14 days yangtze river cruises-a

includes: beijing, xi'an, guilin, chongqing, yangtze river, wuhan & shanghai

d1 arrive in beijing, the capital of china. the tour guide will meet you at beijing international airport and then transfer you to hotel.

d2 beijing served as the capital for 5 dynasties over a period of 800 years with each emperor identified as a dragon sent from heaven. begin your city tour with a visit to the summer palace, built in classical chinese style in 1750 as a royal recreational resort. among its famous features are the 700-meter-long corridor with its wonderful painted gallery, the marble barge, and several magnificently painted pavilions and pagodas. next stop is the palace museum, more commonly known as the forbidden city, until recently opened only to the emperor's family. this complex, the largest imperial palace ever built in the world, features more than 800 buildings with over 9,000 rooms, resplendent golden- glazed roofs, red lacquered pillars and vermilion walls. see the high-walled "inner city " with its government buildings. sightseeing continues at the temple of heaven where the ming and qing emperors prayed to heaven for a good harvest. this evening you will enjoy a special imperial cuisine flavor served at fangshan restaurant.

d3 here is your chance to climb the great wall of china! this wonder of the world, built 2600 years ago, was one of the two man-made structures seen by the naked eye of us astronaut neil armstrong from outer space. later visit the ming tombs, the burial place of thirteen emperors and their families of the ming dynasty. year-long excavations have uncovered many rare treasures such as the gold royal crowns and the silk robes. tonight's special dinner gives you a real taste of the peking duck.

d4 in the morning, stroll around tian'anmen (the gate of heavenly peace) square, the largest square in the world, and also known as a witness for many historical and contemporary events. later fly to xi'an. visit the wild goose pagoda and the ancient city walls. in the evening, you will see a wonderful stage show of the tang dynasty.

d5 xi'an, the cradle of chinese civilization, was the state capital of 73 emperors spanning 11 dynasties during 1100 years dating from 4,000 b.c. after a visit to the huaqing hot springs, also known as the site for the famous xi'an incident, you will visit another wonder of the ancient world - the terra-cotta warriors. concealed under earth, those thousands of life-sized clay warriors, horses and chariots, as one part of the tomb of emperor qinshihuang, were accidentally discovered by a farmer while he was digging out a well. you would also see some archaeologists still working on site to uncover the rest part of the vast tomb complex of emperor qinshihuang, the first emperor in chinese history, and also the initiator of the great wall. for dinner, feast on numerous varieties of dumplings.

d6 take an early morning flight to guilin, a southwest city famous for its splendid natural scenery. the reed flute cave, with another beautiful name as "the art palace of nature, features fantastic natural stalactite and stalagmite formations, artfully illuminated by multicolored lights. another magnificent view you will not miss is elephant trunk hill. this evening you will be entertained with the ethnic singing & dancing performance.

d7 cruising down the li river, you will be entering a real life gallery. you will see fishermen use trained cormorants to catch fish; you will pass along the picturesque river bank and see the limestone hill vistas. disembark at yangshuo to experience a colorful local market. in the afternoon, return to guilin and then fly to the mountaincity, chongqing, where you will board the luxurious victoria cruise to start your yangtze river adventure next day. stay overnight in chongqing.

d8 set sail early in the morning and disembark later at fengdu, the city of the ghosts. when strolling around the magnificent temples, please don't feel uneasy with those lifelike statues of ghosts. according to the local legend and superstition, the dead come to fengdu and the devils go to the hell.

d9 today you will cruise through some of the most impressive and scenic gorges in the world. the qutang and wu gorges are bordered by lush green hills and sheer rock cliffs. the misty canyons peaked with magnificent pagodas have long been a favorite motif of traditional chinese painting. each gorge is different in nature, and each bend of the river reveals a new view, each more breathtaking than the previous. when arriving at wushan, you will disembark, and then board a motor boat to see the mini three gorges. this evening victoria cruise will serve you a captain's dinner party.

d10 this morning you will visit the gigantic and much publicized hydroelectric project, the three gorges and gezhou dams. between these dams is xiling gorge, the last and largest of the three gorges. around the bend in the river stretches a vast plain. your cruise continues to yichang, a thriving city, gateway to southwest china. later in the day you will reach jingzhou, one of the important cities in central china.

d11 today your cruise comes to an end at the city of wuhan, the capital of hubei province. here you spend the night relaxing and recalling the fond sights and memories of the last several days. stay overnight in wuhan.

d12 before flying to shanghai, take time to visit the famous yellow crane tower for a commanding view of the mighty yangtze river. this evening stay in shanghai, the largest metropolis of china with a population of 14 million. today's dinner features deluxe shanghai courses.

d13 shanghai, once a tranquil yet busy fishing village, and long known as a paradise for adventurers in the years before 1949, is now the largest commercial and financial center of china. sightseeing includes the old town, a finely designed maze of elegant pavilions and ponds in the old part of this city. then stroll along the bund, china's most famous waterfront stretching about one mile along the huangpu river. visit shanghai museum, one of the largest museums in china and children's palace. afterwards, ascend the tower of the east pearl (asia's highest) in the newly developed pudong district. stay overnight in shanghai.

d14 after a relaxed breakfast in your hotel, transfer to airport for your departure.