Day 1 Sat. May 21: Fly to SFO
We will fly in the evening to San Francisco to catch our late night flight from California to Hong Kong.
Day 3 Mon. May 23: Hong Kong
This morning early we will arrive into Hong Kong. Upon arrival we will enjoy a tour of Hong Kong that includes a boat ride on old Sampans through the harbor of Hong Kong. Overnight Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Harbor
Hong Kong Harbor
Day 4 Tue. May 24: Hong Kong - Shenzhen - China Cultural Village – Li River
This morning we will travel into Mainland China to the city of Shenzhen and the China Cultural Village. The Chinese Government worked with the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii to create their China Cultural Villages featuring their many ethnic groups found in China, like Mongolians, Tibetans, etc. After our visit to the Cultural Village we will fly to Guilin (Li River) where we will overnight.
Day 5 Wed. May 25: Guilin and Li River Cruise
This will be a highlight day as we sail on the Li River through some of the most beautiful and unique rock formations found anywhere in the world. The scenic drive to and from the Li River is filled with terraced rice paddies. In the afternoon we will return to Guilin, possibly the most beautiful city in China.
This morning we will visit the beautiful Reed Flute Cave before heading to the airport for our flight to Xian. Upon arrival we will do a city tour with a special visit to Xian’s ancient city wall. This may be the best preserved City Wall in the world. Dating back over 500 years, the ancient city wall stretches almost 9 miles around the city with its moat and draw bridges still in tact. The top of the wall is wide enough to put 4 semi trucks side by side.
Day 7 Fri. May 27: Xian – Terracotta Warriors
We will spend the day visiting the Terracotta Warriors, one of the world’s great archeological treasures. We will also visit the Wild Goose Pagoda. Xian is the capitol of 11 dynasties and one of the largest medieval cities in the world. This evening we will attend one of the best cultural shows we will see anywhere in the world – The Tang Dynasty Dinner and Cultural Show. This fantastic show is full of music, dance and colorful traditional costumes. Overnight Xian.
This morning we will fly to Wuhan. Our morning tour will be of the Bell Museum. An ancient tomb (thousands of years old) was discovered filled with bronze bells also found in the tomb. We will enjoy a performance of these bells with authentic music compositions also found in the tomb. We will then take a beautiful drive to the 3 Gorges Dam and our 5 star luxury ship on the Yangtze. We will spend the 5 days 4 nights cruising the beautiful majestic Yangtze River.
Day 9 Sun. May 29: Cruising the Yangtze
Cruising the Yangtze can be more beautiful than cruising the inside passage of Alaska. With lush green mountains, manicured farms and fjord like 3,000 foot cliffs, we will be awe struck at its beauty. We will start our day by visiting the world's largest man made dam. We will then enter the 5 ship locks of the 3 Gorges Dam. The ship's locks of the Panama Canal pale in comparison. Each of the 5 ship locks will raise the ship 60 feet into the air. Spectacular, unique, mystic and magical are the adjectives describing the magnificent scenery along the Three Gorges, unfolding on a monumental scale, equal to the Grand Canyon. Today we will go through the Misty Gorge where we will see exquisite peaks, grotesquely shaped rocks and silvery waterfalls.
Day 10 Mon. May 30: Cruise the Yangtze River and the Three Lesser Gorges
We will start our day with our shore excursion into the Three Lesser Gorges. This is one of the most beautiful places on earth. We will then return and continue sailing through Wu Gorge and on to the grandest Gorge on the Yangtze, the Qutang Gorge.
Day 11 Tue. May 31: Cruise the Yangtze River
Today we will stop to tour the ancient Shibaozhai Temple. Dating back to 1750 this temple is located on top of rock out cropping 700 feet in the air. We can enter Shibaozhai by climbing through a wood pagoda attached to the cliff. It is not as hard as it looks. We will stop on each floor as we climb to enjoy the paintings and sculptures. The view from on top of Shibaozhai of the Yangtze and the local farm lands is spectacular. Fun For Less Tours was the first to start bringing their groups to this special site. Because of us, Viking River Cruises and Uniworld Cruises have added Shibaozhai to their itinerary. NOTE: This day is subject to change depending on the timing of the ship. We may end up visiting Fendgu.
Day 12 Wed. June 1: World Heritage Site: Dazu – Beijing
This morning we leave our 5 star luxury ship on the Yangtze in Chongqing and then drive back into the mountains to visit the special stone carvings of Dazu. Here monks have been carving life size stone carvings for almost 2,000 years. There are 60,000 of them! Most of our passengers have liked this site as well or better than the Terracotta Warriors in Xian. A MUST SEE IN CHINA. This place is rarely on tours offered by others and again will be one of wer favorite highlights of China. We will also stop at a farming community out in the country to see what rural farm life is really like. We will then return to Chongqing and stop for a visit with the Pandas on our way to the airport and our flight to Beijing. This evening we will visit Tiananmen Square before reaching our hotel.
Day 13 Thu. June 2: Beijing
Today we will visit the Temple of Heaven and then head to the Summer Palace (the summer residence of China’s Emperors. This afternoon we will make our anticipated visit to the Forbidden City. A huge complex of palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens. The Forbidden City was off limits to common people for over 500 years.).
Day 14 Fri. June 3: Beijing – Great Wall
This morning early we will travel 40 miles north of Beijing to the Great Wall. This extraordinary 4,000 mile long fortification was built to thwart the barbarian invasions. A walk along the enormous towered and turreted wall is spectacular. We will return to Beijing where we will have a free afternoon to shop at Silk Alley or relax before our flight back home.
Day 15 Sat. June 4: Beijing to Bali
This morning we will take the recommended extension to the most beautiful island on earth – Bali!!!
1 comment:
Sounds like so much fun! I wish we could go with you!
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