Tours

• Special
• China & Beyond 2011/12
• Optional Tours in Major cities of China
• Transfer in Major Cities of China

China UNESCO World Heritage Tour (Tour Code: EH)

Discover a China rich in natural and cultural resources with this tour of 19 nights, 20 days to Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Dazu, Chongqing, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-la, Suzhou and Shanghai, land price from $5,550

Day 01 Arrival Beijing

Arrival Beijing, the dynamic capital of the People’s Republic of China.Once the imperial city of Mongol. Ming and Manchu emperors, Beijing today is still extraordinarily rich in historical sites and cultural relics. After clearing airport formalities, meet your CTS guide and transfer to your hotel.

Day 02 Beijing (B/L/D)

Tour the Tian’anmen Square, the biggest public square in the world. You will also be able to have a photo stop at The National Centre for the Performing Arts, formerly known as the National Grand Theatre, and colloquially described as The Egg. The Centre, an ellipsoid dome of titanium and glass surrounded by an artificial lake, seats 6,500 people in the three halls and is 200,000 m2 in size. Afterwards, visit Forbidden City,the vast complex of palaces, which was home to successive Emperors for more than 500 years. Included is admission to the living quarters,museum and jewelry sections. Tonight you will experience the famous Beijing Duck banquet for your welcome dinner.

Day 03 Beijing (B/L/D)

Morning tour to the Great Wall at Juyongguan section, stretching almost 4,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the sands of Central Asia and befittingly crowned one of the ten wonders of the world. Along the way, you will stopover at China National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) and China National Aquatics Centre (Water Cube) for taking photos, then stop at a jade carving factory where you can watch artisans at work.Continue to the Summer Palace, the largest and the best preserved of all imperial palace gardens, which boasts such delights as the famous Marble Boat and the ornately painted ‘Long Corridor’, and take a boat ride on its Lake Kunming if the weather permits. After dinner, you will witness the amazing Beijing Acrobatic Show.

Day 04 Beijing (B/L)

In the morning, enjoy a pedi-cab tour of Hutong – the ‘old city’neighbourhoods of narrow alleyways and courtyard gardens, experience local life on a family visit and kindergarten if opens. After lunch, tour to the Temple of Heaven, the 500-year old Temple houses altars on which sacrifices and offerings were laid to the gods in a glorious setting of gardens, tress and sculptures. Then, we tour to the brand new Qianmen Street, which is also called the Heaven Street, because there were 23 emperors during China’s Ming and Qing dynasties walking through this street to pray and make sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven. Centuries ago,Qianmen Street had become a commercial and amusement center due to its convenient location connecting the Forbidden City and communities in ancient Beijing. Also visit a local market if time permits. Evening at leisure

Day 05 Beijing/Xi’an (B/D)

Morning, transfer to the airport for a flight to Xi’an. Upon arrival, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Today you will sample the Xi’an dumpling dinner.Afterwards, you will see the Tang Dynasty Show.

Day 06 Xi’an (B/L/D)

Morning tour to the greatest archaeological discovery of the century, more than 2,000 year-old Terracotta Warriors interred with the Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Included are the Circle Vision Movie and Bronze Chariot.On the way to the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, we visit Xi’an Art Ceramic and Lacquer Ware Factory, which focus on the reproductions of terra-cotta warriors and horses and lacquer ware products. The craftsman in the factory, with professional knowledge,have made the replica of terra-cotta warriors and horses that popularly accepted as souvenirs and gifts by both Chinese and foreign visitors. In the afternoon, we walk through the lively Muslim Quarter and market,visit to the Great Mosque, a best-preserved Islamic mosque in China and focus for the 30,000 Chinese Muslims of Xi’an.

Day 07 Xi’an/Chengdu (B/L/D)

In the morning fly to Chengdu. Upon arrival, we visit the Wuhou Memorial Temple (Wuhou Ci), which is dedicated to Zhuge Liang, the Martial Marquis of Shu in the Three Kingdoms (220 AD-280 AD). Afterward, we visit the ancient Jinli Street in Chengdu, which was in ancient time one of the busiest commercial boulevards of the Kingdom of Shu. Tonight you can try the local cuisine – Sichuan style hot & spicy.

Day 08 Chengdu-Dazu (B/L/D)

Visit the renowned Panda Breeding and Research Centre in Chengdu before take a coach ride to Dazu County. The giant pandas are not only a Chinese national treasure but are also beloved by people the world over. They are found only in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu
provinces. In total there are fewer than 1000, of which 80% are distributed within the territory of Sichuan province. Therefore, when visitors from home and abroad come to Chengdu,Sichuan Province one of their main objectives will be to see the giant pandas for themselves.

Day 09 Dazu-Chongqing (B/L/D)

The Dazu Rock Carvings was built from 650 in the Tang Dynasty and continued to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty
(1616-1911). It is as famous as the Mogao Cave in Dunhuang, Gansu Province. The rock carvings in these places are very distinguished both at home and abroad. Among the rock carvings,there are more than 5,000 statues and over 100,000 Chinese characters of inscriptions and epigraphs. The Buddhist statues dominate in this rock-carving group, and the Taoist and the Confucian stone figures can also be seen.After our tour in Dazu, take a coach ride to Chongqing.

Day 10 Chongqing/Kunming (B/L/D)

Visit the Three Georges Museum before transferred to the airport and fly to Kunming,the capital of Yunnan Province, known as the ‘City of Perpetual Spring’ with beautiful sceneries and historical sites. Transfer to your hotel upon arrival.

Day 11 Kunming (B/L/D)

Visit the Stone Forest, known as ‘No.1 wonder under heaven’, is the highest karst terrain in the world. Here the scenery is dominated by natural limestone formations. Visit Western Hills and Dragon Gate in the afternoon.

Day 12 Kunming/Dali (B/L/D)

Take a morning flight from Kunming to Dali.Standing against the Cangshan Mountains in the west and adjoining the Erhai Lake in the
east, embraced by undulating hills around, Dali was the capital of Nanzhao and Dali Kingdom as early as 1,300 years ago. It is home to Bai minority. Upon arrival in Dali, proceed to visit the Bai village Xizhou or Zhoucheng, photo stop at the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, and visit the old town of Dali, known as ‘state of literature’, which has a long history and splendid culture.

Day 13 Dali-Lijiang (B/L/D)

Coach journey to Lijiang. On the way, you will see the natural countryside scenery. Upon arrival, visit Black Dragon Pool Park. Then you will visit Dongba Culture Museum, where you will learn about the well-preserved Naxi minority’s people’s culture, which is one of very few ancient photographic scripts in the world still in use. River zigzags surrounding the town,take a walk along the street of the old town of Dayan, you will see a combination of human being, nature and culture. Dayan Town has been on the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites since 1997.

Day 14 Lijiang (B/L)

In the morning, you will visit the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain National Park, which is situated 3000m above sea level. You will catch a chairlift to explore Yak Meadow section, where you will see some yaks grazing in the lush surroundings. Afterwards, you will take a short tour of the Baisha Village to see the ancient Fresco. Return back to your hotel, here you will have some free time to explore the old town of Lijiang.Dinner will be on your own arrangement.

Day 15 Lijiang-Shangri-la (Zhongdian) (B/L/D)

Morning drive to Zhongdian, 250KM away, on the way will pass Shigu (Stone Drum) County,visit the First Bend of Yangtze River, and Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is one of the most dangerous and deepest Canyons in the world.Overnight at a hotel in Zhongdian.

Day 16 Shangri-la (Zhongdian) (B/L/D)

Morning visit to Songzanlin Monastery, one of the 13 famous Yellow Hat Tibetan Monastery in Tibet areas constructed following an edict by the fifth Dalai and Emperor Kangxi in 1679. After lunch, tour to the Huge Napahai or Shudu Lake, the water spreads away far below while yaks graze at the shore, also a place where black-necked cranes come to spend winter.This prefecture is inhabited by 13 ethnic groups of Tibetan, Lisu, Han, Naxi, Yi, Bai, Hui and etc.

Day 17 Shangri-la/Kunming/Shanghai (B/D)

Morning fly back to Kunming, and then takes a connecting flight to metropolitan Shanghai.Upon arrival, transferred to your hotel.

Day 18 Shanghai-Suzhou-Shanghai (B/L/D)

In the morning, take a side trip to Suzhou, a small town famous for its classic gardens in the south of China and often so-called ‘Oriental Venice’. You will visit the Master of the Nets Garden, Silk Spinning Mill. Afterwards, you will take a boat cruise on the Canal constructed over 1,300 year ago in Sui Dynasty. If time permits, we take a short visit to newly renovated Shan Tang Street. Late in the afternoon, we will travel back by coach to metropolitan Shanghai.

Day 19 Shanghai (B/L)

In the morning tour we will visit the Bund, a popular promenade along the Huangpu River, where the old meets the modern in Shanghai. You may see the local people performing Tai Chi during your stroll along the Bund. Afterwards, we will visit the Old Town with its winding alleyways, lined with shops, teahouses and restaurants, and then to the elegant and tranquil Yu Garden. In the afternoon we will visit Shanghai Xintiandi, which is a new tourist attraction in downtown Shanghai, featuring the city’s unique “Shikumen” houses and a maze of narrow alleys, which have been converted into cafes, restaurants, bars, art retail shops. Dinner will be on your own arrangement.

Day 20 Shanghai/Departure (B)

Today you are free for some last minute shopping before being transferred to the airport for your flight back home.

Tour Price (based on minium 2 passengers)

Inclusions

• International and China domestic economy class airfare; Airport tax and fuel surcharges
• 4-star hotel accommodation or similar on twin-shared basis
• All road transport by modern airconditioned vehicles from arrival until end of the tour in China
• Meals, sightseeing and entrance fees as specified in the itinerary
• English-Speaking local guides
• English-Speaking national guide(only for 10+ group size)
• Travel wallet and CTS backpack

Exclusions

• Chinese visa fee
• Personal travel insurance
• Tipping see Page 48
• Tour extension
• Personal expenses

Departures