China's landscapes are vast, its history and monuments epic. After sealing itself off from the outside world for so many years, China has re-engaged and is now in the throes of a second, consumerist, revolution. Complex and energetic - this country must be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

ITINERARY:

DAY 1- Arrival at Beijing ( Nov 1)
Arrive at Beijing Airport. Meet and transfer to your hotel.
Hotel: Peninsula Beijing Hotel (5*) - deluxe rooms

DAY 2 - Beijing

Today you will first visit the historic Tiananmen Square, and then the magnificent Forbidden City. Lunch at the Bai Jia Da Yuan Restaurant. In the afternoon, you will marvel at the exquisite Summer Palace with boat ride on Lake Kunming (private boat - if weather permits) and Hangqiao (Pearl) Market. Dinner at China Club. Overnight in Beijing.

Hotel: Peninsula Beijing Hotel (5*) - deluxe rooms

Meals: B,L,D

DAY 4 -  Xi’an / Chongqing / Yangtze River Cruise

Today, you will enjoy a full-day excursion to the incredible life-size Terracotta Warriors and Horses. After lunch, visit the Great Mosque & Old Quarter, Small Wild Goose Pagoda and South Gate of city wall. Later, transfer to the airport for your flight to Chongqing.Upon arrival, transfer to the port to embark The Sanctuary M.S.Yangzi Explorer for your cruise to Yichang. After settling into your cabin, the ship will set sail on its downstream course through the Three Gorges region. The total length of this cruise is 660 kilometres (402 miles) and is considered by most Chinese to represent the single most scenic area in all of China.

Later in the evening, a documentary about the Three Gorges Dam Project will be shown in the Tang Theatre.
All shore excursions are included during this 3 nights cruise towards Yichang.

Cruise:  M.S.Yangzi Explorer (deluxe) - deluxe cabins

Meals: B,L,D

• Terracotta Warriors and Horses: discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, one of the most significant archeological finds of the 20th century. These 6,000 life-size painted terracotta warriors and horses --individually sculpted from real-life models and arranged in battle formation have been protecting the mausoleum of the first emperor in Chinese history—Emperor QinShihuang since 2,200 years ago.
• Great Mosque & Old Quarter: According to historical records engraved on a stone tablet inside, this mosque was built in 742 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This was a result of Islam being introduced into Northwest China by Arab merchants and travelers from Persia and Afghanistan during the mid-7th century when some of them settled down in China and married women of Han Nationality.
• Small Wild Goose Pagoda: The Small Wild Goose Pagoda was built in the year 707 A.D during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). As it is newer and smaller than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda the name was given to distinguish the two. Unlike the grand Big Wild Goose Pagoda, it is dainty and exquisite in its appearance. It is an important cultural relic and one of the remaining symbols of ancient Chang'an (the name of Xian in the Tang Dynasty).
• South Gate of City Wall: When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), captured Huizhou, a hermit named Zhu Sheng admonished him that he should 'built high walls, store abundant food supplies and take time to be an Emperor,' so that he could fortify the city and unify the other states. After the establishment of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang followed his advice and began to enlarge the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618 -907), creating the modern Xian City Wall. It's the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.

DAY 5 - Yangtze River Cruise (Fengdu-Wanzhou)

Start your morning with traditional Chinese exercise and work up an appetite for the buffet breakfast. Learn from our certified Taichi master and experience the soothing art form in the outdoor observation deck area or inside the Tang Theatre.
After breakfast, discover the authentic method to preparing tea in China. Understand the benefit from each type of tea, the equipment used in a tea appreciation ceremony, the procedure in producing the finest tea and finally tasting the product.
Afterwards it's time to learn to make dumplings. Our chef will personally teach you the many secrets of the Chinese kitchen and show you the proper technique that is used in Chinese dumpling making.
After lunch, there will be a shore excursion to Fengdu or Wanzhou. Fengdu is a charming river village noted for its elaborate Daoist temple and bustling markets. while Wanzhou provides a unique glimpse into one of China's remote communities. Mingle with the locals and see how school children receive their early education. Gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the Three Gorges Dam Project on the local farming families - the relocation process, their feelings upon being informed of the programme, compensation issues and their current livelihood.
In the afternoon, enjoy a complimentary afternoon tea with pastries in the Explorer Bar, before a lecture presentation introducing the Yangzi River.
There is also an optional tour to the Captain's Bridge (please speak with front desk to arrange).
The evening will begin with the Captain’s Welcome Reception – meet with the Captain and other department heads of the ship. This is followed by the Welcome Dinner – enjoy our wide selection of meals from our a la carte menu, designed by our international award-winning chef. 
Cruise:  M.S.Yangzi Explorer (deluxe) - deluxe cabins

Meals: B,L,D

DAY 6 - Yangtze River Cruise (Three Gorges)

Early this morning the Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer will enter Qutang Gorge through the majestic Kui Men - two imposing cliffs, which resemble a towering door into some otherworldly destination. Just 8 kilometres (6 miles) in length, Qutang Gorge is the narrowest stretch of the river on your cruise itinerary, only 150 metres (485 feet) at its widest point. The banks are guarded by sheer cliffs soaring 1,200 metres (3,900 feet) in height while the river water gushes forward channeled along by the great force built up at the Kui Men which marks the western extremity of the gorge.

After breakfast, you will enter Wu Gorge, noted for the sheer, looming appearance of the numerous peaks which mark this portion of the river. The cliff faces rise so sharply that legend relates that the “sun rarely penetrates to the river”. The most famous of the peaks is the Shennu Peak (Goddess Peak), also called the “Observing the Clouds Peak”, which is believed to represent the figure of the maiden Yao Ji, the 23rd daughter of the Queen Mother of the West.  According to Chinese folklore, Yao Ji descended to earth when she was 18 and so loved the region of the Wu Gorge that she built a palace there. She also promised to guard travellers through the treacherous rapids and dangerous rock faces of the gorge by turning into the protective peak while her twelve handmaidens became the twelve sentinel peaks found throughout the gorge.
Later this morning you will cruise Shennong Stream. Disembark from the ship at Badong and board a ferry which will transfer you to a local longboat (sampan) poled by Tujia boatmen. The scenery is unrivaled anywhere along the middle course of the river, crystalline waters, rich forest and towering rock formations. The Shennong region is home to several species of endangered flora and fauna including the elusive Golden Hair Monkey and many varieties of medicinal plants.
After lunch, there will be a presentation by an expert on the Three Gorges Dam Project, followed by an open discussion.
Following afternoon tea, you will have the chance to view Xiling Gorge. The Three Gorges Dam sits in the first part of Xiling Gorge. This is the longest of the gorges, measuring some 76 kilometres (47 miles) in length.  One of the most memorable passages in Xiling Gorge is through the Yellow Ox Gorge (Huangniu Xia) where the river widens and sweeps under the Huangling Temple that stands amid groves of orange and pomelo trees, a variety of citrus related to the grapefruit. 
Later in the afternoon, try Chinese brush painting and calligraphy – watch and participate as the art instructor shows and explains the method of Chinese painting and writing.
This evening is the Emperor Farewell Dinner – participate and dress up with the crew members. After dinner, enjoy an evening of well-prepared entertainment by the crew members.
Cruise:  M.S.Yangzi Explorer (deluxe) - deluxe cabins

Meals: B,L,D

DAY 7 - Yangtze River Cruise / Shanghai  

After breakfast, you will arrive at the Three Gorges Project Dam Site and Exhibition Centre where you will embark on a tour of the area. This tour will serve as a general introduction to the project site which is currently the world’s largest engineering project.

The Three Gorges Dam Project was started in 1992 and will be completed and operational by 2009. The dam will be the largest dam on Earth, generating 18,200 megawatts of hydroelectricity (almost 50% more than the world’s current largest dam, the Itaipu Dam in Brazil and Paraguay). The dam will be 1.2 miles in length and measure 600 feet (185 metres) in height.  The dam's 26 generators will generate enough clean energy to reduce China’s reliance of highly polluting coal by up to 50 million tons annually. However the dam will also submerge 13 cities, 140 towns, 1,352 villages and over 600 industrial factories, not to mention the more than 1,200 archeological projects and the 1.2 million people that will be resettled as a result of the flooding.

Late morning, you will disembark the Sanctuary M.S. Yangzi Explorer.
After lunch at a local restaurant, transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. Transfer to your hotel.

DAY 8 - Shanghai

Today, your full-day excursion of incredible Shanghai will include: Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden and Old town. After lunch at a local restaurant, we will visit the Oriental Pearl Tower. Enjoy a wonderful Acrobatic Show tonight.

Hotel: Peninsula Shanghai Hotel (deluxe) - deluxe rooms

Meals: B,L

• Zhujiajiao: Located in a suburb of Shanghai city, Zhujiajiao is an ancient water town well-known throughout the country, with a history of more than 1700 years. Covering an area of 47 square kilometers, the little fan-shaped town glimmers like a bright pearl in the landscape of lakes and mountains.
• The French Concession Area: The Shanghai French Concession is a district in the city and was the foreign concession of France in Shanghai, China. Established in 1849, the concession was progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The concession came to an end in 1943. The area covered by the former French Concession was, for much of the 20th century, the premier residential and retail districts of Shanghai, and was also the centre of Catholicism in Shanghai. Despite rampant re-development over the last few decades, the area retains a distinct character, and is a popular tourist destination.
• The Bund: The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu (East Zhongshan 1st Road), is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts from the Baidu Bridge, which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, to the East Jinling Road and winds a 1500 meters (less than one mile) length.

DAY 10- Shanghai / USA via Beijing

Transfer to Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) for your homeward flight.

Meals: B

DATES:	Nov 1-10, 2010
CRUISE:	M.S.Yangzi Explorer (deluxe)
HOTELS:	Beijing:  Peninsula Beijing Hotel (deluxe)
	Xi'an:  Shangri-La Hotel (deluxe)
	Shanghai:  Peninsula Shanghai Hotel (deluxe)

 PRICES:

	Travel Agent	Companion
Land only	$ 2,269	$ 2,569
Single Suppl.	$ 625	$ 625

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

• Completed Fam Booking Form
• Copy of IATAN List or CLIA Certificate
• Copy of valid IATA/CLIA ID Card
• Copy of passport
• Check or CC Form

INCLUDED FEATURES: 

• All hotel accommodations at deluxe hotels
• All internal flights within China
• 3 nights Yangtze River Cruise in a luxury cabin with balcony
• All meals as mentioned in the itinerary (10 Breakfasts, 9 Lunches, 9 Dinners)
• All guided sightseeing tours as mentioned in the itinerary
• English speaking tour guide throughout the itinerary
• All entrance fees to the sites visited
• All local taxes and service charges
• FLO USA Travel Documents Kit
• FLO USA Travel Protection Plan (over $300 value)

EXCLUDED FEATURES: