Day 1 Fly USA To Beijing

Please note international air from the USA has not been included in the package price.

Day 2 Welcome to Beijing, China

Upon arrival and after clearing customs and immigration, an English speaking representative will greet and transfer you directly to your Beijing hotel by private transfer.

Emperors and entrepreneurs have both called China’s flashy capital, Beijing, home. Although joint venture capitalists have replaced royalty and uniformed school children throng to shopping malls instead of the Chairman Mao Mausoleum, Beijing is still China’s cultural tour de force, boasting more than 50 museums and cultural centers. Evidence of Beijing’s grandiose past is scattered throughout the city and includes the sprawling Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the incredible Great Wall of China.  

Day 3 Tour – Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace private full day tour

This morning depart your hotel for magnificent Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world, where Mao's picture hangs over the rostrum at the entrance of the Imperial Forbidden City. Walk in the steps of ancient emperors as you tour the powerful Forbidden City, hidden from public view for over 500 years. This is where Chinese emperors resided and ruled the country for 700 years until the year of 1911. 

Continue to the masterpiece Temple of Heaven, an embodiment of grace and harmony. This is where Ming and Qing emperors prayed for good harvest and it is the largest temple complex remaining in China today. The pomp and grandeur of imperial China lives on in these historic landmarks so integral to the nation's soul. 

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, before continuing to the Summer Palace, now a favorite recreational spot for locals. The pomp and grandeur of imperial China lives on in these historic landmarks so integral to the nation's soul.

Day 4 Tour - Great Wall of China private full day tour

Snaking 3700 miles along the country's vulnerable northeastern boundary, the 2000- year-old Great Wall was constructed as a barrier to protect China from invasion. It was built section by section between the 5th century BC and the 16th century AD.  A walk along the Great Wall of China ranks high on the wish list of many travelers and today’s excursion will confirm it is one of the world's greatest travel experiences. Linger at the towers and broad promenades; contemplate on the spectacular scenery and the lives lost in building this monumental construction that never truly fulfilled its purpose. There is ample time to stroll along its ancient stone promenade and photograph the wall as it winds across impossibly steep mountain areas.

After enjoying a Chinese lunch at a local restaurant you will be driven to the Ming Tombs along the Sacred Way, which features giant marble figures and animals guarding the tomb area for deceased emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). On the way back to the city, you will also visit the Beijing Cloisonné Factory. Cloisonné is famous for traditional enamelware known as the 'Blue of Jingtai' in China, with a history of over 500 years. It is one of the famous art and craft forms of Beijing. You will witness this elaborate and complicated process.

Day 5 Fly Beijing to Xian

Transfer from your hotel to the Beijing airport by private vehicle. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

In 1974 a farmer from the dusty town of Lintong was digging a well when he unearthed a chamber that housed one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20^th century. Today the ancient army of more than 7,000 life-sized terracotta soldiers that guard the entombed Emperor Qin Shihuang is considered the “eighth wonder of the world”.

Day 6 Tour - Terracotta Warriors and Provincial Museum full day tour

Walk in the steps of ancient traders and travelers on today's sightseeing of Xian, the head of the great caravan route once used for shipping silk and other prized Chinese goods to the West. Tour the archaeological site which so far has yielded some 8000 terra cotta soldiers and horses, each a unique, finely-detailed sculpture.

Also tour the Provincial Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and City Gate.  Lunch is included during today’s tour.

Day 7 Fly Xian to Shanghai

Transfer to the airport by private vehicle.  On arrival you will be met and transferred to your accommodation.

Shanghai is an architect’s playground. Colonial and Art-Deco architecture grace one side of the Huangpu River – Shanghai’s very own Mississippi – while the world’s tallest hotel, the Grand Hyatt, casts a late afternoon shadow over the opposite bank in Pudong. Pudong, nicknamed “East Shanghai,” is a steel city of monuments to materialism, and is home to China’s largest financial district and would-be Wall Street.

Day 8 Tour - Shanghai private half day city tour

Immerse yourself in the culture and sophistication of Shanghai on a half-day tour of the city's premier attractions. Your sightseeing this morning features a tour of the Yuyuan Garden, the old area of the city, and a stroll along the lively waterfront, known as the 'bund'.  Continue to visit Shanghai Children's Palace, which is an institution for after school education for children between six & sixteen. Children can choose to participate in any of more than 100 interest groups, ranging from music, dance, painting and calligraphy to airplane and ship modeling, automatic control, radio and computer technology.

Day 9 Fly Shanghai to USA

An English speaking representative will meet you in your hotel lobby for your private airport transfer.