ยป 13-day Ancient China Tour & Pingyao, Beijing Exploration

13-day Ancient China Tour & Pingyao, Beijing Exploration

Day 1 Arrival/Beijing

Upon arriving in Beijing, your local guide will meet you and you will be driven to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax, or explore Beijing on your own.

 

Day 2 Beijing

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: The Forbidden City, Silk Factory, Summer Palace

Optional Special Cultural Experience: Beijing Duck Dinner

In the morning, after you have had breakfast in your hotel, your local guide will meet you and you will be driven to The Forbidden City. Built over 500 years ago, it is the largest imperial palace complex in the world. It never fails to awe visitors with its grandeur. You will then be driven to one of Beijing premiere, the Yuanhou Silk Factories, where you will learn about the history of Chinese silk and witness how it is turned, from a simple cocoon into shimmering fabric. You will then be driven to the Summer Palace. The largest Chinese imperial garden, it was the summer home of the Emperor and his family. It is a magnificent place filled with surprises.

Optional: In the evening you will be driven for a Beijing Roast Duck Dinner. It is a meal unlike any other and one you will truly enjoy.

 

Day 3 Beijing

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: The Great Wall (Mutianyu Section), Sacred Road

After you have had breakfast in your hotel, your local guide will meet you and you will be driven to The Great Wall (Mutianyu Section). No amount of photos can prepare you for the majesty of The Great Wall. After visiting The Great Wall, you will be driven to the Sacred Road. The road leads to the Imperial Tombs of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is lined with huge ancient marble statues of animals, mythological creatures, and government officials. After you will go to visit the Bona Jade Store. Here you will see more than thousand kinds of jade wares that can embody thousands of years of Chinese culture. Those gorgeous products are not only the ideal decorations for companies and houses, but also the best presents for your friends and relatives, such as necklace, ring, earring and pendant.

 

Day 4 Beijing/Pingyao                                                                                     Overnight Train

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: Temple of Heaven, Hutongs

In the morning, after having breakfast in your hotel, your local guide will meet you and you will be driven to the Temple of Heaven. The temple of heaven was where China’s Emperors would go each year to pray for good harvests for the whole country. Then you will be driven to take a rickshaw ride through the labyrinth of Beijing’s Hutongs. They will give you a glimpse into what life was like in old Beijing. You will then be driven to the train station to board your comfortable overnight train to Pingyao.

 

Day 5 Pingyao

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: Qiao Family Mansion, Ancient City Wall, Rishengchang Exchange Shop, Ming and Qing Street

After you took off your train your local guide will meet you and take you to have breakfast for local food. You will first visit the Qiao Family’s Mansion. Built by successive generations of the Qiao family, this mansion is one of the most opulent in China. It was used as the backdrop for many movies including the famous “Hang the Red Lantern”. After visiting the mansion you will be driven to Pingyao’s Ancient City Wall. Used as a defensive network for the city, the gates and gate towers are very impressive. You will then be driven to the Rishengchang Exchange Shop. The shop was essentially China’s first bank and the shop is in a fantastic state of preservation including its secret vaults which held their client’s gold. After visiting the exchange shop you will be driven to the Ming and Qing Street. Lined with ancient architecture, this street shows visitors what shopping was like during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

 

Day 6 Pingyao/Taiyuan/Xian                                                           Overnight Train

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: Shuanglin Temple, Twin Pagoda Temle

In the morning, after you have had breakfast in your hotel, your local guide will meet you and you will be driven to Pingyao’s Shuanglin Temple. Built over 1,400 years ago, the temple is famed for its more than 2,000 sculptures which represent the height of artistry in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasty. After visiting the temple, you will be driven to Taiyuan to visit the Twin Pagoda Temle. In the evening you will take on your nighttrain for the 1st class softsleeper to Xian.

 

Day 7 Xian

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: Terracotta Warriors, Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Special Optional Cultural Experience: Tang Dynasty Show with Jiaozi (Dumpling) Feast

After you took off your train your local guide will meet you and take you to have breakfast. Then you will be driven to visit the incredible Terracotta Warriors. After lunch you will be driven to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area, where you will stroll through the gardenlike area around the pagoda.

Optional: In the evening you will be taken to an amazing Jiaozi (Dumpling) Feast followed by the Tang Dynasty Show, which bring the pageantry and music of the ancient Tang Dynasty to life.

 

Day 8 Xian/Guilin

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda

After breakfast in your hotel, your guide will meet you and you will be driven to the Shaanxi History Museum to discover Xian’s amazing history. You will then be driven to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Housed in a huge temple complex, the ancient pagoda was built to house Buddhist Sutras brought to China from India. After visiting the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, you will be driven to the airport for your flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival in Guilin, your local guide will meet you and you will be driven to your hotel.

 

Day 9 Guilin

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill

After you have had breakfast in your hotel, your local guide will meet you and you will be driven back to Guilin. In Guilin you will first visit the Reed Flute Cave. The cave’s many bizarre stalagmites and stalactites make visitors feel like they have stepped into another world. You will then be driven to Elephant Trunk Hill, the symbol of Guilin. The hill is shaped like an elephant dipping its trunk into the Li River. Then you will be driven to Fubo Hill. Located on the Li River, the beautiful karst rock hill is the centerpiece of a small park.

 

Day 10 Guilin/Yangshuo

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: Li River Cruise, West Street

After breakfast in your hotel, your guide will meet you and you will be driven to the Zhujiang Pier (40 minutes). There you will board your boat for your Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo. The scenery along the Li River is often referred to as the most beautiful under heaven. Upon docking in Yangshuo, your guide will escort you to your hotel. After checking in, you will be taken down Yangshuo’s famous West Street, known for its shops, bars, and eateries.

 

Day 11 Yangshuo/Hong Kong

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: Biking through Yangshuo Countryside

After have breakfast in your hotel you will cycle out to the countryside surrounding Yangshuo. You will be mesmerized by the beauty of the scenery and the ancient villages that dot the landscape. Then you will be driven to the airport for you flight to Hong Kong. After arrive in Hong Kong your local tour guide will meet you and escort you to the hotel for rest.

 

Day 12 Hong Kong

Meals: B, L

Places to visit: Victoria Peak, Aberdeen, Repulse Bay

In the morning after having breakfast in your hotel, your guide will meet you and you will be driven to Central for your tram ride up to Victoria Peak, which will give you a fantastic bird’s eye view of Hong Kong. You will then be driven to Aberdeen where you will see an entire community living on small houseboats as they have for centuries. After Aberdeen, you will be driven to Repulse Bay, the most luxurious section of Hong Kong, is famous for its architecture, boutiques, and golden beaches.

 

Day 13 Hong Kong/Departure

Meals: B

On this day you will be free until your guide meets you and you are driven to the airport for your flight home.

Price Includes:

Transportation & Private Transfers:

Transportation cost covers all the domestic airfare of economy class with airport tax, train tickets between the cities as the itinerary specified.


Transfer between airports, railway station, hotels and scenic spots for sightseeing around the cities that are specified by the itinerary with private air conditioned vehicle with driver and English-speaking guide. Separate arrivals and departures will incur extra charges.


Entrance Fees:

All entrance fees to the scenic spots listed in the itinerary. The final arrangement will be determined by private tour guides depends on the real-time local circumstances wheather are beyond the control of Access China Travel. We will adhere to the original itinerary as accurately as possible.


Normal Meals:

All normal meals as the itinerary specified: B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D = dinner in local restaurant. Breakfasts are served in hotel, breakfasts have Chinese or Western style for your option; Lunches are served in carefully selected quality local Chinese restaurants with best service, your lunches will be ordered by your guide catering to your preferences within normal standard. Dinners as the itinerary specified will be also served in local Chinese restaurants. The meal quotation is normalized. If you have any special request about meals, like vegetarian, famous rare dishes, Indian food or more, please inform us in advance. For the unspecified dinners, you will have dinner on your own. Feel free to ask your local guide for suggestions or recommendation.


Private Sightseeing Escort:

Normal sightseeing activities as the itinerary listed will be escorted with English-speaking guide. The English-speaking guide and driver in each city are with you throughout the entire itinerary around that city. They do not fly with you from one city to another.


Hotel Accommodation:

Hotel service criterion: two adults share on one standard twin/double-bed room; solo traveler who want to occupy one twin/double-bed room assigned is required for extra single supplement rate. A single room is available on prior request at an additional cost; if a recommended hotel unavailable, it will be replaced by one of the same class. All hotels as the itinerary listed serve daily western or Chinese breakfast. All rooms are air-conditioned with private facilities unless specified.


Tour Arrangements:

The tour cost includes the planning, handling, booking, operation and communication charges.

Service Charge & Government Taxes

Price Excludes:

International airfare or train tickets for entry or exit China, unless that is noted or required otherwise.

Visa Fees, passport application or renewal fee.

Excess Baggage Charges.
Personal Expenses:
Expenses of a purely personal nature such as excess luggage fees, laundry, drinks, fax, telephone call, optional activities (shows) and meals, beverages...

Meals:
Any meal are not specified in the itinerary with "B", "L" or "D".
Any extra cost caused by the changes of natural disasters, fires, weather, government and local authority orders, politics, strikes, war, riots, quarantine, custom regulations; as well as tourist law violation, accident damages or injury incurred out of Access China Travel control.

Gratuities:
Tips to guides, escort, drivers bellman, etc.