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

~ Thursday Departures ~

Day 1: (Thurs)      US/BEIJING
Take an international flight from the US to Beijing, China.  Meals and snacks will be served on the plane.  Movies will also be available during the flight.

Day 2: (Fri)         BEIJING
Upon arrival in Beijing, you will be met and transferred to your hotel by your tour guide.  The rest of the night will be free for your leisure.

Day 3: (Sat)            BEIJING      (AB, L, SD)
Today you will tour 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 rickshaw pedicab through the narrow lanes of the old residential quarters.  You will have the opportunity to take a glimpse of the local residents’ daily life.  Enjoy a welcome Peking Duck Dinner Party in the evening.

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

Day 5: (Mon)         BEIJING      (AB, L, D)
The excursion today includes a visit to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, 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 to see pandas at the zoo in Beijing.  In the evening you will attend an acrobatic show.

Day 6: (Tues)        BEIJING/XIAN     (AB, L, SD)
After breakfast, you will take a flight to Xian, the ancient capital city for 11 dynasties in Chinese history.  Visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda upon arrival in Xian.  Enjoy a dumpling dinner banquet, followed by an on-stage show of Tang Dynasty dance and music.

Day 7: (Wed)         XIAN             (AB, L, D)
Today you will take an excursion to 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.  You will also take a tour of the well-preserved city wall.  Enjoy the rest of the day for your leisure.

Day 8: (Thurs)      XIAN/CHONGQING       (AB, L, D)
This morning you will visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum of History.  After lunch, you will be transferred to the airport for a flight to Chongqing.  Upon arrival in Chongqing, you will take a brief city tour of Chongqing and enjoy the special hot pot food for dinner before being transferred to the pier for embarking on the Yangtze River cruise.  Spend the night on the cruise. 

Day 9: (Fri)            THE YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE:  CHONGQING/FENGDU (AB, L, D)
Sail from Chongqing early in the morning and arrive in Fengdu, the legendary home of the King of Hades – often referred to as the “ghost city” – in the early afternoon.  Go ashore to view the Mingshan Hill’s temples.  Continue sailing in the evening for Badong.

Day 10: (Sat) THE YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE: BADONG/SAN DOU PING (AB, L, D)
Up on deck early in the morning for the thrilling experience of sailing through the magnificent Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge before arrival in Badong at noontime.  Transfer to a small peaboat for Shennong Stream Drifting to experience the breathtaking scenery.  Resume your sail on the Yangtze River for San Dou Ping.  Pass through the last gorge – Xiling Gorge.  In the late afternoon, the cruise ship will pass through the five level shiplocks of the well-known Three Gorges Dam, which gives you an unique opportunity to experience the grandeur of the world’s biggest dam project.  Arrive in San Dou Ping, where the Three Gorges Dam Project Site is located, in the evening. 

Day 11: (Sun) THE YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE: SAN DOU PING/WUHAN (AB, L, D)
Visit the Three Gorges Dam Project Site and enter the eastern part of Xiling Gorge.  At around noontime, pass through the Gezhou Dam Ship Lock.  Continue sailing for Wuhan.

Day 12: (Mon)       WUHAN/SUZHOU (via Shanghai)   (AB, L, D)
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, you will be met and transferred to Suzhou, noted for its landscaped gardens.  On your way, you 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.  Stay overnight in Suzhou.

Day 13: (Tues)      SUZHOU      (AB, L, D)
Today you will cruise on the world famous ancient Grand Canal of more than 2400 years history to experience the unique cultures and glimpse the daily life of the local residents.  You will also visit the silk embroidery factory, the Lingering Garden and the ancient Panmen Gate, the only existing water & land gate.  After dinner you will take a night tour of the Master of Fishing Nets Garden, the most elegantly designed garden while you enjoy watching the singing and dancing performances in the garden tonight.

Day 14: (Wed)       SUZHOU/SHANGHAI    (AB, L, SD)
After breakfast this morning you will take a bus ride back to Shanghai.  Shanghai, China’s largest city (home to 16 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.  Upon arrival in Shanghai, you will take a tour of Yu Garden, the Bund and the bustling Nanjing Road.  Attend a farewell dinner celebration of Shanghai cuisine in the evening, followed by a cruise on Huangpu River to enjoy a fascinating night view of Shanghai.

Day 15: (Thurs)    SHANGHAI            (AB, L)
Today’s excursion takes you to the Oriental Pearl Tower where you could have a bird’s-eye view of Shanghai.  You will also visit the well-known Shanghai Museum of Art and History, which ranks among the great museums of the world.  After lunch, enjoy your leisure time to explore Shanghai on your own.

Day 16: (Fri)          SHANGHAI/US    (AB)
After breakfast you will take a departure transfer to the airport for the flight back home.

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

*Note: The single supplement does not include the single cabin on the cruise, The cruise itineraries are subject to seasonal change at time of operation due to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam Project.

For Reservations Call: 800.322.0788 x112
Discount Air Fare Available Nation-wide.

Tour Features:

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

• 10 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.

• 40 meals: 14 breakfasts, 13 lunches, 13 dinners including Peking duck dinner 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, night performance at the Master of Fishing Nets Garden in Suzhou.

copyright (Pilgrim Tours) 2001