Highlights of China - 10 days/9 nights
 
Beijing - Xi'an - Guilin - Shanghai
Visit some of the most amazing sights in China. Look into China’s ancient past and astonishing natural landscape and witness its rapid modernization by visiting the mind-boggling cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Your private English-speaking local guides will enhance your experience of the wonders of this ancient land.
Privately-Guided! Whether you are a single person, a couple, or a group, you'll have your own guide and driver for all airport pickups, dropoffs, and daily excursions.
Choose Your Own Dates! This is not a fixed-departure-date tour. Just let us know the dates that work best for you and we will arrange everything.
Customizable! Need more time? Less time? Want to see or do something that isn't included? Just let us know, and we will arrange it for you and let you know the change in costs.
What Our Clients Say - Our clients can't wait to tell us how their trips went: Client Feedback
Trip Highlights
- Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City
- The Great Wall
- A traditional Beijing-duck dinner
- The Li Mountains in Guilin
- A Chinese acrobat show in Shanghai
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Beijing
Arrive in Beijing where you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Beijing.
Day 2: Beijing
After breakfast, meet your guide and begin your tour of the capital city. Start with historical Tiananmen Square. From the square, walk through the gates to explore the endless halls and palaces of the Forbidden City, which took 15 years (1405-1420) for 100,000 artisans and laborers to construct. In the afternoon visit the Summer Palace – the summer resort of China’s monarchs during the Qing Dynasty. Overnight in Beijing. (Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 3: Beijing
After breakfast, visit the Great Wall of China, the only man-made construction visible from outer space. In the afternoon, visit the 7km long Sacred Way consisting of stone carvings of animals and officials and one of the Ming Tombs. Enjoy a Beijing duck dinner in the evening. Overnight in Beijing. (Breakfast, Lunch, Special Dinner)
Day 4: Beijing to Xi'an
Spend your morning visiting the Temple of Heaven – China’s largest altar complex. If time permits, enjoy shopping at the Hongqiao Market or Silk Alley. Take an afternoon flight to Xi'an, which served as China’s capital for more than 1000 years. Upon arrival, you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Xi'an. (Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 5: Xi'an
After breakfast, visit the Terra Cotta Warriors, one of the most significant archeological discoveries of the 20th century. In the afternoon, visit the old City Wall, the best preserved of its kind in China, followed by the Great Mosque in the Muslim quarter. Enjoy a Tang Dynasty dinner show in the evening. Overnight in Xi'an. (Breakfast, Lunch, Special Dinner)
Day 6: Xi'an to Guilin
Visit the Provincial Museum to learn the history of the ancient Silk Road followed by a tour into the 7th century Big Wild Goose Pagoda for excellent views of the city. Take an afternoon flight to Guilin. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for check in. Overnight in Guilin. (Breakfast,Lunch).
Day 7: Guilin
In the morning, board a boat for a 5-hour relaxing cruise down the winding Li River to the village of Yangshuo. Watch the spectacular scenery change from sleepy farming villages to steep cliffs and majestic mountains. After arriving in Yangshuo, you'll have a chance to explore and shop before returning to Guilin by car. Overnight in Guilin. (Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 8: Guilin to Shanghai
Today, visit the gardens at Fubo Hill, the unique Reed Flute Cave, the vivid Elephant Trunk Hill, and the beautiful Seven Star Park before being transferred to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel for check in. Overnight in Shanghai. (Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 9: Shanghai
Begin your tour in this flourishing city with a walk along the Bund – Shanghai’s riverfront walkway. Also visit the Jade Buddha Temple and enjoy a stroll through Yu Garden and Bazaar. In the afternoon visit the Shanghai Museum, truly a must-see. Enjoy an Acrobatic Show in the evening. Overnight in Shanghai. (Breakfast,Lunch)
Day 10: Departure
Enjoy a free day to explore the city before being transferred to the airport for your flight home.
Rates
Per Person Rates (based on double occupancy):
Prices good through March 31, 2010
4-star hotels: $2855
5-star hotels: $3595
Contact us for advice on hotels and a quote based on your choice.
Rates Include
- All airport transfers to and from hotel
- All tours and excursions as outlined in the itinerary
- All surface transportation as per the itinerary by a private, chauffeur-driven, air-conditioned car
- Hotel accommodation on twin sharing bed & breakfast basis inclusive of all taxes and service charges
- Meals as described in the itinerary
- Services of a local English speaking guide for all tours and excursions
- Flights from Beijing to Xi'an, Xi'an to Guilin, and Guilin to Shanghai
Rates Do Not Include
- International airfare
- Visa fees
- Airport departure taxes
- Tips
- Expenses of a personal nature
Hotels
| 4 Stars | 5 Stars |
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Beijing | Holiday Inn Central Plaza | Inter-Continental Financial Street | Xian | Grand New World | Sofitel | Guilin | Bravo | Sheraton | Shanghai | Holiday Inn Vista | Westin Bund Center |
To Book This Tour
- Download, print, and fill out the Reservation Form for each person.
- Fax the form to 206-529-4803, or mail it with your non-refundable $500 per person deposit to:
Red Lantern Journeys
1000 N. Northlake Way
Suite H Seattle, WA 98103
- Final payment is due 75 days prior to departure. If your reservation is made less than 75 days prior to departure, full payment will be due upon confirmation of hotels and flights.
Payments must be made by personal check, bank wire transfer, or credit card. Upon receipt of your deposit, we will initiate the reservations and send you a statement showing your payment. Approximately 4 weeks prior to your departure, we will send you a final confirmation package containing your itinerary and detailed information on the logistics of your trip.
Forms to Download (pdf file)
Reservation Form with Complete Terms and Conditions
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Favorite memories and trip highlights from our clients:
"I was interested to see how being in China during the October national holidays would affect our trip and, I can say wholeheartedly, that it made it better. I consider myself a somewhat experienced traveler but I'd never been to China and expected it to be a lot more overwhelming than it was. Really, I think I could live there in a heartbeat. I loved the fact that we visited places like Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace with hoards of other people - and that most of them appeared to be Chinese, if not locals. There was this party feel in the air and plenty of subjects at which to point my camera. Guilin, the Li River, and Yangshou were more unique and beautiful than I imagined and I specially enjoyed the river cruise. "
- Heidi K. in Seattle, WA [Oct, 2006]
"The trip to China was fantastic! I'd rate it 10/10 for any category. This was a great experience, and a wonderful value. We're assembling our slide show now, and expect to have it complete by next week. The hike on the Great Wall was fantastic; being that far away from the "tourist" area was just what we wanted. The hike was about 11km and we took the cable car down from the last tower (tower 28) to save time.
By the way, we found an excellent scooter rental place in Yangshuo. We rented electric scooters and went about 15km outside the city area. We saw lots of fantastic countryside with rice fields, small villages and livestock. The e-scooters are the way to go! We made much more ground than we could have with bikes, allowing us to photograph more things. "
- Kevin C. in Shoreline, WA [Oct, 2006]
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