16 days China Southwest Exploration at China Tour Hub

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CTH-005: 16-Day China Southwest Exploration

Tour code: CTH-005
Tour Type: Adventure,Culture,Minority
Destinations: Beijing - Xian - Chengdu - Lijiang - Kunming - Guilin - Yangshuo - Longji - Shanghai
Tour overview: An in-depth journey starts from the historical Beijing to Terroccota army in Xian and hometown of cute panda bear then to the heart of Yunnan which is the home to magical scenery, laid-back ancient towns and splendid minority culture; continue to explore the countryside Yangshuo and breath-taking rice terraces in Guilin then the last stop comes at cosmopolitan Shanghai.

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Highlights

Beijing: (3 nights)

Hiking up the dragon-like Great Wall for about half day; visit the Forbidden City - a large and luxurious emperor's complex and a hutong rickshaw tours takes you into the common Pecking people's life and the ancient narrow laneways

Xian: (2 nights)

Marvel at the stunning Terracotta Army

Chengdu (1 night)
A great chance to view the lovely pandas in semi-wild environment; if you like, you can hold the panda baby in hand and take some memorable photos

Lijiang (1 night)

Cable car journey up to the cloud-caped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to see the beaituful scenery there or just strolling on the cobblestone-paved road of Lijiang Old Town

Kunming (1 night)
Walking in the forest of stone pillars to see unique aesthetic peaks, grotesque rocks, strange caves, flying-down cascades, mountain lakes and the ethnic culture and customs

Guilin & Yangshuo & Longsheng(2 nights)
A 4-hour's cruise down Yangshuo provides the best scenery along the beautiful Li River; have a fun and soft adventurous tour in countryside of Yangshuo which combines bike riding, bamboo rafting and Chinese cooking learning; climb up to the top of longji rice terraced to view the most amazing scenery and yao people there

Shanghai (3 nights)

Appreciate the quiet and classic Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, and take a half-day vacation to the tranquil water town Zhujiajiao. Walk along the bustling Nanjing Road for some shopping or just go ahead to enjoy the splendid colonial buildings on the Bund

Tour Date	City	Tour Brief
1	Beijing	N/A
2	Beijing	Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven
3	Beijing	the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Sacred Road
4	Beijing - Xian	Hutongs
5	Xian	Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses, Bell Tower, Big Goose Pagoda
6	Xian - Chengdu	Shaanxi History Museum, Xian City Wall
7	Chengdu - Lijiang	Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
8	Lijiang	Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Yufeng Lamasery, Baisha Murals
9	Lijiang - Kunming	Free morning
10	Kunming - Guilin	Stone Forest, Kunming Flower and Bird Market
11	Guilin - Yangshuo	Li River
12	Yangshuo	Yangshuo Bike Riding, Yangshuo Bamboo Rafting, Yulong River, Yangshuo Cooking Lesson
13	Yangshuo - Longji - Guilin - Shanghai	Longji Rice Terraces
14	Shanghai	Oriental Pearl Tower, Yuyuan Garden, Jade Buddha Temple
15	Shanghai	Zhujiajiao Water Town, the Bund, Nanjing Road
16	Shanghai	Service Ends.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1

City:	Beijing
Activity:	Arrival in Beijing. Our guide will meet you at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.
Attractions:	N/A
Hotels:	Best Western Premier Hotel or Holiday Inn Temple of Heaven
Meals:	no meal

Day 2

City:	Beijing
Activity:	Full day trip to the Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven.
Attractions:	Tiananmen Square Named after the Ming-dynasty gate at the northern part; with the huge portrait of Chairman Mao on it; it is the world's largest public square, with national flag raised at dawn and lowered at dusk on a daily basis. Forbidden City Served as the Palace Museum now，it was once home to 24 emperors in Chinese history. With the magnificent architectures and royal gardens well-left, it is the largest imperial palace in the world. Temple of Heaven A master piece of Ming-dynasty architecture; it served as an exclusive altar for the emperors to worship the Gods. Now the locals do morning exercises over there.
Hotels:	Best Western Premier Hotel or Holiday Inn Temple of Heaven
Meals:	B, L

Day 3

City:	Beijing
Activity:	Full day trip to the Great Wall, Ming Tombs and Sacred Road. Enjoy a famous Peking Duck Banquet for dinner.
Attractions:	the Great Wall Ancient world wonder, stretching thousands of miles; the giant stone & brick dragon, winding through the lofty mountains, great rivers and boundless deserts, offers great hiking experience and breath-taking scenery. Ming Tombs The final resting place of 13 of the 16 Ming Emperors, with diverse stone carvings, magnificent palatial buildings and numerous funerary treasures inside. Sacred Road The holy lane of animals and guardians leading and protecting the Ming Tombs; it also acts as a stop-over along the way to Great Wall.
Hotels:	Best Western Premier Hotel or Holiday Inn Temple of Heaven
Meals:	B, L, D

Day 4

City:	Beijing - Xian
Activity:	Visit Hutongs by rickshaw. Take afternoon flight to Xian. Arrive at Xian. Be met and transferred to your hotel. Free time at leisure.
Attractions:	Hutongs The traditional living quarters of local people; they are formed by narrow alleyways, streets, courtyard houses, grey walls and tiles. Take a rickshaw tour to get a glimpse of Old Peking Culture, and pay a visit to a local family.
Hotels:	Grand New World Hotel
Meals:	B, L

Day 5

City:	Xian
Activity:	Visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, the Bell Tower and the Big Goose Pagoda.
Attractions:	Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses The miraculous archeological discovery in last century, famed as the world’s eighth wonder; over 8,000 life-size, vivid statues were lined in battle formation. Each figure shows various facial expressions as well as their hair styles and accessories. Bell Tower A three-storey wooden structure right at the very center of Xian, featuring the architectural style of the Tang and Song dynasties; as its name applies, the large iron bell hung in the tower makes the time each day. Big Goose Pagoda A well-preserved pagoda from the Tang Dynasty in the Temple of Great Maternal Grace (Da Ci'ensi); built to house the Buddhist scriptures brought back from India by the traveling monk Xuan Zang.
Hotels:	Grand New World Hotel
Meals:	B, L

Day 6

City:	Xian - Chengdu
Activity:	Visit the Shaanxi History Museum, Xian City Wall and old city quarters. Take an evening flight to Chengdu. Be met, and then transferred to the hotel with your private guide and vehicle.
Attractions:	Shaanxi History Museum The museum itself is modeled on Tang dynasty style pavilions, with extensive galleries and exhibitions including bronze wares, tomb murals, pottery figurines, ceramic wares, gold or silver wares, and ancient coins. It shows the rich history of Xian. Xian City Wall The most intact ancient fortifications in China, including moat, hanging bridge, gate towers and turrets; walk up to the top of the wall, riding bikes on it and have a wonderful view of Xian and Bell Tower.
Hotels:	Jinyu Sunshine Hotel
Meals:	B, L

Day 7

City:	Chengdu - Lijiang
Activity:	Visit Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. Take an evening flight to Lijiang. Be met and transferred to hotel.
Attractions:	Dujiangyan Irrigation System Known as the world's oldest diversion project without a dam, it still feeds a grid of irrigation canals watering thousands of hectares of farmland, turning the province into the country's famous land of abundance since ancient times. Giant Panda Breeding Research Base semi-wild area where those lovely China's ambassadors can be allowed to freely roam.
Hotels:	Jiannanchun Hotel
Meals:	B, L

Day 8

City:	Lijiang
Activity:	Drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to take a cable car to Yak Meadow. Then visit Yufeng Lamasery and Baisha Murals.
Attractions:	Jade Dragon Snow Mountain The holy mountain - "God of Sanduo" of Naxi people; it stretches 35 km from north to south with 960-square-kilometers of snow-capped area. Looking from afar, you can see that the mountain just looks like a huge dragon lying in the cloud. Yufeng Lamasery The main attraction of the monastery (established in 1756) is a camellia tree, known as "the king of camellia", with thousands of flowers blossom group by group every year. The tree is believed to have a magical power to bless the young lovers. Baisha Murals Painted in Baisha Town in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it’s a wonderful sight with their smooth lines, bright colors, vivid pattern and harmonious composition. The mural is an interesting co-existence of Buddhism, Taoism and Lamaism in the artworks.
Hotels:	Jiannanchun Hotel
Meals:	B, L

Day 9

City:	Lijiang - Kunming
Activity:	Free morning for your own exploration. Transfer to airport and fly to Kunming. Be met and transferred to hotel.
Attractions:	Free morning
Hotels:	Golden Dragon Hotel
Meals:	B

Day 10

City:	Kunming - Guilin
Activity:	Full day tour to Stone Forest and local Flower and Bird Market. Drive to airport and fly to Guilin. Be met and transfer to hotel.
Attractions:	Stone Forest A grand karst site, located outside Kunming, features countless stone pillars, unique aesthetic peaks, grotesque rocks, strange caves, mountain lakes, and interesting ethnic culture and customs. Kunming Flower and Bird Market Benefited from mild climate all year, Kunming or spring city nurtures thousands of flowers. Strolling in local flower and bird market in the Jingxing Street, you will miss in the fragrance of flowers and chattering from birds.
Hotels:	Bravo Hotel
Meals:	B, L

Day 11

City:	Guilin - Yangshuo
Activity:	Take a leisurely cruise down Li River enjoying the stunning landscape, and arrive at Yangshuo for one hour free shopping at local market. Overnight at Yangshuo.
Attractions:	Li River The River offers unparallel scenery with rolling hills, clear waters bamboo forest, small villages, fisherman and villagers along the journey. The most popular way to enjoy its beauty is by river cruise, bamboo raft or hiking along the bank.
Hotels:	Paradise Resort
Meals:	B, L

Day 12

City:	Yangshuo
Activity:	Bike ride to the countryside escorted by your private guide, then bamboo rafting down Yulong River (great fun and soft adventurous!). Lunch at local restaurant. Have a cooking course in the afternoon.
Attractions:	Yangshuo Bike Riding You will be escorted by the guide to take about 1.5-2 hours bike ride to the countryside to see the stunning landscape around Yangshuo and the local farmer’s life. Yangshuo Bamboo Rafting You will take relaxing bamboo rafting (1.5-2 hours) down Yulong River. It is soft adventurous, please don’t drop your belongings into the water while on board. Yulong River Yulong River, also called Meeting Dragon River, flows through beautiful Karst scenery, peaceful villages, and the 600 year-old Yulong Stone Bridge. Sitting on the reclining bamboo chair on the raft, you can enjoy an all around view. Yangshuo Cooking Lesson It offers you the opportunity to learn how to cook real local food and enjoy a new experience. Well, the cooking lesson makes you take your love of Chinese food from the local Chinese restaurant to your kitchen.
Hotels:	Paradise Resort
Meals:	B, L

Day 13

City:	Yangshuo - Longji - Guilin - Shanghai
Activity:	Drive to Longji to see the rice terraces and visit Ping'an Zhuang Village. Then transfer to airport to fly to Shanghai. Be met and transfer to hotel.
Attractions:	Longji Rice Terraces Where there is soil, there is a terrace. Construction of the terraces began in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and was completed in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). For picturesque scenery, the linked together terraces vary from season to season.
Hotels:	Anting Villa Hotel
Meals:	B, L

Day 14

City:	Shanghai
Activity:	Visit Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Yuyuan Garden and Jade Buddha Temple.
Attractions:	Oriental Pearl Tower The Symbol of Shanghai; It is a Dan Dare air traffic control tower visible from the Bund. The views of Shanghai from its lookout halfway up are sensational. Yuyuan Garden A charm and quiet garden located in the city heart of Shanghai separated travelers from the bustling street; it is a classical Chinese architectural marvel with traditional pavilions, bridges and rocks inside. Jade Buddha Temple A nice Buddhist temple in downtown Shanghai; it gets the fame mostly for a jade seated Buddha, wearing a robe inlaid with precious jewels. The temple houses number of ancient sculptures, paintings, and scriptures.
Hotels:	Anting Villa Hotel
Meals:	B, L

Day 15

City:	Shanghai
Activity:	Tour to nearby town – Zhujiajiao, and transfer back to the Bund and Nanjing Road for shopping.
Attractions:	Zhujiajiao Water Town A tranquil water town located in the suburb of Shanghai; it features typical ancient house, bridges, temples, and local folklore. the Bund The icon of Shanghai, with remarkable western-style architectures; Stroll around the area in different period of one day to see taichi playing in the mornings and colorful neon lights at nights. Nanjing Road A bustling pedestrian road, with shopping malls, coffee shops, stores, hotels, and elegant Western and Chinese restaurants; a nice place to feel the vibe of Shanghai.
Hotels:	Anting Villa Hotel
Meals:	B, L

Day 16

City:	Shanghai
Activity:	Transfer to Shanghai Pudong airport for your flight to your next destination. Service Ends.
Attractions:	Service Ends.
Hotels:	No
Meals:	B

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