DAY 1: Departure from USA
Departure flight from USA to PEK by Air China.
DAY 2: Arrive Beijing
Upon your arrival at Beijing Airport, a FLO USA local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to adjust to local time or to explore at your leisure China’s fascinating historic capital.
Accommodations: Shangri-La Hotel, Kerry Center 5*
DAY 3: Beijing
Today you will visit the world famous Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) Square, featuring the historic magnificent Forbidden City. Tiananmen is the largest city square in the world and the spiritual heart of China, where the national flag is raised exactly at sunrise everyday.
- The Forbidden City: located in the center of Beijing, used to be the imperial palace of the classical Ming and Qing dynasties with over 600 years of history. It is the grandest imperial palace complex still remaining in China.
In the afternoon we will visit The Summer Palace: Located on the northwestern outskirts of the city, it was the imperial summer resort for the Qing Dynasty. With its perfect layout, magnificent buildings and enchanting landscape, it has the most splendid classical garden in China.
Accommodations: Shangri-La Hotel, Kerry Center 5*
Meals: B,L,D
DAY 4: Beijing
Today's full-day excursion will take you to the majestic Great Wall (Badaling section), the Ding Tomb of the Ming Tombs and Sacred road.
- The Great Wall: the most famous symbol of China and one of the world's most remarkable architectural wonders, it was built over 2,000 years ago and stretching about 1500 miles (6,700km).
- The Great Wall at Badaling: the most preserved section of China's Great Wall, located 44 miles (70km) northwest of Beijing, at an elevation of 3200 ft (1000m), this section was first built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) and heavily restored in the 1950s and 1980s.
Standing at the strategic highest point from northwest of Beijing and giving access to every direction, Badaling section is the important pass for protecting Beijing City.
Badaling section is composed of Guan City and its affiliated Wall, with city platforms, wall platforms and watchtowers along the Wall. The Wall is 28 ft. (8.5 meters) high, 21 ft. (6.5 meters) wide at the bottom and 18 1/2ft (5.7 meters) wide on the top, which makes it possible for 5 horses or 10 people march abreast on the top. The view of the surrounding scenery is magnificent and impressive.
- The Ding Tomb: burial site of the emperor Wanli, the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty who ruled for 48 years until his death in 1620, it is the only underground tomb of the emperors ever excavated.
- The Sacred Road: the path lined with stone statues of animals, mystical beasts and court officials who would serve the emperor in his afterlife. Sitting emperors would go to The Sacred Road to perform memorial rituals for ancestors once a year.
Accommodations: Shangri-La Hotel, Kerry Center 5*
Meals: B,L,D
DAY 5: Beijing / Xi’an
After breakfast, you will visit Beijing's splendid Temple of Heaven and Beijing Zoo and do the hotel inspection. And then take the evening flight (CA 1205 20:35-22:30) to Xi’an. Upon arrival they will be escorted to the Hotel directly.
- The Temple of Heaven: the place which was visited yearly by the emperors who performed intricate rituals to insure a good harvest for the whole nation at ancient times.
- Beijing Zoo: the largest one in China, where there are several examples of China's rarities such as notably pandas and Golden Monkeys.
Accommodations: Shangri-La Hotel, Golden Flower 5*
Meals: B,L,D
DAY 6: Xi’an
Upon your arrival at Xian, our tour guide will escort you to the hotel to have breakfast. After lunch, we will visit the Ancient City Walls and then the Bell Tower.
- The Ancient City Walls: built during the 14th century on Tang dynasty foundations, date to the Ming dynasty; the walls are the largest and best-preserved ancient fortress in the world. There is a gate and tower on each of the four sides. These lofty and magnificent towers form an impressive tight defensive system.
- Bell Tower: standing in the center of the city and built in 1582, the Bell Tower is a three-story wooden structure with traditional Chinese architectural features, its name stems from the iron bell hung in the tower to give the local time.
Accommodations: Shangri-La Hotel, Golden Flower 5*
Meals: B, L, D
DAY 7: Xi’an
After breakfast, you will enjoy a full-day excursion to the incredible life-size Terracotta Warriors and Horses. Discovered in 1974 by local farmers while digging a well, it has become 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 for over 2,200 years! Truly a memorable experience.
Next is a city tour to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
The Shaanxi Provincial Museum: opened in 1991, the largest comprehensive museum in
the province, the museum exhibits over 3,000 unearthed historical relics, only a small fraction of their collection, most of the exhibited items are rare treasures of the splendid ancient Chinese culture.
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda: regarded by many as a symbol of the city, the pagoda was built in 652 A.D in the Tang Dynasty to house the sutras brought back from India by the famous monk Xuan-zang.
Accommodations: Shangri-La Hotel, Golden Flower 5*
Meals: B, L, D
DAY 8: Xi’an/Shangai
This morning we fly (CA1215 10:10-12:00) from Xian to Shanghai. Upon your arrival at Shanghai, China's most cosmopolitan city, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. You will be free to tour the bustling city or enjoy the many local attraction for the rest of the day.
Accommodations: Grand Marcure Shanghai 5*
Meals: B, L, D
DAY 9: Shangai
Today, your full-day excursion of incredible Shanghai will include: Shanghai Museum, the Bund and the Nanjing Road, Yu Garden and Yuyuan Market. Tonight enjoy a wonderful Chinese Acrobatic Show!
- Shanghai Museum: often ranked as China's best museum, it is the biggest museum in China with a fine collection of over 120,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts.
-The Bund (the word “Bund” was derived from Anglo-Indian word meaning quay): where the great trading houses and banks had their headquarters in 1920s and 1930s, about a mile long, it is the heart of the old city.
- Nanjing Road: known as “China's No.1 Shopping Street” with a huge selection of merchandise for sale.
- Yu Garden: located in the Old Town of Shanghai and laid out in 1559 AD by a powerful Ming official, Yu Garden recreates truly beautiful landscape of pagodas, pavilions, rockeries, fountains, ancient trees and precious flowers.
- Yuyuan Market: Outside the Yu Garden, a bustling market with different snacks and trinkets. A good place to buy those last minute souvenirs.
Acrobatic Show: Chinese Acrobatics is one of the oldest performing arts with its history dating back to Neolithic times, incorporating elements from opera, dance and Chinese Kungfu, to form its own unique style of entertainment.
Accommodations: Grand Marcure Shanghai 5*
Meals: B, L, D
DAY 10: Shangai / USA
Bid farewell to Shanghai. You’ll be escorted to the airport for your flight home via Beijing.
Meals: B
Turkey
