Day 01Arrival in Beijing
Upon arrival at Beijing Capital Airport, you will reclaim your luggage and clear the customs first. Our Beijing local guide will meet you outside the customs, holding a sign on which your name is written. A comfortable private transfer will take you to check in the hotel. The rest of the day is free. Here we would like to offer some useful tips around our luxury series hotel and standard series hotel for your decent dinner.
Day 02Beijing
Today's visit starts from the world's largest city square, Tiananmen Square, which is an important venue for most of the national ceremonies. Walking northwards across the square, you will come to today's highlight, the Forbidden City, namely the Palace Museum. It is the existing largest and best-preserved cluster of imperial palace in China. The typical imperial architecture of red walls and golden roofs and thousands of exquisite historical relics will show you a vivid picture of the royal life of 600 years ago. Around noon, as is our practice to avoid the cheap tourist restaurants, you will enjoy an a la carte lunch at a noted local restaurant to taste the authentic Chinese food. In the afternoon, continue the tour to the Temple of Heaven, which is the imperial altar of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties to worship for the gods of heaven. In the evening, a lively Chinese Kung Fu Show at the Red Theatre will light your Beijing night. You will not only enjoy the fancy Kung Fu Show in the form of acrobatics and dancing, but also learn more about Chinese Kung Fu.
Day 03Beijing
After the breakfast, you will start your Badaling Great Wall excursion. 'He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man', as the famous saying comes, it may be a little bit exhausted when climbing the steps, but the unique Chinese history and culture as well as the beautiful scenery will make all your efforts worthy. Then to avoid the shopping site restaurants, we will drive you to have lunch of the famous Sichuan food at a popular local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Sacred Wayand the Ming Tomb, which is a group of tombs of the 13 emperors and their wives and sons and is reputed as the existing largest imperial mausoleum that buries the most emperors and empresses. On the way back to downtown, we will drive you by the Bird's Nest, where you will have a short stay to take some photos with the huge nest.
Day 04Beijing - Xian
Today's first stop will be the Summer Palace, which is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden of China, and where garden design perfectly merges into the natural beauty. The best way to know about “the culture of courtyard” is by visiting Hutongs. Then a classic Hutong tour passing Shichahai, Yinding Bridge, Yandaixiejie, Drum tower or Bell tower is arranged for you to feel the original old Beijing Culture. Then you will have an a la carte lunch at an elegant local restaurant. The restaurant is well-decorated, which makes clients feel like dining at home. Late in the afternoon, you will take a flight to Xian. Our local tour guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area of the airport and then a comfortable private transfer will take you to check in the hotel.
Day 05Xian
The morning will be devoted to the best-known Xian attraction, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. You will be taken back to the Qin Dynasty of over 2,200 years ago to see the orderly ranged warriors and horses as well as the exquisite Bronze Chariots and Horses and weapons. To avoid the mass-produced food at the tourist eateries near the warrior site, we will serve you ana la carte lunch at the well-known best local restaurant. In the afternoon, proceed to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is a seven-story pagoda built in the Tang Dynasty (over 1,300 years ago) to house the Buddhism scripture and statues taken back from India. Then you will go to the best museum in China, the Provincial History Museum. Dinner today for luxury series clients will be the delicate Tang Dynasty Imperial Dinner at the Tang Dynasty Palace (Addr: No.75, Chang'an Road, Xian), at the same time, a fancy Singing and Dancing Show will also give you a vision feast. While for standard series clients, we will serve you a typical Xian Dumpling Dinner and a colorful Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Performance at Shaanxi Opera Theater (Addr: No. 165, Wenyi Road, Xian). The performance which imitates the royal music and dance will show you the prosperous Tang Dynasty in the 7th to 10th century. Meals for Luxury series: Breakfast, A la carte lunch, Tang Dynasty dinner show Standard series: Breakfast, A la carte lunch, Dumpling dinner
Day 06-Xian
In the morning, you will visit another representative Xian attraction, the City Wall. Standing on it, you can not only learn about the history of ancient Xian, but also have a bird's eye view of the modern city. If time permits, you can also walk or rent a bicycle to ride on the wall by yourself. To offer you a chance to get a close touch of the local people's life, we specially arrange a local family visit for you. You will not only dine together with the families to taste the true home cooked food, but also learn to cook Chinese dishes from our Chinese food cooking class menu if you are interested. In the afternoon, your trip continues to the Great Mosque, which features the Chinese-style Islamic Mosque - the dominated architecture are flying roofs and painted beams rather than domes and minarets.
Day 07 Xian - Shanghai
Today you will head to Shanghai. On the way to the airport, we will stop in Hanyangling Museum, the Mausoleum of Western Han Emperor Liu Qi. In the museum, you will have a close look at the thousand-year-old tombs through the glass floors and the glass walls in the tomb pits. Besides, the advanced Spectra Vision program will reproduce the real life of the Western Han Dynasty about 2,000 years ago. After that, you will take a flight to Shanghai. Our local guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.
Day 08Shanghai
Your Shanghai tour starts from Shanghai Museumthis morning, where you will learn more about the splendid history of China from the vast storage of bronze wares, chinaware and Chinese paintings. Then to the Yuyuan Garden, an elegant private garden built 400 years ago. At noon, an a la carte lunch will be served at a fancy and famous local restaurant, which offers authentic Shanghai and Cantonese cuisines. After lunch, take a cruise touron the Huangpu River. You will be deeply impressed by different scenes along the both banks of the river - rows of skyscrapers on the east showing the modernness of Shanghai while old western buildings on the west illustrating the history. Continue to have some free time to explore the Bund area on your own and then visit an old cultural street in Shanghai. We would like to offer some useful tips on dinner around your hotel.
Day 09Shanghai - Guilin
We intend to leave the whole morning free for you to explore the city. As our luxury series hotel is quite close to the Yuyuan Garden and its dazzling market, if feel interested, clients may walk eastward along Fuyou Road to the market, where there are many Shanghai-flavored snacks, souvenir stores, traditional fashion shops and popular restaurants. Here we recommend the well-known Lv Bo Lang restaurant for your lunch, which specializes in the featured Shanghai-style dim sum and the delicate Shanghai cuisine. Our standard series hotel is close to the subway station of Line 1, so it is easy for clients to go out to do some individual activities that you are interested. In the afternoon, you will take a flight to Guilin. Our local guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. With wonderful natural scenery, Guilin is the perfect place for family holiday or honeymoon tours.
Day 10Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin
Today you will take the Li River Cruise tour from Guilin to rural Yangshuo. During the four to five hours' cruise downstream to Yangshuo, you will see the best scenery along the charming Li River. The limpid river under blue sky, water buffalo patrolling the fields, peasants reaping rice paddies, fisherman floating by on bamboo rafts, all these will let you completely escape from the bustling cities, and have a closest touch with the pristine nature. Lunch will be provided on the cruise today and since it may not meet your expectations, we suggest you have a larger breakfast at the hotel. After disembarking, you will follow our guide to visit the exotic West Street and ride a bicycle to the countryside of Yangshuo (car transfer as an alternative). You will be invited to visit a local farmer's home during the cycling trip. After finishing the tour in Yangshuo, we will drive you back to Guilin.
Day 11Guilin - Hong Kong
After breakfast, you will visit one of the most famous attractions in Guilin, the Reed Flute Cave, which is well-known for the exquisite stalagmites and stalactites in variety of shapes. Then you will go to the Seven Star Park, which is a complex park comprising Seven Star Cave of Karst formation, historical sites of temple and stone tablets, and beautiful landscape of hills and rivers. The last stop in Guilin will be the Elephant Trunk Hill, which is the symbol of Guilin landscape. The hill is named so because it resembles an elephant drinking water in the riverside. You will be surprised by the power of nature at the first sight of the huge elephant. Late in the afternoon, our guide will see you off at the airport for your flight to Hong Kong.
As Hong Kong is an international metropolis with easy transportation system, it is quite convenient for you to tour Hong Kong by yourself. In this case, we only reserve the hotel accommodation with breakfast for you in Hong Kong. Upon your arrival at Hong Kong airport, please follow the signs to take the Airport Express and get off at Kowloon station by yourself. The train will take you 20 minutes to Kowloon station, where you could connect to the free shuttle bus K3 to the hotel directly.
Day 12Hong Kong
A full day is free for you to visit Hong Kong on your own. For our luxury series clients who stay at the 5-star InterContinental Grand Stanford, you could walk westward along the hotel's Mody Road and turn to left at Chatham Road South, finally get to the waterfront of the Victoria Harbor. Along the Harbor, there are the Avenue of Star, Hong Kong Space Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Cultural Centre and finally the westmost Star Ferry Terminal. We highly recommend you take the time-honored Star Ferry to Central on Hong Kong Island. Not far from the pier, at the bus terminus on the Exchange Square, you could take bus No. 6, 6A, 6X, 60, and 260 to Stanley on the south of Hong Kong Island. You will be interested in the bustling Stanley Market and having lunch at an elegant restaurant.
For our standard series clients who stay at the 4-star Regal Kowloon Hotel, you could walk down to the Avenue of Stars, which is located in Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront of Victoria Harbor. To the west of the Avenue, there is the terminal of the Star Ferry, by which you will get to Central on Hong Kong Island via Victoria Harbor. It is suggested that you walk to the nearby bus station at Exchange Square and take bus 6, 6A, 6X, 60, and 260 to Stanley on the south of Hong Kong Island.
Day 13 Hong Kong to Macau
After breakfast move towards Macau and begin your day on the picturesque Macau peninsula on the peak of Penha Hill. While it is accessible on foot, it is highly recommended that you catch a cab up there so that you don’t tire yourself out. This is where the first chapel in the Portuguese settlement, the Chapel of Our Lady Penha, sits. As you approach the chapel, it seems to be shrouded in somberness and mystery. Some parts of the simply-landscaped grounds are overgrown with vegetation, adding to its mystery. Take time to enjoy the panoramic view of the inner harbour, the Macau-Taipa Bridge and nearby towns in China across the Pearl River. You can also admire the juxtaposition of new modern architectures against the weather beaten buildings around the Nam Van Lake area. If you go down a flight of stone steps past the statue of Mother Mary, you will find a large Lady of Lourdes grotto that is still popular with Catholic devotees. Stroll down the hill towards the Barra Square. This is where the first Portuguese settlers arrived in the 16th century. Here, your attention will immediately be caught by the vibrant colors of the temple gates and the spiraling coils of incense burning at the A-Ma Temple, Macau’s oldest temple. With about 25% of Macanese are A-Ma worshippers and 200 million devotees worldwide, this temple is always busy. Stone inscriptions of Chinese poetry and stone grottoes with taped recordings of Buddhist chants make for an intoxicating sensorial experience.
Before you explore this temple, do drop in the Maritime Museum where you can get a better understanding of the temple’s significance and get a sense of Macau’s beginnings. Informative exhibits also explain Macau’s significant religious festivals.
You can also visit pop into the Tourist Information Counter inside the Macau Business Tourism Centre, near the water fountain. You can get useful tourist maps and guides. Just behind this building is the Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple. Formerly the guild house for a commercial association, the Sam Kai Vui Kun or Three Streets Association, it now is a temple dedicated to Kuan Tai, the God of War and Riches. Built sometime in the 18th century, this was also where Qing Dynasty edicts were announced in the past.Remember to take a snapshot of the Ruin’s of St Paul’s, Macau’s iconic symbol, before you head up those 66 steps. This remaining façade of the Church of Mater Dei is rather imposing and awe-inspiring. Other than its architectural merit and place in Macau Catholic history, it is also a marvel as it is the only part of the entire compound to survive the great inferno in 1835. Antique hunters can dive into the many antique shops around the Rua de S.Paulo piazza. These shops not only specialize in the sale of authentic antiques but also quality reproductions of pieces. Prices are reasonable and shipping to just about any destination in the world is available. Mobilias Mei Choi is one such shop that has four branches along this street. End the day with a dinner at any of the eateries around the Barra Point area. If you like some hearty and homely Macanese cuisine and quality Portuguese vintage wines, the Litoral is ideal. But if you rather a more modern dining experience, pick any of the four restaurants at the Macau Tower. While you may not be overly enthused by the tower’s claims of being ranked the 10th tallest free-standing structure in the world, and the 8th tallest in Asia, you will enjoy the views from its the observation deck.
Day 14 Macau
Garden breakfast: Grab a big breakfast at Lord Stow’s Garden Café in Coloane Village. You can sit outside in the courtyard if it’s a nice day. Other than sandwiches, which are bursting with fillings, there are also Western favorites like the Cornish Pastie, pasta and lasagna, and each main comes with fresh greens.
Go for a stroll round Coloane Village, and soak up the atmosphere of the classical architecture in the brick houses, temples and narrow streets. Take a 5-minute taxi ride to the Macau Horse Riding School in Coloane. Explore Taipa Village on two wheels: For a cheap hourly rate, you can rent a bicycle near the Pak Tai Temple in Taipa Village. There are plenty of small temples, old fashioned shop houses and streets and is pedestrian friendly. After your ride, sit in one of the open air cafes and crab a pork chop bun (a local favorite) and watch the locals go about their business. On Saturday from 4pm to 11pm and Sundays from 11am to 8pm, there is a street market in the square outside Pak Tai Temple, which sells food and souvenirs.
Ice cream and gondola rides: It’s just a short walk over to Macau’s largest casino, The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel and shop at its Grand Canal Shoppes, which have everything from clothes to electronics to books, chocolate and ice cream for sale. Go for a ride in a gondola, steered by a singing gondolier. If you are a guest of the hotel, try a round of mini golf at Grado Golf course, a new mini golf course which is on the rooftop of the Grand Canal Shoppes.
Jungle dinner: Have dinner at the jungle themed 3-Monkeys Restaurant. Kids love the Fajitas, which come out on a steaming platter and are accompanied by monkey sounds. The giant burgers with homemade patties are another hot favorite. The giant toy monkeys evoke squeals of delight from most young diners.
Day 15 Macau
Start off with breakfast in the tallest building in Macau – the Macau Tower: Café 360 is Macau’s only revolving restaurant and from the 60th floor, you can enjoy breathtaking views. There is a wide range of cuisines on offer, include local specialties, and a dessert selection, which will satisfy the fussiest palate. And move to explore the historical sites in Senado Square. There is no entry fee to see buildings and temples like Lou Kau Mansion, St. Dominic’s Church, Cathedral, Holy House of Mercy and Kuan Tai Temple are a few minutes’ walk of each other – just follow the signs. And no visit to Macau is complete without a photo in front of symbol of Macau - The Ruins of St. Paul’s. Only the front façade is left, but there are stairs behind which allow you to climb up and peek out of the second level.
Day 16 End of the Trip.
Before you explore this temple, do drop in the Maritime Museum where you can get a better understanding of the temple’s significance and get a sense of Macau’s beginnings. Informative exhibits also explain Macau’s significant religious festivals.
You can also visit pop into the Tourist Information Counter inside the Macau Business Tourism Centre, near the water fountain. You can get useful tourist maps and guides. Just behind this building is the Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple. Formerly the guild house for a commercial association, the Sam Kai Vui Kun or Three Streets Association, it now is a temple dedicated to Kuan Tai, the God of War and Riches. Built sometime in the 18th century, this was also where Qing Dynasty edicts were announced in the past.Remember to take a snapshot of the Ruin’s of St Paul’s, Macau’s iconic symbol, before you head up those 66 steps. This remaining façade of the Church of Mater Dei is rather imposing and awe-inspiring. Other than its architectural merit and place in Macau Catholic history, it is also a marvel as it is the only part of the entire compound to survive the great inferno in 1835. Antique hunters can dive into the many antique shops around the Rua de S.Paulo piazza. These shops not only specialize in the sale of authentic antiques but also quality reproductions of pieces. Prices are reasonable and shipping to just about any destination in the world is available. Mobilias Mei Choi is one such shop that has four branches along this street. End the day with a dinner at any of the eateries around the Barra Point area. If you like some hearty and homely Macanese cuisine and quality Portuguese vintage wines, the Litoral is ideal. But if you rather a more modern dining experience, pick any of the four restaurants at the Macau Tower. While you may not be overly enthused by the tower’s claims of being ranked the 10th tallest free-standing structure in the world, and the 8th tallest in Asia, you will enjoy the views from its the observation deck.
Day 14 Macau
Garden breakfast: Grab a big breakfast at Lord Stow’s Garden Café in Coloane Village. You can sit outside in the courtyard if it’s a nice day. Other than sandwiches, which are bursting with fillings, there are also Western favorites like the Cornish Pastie, pasta and lasagna, and each main comes with fresh greens.
Go for a stroll round Coloane Village, and soak up the atmosphere of the classical architecture in the brick houses, temples and narrow streets. Take a 5-minute taxi ride to the Macau Horse Riding School in Coloane. Explore Taipa Village on two wheels: For a cheap hourly rate, you can rent a bicycle near the Pak Tai Temple in Taipa Village. There are plenty of small temples, old fashioned shop houses and streets and is pedestrian friendly. After your ride, sit in one of the open air cafes and crab a pork chop bun (a local favorite) and watch the locals go about their business. On Saturday from 4pm to 11pm and Sundays from 11am to 8pm, there is a street market in the square outside Pak Tai Temple, which sells food and souvenirs.
Ice cream and gondola rides: It’s just a short walk over to Macau’s largest casino, The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel and shop at its Grand Canal Shoppes, which have everything from clothes to electronics to books, chocolate and ice cream for sale. Go for a ride in a gondola, steered by a singing gondolier. If you are a guest of the hotel, try a round of mini golf at Grado Golf course, a new mini golf course which is on the rooftop of the Grand Canal Shoppes.
Jungle dinner: Have dinner at the jungle themed 3-Monkeys Restaurant. Kids love the Fajitas, which come out on a steaming platter and are accompanied by monkey sounds. The giant burgers with homemade patties are another hot favorite. The giant toy monkeys evoke squeals of delight from most young diners.
Day 15 Macau
Start off with breakfast in the tallest building in Macau – the Macau Tower: Café 360 is Macau’s only revolving restaurant and from the 60th floor, you can enjoy breathtaking views. There is a wide range of cuisines on offer, include local specialties, and a dessert selection, which will satisfy the fussiest palate. And move to explore the historical sites in Senado Square. There is no entry fee to see buildings and temples like Lou Kau Mansion, St. Dominic’s Church, Cathedral, Holy House of Mercy and Kuan Tai Temple are a few minutes’ walk of each other – just follow the signs. And no visit to Macau is complete without a photo in front of symbol of Macau - The Ruins of St. Paul’s. Only the front façade is left, but there are stairs behind which allow you to climb up and peek out of the second level.
Day 16 End of the Trip.
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