China Tour from Seattle

Please catch the flight to Beijing by yourself on the date you’ve confirmed with your travel consultant.

Tip:
As there is no direct flight between Seattle and Beijing, you might consider flying from San Francisco, which is directly linked with Beijing by a 14.5-hour daily flight. You may also choose other connecting flights according to the latest flight schedule. Please confirm the arrival date with your travel consultant when booking flights.

Upon landing at Beijing’s airport, meet your guide and driver outside the customs. After introducing yourselves to each other, our driver will transfer you to the hotel.

Meals: No meals
Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong

Let’s start your China tour from Seattle with a drive to a landmark of Beijing, Tiananmen Square. We will stroll the square until before the main entrance of our next highlight - the Forbidden City, the residence for twenty-four Chinese emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911). The palace is already breathtaking enough for its grandeur at the macro level, but it can be more impressive if you take a look at its details, and every detail serves a role. Take “shibiela”, the carved stones on the balusters of the ivory bridge you will see on entering the gate, for example. Meaning “stone horn”, shibiela is hollowed out with an opening at the top and is part of the alarm system, found inside and outside every gate of sub-compounds of the palace. Whenever there was fire or enemy intrusion, the guardian soldiers would blow them, the moaning of which would soon spread throughout and thus alert the entire city. Also we will visit the Treasure Gallery inside.

Around noontime, taste the famed Peking Duck during a la carte welcome lunch. Next places on our itinerary for today are Yonghe Temple, place of pilgrimage for Tibetan Buddhists, and Temple of Heaven, used by the emperors to pay tribute to Heaven for harvests. Look forward to a special evening: we will take you to Liyuan Theatre to watch Peking Opera singers “paint” their face and appreciate their performances.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

This morning, ascend the Mutianyu Great Wall by a round-trip cable car. Imaging seeing the Wall wriggling up and down on mountain ridges like a giant dragon! Celebrate this moment with a red wine toast. Please note that you might want to have a hearty breakfast at the hotel or take some snacks, as the restaurants here are limited in terms of both number and quality.

In the afternoon, drive back to downtown and stop before Olympic National Stadium, aka the Bird's Nest, for photo-taking. Our next activity is a rickshaw tour through Hutong alleys, Beijing’s historical residential area where traditional customs have been passed down through generations, to experience the old-fashioned life of Beijing locals. Unimpressive at first sight, these alleys actually scatter all over the city connecting to the heart, like blood vessels pumping life to it. We will then visit a local family in a Hutong before transferring to hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

This morning, visit panda house first in Beijing Zoo and then the imperial retreat of Summer Palace. The Palace particularly prides itself on a 728-meter (0.5-mile) corridor. Not only it’s the longest of its kind on the entire land of China, but it has set a Guinness World Record by enjoying over 13,000 decorative paintings on the inside of the roof.

After your last lunch in Beijing, our guide will transfer you to board the flight to Xi'an. Upon landing, you will be picked up for hotel check-in.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Xi'an

In the morning, a private ride will take you to the world-famous Terracotta Army, the funeral object for Emperor Qin Shi Huang (256 – 210 BC), founder of the first empire of imperial China. The discovery of the army shocked the world decades ago, but it’s not something of a mystery, since we are talking about a legendary ambitious figure who lived in a superstitious era. To protect his mausoleum from enemy intrusion, to keep his military power while ruling the empire in afterlife, to conquer more lands and nations, over 9,000 thousand life-size pottery warriors and horses were therefore constructed.

Following the tour of the museum, we will visit the family of a local farmer, known by the entire nation of China as the one digging out the first terracotta warrior. You will then be taught to make a mini clay soldier of your own, which you can keep as a souvenir for your tour of this epic site.

After lunch, today’s tour extends to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Afterwards, feast on a Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show and a dumpling dinner.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dumpling dinner

Tip:
If today falls in January, February, March, or December, please arrange your dinner and evening activity by yourselves since the theater is usually closed during these months.

After a leisure stroll and doing some body-stretching Tai Chi martial art at the City Wall Park, climb to the top of the Xi'an City Wall, which survived over six centuries intact. Taking a walk or cycling (at your own expense) along the Wall can all be fun. Then, explore the lively Muslim Quarter for authentic local food. Take the chance to try Persimmon Cake! Although such cake can be found elsewhere across China, but nothing beats the Muslim-made at this neighborhood. It is of course primarily made of persimmon, which is skinned and pulped to mix with flour, along with ingredients like paste of red bean, spices, or minced rose petals and stuff. They will then be ripped to pieces and fried, and finally turn to golden desserts with enjoyably sweet aroma and taste, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Afterwards, visit the Great Mosque. And then go to the Shaanxi History Museum and let its story-telling treasures such as ancient bronze wares, jade wares, and mural paintings add more value to your today’s trip.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today a 2-hour flight will take you to Guilin. Upon touching down at Guilin airport, you will be escorted to the hotel for check-in. Later, our local guide will accompany you to visit the marvelous stalactite grotto of Reed Flute Cave, and Guilin’s iconic attraction of Elephant Trunk Hill, which stands by water like a water-drinking elephant.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Sheraton Guilin Hotel

After breakfast, you will be chauffeured to take a spectacular Li River cruise down to Yangshuo from Guilin. Winding along a waterway of 60 kilometers (37 miles), with picturesque views of the river and karst hills on either bank, this cruise will end at Yangshuo in about 4.5 hours. After disembarking, go for an idyllic countryside tour via bike or private car, with a visit to a villager’s home. Drive back to Guilin.

Tip:
We suggest you have a hearty breakfast to compensate for the simple box lunch offered by the cruise company, which is otherwise first-class. As for the countryside tour, riding a rental bike through the rural landscape would be an ideal way to enjoy its charm to the fullest.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

This morning, take a 5-hour bullet train trip to Chongqing. Upon your arrival, your guide will help you check into the luxury Century Cruise Ship. A buffet dinner will be served on board. Tonight, you will be invited to attend the Welcome Party hosted by the Captain.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dinner
Cruises: Century Oasis

Before breakfast, do a little morning exercise by learning some moves of Tai Chi martial art. Later, disembark for an excursion to Fengdu Ghost City to see what the Hell in Chinese folklore looks like. Afternoon is free time for you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Yangtze River on deck. Attend some cultural programs onboard if you like.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The most essential part of your Yangtze River cruise tour comes today as the ship sails through the sublime Qutang Gorge and the beautiful Wu Gorge. In the afternoon, experience a side shore excursion to Shennv Stream. Enjoy dinner onboard.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After checking out in the morning, you will disembark and be taken to the world's largest hydropower project - Three Gorges Dam. The Dam, completed in 2006, was mainly constructed for flood control, among other benefits for power generation and shipping. At the viewing area, take in the beauty of Gaoxia Flat Lake and how magnificent the Three Gorges Dam is.

Next, head for Yichang tourist center, from which your guide will escort you to Shanghai via a bullet train. As you are to spend about 7 hours on the train, we’ve arranged a first-class seat for you to ensure an enjoyable trip. On exiting the Shanghai Railway Station, transfer to the hotel for check-in.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World

Shanghai Museum, the treasure house to find ancient Chinese artistic crafts and paintings, is our first stop for today. Followed is a visit to Yu Garden and its traditional bazaar. You will learn what a typical classical Chinese garden is, and be guided to explore its beauty and elegance, especially from those exquisite pavilions and corridors stilted over tranquil ponds.

After an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price), ascend to the 52nd floor of Shanghai Tower to appreciate a sweeping view of Shanghai’s cityscape at Duo Yun Bookstore. Then, take a stroll along the Bund area, and you will find buildings of Gothic, Baroque, Renaissant, and other architectural styles all packed onto a mile-long riverfront promenade, a sight like no other in the world. Go on a one-hour cruise along the Huangpu River. We will then leave you some private time to explore the Bund on your own, until it’s time for us to escort you to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

This is the last day on the itinerary of your 15 days China tour from USA. Please check out and catch your flight home. Bon Voyage!

Tip:
Shanghai and Seattle is directly connected with the daily flight DL282, which departs from Pudong Airport (PVG) and arrives in Seattle in 11h 13min. As the subway would be unusually crowded, you are suggested to let a taxi drop you at PVG, which takes about less an hour at the cost of about CNY200.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast