Essence of China

Day 1

Place & Transport: Arrive in Beijing, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Airport to Hotel Transfer (Beijing)
Detailed Itinerary: You'll be met on arrival in Beijing. On the way to your Hotel, your guide will explain tomorrow's arrangements. Spend the rest of the day exploring the nearby streets, or resting and catching up on your jetlag. Beijing is a city of amazing contrasts - an ancient capital with some incredible historical sites, and a bustling modern metropolis getting ready to host the 2008 Olympics.

Day 2

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: The Tian'anmen Square, Hall of Clocks and Watches, Summer Palace, The Forbidden City
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary: This exciting day starts by visiting Tian'an men Square, the biggest square in the world that lies in the center of the city. It's the symbol of Beijing and ranked No. 1 in the 16 new scenic highlights of Beijing. If you like, we can stop and let you have a walk on the square. Then you will have the privilege to experience ancient emperor's daily life. We will visit the Forbidden City, from which the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties governed for over 500 years. It is the essence and a must for sightseeing in Beijing, the magnificent and solemn palaces arouse your imagination of the life of Chinese emperors. Hall of Clocks and Watches set in the Forbidden City; we will drop on it to learn the clock history of the past 200 years. In the afternoon, we arrange a visit to the Summer Palace, which is equally famous as the Forbidden City. It is up to now the best preserved and the largest imperial gardens in China. You may regret it if you come to Beijing without visiting this grand imperial garden.

Day 3

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: Great Wall at Mutianyu, Cloisonne Factory
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner at Roasted Duck at Fangzhuang
Detailed Itinerary: After breakfast, our guide will accompany you to visit the Great Wall -Mutianyu Section which owns some unique characteristics among all the sections. Wonderful surrounded landscape, rarely seen structure formed by three connected watch towers, all these make it outstanding from the others. Hiking by yourself or taking the comfortable and safe round trip cable car is up to you. Dinner is at Quanjude, where serves the world known Beijing roasted duck.

Day 4

Place & Transport: Beijing to Xian, Flight No. TBA
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Beijing), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Xian), Temple of Heaven, Hutong Tours in Rickshaw
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary: It is a great chance to be a truly Chinese people today from the beginning of practicing Taiji with local people at the Temple of Heaven in the early morning, or you can enjoy watching as they sing to each other. Afterwards we head off to take a rickshaw ride to Hutong to have a unique experience of living a common life in Beijing. Viewing the local flea market, appreciating the most typical architecture this region owns, you may lucky to find some interesting things and learn how to bargain there. You can also have a rest in the house of Hutong and talk to the family members to gain a true understanding of life in this region. We can guarantee you will have impressive stories to tell your friends after this. Later you will be transferred to the airport in time for your flight to Xi'an, one of the most ancient cities in China, which was the national capital for over 1,000 years, and the starting point of the Silk Road. Despite a lot of modern development Xi'an remains a charming city. You’ll have the evening to yourself.

Day 5

Place & Transport: Xian
Today's Activities: Great Mosque, Xian City Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Xi'an art ceramic/ furniture factory
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary: After breakfast in the hotel, you will set off for one of today's highlights - the incredible 2000 year-old Terra cotta warriors. Each one is part of the underground tomb of the Emperor Qin. Well over 7000 figures were drawn up in full battle array in several large pits. Many of the figures, including soldiers, archers, horses and chariots, have been restored, and the repairs and excavations continue at the site where you can see both repaired and broken warriors in a truly impressive display. There is also an excellent museum, including bronze chariots unearthed nearby, and a film about the history and discovery of the tomb. From parking place to the entrance, it will take you bout 15 minutes on foot, so China Highlights serves you the golf car. Later, you will like a half-hour's cycling along the Ancient City Wall. It is a major landmark, and the best preserved, as well as the oldest and largest city defense systems in China. The last stop we arrange today is to visit the Grand Mosque which is one of the four grand Islamic mosques in China with history more than 1,200 years. It's really well worth a trip to see it, not only for its history but also for its particular design of mixed architecture-combining traditional Muslim and Chinese styles.

Day 6

Place & Transport: Xian
Today's Activities: Shaanxi Historical Museum, Forest of Stone Steles Museum, Gao's Courtyard(includes Shadow Play)
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary: Spend the morning at one of the best museums in China, the Shaanxi Historical Museum. Among the 400,000 items on display are treasures from many of the Dynasties, including some magnificent bronzes and porcelain, many of which have never been on permanent display before. In the afternoon, we step onto the Xi'an Stele Forest Museum which has 900 years of history, holding a large collection of the earliest stone steles of different periods, from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. This evening we go to the Gao's Courtyard, a famous house which has won the Prize of Cultural Heritage Protection in Asian-pacific Area of UNESCO in 2002. The courtyard owner Gao Yuesong was a high ranking official in Ming Dynasty 300 years ago. His building is nice with interlinked courtyards and Xi'an typical architectures. A shadow play performed by folk artists awaits you at the end of the day.

Day 7

Place & Transport: Xian to Shanghai, Flight No. TBA
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Xian), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Shanghai)
Meals: Breakfast
Detailed Itinerary: Later you will be transferred to the airport in time for your flight to Shanghai. You'll have the afternoon to yourself.

Day 8

Place & Transport: Shanghai
Today's Activities: Jade Buddha Temple, Yuyuan Market, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Yuyuan Garden, Jiangnan Silk Museum
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary: We start the day by visiting the famous Oriental TV Tower (also known as the Pearl Tower, for its distinctive shape). The second-highest platform provides wonderful views over Shanghai and the Huang Pu River, and those with a good head for heights can choose to buy a ticket to continue on to the very top. Turning to next highlight, the Jade Buddha Temple, you can watch the monks serving ceremony in a side room if you're lucky. In the afternoon, we visit the lovely old Yuyuan Garden, the most famous garden in Shanghai, which is decorated by beautiful pavilions, miniature lakes, bridges and rock formations. It is also a shopper's paradise for there are many small shops carrying everything from furniture to porcelain. Then we step onto Yu Market, which is a busy market today, specializing in traditional arts and crafts. Outside, however, it still looks like a temple. A saying goes like this: One can't boast that he had been to Shanghai if he did not pay a visit to Chenghuang Temple. We will stop here for a while to give you time to browse the stalls.

Day 9

Place & Transport: Depart Shanghai, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Shanghai)
Meals: Breakfast
Detailed Itinerary: Your time is your own, until you are ready to be transferred to the airport for your departure.

Note: If you choose to stay on in Shanghai for a few extra days, or arrive a few days early in Beijing, please let us know, and we'd be happy to extend your hotel bookings, or arrange additional tours for you.