11 days china classic tour-c

includes: beijing, xi'an, shanghai & guilin

d1 arrive in beijing, meet at airport and transfer to your hotel.

d2 begin the day with a visit to tian'anmen square, the world's largest. then, move on to the imperial palace, also known as the "forbidden city" that symbolizes the imperial and traditional china. after lunch, you will go to visit the enchanting summer palace, one of china's largest and best-preserved imperial gardens. a peking duck banquet concludes your first full day activities in china.

d3 head for yonghegong lamasery and the confucius temple this morning. after lunch, visit temple of heaven, the place where the emperors of ming and qing dynasties worshipped heaven and prayed for peace and harvest. tonight's dinner is the royal cuisine at fangshan restaurant in beihai park. enjoy a short episode of classic peking opera after dinner in a nearby theatre.

d4 today's highlight is your visit to the great wall, symbol of chinese civilization. on your way back to the city, stop by shenlu (holy road) to see some marvelous stone sculptures.

d5 after a relaxed breakfast at hotel this morning, you will take a walk through some old "hutongs", a kind of ancient-city compound, to see traditional style courtyards and locals doing their daily chores. sample some authentic chinese family food in their home before heading for xi'an. check in your hotel upon arrival. dinner is at a local restaurant.

d6 begin the day with a once-in-a-lifetime viewing of the extraordinary 2,200-year-old terra cotta warriors of china's first emperor, qin shi huang. after lunch, visit the superb shaanxi history museum, the best of its kind in china. tonight, you are invited to enjoy a splendid dinner show with tang dynasty style performances.

d7 visit the wild goose pagoda this morning. take a noon flight to wonderful shanghai and check in your hotel by the huangpu river upon arrival. take a stroll on the bund before heading for an exciting acrobatic show in the evening.

d8 this morning you will visit yuyuan garden and jade buddha temple. after lunch head for the remodeled renmin square, a showcase of modern architecture. the focus of your exploration will be the marvelous shanghai museum, a leading attraction of the city since it opened in 1994. opposite the museum is the gorgeous crystal palace, shanghai grand theatre. later, you will be taken to nanjing road, the best-known shopping street in china, for your own exploration. tonight, you will enjoy a banquet featuring shanghai cuisine.

d9 you are transferred to the airport for a mid-day flight to the beautiful city of guilin after a relaxed breakfast at your hotel. in the afternoon, take a city tour to see the famous ludi cave with its elaborate naturally formed crystal palace of the dragon king. you will also stop by the seven-star cave park to enjoy the nice view of combination of hills, pavilions, ponds and bridges.

d10 today's highlight is cruising down the li river. beholding the breathtaking landscape which stretches 83 kilometers from guilin to yangshuo. have lunch on the boat. in the afternoon, stroll on yangshuo's main street, lined with small hotels, countless souvenir shops, and restaurants serving such guangxi delicacies as fermented bean curd and wild game in hot chilies, and fish cooked in beer. tour the local market and nearby villages dotted among the rows of mountain peaks. return to guilin by bus for a charming zhuang ethnic song & dance performance after dinner.

d11 this morning you will have some free time to explore the beauty of guilin's waters and mountains. after lunch you will be transferred to airport for your departure.