embark on Cruise
This morning we will visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum of History. After lunch, we will be transferred to the airport for a flight to Chongqing . Upon our arrival in Chongqing , we will be met and participate in a brief city tour of Chongqing and stop for an early dinner on your way to the pier.  We will board the 5 star Regal China cruise ship and spend the night on the cruise ship.    (AB, L, D)

Day 9: Yangtze Cruise: Chongqing, Fengdu
Sail from Chongqing early in the morning and arrive in Fengdu, the legendary home of the King of Hades and often referred to as the “ghost city”.  Our afternoon will consist of going ashore to view the Mingshan Hill’s temples. We will continue sailing this evening for Badong.  (AB, L, D)

Day 10: Yangtze Cruise: Badong, San Dou Ping
It will be important to be on deck early this morning so that we don’t miss the thrilling experience of sailing through the magnificent Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorges before arrival in Badong at noontime. We will transfer to a small pea-boat for Shennong Stream Drifting and experience the breathtaking scenery.  We will resume our sailing on the Yangtze River for San Dou Ping and pass through the last gorge – Xiling Gorge. Late this afternoon, the cruise ship will pass through the five level shiplocks of the well-known Three Gorges Dam.  This will give you a unique opportunity to experience the grandeur of the world’s biggest dam project. We arrive in San Dou Ping, where the Three Gorges Dam Project Site is located by early evening.    (AB, L, D)

Day 11: Yangtze Cruise:  Wuhan
We will enjoy a visit to the Three Gorges Dam Project Site and enter the eastern part of Xiling Gorge. By noon we will pass through the Gezhou Dam Ship Lock and continue sailing for Wuhan .    (AB, L, D)

Day 12: Silk Factory, Embroidery Research Institute
Upon arrival in Wuhan around noontime, you will be met and transferred to the airport for a flight to Shanghai . At the airport in Shanghai , we will be met and transferred to Suzhou , noted for its landscaped gardens. We will take time to enjoy Suzhou ’s unique classic gardens, visit the silk factory and the Embroidery Research Institute.  (AB, L, D)

Day 13: Grand Canal, Tiger Hill, Shanghai
Today we will cruise the Grand Canal and visit Tiger Hill. After lunch we will take a bus ride back to Shanghai . On our way to Shanghai , we will spend a couple of hours in Zhouzhuang, a village near Suzhou , where you will experience the serene country lifestyle of the local residents and enjoy the well preserved “old world” architecture.    
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. (AB, L, D)

Day 14: Yu Garden, Nanjing Road, Oriental Pearl Tower
Today’s highlighted excursion takes us to the Yu Garden, the Bund, the bustling Nanjing Road , and the well-known Shanghai Museum of Art and History, which ranks among the great museums of the world. We will also take a tour of the Oriental Pearl Tower to have a bird’s- eye view of Shanghai . Our day will end with a special farewell dinner celebration of Shanghai cuisine this evening.   (AB, L, SD)

Day 15: Depart Shanghai for USA
After After breakfast you will take a departure transfer from our hotel to the airport for our flight back to the US . (AB)

AB: American Breakfast - L: Lunch - D: Dinner - SD: Special Dinner   

Tour Features:

• Roundtrip international air transportation.
  All domestic air and ground transportation.

• 9 nights hotel accommodations at five-star deluxe hotels.

• Deluxe Five-Star Regal China Cruises or other similar cruises on the Yangtze River with shore excursions.

• Escorted tours and sightseeing with admission and English speaking tour guides in each city.

• 37 meals: 13 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 12 dinners including Peking duck dinner, dumpling dinner banquet in Xian, and Shanghai cuisine farewell dinner party.

• Cultural entertainment: Acrobatic show in Beijing, Tang Dynasty. dance and music show with dinner in Xian, shipboard singing and dancing show on the cruise.