DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Beijing.

DAY    2            ARRIVE BEIJING (4 NIGHTS)
Our English-speaking guide will meet us at the airport and accompany us on our transfer by private coach to our hotel in central Beijing. We will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

DAY    3            BEIJING
Our morning commences in Tian'an Men Square, the world's largest public square (the size of 90 American football fields). In the center of the square stands the Monument to the People's Heroes (Renmin Yingxiong Jinian Bei), a 124-ft.granite obelisk erected in 1958, engraved with scenes from famous uprisings. We continue with a visit to the Forbidden City, a massive complex of red-walled buildings and pavilions topped by a sea of glazed vermilion tile. It is by far the largest and most intricate imperial palace in China and receives more visitors than any other attraction in the country. Our visit will include the Inner Court, where only the emperor, his family, his concubines, and the palace eunuchs were allowed; the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where emperors lived after Yongzheng moved out of the Qianqing Gong; the Nine Dragon Screen, an 11 1/2-ft-high wall covered in striking glazed-tile dragons depicted frolicking above a frothing sea, built to protect the Qianlong emperor from prying eyes and malevolent spirits; the Hall of Jewelry, with all 25 of the Qing imperial seals, ornate swords, and bejeweled mini-pagodas; Cixi's Theater, an elaborate green-tiled three-tiered structure with trap doors and hidden passageways to allow movement between stages; and the Hall of Clocks, a collection of elaborate timepieces, many of them gifts to the emperors from European envoys. Our afternoon concludes with a visit to the Temple of Heaven, an enormous park and altar to Heaven directly to the south of the Forbidden City. Each winter solstice, the Ming and Qing emperors would lead a procession here to perform rites and make sacrifices designed to promote the next year's crops and curry favor with Heaven for the general health of the empire. This evening we will enjoy either a Gala Dinner or the Beijing Opera.

DAY    4            THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA & MING TOMBS
This morning we will journey outside of the city for a visit to the Great Wall of China, one of the world's most awesome and impressive sights. The Great Wall snakes its way from east to west for nearly 4,000 miles, and has been in existence for over 2,600 years. This afternoon we visit the Ming Tombs, where 13 of the 16 emperors who ruled China during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) are buried in a box canyon at the southern foot of Tianshou Shan. This is the most extensive burial complex of any Chinese dynasty and the tombs are constructed in conventional fashion, with memorial halls at the front and burial chambers to the rear. This evening we will enjoy an Acrobat Show.

DAY    5            BEIJING
This morning we begin with a visit to the Summer Palace, the grandest imperial playground in China. The compound is an expanse of elaborate Qing-style pavilions, bridges, walkways, and gardens, scattered along the shores of the immense Kunming Lake. We will enjoy a tour of the park, which covers roughly 716 acres, with Kunming Lake in the south and Longevity Hill in the north. We will also have the opportunity to take slow electric-powered Boats on the Lake and stroll along Suzhou Street, which is filled with interesting shops. This afternoon we will take a Beijing Hutong Tour. A hutong is a unique form of community with a small street or a lane between two courtyards. There are thousands of hutongs in Beijing, most of which were built in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. We will enjoy a fascinating tour by Rickshaw, which will include visits with local families, as well as a magnificent glance into residential Chinese life. This evening we will enjoy a Peking Duck Dinner.

DAY    6            BEIJING - FLIGHT TO XI'AN (2 NIGHTS)
Today we will take a flight from Beijing to Xian, a former capital of 11 dynasties, including the Tang Dynasty, during China's "Golden Age." Upon our arrival, we will check into our hotel, before embarking on a Bicycle Tour of the Xian City Walls. The magnificent and grandiose Xian City Wall was constructed in the early Ming Dynasty, and based on the Imperial City of Chang An (Everlasting Peace) of the Tang Dynasty. The Xian Wall is one of the best-preserved ancient walls around a city anywhere in the world, and the best example of a walled city in China. In addition to the ramparts, the wall contains watchtowers, moats, city gates and tower entrances. Our day will conclude with a visit to the Bell Tower, originally constructed in the 17th year of Emperor Hong Wu's reign of the Ming Dynasty, and moved to its current location in the 10th year of Wanli. The architecture is grand and the art is superb, however the highlight of our visit will be the ascent of the tower, which offers a magnificent panoramic view over the city.

DAY    7            XI'AN
This morning we will visit the Qin Terra Cotta Army Museum. In 1974 a group of peasants digging a well, made what was to become the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century when they unearthed fragments of a life sized Terra Cotta Warrior. Excavation of the vault revealed thousands of warriors and their horses, an entire army designed to follow its emperor into eternity. The site is located 1 mile east of the Qin Mausoleum, and the emperor's Terra Cotta Army was found in three underground timber lined vaults. We will have the opportunity to view the thousands of life size soldiers, standing in military formation with their vivid facial expressions frozen for eternity, some of which are being fully restored to display their original rich coloration. Our day continues with a visit to the Huaqing Hot Springs, located at the northern foot of Mt. Lishan. The Dynasties of Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui and Tang, built a temporary imperial abode on the sight. In the 6th year of Emperor Xuanzong's Reign in the Tang Dynasty (747), it was expanded on a massive scale by turning the hot springs into bathing pools, and by building the palace buildings, protected by an outer circular defensive wall. Today, the Huaqing Pools are fascinating for their exquisite and picturesque scenery, characterized by pink peach blossoms, green willows, dense foliage, beautiful pavilions, terraces, magnificent halls, rolling towers, winding corridors and long verandas. We will explore the springs and the grounds, and we will have the opportunity to experience a traditional Chinese Foot Massage. Our afternoon concludes with a visit to the Banpo Museum and Excavation Site. This site was discovered in the spring of 1953, and today is one of China's most important cultural heritage sites. Archeologists uncovered a village from the Neolithic period (6,000 years ago), which at its height spanned some 50,000 square meters. We will explore the excavation site, as well as the museum, featuring approximately 10,000 pieces excavated from the site. This evening we will attend a Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show.

DAY    8            XIAN - FLIGHT TO SHANGHAI (3 NIGHTS)
Our morning commences with a visit to the Wild Goose Pagoda, situated at the Benevolence Temple to the south of Xian City. The Pagoda, built after the translation of the Buddhist scriptures, is square in shape, and stands 64 meters high, with a spiral staircase leading to the top. Bodhisattva images are delicately carved on the lintels on four sides, and the lower part of the Pagoda features two stone tablets, engraved with the Preface of the Holy Teaching and the Narration Record of the Holy Teaching by Chu Suiliang, the calligrapher of the Tang dynasty. Our day continues as we take our flight to Shanghai, where we will take a Huangpu River Cruise, which is one of the best ways to see both old and new Shanghai. As we sail down the river towards the East Sea, we will enjoy the views of the full sweep of The Bund and the 21st century cityscape of Pudong, as well as the futuristic Yangpu Bridge.

DAY    9            SHANGHAI
Our morning commences with a stroll along Nanjing Road, China's premier shopping street, which starts at the Bund in the east and ends in the west at the junction of Jingan Temple and Yan'an West Street. Today Nanjing Road attracts fashion-seeking shoppers from all over the world and features over 600 businesses with countless famous brands, superior quality, and new fashions. In addition, to the traditional stores, specialty shops still provide choice silk goods, jade, embroidery, wool, and clocks, and open-air bars, abstract sculptures, and lingering sounds from street musicians make this a memorable experience. This afternoon we visit the Shanghai Museum, one of the most important museums in China with 11 state-of-the-art galleries and three special exhibition halls arranged on four floors, all encircling a spacious cylindrical atrium. The exhibits feature over 120,000 historic artifacts and the museum is arranged by theme rather than by dynasty. The museum exhibits include: the Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery, which boasts a marvelous collection of over 400 bronzes from the 18th to the 3rd centuries BC; the Ancient Chinese Sculpture Gallery, with sculptures spanning the Warring States period to the Míng Dynasty; the Painting Gallery, with many ancient original art works on silk scrolls, including landscapes from the Míng Dynasty and Buddhist scrolls from the Táng and Sòng dynasties; and the magnificent Jade Gallery, with intricately carved jade wine vessels, jewelry, and ornaments. Ceramics, coins, Calligraphy seals and furniture are also represented in separate galleries. Our day concludes with a visit to the Jade Buddha Temple, built in 1918. The temple is famous for its jade Buddha statues which are pure white and elegant. The construction of pavilions and halls are in the traditional style of the Song dynasty, and it has four halls: the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the Grand Hall, the Reclining Buddha Hall and the Jade Buddha Chamber. This evening we will enjoy a Banquet Dinner at Lupolang Restaurant, which has hosted many heads of state, including Bill Clinton.

DAY    10          SHANGHAI
Our day commences with a visit to the Yu Gardens and Bazaar, a pleasant and well-contained classical Chinese garden. Built between 1559 and 1577, the Yù Yuán (meaning Garden of Peace and Comfort) is a maze of Míng Dynasty pavilions, elaborate rockeries, arched bridges, and goldfish ponds, all encircled by an undulating dragon wall. During our tour we will view the City God Temple, which dates back to the Ming era and once housed the patron god of Shanghai, and the many Yu Gardens Scenic areas, including the Hall for Viewing the Grand Rockery, the Corridor for Approaching the Best Scenery, the Pavilion for Viewing Frolicking Fish, and the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Flowers. We will also explore The Grand Rockery, which consists of 2,000 tons of rare yellow stones fused together with rice glue and designed by a famous garden artist of the Míng, Zhang Nányáng. Other highlights include the Dragon Wall; the Huxingting Teahouse, featuring a zig-zag bridge that protects the structure, as evil spirits can't turn corners; and finally the Yu Gardens Bazaar, featuring restaurants, stalls and street performers. We continue as we visit the Jin Mào Tower, the tallest building in China. Built in 1998 as a Sino-American joint venture, the Jin Mào is currently the third tallest building in the world 1,379 ft. Blending traditional Chinese and modern Western tower designs, the building, which boasts 88 floors, consists of 13 distinct tapering segments, with high-tech steel bands binding the glass like an exoskeleton. We will take a high-speed elevator from Level B1 to the top in less than 45 seconds, where we will enjoy magnificent views from the public observation deck on the 88th floor, known as "The Skywalk."

DAY    11          SHANGHAI - FLIGHT TO HONG KONG (2 NIGHTS)
Our day begins as we fly to Hong Kong, situated on one of the world's most beautiful harbors and a major factor in the industrial, political and financial affairs of the world. Formerly a British colony, Hong Kong became a special region of China in 1997. On the verge of change, this city continues to provide visitors with some of the best shopping in the world, offering an exciting nightlife, and marvelous international cuisine. After dinner this evening, we will explore the Temple Street Night Market, a wonderful place to spend an evening, featuring countless stalls that sell clothing, watches, imitation designer handbags, sunglasses, sweaters, cassettes, and more. The name of the game is bargaining. The market is also famous for the seafood stalls, where you can sample clams, shrimp, mussels, and crab. We will follow Temple Street to its northern end past the overpass, in the vicinity of the Tin Hau Temple, where we will find palm readers, musicians, and street singers.

DAY    12          HONG KONG
This morning we will enjoy a Dim Sum Breakfast, before visiting the Hong Kong Museum of History, which opened in 2001. This is Hong Kong's ambitious attempt to chronicle its long and fascinating history, starting with the formation of its natural history and its beginnings as a Neolithic settlement, and continuing through its development as a fishing village and subsequent transformation into a modern metropolis. Through displays that include dioramas, replicas of fishing boats, models, reconstructed traditional housing, furniture, clothing, and items from daily life, the museum introduces Hong Kong's ethnic groups and their traditional means of livelihood, customs, and beliefs. This afternoon we will take the famous Star Ferry to Victoria Peak, where we will get one of the best possible views of Hong Kong. We will continue with a stroll around The Peak, before we return to mainland Hong Kong. This evening we will enjoy dinner on the largest floating restaurant in the world, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant.

DAY    13          DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG
Our enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as our tour manager/guide accompanies us to the airport for the return flight home.