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China Tours Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka
Europe Tours Grand Tour of Spain
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The Essence of China
14 – 16 Days. Architecture, Fine Arts, Shopping, Culinary, and Leisure
Sample Itinerary: Day 1& 2. We travel to Beijing, China.
Day 3. Beijing. Hike the Great Wall. Visit Ming Tombs, where we can descend into the Underground Palace. We dine on famous Peking Duck.
Day 4. Beijing. Walk in Tiananmen Square and visit the Forbidden City. Visit Lama Temple (Tibetan Lamasery).
Day 5. Beijing. A day of leisure. Suggested activities: 1) Architecture: The Egg (National Grand Theater), designed by Paul Andreu. The National Stadium (The Nest), designed by Herzog & de Meuron. CCTV tower, by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. National Swimming Center (Watercube), designed by Ove Arup engineers. 2) Shopping: The China World Shopping Mall. Oriental Plaza. Silk Alley, that peddles brand-name merchandise. 3) Religion: Dongyue Taoist Temple, where you can muse on life’s finalities in the Life and Death Department. 4) Culinary Delights: The Green T House, one of Beijing’s best restaurants. 5) Sightseeing: Rickshaw Tour.
Day 6. Xi’an. Fly to Xi’an, the capital city for the reign of eleven dynasties. Visit Hua Qing Chi Hot Springs.
Day 7. Xi’an. Visit the legions of Terracotta Warriors and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Day 8. Guilin. We fly south to Guilin. Visit Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Hill, Guilin’s most famous peak.
Day 9. Yangshuo. We take a cruise down the picturesque Li River.
Day 10. Yangshuo—Guilin. Visit Moon Hill and walk up 800 steps for a fantastic view of the countryside.
Day11. Shanghai. We will walk along the Bund and Pudong new area.
Day 12. Shanghai. Visit Yu Yuan Garden and Shanghai Museum.
Day 13. Shanghai. A full day of leisure: Suggested activities: 1) Shopping: It’s a great way to see the real China. Suzhou Cobblers, for hand-embroidered silk slippers. Blue Shanghai White, for all-white porcelain printed with blue-toned photographs of old Shanghai. Dong Jia Du, where you can have a Paul Smith shirt copied by a tailor on-site for ten dollars (You can also leave home with a bag of prototypes or fabrics and return with linen blouses, wool crepe suits, corduroy jeans, or business clothes, copied from the original designer and pay much less than in the States.) Maoming Road, where women are seeking the Suzie Wong look or an off-the-rack fur-trimmed silk dress for about $200. 2) Culinary Delights: Ye Shanghai, which serves high-end-Chinese food on lazy Susans. 3) Nightlife activities and Soft spots: Evian Spa, which offers superior skin and nail care and massage in white-on-white environs of calm, cool luxury. Or sit by the Huangpu River, eating ice cream and people-watching.
Day 14 - 16. Extension to Hong Kong or Tokyo. Fly home on Day 14 or continue to Hong Kong or Tokyo for a two-day extension. Highlights include guided sightseeing.
Starting at $2325. For prices including airfare, see Program Fees and Departures about Essence of China and other trips. |
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