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Day 1
DEPART CANADA
Depart from your home gateway city, bound for Beijing.
Day 2
ARRIVE BEIJING (4 NIGHTS)
Welcome to Beijing! Upon arrival, your Travel Director will escort you to your luxurious hotel and will be on hand to greet you and answer any questions you may have about the exciting days ahead.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 3
BEIJING SIGHTSEEING
Explore Beijing today with a Local Guide with an exploration of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Stroll through the square and enter the UNESCO World Heritage Site with its characteristic red walls and green tile roofs. Later, indulge in a relaxing foot massage, a Local Speciality, at the Foot Reflexology Centre. This evening, enjoy a succulent Peking Duck Welcome Reception dinner with wine—a must during any visit to Beijing.
Day 4
BEIJING SIGHTSEEING AND THE GREAT WALL
There is no sight in China more iconic than the UNESCO-designated Great Wall, which stretches thousands of miles along the northern border of the country and was originally built to stop invaders from the north. Drive out of Beijing in the morning to one of the most interesting access points to the Great Wall, where you’ll marvel at the great slabs of granite towering above you with a Local Guide. Enjoy lunch at the foot of the wall, amid the lovely pine and cypress forests. Back in Beijing, your eventful day continues with a spectacular show that combines kung fu prowess with acrobatics and dance at Beijing’s famous Red Theatre.
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Day 5
BEIJING SIGHTSEEING
With a Local Guide visit the Temple of Heaven is a UNESCO-designated site, completed in the 15th century, which symbolises the relationship between heaven and earth—and the emperor’s place within that cosmography. A masterpiece of architectural and landscape design, it influenced architecture throughout China for centuries. Next, take a rickshaw tour of the Hutongs, the old neighbourhoods where you can still see traditional Beijing quadrangle houses built around courtyards. Enjoy a Be My Guest dinner featuring traditional cuisine with a local family. In the evening, relax on a magical rowboat ride on Shichahai Lake as a musician serenades you.
Day 6
BEIJING - XI'AN (2 NIGHTS)
Bid farewell to Beijing and fly to the ancient Tang Dynasty capital of Xi’an where you will be greeted by a Local Guide with a special welcome ceremony at the city gate. Enjoy a Local Speciality, a Sichuan hot pot lunch. Arrive at your hotel and get settled in before enjoying a Highlight Dinner at a local restaurant featuring traditional dumplings.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 7
XI'AN SIGHTSEEING
One of the most astonishing archaeological finds of the last century, the life-size Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses–UNESCO World Heritage Site–were made nearly 2,500 years ago to guard the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. With a Local Guide, visit the museum where some of these 8,000 figures are exhibited, then see the ancient city wall built to protect Xi’an from invaders during a tumultuous era in China’s history. This evening, indulge in a Tang Dynasty Highlight Dinner and cultural performance featuring music, dance, and traditional costumes with a special backstage visit.
Day 8
XI'AN - SHANGHAI - TONGLI SIGHTSEEING - SUZHOU
Fly to Shanghai this morning, and tour charming Tongli, where elegant homes and enchanting teahouses line the many canals. Continue with a Local Guide to 2,500-year-old Suzhou, famous for its beauty, and settle into your room at the Shangri-La Hotel. This evening, experience a music and dance performance in one of the city’s world-renowned gardens.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 9
SUZHOU SIGHTSEEING - SHANGHAI (2 NIGHTS)
Spend the morning immersed in the grandeur of Suzhou’s UNESCO World Heritage Humble Administrator Garden with a Local Guide, and make a special visit to the Embroidery Research Institute to learn how Chinese silk, a Local Speciality, is manufactured. Return to Shanghai in the afternoon and get settled in and relax at the hotel.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 10
SHANGHAI SIGHTSEEING
Shanghai has been a trading centre for 400 years. Today, it’s an economic dynamo with one of the busiest ports in the world. With a Local Guide, stroll along the Bund, Shanghai’s famed waterfront promenade, with its historic buildings and spectacular view of the high-rises that typify China’s largest city. Savour a Dim Sum Highlight Lunch before taking some time to browse through the shops in the district. In the evening, prepare to be dazzled by the world-renowned Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe.
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Day 11
SHANGHAI - YICHANG - YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE (4 NIGHTS)
Visit the Shanghai Museum with a Local Guide before your flight to Yichang. Upon arrival, transfer to your luxurious ship and begin your Yangtze cruise.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 12
CRUISING THE YANGTZE RIVER
Visit the world’s largest hydroelectric project, the Three Gorges Dam, with a Local Guide and set sail along the most scenic section of the storied Yangtze, the Three Gorges. This evening, raise a glass during a special Captain’s Welcome Reception before enjoying dinner on board.
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Day 13
CRUISING THE YANGTZE RIVER
Get a close-up view of the enchanting landscape as you board a small boat with a Local Guide and cruise along a tributary to the Yangtze to explore the exceptionally beautiful Lesser Gorges.
Day 14
CRUISING THE YANGTZE RIVER
The red walls and yellow gate of Shibao Pagoda stand amid the rising waters of the Three Gorges Dam. Built into the side of a hill, the temple has now become a colourful little island of its own. Make a wish and climb the stairs toward the temple at the top; legend has it that the higher you climb, the better the chance of your wish coming true. Explore the site with a Local Guide. This evening back on board, celebrate your journey at a Captain’s Farewell Dinner.
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Day 15
CHONGQING - GUILIN SIGHTSEEING (2 NIGHTS)
Disembark in Chongqing for a visit to the zoo to see the giant pandas before flying to Guilin. Marvel at the rainbow colours of the stalactites in the Reed Flute Cave with a Local Guide. Afterward, settle into your beautiful hotel.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 16
GUILIN SIGHTSEEING
Embark on a half-day cruise with a Local Guide on the gorgeous Li River where time seems to stand still along the banks where farmers tend to fields of rice paddies that are a world away from modern-day hustle and bustle. The stunning scenery has been an inspiration to poets and painters for centuries.
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Day 17
GUILIN - HONG KONG (2 NIGHTS)
Visit a traditional Chinese tea plantation and learn about the production of this important aspect of the culture. And of course taste the delicious Local Speciality. Bid farewell to your Travel Director and fly to Hong Kong this afternoon where you meet your Local Guide. Upon arrival, get settled into your stunning five-star hotel and relax for the evening.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 18
HONG KONG SIGHTSEEING
Set out on a city tour with a Local Guide and see the best of the island—Victoria Peak, the Aberdeen Fishing Village, and Stanley Market. The evening is yours to explore the bustling city as you please or just relax at your resort.
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Day 19
DEPART HONG KONG
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.