DAY 01 Fly to Beijing
DAY 02 Arrive in Beijing
Arrive in Beijing, China’s capital city. Welcomed by your local guide at the airport, you will be escorted to your hotel for check-in.
DAY 03 Beijing (B,L,SD)
In the morning, marvel at the vast Tiananmen Square and see the neighboring halls and monuments. Walk through the Gate of Heavenly Peace to the magnificent Forbidden City, which was home to the Ming and Qing dynasties for over 500 years. Continue exploring Beijing’s famous sights with tour to the Temple of Heaven, a complex of buildings representing the pinnacle of Ming and Qing architecture built in 1420, including the Hall of prayer for good harvest, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Altar. The surrounding park areas are also alive with locals practicing tai chi, playing traditional musical instruments, enjoying a game of Chinese chess, or just chatting with friends. Tonight, you will be served with one of the most famous dishes at Fangzhuang Quanjude Beijing Duck Restaurant.
DAY 04 Beijing (B,L)
Travel to the northwest of Beijing to visit China’s most famous attraction – the Great Wall of China. Built over 2,000 years ago, it stretches 4,000 miles across mountains and valleys in the northern part of China. Walk along a well-preserved section of this true wonder of the world and enjoy the panoramic views. Afternoon you will have a chance to visit a Jade Carving Museum. Then spend the last time in Ming Tomb where lie the mausoleums of thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty.
DAY 05 Beijing (B,L)
In the morning, you will visit the former Imperial Summer Palace (with boat ride on Kunming Lake) – the famous royal garden that was favored by the Empress Cixi in the late 19th century. Stroll through the “Long Corridor” to admire its painting gallery. Enroute visit a pearl factory. Then, you may ride on a pedal-powered cab and tour through Beijing’s traditional courtyard neighborhoods where old traditions remain very much alive. You will have the opportunity to visit the home of a local resident. At last, you will have a free time in Wangfujing Street.
DAY 06 Beijing to Xian (B,L,SD)
In the morning, board your flight to Xian. Arrive in Xian meet your guide and go to visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda Park. It mainly consists of the Xian Museum, the ancient Jianfu Temple built in the year 684 A.D during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the famous Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The scenic area has become a wonderful leisure site for the appreciation of cultural relics, sightseeing and entertainment. Then you will visit the Ancient City Wall, the largest and best preserved one in China. The wall was originally built in the Ming Dynasty as military defensive system, now a round-city park has been built around the wall. Tonight you will enjoy dumpling dinner and Tang Dynasty show.
DAY 07 Xian to Urumqi (B,L)
After breakfast, go to visit the Terracotta Warriors museum. It is a huge underground military museum constructed as an accessory pit of Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum. In the museum, you will not only appreciate the life-size warrior figures, but also enjoy the display of Chinese ancient weapons, which exemplify the wisdom of the laboring people over 2,200 years ago. Enroute visit a Terra-Cotta Factory. After lunch, you take flight to Urumqi. Upon arrival, the local guide and driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer to the hotel.
DAY 08 Urumqi (B,L)
In the morning, we will visit the new Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Museum and stop by the Red Mountain for a panoramic view of the city. In the afternoon, we pay a visit to the Heavenly Lake on the top the Heavenly Mountain.
DAY 09 Urumqi/Trupan/Dunhuang (B,L,D)
Depart for Turpan after hotel breakfast. Upon arrival, visit Jiaohe Ruins, the largest and best-preserved earth construction in the world. Although 2,000 years have passed, the former glory of Jiaohe can still be found in these ruins. Afterwards, visit the ancient Karez irrigation system. Water flowing from the melting snows of the northern mountains, is supplied to Turpan by man-made underground channels or “karez”. Then visit the famous Grape Valley and stop by the Grand Mosuqe. After dinner, we will take the overnight train to Dunhuang.
DAY 10 Dunhuang (B,LD)
Arrive in Dunhuang and transfer to the hotel for rest. After lunch, pay a visit to the famous Mogao Caves, where 492 surviving grottoes are lined with Buddhist carvings, and frescoes dating back to 366 AD.
DAY 11 Dunhuang (B,L,D)
This morning, we ride camels at the Mingsha Hill also known as the Singing Sand Dunes and the beautiful crescent pool in the Crescent Moon Spring. Afternoon, visit Ancient Song Town and local free market.
DAY 12 Dunhuang to Jiayuguan (B,L,D)
After hotel breakfast, visit Dunhuang Museum, which is located in the downtown area of Dunhuang City. It is situated in a three storey building which covers an area of 2,400 square meters (about 25,834 square feet). In front of the museum stand a group of carved figures depicting people leading their camels as they travel along the Silk Road. In the afternoon, depart for Jiayuguan. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel for rest.
DAY 13 Jiayuguan to Shanghai (B,D)
Today, you visit Jiayuguan Fort, which marks the western end of the Great Wall on the edge of the desert, the 6th century Wei Dynasty tombs, Afterwards, fly to Shanghai. Upon arrival, the local guide and driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer to have dinner.
DAY 14 Shanghai (B,L,D)
In the morning, take a walk on the Bund. The Bond’s Art Deco and Neoclassical facades appear much as they did during Shanghai’s previous heyday as China’s most international city, way back in the 1920s and ’30s. Of course, the surroundings have changed radically. Take a short tour of a silk spinning factory to see how Chinese silk has been produced since the 14th century. After lunch, go to visit the Shanghai Bazaar and Yu Yuan Garden. Yuyuan is the most famous garden in Shanghai. It is located in the heart of Shanghai’s Old City (Shanghai bazaar), one of the few existing old tourist places in Shanghai. Shanghai bazaar is teemed with a great number of small streets and lanes where vendors sell their products and food stuffs to the tourists and local people. Then you will visit collection of over 1000,000 objects, about 120,000 of which are precious works of art. High quality collection of ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy is specially celebrated in the world.
DAY 15 Shanghai to Hometown (B)
After breakfast, you will have free time until your transfer to the airport.
B= Breakfast
L= Lunch
D= Dinner
SD= Special Dinner
Notice :Itineraries subject to be changed due to weather condition. Oriental Tours reserves the right to make alterations in the itinerary. Airfare is subject to change until ticket issued.
