Imperial Jewels of China

Hubei Provincial Museum

Xiling Gorge scenic cruising

Three Gorges excursion

Shiboazhai Temple tour

Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City

Summer Palace

 

Daily Shore Excursions: 12 included guided tours

Included Meals All meals: 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches & 10 dinners

Port Charges: Included on all itineraries

Air Taxes, Fees, Fuel Surcharges & Transfers Included with airfare

Day 1 – Beijing
Fly to Beijing, China’s former imperial capital whose rich history dates back more than 3,000 years, then transfer to your hotel. After check-in, you have free time to relax or explore.

Day 2 – Beijing
This morning visit the enormous Tiananmen Square, which can accommodate over 1,000,000 people. Then, tour Beijing’s Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; made up of nearly 800 buildings, it is the world’s largest surviving palace complex. Walk its grounds among the opulent palaces, pavilions, courtyards and imperial gardens within the 26-foot-high walls. After lunch in a local restaurant, see the Summer Palace, a 700-acre complex of elegant buildings and gardens (complete with manmade Kunming Lake) frequented by the Imperial Court when they wanted to escape the bustle of Beijing. Tonight, taste some local specialties at dinner. (B, L, D)

Day 3 – Beijing
After breakfast, travel to the Badaling Hills. There, you behold one of the most impressive and best-preserved sections of the Great Wall of China—a 4,000-mile-long series of sandstone and earthwork fortifications built and maintained between the 5th century B.C. and the 16th century A.D. that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore its winding pathways and marvel at the panoramic views from its ramparts. After a lunch of local specialties, visit the Sacred Way, a tree-lined avenue guarded by massive sculptures of elephants, lions and camels leading to the Ming Dynasty tombs. This evening, relax and dine at your hotel—or, enjoy an optional evening featuring China’s famous Peking duck and a recital by Peking Opera performers. (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Beijing & Xian
Today tour Old Beijing’s hutongs (narrow alleys) via rickshaw.† Discover the sights and sounds of traditional Chinese life. Visit a silk carpet workshop for a demonstration of this ancient art. After lunch, fly to Xian, key city of the Tang Dynasty. From 618 to 907 A.D., this dynasty presided over one of China’s most glorious cultural periods spreading its influence throughout Asia into Europe and Africa. This evening, you may choose to dine surrounded by the song and dance of this colorful era, or have dinner and relax at your hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 5 – Xian & Chuongqing
After breakfast, tour the mausoleum where Emperor Qin Shi Huang was laid to rest over 2,000 years ago. See the thousands of life-sized terra cotta warriors, archers and infantrymen that were buried with him; each man and horse molded with its own distinctive features. Walkways provide a bird’s-eye view of the entire manmade necropolis where the Terra Cotta Army was discovered in the 1970s. After lunch in Xian, fly to Chongqing, gateway to the Yangtze to board your ship. You are welcomed aboard with a Western meal, and set sail this evening. (B, L, D)

Day 6 – Shibaozhai
This morning, visit Shibaozhai Temple, a 12-story pavilion built in 1650 along the Yangtze. Tour the pavilion and temple before returning aboard for lunch. Return to your ship and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)

Day 7 – Three Gorges & Lesser Three Gorges
For the next 150 miles, travel the most scenic stretch of the Yangtze as it forces its way through a spectacular series of limestone ridges known as the Three Gorges. During breakfast, cruise through Qutang Gorge, the shortest, narrowest and most spectacular of the three large gorges. Then, board a smaller boat for an excursion through the Lesser Three Gorges. Sail through these remarkable canyons flanked by towering cliffs. Along the way, see fascinating sites including the hanging coffins of the Ba people and the ancient plank road carved into the cliffside. Return aboard for lunch, and spend the afternoon sailing through Wu (Witches) Gorge, renowned for its magnificent scenery. Dinner is served aboard. This evening, sail through the five-stage locks of the Three Gorges Dam. (B, L, D)

Day 8 – Three Gorges Dam & Three Gorges
This morning, disembark for a tour of the Three Gorges Dam where you learn about this immense engineering masterpiece and what it means for the Chinese people and the Yangtze. Lunch and dinner are served aboard while you cruise through Xiling Gorge, the longest of the Three Gorges. (B, L, D)

Day 9 – Jingzhou
This morning, arrive in Jingzhou, where you visit an elementary school sponsored by Viking River Cruises. You are greeted and entertained by the children, then return to your ship for scenic cruising. (B, L, D)

Day 10 – Wuhan & Shanghai
After breakfast, disembark in Wuhan. Visit the Hubei Provincial Museum where you hear the music of ancient bronze bells. Then, fly to Shanghai, China’s largest city and one of the world’s most important ports. Here, you can see the modern metropolis of the financial district juxtaposed with the older sections of the city. Check in to your hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 11 – Shanghai
This morning, see Old Shanghai and travel along the elegant Bund, stopping to admire some of its historic buildings and city views. After lunch in a local restaurant, visit a silk carpet workshop for a demonstration. Then tour the Shanghai Museum, featuring displays of ceramics, bronzes, calligraphy and paintings. Visit a silk embroidery factory to see a demonstration of this delicate art. After lunch, we spend some time at the exquisite Yuyuan Garden, dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant before the world-famous Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe show from the best seats in the house. (B, L, D)

Day 12 – Shanghai
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed to the airport for your return flight.* Or, continue your China journey with an escorted land program that includes 1 night in Guilin and 3 nights in Hong Kong. Spend a relaxing day along Guilin’s scenic Li River, then sightsee and shop in fabulous Hong Kong. (B)

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
5/22/2012 - 6/2/2012	$6,299
5/25/2012 - 6/5/2012	$6,299
6/1/2012 - 6/12/2012	$5,399
6/4/2012 - 6/15/2012	$5,399
6/11/2012 - 6/22/2012	$5,399
6/14/2012 - 6/25/2012	$5,399
6/21/2012 - 7/2/2012	$5,399
6/24/2012 - 7/5/2012	$5,399
7/1/2012 - 7/12/2012	$4,999
7/4/2012 - 7/15/2012	$4,999
7/11/2012 - 7/22/2012	$4,999
7/14/2012 - 7/25/2012	$4,999
7/21/2012 - 8/1/2012	$4,999
7/24/2012 - 8/4/2012	$4,999
7/31/2012 - 8/11/2012	$4,999
8/23/2012 - 9/3/2012	$4,999
8/30/2012 - 9/10/2012	$4,999
9/2/2012 - 9/13/2012	$6,399
9/9/2012 - 9/20/2012	$6,399
9/12/2012 - 9/23/2012	$6,399
9/19/2012 - 9/30/2012	$6,399
9/22/2012 - 10/3/2012	$6,399
9/29/2012 - 10/10/2012	$6,399
10/2/2012 - 10/13/2012	$6,399
10/9/2012 - 10/20/2012	$6,399
10/12/2012 - 10/23/2012	$5,899
10/19/2012 - 10/30/2012	$5,899
11/11/2012 - 11/22/2012	$5,399
11/18/2012 - 11/29/2012	$5,399
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

Price Guarantee Once you have paid in full for your trip, you are safe from any additional charges. Airfare increases, currency fluctuations, increased fuel surcharges, new government taxes—none of these will apply to you.

Travel Protection You are looking forward to your trip, and we are looking forward to welcoming you aboard. But sometimes illness or an emergency at home may create the need to postpone or cancel your vacation. If that happens, make sure you are protected. Our new, updated travel protection plan provides 100% protection if you must cancel or interrupt your trip for any reason, including a pre-existing medical condition.

Ratings & Reviews:

This tour has no reviews yet. Have you experienced this tour? Write a review.

Related Travel Articles

• Travel Improves Your Health
• Top Five Things to do in Hong Kong
• Kyoto, Japan
• Yangtze River Cruise
• Adventures by Disney Invites Families to Experience the World in 2010
• Asia Travel
• Asia Cruises For 2010
• Magnificent Asia Tours
• Independent Travel Simplified :: Globus Monograms
• PERSONALIZE YOUR HONEYMOON - STRESS-FREE - WITH MONOGRAMS
• MAKING THE MOST OF A “MINI”: PACK FUN INTO QUICK GETAWAYS WITH MONOGRAMS
• Independent Vacation 2010 Prices Down 10 Percent Worldwide
• Victoria Anna
• Spotlight on Eastern Mediterranean
• Greece: A Land of Timeless Beauty
• Paula Deen Cruise
• Featured Trip: Best of Italy
• Collette Exporations: Small Group Travel...Big Experiences
• Family Tour Vacations
• Featured Tour: Insight Vacations Best of Italy
• New Ships for 2011
• Culinary Cruises 2011
• Exploring the Neighborhoods of Paris
• New Avalon River Cruises 2012
• Where Can Globus Take you in 2012