Home > China Tours> Special Offer Three 2007- Deluxe China Tour

Price: $2580 USD per person(Minimum Passenger 2)

Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrive in Shanghai, China
Upon arrival in Shanghai, your Abacustour Representative will meet you outside baggage claim and present you with a welcome packet including domestic air tickets.

Transfer by private vehicle to your hotel for check-in and evening at leisure in Shanghai.

The luxurious Portman Ritz-Carlton will be your home for the next three days. Your hotel is situated in the heart of the commercial, shopping and entertainment district of the city. Services and facilities in the hotel include six restaurants and lounges serving Chinese, Italian, Japanese and Western favorites, an extensive health club with swimming pool, gym, indoor tennis court, squash and racquetball courts and a 24-hour business center.

Resting on the Yangtze River delta, Shanghai marks the point where Asia's longest and most important river completes its 3,400-mile journey to the Pacific. Until 1842 Shanghai's location made it merely a small fishing village. After the first Opium War, the British named Shanghai a treaty port, forcing the city's opening to foreign involvement.

All meals are on your own today.

Meals provided: None Accommodation: Portman Ritz Carlton

Day 02: Shanghai
Breakfast at your hotel.

You are collected from your hotel this morning for a full day city tour of Shanghai by private vehicle.

First visit one of the oldest tourist sites in Shanghai, the YuyuanGardens. With ponds, traditional red walls with upturned tile roofs, and an excellent teahouse ?the YuyuanGardens is a wonderful respite from city chaos.

Then transfer to the west side of the city to visit the JadeBuddhaTemple, home to two famous white jade Buddha statues brought from Burma in 1882.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

This afternoon, you will visit the ShanghaiMuseum, which boasts the best bronze collection in the world, along with Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, jade, coins, paintings, and ceramics.

Later, enjoy a stroll along The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Road, the famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years.

Dim Sum Dinner at Green Ripples Teahouse.

This evening, delight in an amazing acrobatic show.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Portman Ritz Carlton

Day 03: Shanghai - Suzhou - Shanghai
Breakfast at your hotel.

Your guide will collect you from the hotel this morning for a full day trip to Suzhou by train.

Dating back to 482 B.C., Suzhou is known as the town
of gardens and canals. At least 150 gardens flourish in
large open spaces or unexpectedly tucked away
between narrow streets, all following the principle of
Chinese garden construction: the representation of a
tiny universe. Fishponds, zigzagging bridges connecting
small islands, tiny gardens with fountains ?nearly every
aspect of nature is found in these gardens.

Enjoy a cruise on the Grand Canal, and visit two private
gardens and a local silk factory. Lunch is at a local
restaurant. After lunch you will return by train to Shanghai.

Dinner is on your own this evening in Shanghai.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Portman Ritz Carlton

Day 04: Shanghai - Xi'an
Breakfast at your hotel.

This morning, your guide will collect you from the hotel for transfer by private vehicle to the Shanghai airport.

Domestic flight from Shanghai to Xi抋n.

Arrive Xi’an n airport. You are met outside baggage claim by an Abacustour representative for private transfer to your hotel for check-in.

Hyatt Regency Xi'an has gained the reputation as one of Xian's favorite hotels. Ideally located within the ancient walls of historic Xian, the Provincial Government Offices, central business district and the major entertainment, shopping and nightlife areas are easily accessed on foot or by a short taxi ride.

You are collected from the hotel for a half-day city tour of Xi’an by private vehicle.

Xi’an. Strategically set on the Silk Road trade route that once linked central Asia to Europe, Xi抋n was the largest city in the world during the Tang dynasty (618-907.) Although the city is quite modernized, Xi’an has retained many of the historical remnants of its past glory.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

This afternoon, visit the ShaanxiHistoryMuseum with its displays of terracotta soldiers and horses, as well as tools and pottery from the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages. Also tour Xi’an City Wall. Built in the Tang Dynasty when the city was the capital, this is now the only complete city wall existing in China. Visit one of the gates and take a stroll on the wall. Then visit the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, built in the beginning of the Tang dynasty.

This evening, enjoy dinner and a cultural show at the Tang Dynasty Theater.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Xi'an

Day 05: Xi'an
Breakfast at your hotel.

You will be collected from your hotel this morning for a full day of sightseeing in Xi’an and Banpo.

First visit, the TerracottaWarriorsMuseum, a terracotta army guarding the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, which lures travelers from all over the world. In a quest for immortality and eternal power, China's first emperor chose to have himself buried with some 8,000 life-size, intricately carved soldiers, horses, and chariots. Discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974, the terracotta army then wore painted uniforms, but exposure to the air and sun has turned them black.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

This afternoon, visit the nearby Banpo Neolithic Village, which offers 1,000-year-old artifacts, and the Hot Springs of Huaqing, baths that have been in use for 3,000 years.

Dinner is on your own this evening in Xi’an.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Xi'an

Day 06: Xi'an - Chongqing - Yangtze River Cruise
After breakfast at your hotel, you are collected from the hotel for transfer by private vehicle to the Xi’an n airport.

Domestic flight from Xi’an to Chongqing.

Arrive Chongqing airport. You are met outside baggage claim by an
Abacustour representative. Enjoy a short city tour of Chongqing, including a visit to the zoo, city museum and city market. Lunch is on your own.

Dinner is at a local Hot Pot restaurant before boarding the cruise ship.
After dinner, transfer to the port and board the Orient Royal Cruise East King/Queen, for your cruise on the Yangtze River.

No trip to China is complete without an adventure to the world-famous, spellbinding Yangtze River and its Three Gorges via Orient Royal Cruise抯 East King and East Queen, China's only two five-star deluxe cruisers, awarded by the National Tourism Administration in 1997. In early 2004, Orient Royal Cruise completed an intensive renovation of both East King and East Queen.

Large picture windows in each beautifully-appointed stateroom offer breathtaking views of the scenery alongside the river. All cabins feature satellite color TV, central air, in-cabin direct dial phones, fully-stocked mini-bars, private bathrooms with extension phones and a safety box for storing your personal valuables.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S East King OR Queen

Day 07 & 08: Yangtze River Cruise
Breakfast on board.

Cruise the Yangtze River, passing through the Three Gorges of towering craggy peaks and intriguing rock formations. Shore excursions include a visit to the ancient cliff coffins at Shennong Stream or the WhiteKingTown, and exploring historic temples in Shibaozhai or touring a silk-weaving factory at Wanxian.

To help make your time aboard the ship most enjoyable, there is a wonderful mix of recreation and entertainment facilities. Amenities include a fitness center, health spa with steam bath and invigorating massage, a beauty salon and shops. On-board activities include movies, Tai Chi classes, cooking classes, Chinese calligraphy lecture, theme lecture on Chinese family and culture, Mah-jong, Bingo, chess games and a festive Chinese wedding night.

Lunch and Dinner on board.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S East King OR Queen

Day 09: Yangtze River Cruise - Yichang - Beijing
Breakfast on board.

This morning, enjoy a guided shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam Project.

Disembark in Yichang. You are met at the cruise port for a short city tour in Yichang by private vehicle.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

This afternoon you are
transferred to the Yichang airport for your flight
to Beijing.

Domestic flight from Yichang to Beijing.

Arrive Beijing. You are met outside baggage claim by an Abacustour representative for private transfer to your hotel for check-in.

Settle into the luxurious Grand Hotel Beijing. Once an ImperialPalace, the Grand Hotel is now a luxury hotel and member of the Leading Hotels of the World. The hotel is located within the red wall to the east of the Forbidden City and neighboring Tiananmen Square and Wang Fu Jing Shopping Street.

Beijing. The famous portrait of Mao Zedong still looks over this city's shoulder, as though he's guarding Communist austerity and discipline. But the Beijing he stares out upon is hardly the city he left behind.

Change is everywhere: in clothes (you could wear them to the office in California or Chicago); traffic (more and more European-brand automobiles jam the streets); electronics (cell phones, cell phones, cell phones); construction (high-rises, high-rises, high-rises). If you scrub off the GobiDesert dust, which is glued to everything with diesel exhaust, you'll find that the city has a fairly modern shine. You can still catch the glimmer of an ancient, lacquered temple or a traditional jadeite bracelet, of course. But it's the machine-made gleam of chrome and glass that will surprise you.

Dinner is on your own this evening in Beijing.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Beijing

Day 10: Beijing
Breakfast at your hotel.

You are collected from your hotel this morning for a full day city tour of Beijing by private vehicle.

Start your tour with a visit to Tiananmen Square, a site of historic significance for the advent of communism in China.

Then visit the impressive Forbidden City within the Imperial
Palace. Also known as the ImperialPalaceMuseum or Gugong, the Forbidden City was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties carried out their administration and lived. Now it is open to the public as a palace museum where people can see the great traditional palace architecture, enjoy the treasures kept in the palace, and learn of the legends and anecdotes about the imperial family and the court.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, enjoy a stroll through the lush gardens of the SummerPalace. Equally famous as the Forbidden City, the SummerPalace is called "Yiheyuan" (Garden of Nurtured Harmony) in Chinese. It is up to now the best preserved and the largest imperial gardens in China.

Dinner is on your own this evening in Beijing. Afterwards, enjoy a folklore show at Laoshe Teahouse.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Beijing

Day 11: Beijing
After breakfast at your hotel this morning, make an excursion to visit The Great Wall of China, which snakes over the green hill countryside outside of Beijing.

The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the section of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Heaven, set in a 670-acre park. Here you'll find Qinian Dian (Hall of Prayer for the Good Harvests), constructed without a single nail, and one of the finest examples of Chinese architecture. Also, enjoy a rickshaw tour of the hutongs, the "OldCity" neighborhoods of narrow alleyways and courtyard gardens hidden behind Beijing's modern facade. Later enjoy afternoon tea with a local family.

Farewell dinner of Peking duck at a local restaurant will be truly unforgettable.

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Beijing

Day 12: Depart Beijing
Breakfast at your hotel.

You are collected from your hotel by an Abacustour representative and transferred by private vehicle to the Beijing International airport.

Price: $2580 USD per person(Minimum Passenger 2)

Including:
1) All accommodation (5-star hotels + western breakfasts),
2)The meals, indicated in the above itinerary,
3)All China's domestic airfares with tax,
4)Your private English-Speaking Guide,
5)Your private vehicle,
6)Your China Travel Insurance,

Excluding:
1) Your International airfare,
2) Your Chinese Visa Fee,
3) Your personal expenses,
4) Meals not indicated in the above itinerary,