11 days Classic China Tour (BXS) 2019
Our 11 Day Classic China tour is a tour from Canada to China that features sights and sounds from some of China’s most magnificent cities: Beijing, Xian, Shanghai and Suzhou. You’ll get a chance to gaze on some of the great wonders of one of the world’s longest-lasting civilizations—the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Wild Goose Pavilion, the Forbidden City, the Great Canal and the Great Wall of China. Between trips to these awe-inspiring sites, this China vacation package also schedules visits to beautiful and tranquil gardens. This China tour isn’t all history; you’ll also experience the beautiful Bund, China’s most famous waterfront, and many modern Chinese craft shops.
This China tour is a must for anyone who wants to experience China’s traditional food, culture and built history. You’ll spend the tour in excellent hotels, and you’ll be in the competent hands of a professional, English-speaking tour guide.
This tour leaves every 11 days from up to March 30, 2019. Rates starting at $1565.00 per person. Call your travel planner.
| Day | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Beijing | Upon arrival, you will meet your China tour guide and transfer to the Presidential Hotel Beijing. |
| 2 | Beijing (B/L) | The first day of your vacation to China includes visits to spectacular nearby monuments. You’ll start in Tiananmen Square (the 4th largest city square in the world) is not far from the hotel. Tiananmen and the gate to the Forbidden City are just to the north, and Zhengyangmen is to the south of your hotel. For over 500 years, the Forbidden City was the home of Chinese emperors and their royal families. Now, the Forbidden City has been converted into a palace museum filled with exquisite treasures. The Forbidden City remains the world’s largest surviving palace complex, not to mention a truly breathtaking sight. It is a must-see in any Beijing vacation package. Next stop on your China tour is the Summer Palace. Located about 20 kilometres from the city centre, the Summer Palace was where Qing royalty relaxed and celebrated important events. This stunning imperial estate features many gardens, palaces, over 3000 classical Chinese–style edifices, and Kunming Lake. |
| 3 | Beijing (B/L) | The third day of your vacation to China is packed with tours of a wide variety of historical and cultural attractions, the most famous of which is the Great Wall of China. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, this 8,850-kilometre long barrier passes through many other cities. Beijing contains several notably renovated areas of the Wall, many of which are open to the public. The most popular is the Badaling Section, to which our Beijing vacation package schedules a two-hour visit. En route, you’ll visit a jade stone carving workshop to experience one of China’s best-loved crafts. On the way back, this China vacation package takes you from the 15th century to the 21st with a photo stop at Beijing’s Olympic landmarks. These include the National Stadium and the Water Cube. The National Stadium is also known as the Bird’s Nest, as its steel supports converge into a nest-like grid formation, cupping the bowl-shaped seating area. As a symbol of a rising Chinese nation, Bird's Nest Stadium has become a landmark for a modern China and a new Beijing. The Beijing National Aquatic Center, also known as the Water Cube, is an aquatic center built beside the National Stadium on the Olympic Green. It hosted the swimming and diving competitions in the 2008 Summer Olympics. There, swimmers broke 25 world records. After the Olympics, the building underwent a 200 million yuan revamp, converting half of its interior into the world’s largest water park. On the third evening of your China tour, you have the opportunity to see the stunning Legend of Kung Fu Show with Peking Duck dinner. This spectacular performance has an immersive plot, incredible stage design and authentic kung fu. The price of admission is not covered by the Beijing tour package. Prices are additional $70 US pp. |
| 4 | Beijing (B/L) | Day 4 of your classic China tour features some of the most beautiful and peaceful locations in the country. The Temple of Heaven is China's most famous temple. Deep within the 667-acre Tiantan Park, it’s the spot where emperors from the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed for good harvests and made sacrifices. The round northern section represents heaven, and the square southern section represents earth. Two buildings feature at either end: the Qiniandian (Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests) and the Huangqiongyu (Imperial Vault of Heaven). The Huangqiongyu houses the famous Echo Wall and Triple Sound Stones. Next on our tour, you can explore the surrounding Tiantan Park. Located on the south of the city, this is where local seniors enjoy daily life. Here, you’ll get a chance to learn tai chi from a master. After visiting the Tiantan Park, your China vacation package includes a tour to a pearl factory. Next stop in your Beijing vacation package is a Beijing hutong. A hutong is a form of neighbourhood unique to China. Riding a traditional pedicab through the narrow alleys of the hutong, you’ll get an intimate glimpse at Beijing’s past. Later, you’ll have a chance to meet a local family. The term hutong comes from the Mongolian word hottog, or "water well,” which referred to a place people gathered to access water. Today in Beijing the word hutong refers to a lane between courtyards, but the word can also mean a community within the city consisting of hutongs and residences. There are thousands of hutongs in old Beijing, most of which were built in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties (1271-1911). |
| 5 | Beijing – Xian (B/L) | After breakfast, you will transfer to the airport for a flight to Xian. When you reach Xian, you’ll be joined by a tour guide for a visit to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum. The museum features a collection of 110,000 historic relics. Built in 648, the Wild Goose Pagoda is a symbol of Xian. It stands at an astonishing 73 metres in height, and the top offers scenic views of the whole city. You’re unlikely to forget this beautiful ancient building, built in the shape of a square pyramid. After your visit to the Wild Goose Pagoda, you’ll head to the Jian Guo Hotel Xian for the evening. |
| 6 | Xian (B/L/SD) | The sixth day of your China tour features a day-long excursion to the Terra Cotta Warriors. The Terra Cotta Warriors were discovered in 1974 by local farmers who were digging a well. Little did they know, their discovery would turn out to be one of the most astounding archeological finds of the 20th century. The site is sometimes called the 8th Wonder of the World and includes four pits with various features. Pit 1 features the famous underground battle formation composed of 6,000 life-size clay warriors and horses. The soldiers stand in military formation facing east with armor but no helmets. Made of local clay, no two faces are alike. Each statue weighs over 300 kilograms and stands at 1.86 metres tall. Next, your China vacation package takes you to visit the modern ceramics craftspeople of Xian. Since the very early years of the Chinese civilization, the people of Xian were known as masters of clay. You will have the opportunity to watch these masters at work at a ceramics and pottery workshop. In the evening, enjoy a dumpling dinner and a Tang Dynasty Show. The Tang Dynasty was distinguished as one of the Chinese civilization’s most progressive and prosperous eras. Its music and dance symbolize the splendour and glory of China. During the Tang Dynasty, traditional Chinese folk dances originating from sacred rituals became a graceful form of art. Combined with authentic Tang musical instruments—bells, drums and zithers—the show is a cultural experience that will transport you back in time. |
| 7 | Xian – Shanghai (B) | After breakfast, your China tour continues with a flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, you’ll meet your Shanghai guide and transfer to the 5-star Ocean Hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. |
| 8 | Shanghai (B/L/D) | Your first stop in Shanghai is the Yu Yuan Garden. The maze-like Yu Yuan Garden occupies two hectares inside the City God Temple. It features an iconic zigzag bridge, as well as beautiful miniature landscaping. The Shanghai Museum is a museum of ancient Chinese art, situated on the People's Square in the Huangpu District of Shanghai. The museum has a collection of over 120,000 pieces from thousands of years of history. To symbolize the Chinese concept of “round sky, square earth,” the museum is designed with a distinctive round top and a square base. Next stop on your China tour is the Bund, known as Revolution Boulevard during the Cultural Revolution. Lined with 1930's-era buildings, the Bund stretches about 1.6 km along the Huangpu. You’ll visit Xintiandi and Pudong New Development Zone, an arts-and-crafts enclave that has developed from a renovated residential area in the French Concession area of Shanghai. It has become a popular tourist destination in Shanghai and is an example of preservation of local Shikumen architecture. End your day in Shanghai with an acrobatics show and dinner. Additional cost of $70 US pp. |
| 9 | Shanghai - Suzhou – Shanghai (B/L) | Day 9 of your China tour includes a daytrip from Shanghai to Suzhou. Once in Suzhou, you’ll visit the Master of Nets Garden. This garden is smallest residential garden in Suzhou, but it is well regarded for its mastery of many traditional Chinese garden techniques. Next stop on your classic China tour is a silk factory, where you can learn about the silk craft. There, you’ll have the chance to watch as silk worms eat mulberry leaves and spin cocoons. Your classic China vacation package also includes a Grand Canal cruise. The Grand Canal is the longest artificial waterway in the world, with a length of 1,794 kilometres and a history of more than 2,400 years. The canal runs through eight provinces and 35 cities. It was once a major waterway linking Beijing and resource-rich Hangzhou. The Jiangsu section of the canal, still in use today, is 690 kilometers long. Cruising on the Grand Canal is an unforgettable experience. Dotting the way are little houses, red lanterns, local people using water taxis as public transport and cargo boats. It truly paints a vivid picture of daily Suzhou life. Visit Pingjiang Road Old Town Area. |
| 10 | Shanghai (B) | Spend the tenth day of your China tour left open to explore the city at your leisure, shop or relax in your hotel. |
| 11 | Depart Shanghai (B) | Your classic China tour is nearly over. After breakfast, bid Shanghai farewell as you are transferred to the airport for your flight back. |