China Special Value Tour

The Great Wall is one of the Great Wonders of the World. Built in 500 BC, it snakes its way across the mountains for 6000 km. We will enjoy ample time to stroll along the Wall and on our return to Beijing visit the National Stadium (the Bird’s Nest of Olympic fame) and view many of the game venues. This evening we dine at the most famous restaurant in Beijing for the specialty of Peking Duck.

This morning we take a Hutong rickshaw tour, then have lunch with a local family - a unique and intimate experience. In the afternoon we enjoy the tranquility of the beautiful gardens at the 12th century Summer Palace, considered one of the most beautiful palaces in the world with its lakes, arch bridges, jade pagoda and paintings.

The morning is at leisure in Beijing. In the afternoon we transfer to the airport for our flight to Xian.

Today we see an incredible sight - the Buried Sculpture Legend of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. For his protection in the after-life, this 2nd century BC emperor buried with him 6,000 life-sized clay figures of warriors and horses. This amazing archaeological find was uncovered just 30 years ago. This evening we have a special Chinese Dumpling dinner at a popular local restaurant.

This morning we visit Xian's magnificent city wall and Wild Goose Pagoda, Xian's most distinctive landmark. Our touring continues with visits of the Great Mosque and Shaanxi Provincial History Museum. Tonight we enjoy a performance of Tang Dynasty dances.

We transfer to the airport for our flight to Guilin. In the afternoon we will visit brilliant Reed Flute Cave including the Crystal Grotto with room for 1,000 people. The natural limestone cave has multicolored lighting that has been drawing visitors for over 1200 years!

A scenic boat trip down the Li River offers breathtaking scenery, traditional farm settings and mist shrouded mountains rising from the river banks. Since ancient times, this landscape has been the subject of countless poems and paintings. Our cruise will end at the colourful market town of Yangshou, where we have an opportunity to shop before we return to Guilin.

Today we fly to bustling Shanghai, the country's biggest city and a global financial hub. Its heart is the Bund, a famed waterfront promenade lined with colonial-era buildings. Across the river rises Pudong’s futuristic skyline, including the Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, with its distinctive pink spheres.

Our city tour will include the Bund, often referred to as the “Wall Street” of former foreign powers, and the walking street – Nanjing Road. We will visit the Old Shanghai Quarter (Temple of the City God), the Garden of Mandarin Yu Yuan (built in 1577 it contains pools, a tea house and a ceremonial zigzag bridge) and finish with the famous Jade Buddha Temple.

Our sightseeing continues in the modern Pudong area with a visit of Shanghai Museum - an ultra-modern repository for 5,000 years of history and culture. The Museum's bronze, ceramic, painting and calligraphy collections displayed in 14 state-of-the-art galleries are among the finest in the world. This evening we attend an amazing acrobatic show.

Today we enjoy an excursion to Suzhou - an ancient capital known as the “Oriental Venice” due to its many canals. We will visit Lingering Garden, the Master of Nets Garden and enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Grand Canal. We return to Shanghai in the early evening.

A day at leisure for shopping and exploring. Perhaps take an optional tour to the small town of Zhujiajiao situated in a landscape of lakes and mountains, or to Hangzhou’s West Lake. This evening is our Farewell Dinner.

Air Canada takes us home.