Savour the beauty of China's ancient history, rich culture, delicate cuisine and modern architecture. Walk along the Great Wall and learn of the mystery of the Forbidden City in China's capital Beijing. Discover the exquisite southeastern cities of Wuxi, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, long known for their natural beauty, before immersing yourself in dynamic, cosmopolitan Shanghai.
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Take a flight from Australia to Beijing
2018 Itinerary:
Beijing served as the capital of five dynasties over a period of 800 years. Today, visit Tiananmen Square, the second largest public square in the world, and the Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming to Qing dynasty. Continue on to the Temple of Heaven, one of the best examples of Ming Dynasty architecture and also an ornate sanctuary where Chinese emperors offered sacrifices to heaven and prayed for a good harvest. Your welcome banquet includes the local delicacy, Peking Roast Duck.
2019 Itinerary:
Beijing served as the capital of five dynasties over a period of 800 years. Today, visit Tiananmen Square, the second largest public square in the world, and the Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming to Qing dynasty. Your welcome banquet includes the local delicacy, Peking Roast Duck.
Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today’s highlight is an excursion to the majestic Great Wall of China at Juyong Pass. This is one of the three most famous passes along the Wall, together with Jiayuguan and Shanhaiguan. Just 60 km from downtown Beijing, Juyong Pass was the northern route to Beijing in ancient times. Once here, there is plenty of time to learn about the wall’s construction and you’ll have the chance to climb a portion of this 6,000 km marvel. You will also visit one of the largest jade exhibitions in Asia en-route. After lunch, see skilled artisans at work at a cloisonné factory. Tonight, you can choose to attend an optional large scale dramatic musical, The Golden Mask Dynasty (at your own expense).
Meals – Breakfast, Lunch
Today tour the exquisite Summer Palace, the largest preserved ancient garden in China and a former summer resort for emperors, followed by the Panda House at Beijing Zoo to see China’s adorable national treasure – the Giant Panda. Then visit a Chinese herbal institute to learn about traditional Chinese medicine which has existed for thousands of years, as you enjoy a rejuvenating foot massage. Later, you can join an optional Hutong Life Tour (at your own expense), a special journey which explores Beijing’s ancient alleyways or ‘hutongs’ by pedicab, or take a stroll in Wangfujing, one of the Chinese capital’s most famous shopping streets. Cap off the day by attending a thrilling Chinese Kung Fu Show (at your own expense).
Meals – Breakfast, Lunch
2018 Itinerary:
Fly to Shanghai and travel to Wuxi, an ancient city richly endowed with natural attractions due to its pleasantly warm and moist climate. Wuxi boasts a reputation of being the ‘Land of Fish and Rice’. Enjoy the scenery as we pass by Lake Tai, the third-largest freshwater lake in China. This evening, go sightseeing around Nanchang Street and take a cruise along the Grand Canal (at your own expense) to view life along what was known as ‘China’s golden waterway’ in its heyday. Then, take a stroll along the trendy pedestrian streets composed of both ancient and modern architecture.
2019 Itinerary:
Take a high speed train to Wuxi, an ancient city richly endowed with natural attractions due to its pleasantly warm and moist climate. Wuxi boasts a reputation of being the ‘Land of Fish and Rice’. Enjoy the scenery as we pass by Lake Tai, the third-largest freshwater lake in China. This evening, go sightseeing around Nanchang Street and take a cruise along the Grand Canal (at your own expense) to view life along what was known as ‘China’s golden waterway’ in its heyday. Then, take a stroll along the trendy pedestrian streets composed of both ancient and modern architecture.
Meals – Breakfast, Dinner
This morning, visit one of the largest freshwater pearl exhibitions in the country. After lunch, travel by coach to Suzhou, an elegant city with canals, stone bridges, and meticulously designed gardens. Suzhou has been referred to as ‘Paradise on Earth’ by Chinese poets and writers since ancient times. As a large area of the city is covered by water, including a vast number of ponds and streams, Suzhou is also known as ‘Venice of the East’. It is also known as the ‘Garden City’ due to its many classical gardens, renowned for their charming natural beauty and harmonious construction. Visit the Lingering Garden, which is among the finest in China.
Meals – Breakfast, Lunch
This morning visit a silk spinning mill, and learn how silk is created from mulberry-munching silkworms to produce the finest thread and cloth. After lunch, travel by coach to Hangzhou, described by Marco Polo as ‘the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world’. Upon arrival, take a boat ride on the serene West Lake, the most renowned feature of Hangzhou, and noted for its scenic beauty which blends naturally with many famous historical and cultural sites. This evening, you can enjoy an optional open-air performance, Impression West Lake, a masterpiece created by Zhang Yimou, the director of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Games Opening Ceremony (at your own expense).
Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Experience tea-tasting at the Dragon Well Tea Plantation. Then travel by coach to Shanghai, a vibrant metropolis and the commercial centre of China. Upon arrival, walk along the famous Bund, a mile-long stretch along the Huangpu River. Lined with colonial architecture of European design, it is the best place to capture the Western influences of the old days. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure strolling along the bustling shopping district, Nanjing Road. Tonight you can watch a superb and thrilling Chinese acrobatic show ERA: The Intersection of Time or SPIRAL (at your own expense).
Meals – Breakfast, Lunch
2018 Itinerary:
After breakfast, visit Jin Mao Tower Observation Deck (88th floor) for a panoramic view of Huangpu River and the Bund. Then taste the famous xiao long bao at a Shanghai dumpling restaurant for lunch (at your own expense). After lunch, head to the Old Street in the City God Temple area, symbolic of the large temple complex and surrounding traditional district of commerce in the city. After tonight’s farewell celebration dinner, you can cap off the celebrations by joining an optional Huangpu River Cruise for a glimpse of the dazzling and charming night view of Shanghai (at your own expense).
2019 Itinerary:
After breakfast, visit Jin Mao Tower Observation Deck (88th floor) for a panoramic view of Huangpu River and the Bund. After lunch, head to the Old Street in the City God Temple area, symbolic of the large temple complex and surrounding traditional district of commerce in the city. After tonight’s farewell celebration dinner, you can cap off the celebrations by joining an optional Huangpu River Cruise for a glimpse of the dazzling and charming night view of Shanghai (at your own expense).
Meals – Breakfast, Dinner
After breakfast, transfer to Shanghai airport to board your overnight connecting flight via an intermediate city to Australia. The trip may be over, but the experiences and memories will certainly last a lifetime.
Meals – Breakfast
Arrive home this morning.
