Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Yangtze River Cruise, Shanghai
14 Days / 12 Nights
4,099 SAVE $2,042
The Golden China Discovery provides the opportunity to enjoy many of China’s picturesque landscapes, historic monuments, and modern-day architectural triumphs. From the bustling streets of Beijing and Shanghai to the Li River, you will experience the urban and rural cultures throughout the country. Climb the Great Wall of China and visit the Xi’an Terracotta Warriors. Shop in the economic heart of Shanghai, Gondola Ride on Grand Canal and gaze at enormous pagodas and colorful Chinese gardens.
ITINERARY
HIGH LIGHTS
FINE PRINT
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Day 1
Depart Home – Beijing
Begin your journey with the international flight to Beijing, and transferred to hotel by tour guide
In-Flight
In-Flight Meal
Day 2
Beijing
Visit Tiananmen Square
Walk through the Forbidden City, home of the Chinese emperors and their household for five centuries
Optional Evening Entertainment (at $35pp) - The Legend of Kung Fu
Arrival Xi’an, ancient city, visit the City Wall, one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world
Sightseeing tour includes Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Provincial Museum. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was regarded the landmark of Xi’an
Enjoy an optional Traditional Chinese Dumplings banquet with Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7
Xi’an - Guilin
Tour the exhibit of the historical Terracotta Warriors
Muslim Quarter and the traditional market
Take night flight to Guilin
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8
Guilin – Longji
Drive to Longji to visit Dragon-back Terraced Fields and villages of Miao, Yao People
Stay overnight on the mountain in Longji
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9
Longji – Yangshuo
Go to Xingping to take the bamboo raft on Li River
Enjoy shopping in Xi Jie, or there is the option to rent a bicycle or a tuk-tuk to go around the countryside and get an up close and personal look at the hills of Yangshuo and the life of Chinese farmer
Optional Evening Show: The “Liu San Jie” evening show (The Impression Show)
Breakfast, Lunch, In-cruise meal
Day 10
Yangshuo – Guilin
Drive back to Guilin, the most beautiful place in China, to visit Reed Flute Cave
Elephant Trunk Hill: the symbol of Guilin landscape
Free leisure in Guilin
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 11
Guilin - Chongqing On Board
Enjoy the opportunity to see Giant Panda in Chongqing Zoo
Visit Chongqing Old Town
On Board to Yangtze cruise in the evening
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12
Yangtze Cruise
Sail early in the morning and later stops at Fengdu. Take the excursion to explore China’s city of Ghosts, where all souls are said to return here to accept final judgments after their death
Visit temples and shrines dedicated to the gods of the underworld and other landmarks including “Ghost Torturing Pass, Last-glance-at-home Tower, and Nothing-to-be-done Bridge
Cruise continues and enters Qutang Gorge - the shortest, narrowest and probably the most fascinating of the three, noted for its fantastic scenery resembling an elegant Chinese painted scroll.
Captain’s welcome banquet in the evening on board
In-cruise Meal
Day 13
Yangtze Cruise
Enter Wu Gorge, the softly layered peaks form a surreal backdrop as the ship courses through the rugged canyons
Change to the “pea pod” boat for a trip up the crystal clear Daning River through its magnificent Lesser Three Gorges to experience the excitement and awe of bygone days of river travel in China
In-cruise meal
Day 14
Yangtze Cruise – Shanghai
Enter the spectacular Xiling Gorge
A brief stop at Sandouping, the site of modern China’s most ambitious engineering project - the construc¬tion of the Three Gorges Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant
Disembark at Yichang and take flight to Shanghai
In-cruise meal
Day 15
Shanghai
Shanghai Museum and People Square
Pearl of Orient TV Tower
The Bund & Nanjing Road (Walking District)
Evening Entertainment : Huangpu River Cruise
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 16
Shanghai –Suzhou Ancient Water Town
Excursion to ancient water town, a famous river town near Shanghai
Silk Factory Outlet - Learn about silk, the very trade item which started the famous Silk Road, and its delicate manufacturing process
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 17
Shanghai – Home
You will be transferred to the airport via your schedule flight back home or continues your journey to visit other cit¬ies in China
Breakfast
Beijing
Forbidden City- The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.
Great Wall - The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China in part to protect the Chinese Empire or its prototypical states against intrusions by various nomadic groups or military incursions by various warlike peoples or forces. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC; these, later joined together and made bigger, stronger, and unified are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. Especially famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang.
Hutong - Hutongs represent an important cultural element of the city of Beijing. Thanks to Beijing’s long history and status as capital for six dynasties, almost every hutong has its anecdotes, and some are even associated with historic events. In contrast to the court life and elite culture represented by the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect the culture of grassroots Beijingers. The hutongs are residential neighborhoods which still form the heart of Old Beijing.
Xi’an
Ancient City Wall - Ancient City Wall, the fortifications of Xi'an, an ancient capital of China, represent one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. Construction of the first city wall of Chang'an began in 194 BCE and lasted for four years. That wall measured 25.7 kilometres ( 16.0 mi) in length, 12–16 metres (39– 52 ft) in thickness at the base. The area within the wall was c. 36 square kilometres (14 sq mi). The existing wall was started by the Ming Dynasty in 1370. It encircles a much smaller city of 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi). The wall measures 13.7 kilometres ( 8.5 mi) in circumference, 12 metres ( 39 ft) in height, and 15–18 metres (49– 59 ft) in thickness at the base.
Terracotta Warriors - The Terracotta Army or the "Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BC and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.
The figures, dating from 3rd century BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers in Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits nearby Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were also found in other pits and they include officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians.
Guilin
Longji Terrace - Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon's scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon. Visitors standing on the top of the mountain can see the dragon's backbone twisting off into the distance. In an early morning, when the weather is fine, the sunrise on the summit of Longji Rice Terraces is magnificent.
Reed Flute Cave - The Reed Flute Cave is a landmark and tourist attraction in Guilin, Guangxi, China. It is a natural limestone cave with multicolored lighting and has been one of Guilin’s most interesting attractions for over 1200 years. It is over 180 million years old. The cave got its name from the type of reed growing outside, which can be made into melodious flutes. Reed Flute Cave is filled with a large number of stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations in weird and wonderful shapes. Inside, there are more than 70 inscriptions written in ink, which can be dated back as far as 792 AD in the Tang Dynasty. These aged inscriptions tell us that it has been an attraction in Guilin since ancient times.
Yangtze River The Yangtze River is important to the cultural origins of southern China. Human activity was found in the Three Gorges area as far back as 27 thousand years ago. River cruises several days long, especially through the beautiful and scenic Three Gorges area.
Shanghai
The Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower is a TV tower in Shanghai, China. Its location at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong district, by the side of Huangpu River, opposite of The Bund makes it a distinct landmark in the area. At 468 m (1,535 feet) high, it was the tallest structure in China from 1994–2007, when it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center. It is classified as a AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.
Suzhou Ancient Water Town - Ancient water town is surrounded by water. The village has as many canals as it does roads. No cars are allowed into the village making it very peaceful and quiet. Little gondolas glide through the canals and people can rent one and travel through the village. The village is filled with elderly people and they are quick to smile at visitors. Sitting next to a canal with your feet in the water, or sitting in a teahouse watching the gondolas pass by is an unforgettable experience.
Fine Print for Classic China Yangtze River Cruise
AMERICA DEPARTURE DATES Mar 14, 21, 28 April 4, 11, 18, 25, May 9, 16, 23, 30, Sep 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct 10, 17, 24, 31,
Jun 13, 27, Jul 11, Aug 8
AUSTRALIA DEPARTURE DATES Mar 15, 22, 29 April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 10, 17, 24, 31, Sep 6, 13, 20, 27, Oct 11, 18, 25,
Jun 14, 28, Jul 12, Aug 9
• Voucher price is based on double occupancy
• High season surcharge $400 per person is applied for Jun-Aug departure
• US $160 per person tour tipping not included and payable upon booking
• China domestic taxes US $200per person is payable upon booking
• Single supplement US $800 per person for this 7 nights tour
• Promotion tour is non-refundable from Merry Travel after air ticket is issued
HOW TO BOOK
1.
Complete Online Reservation Form at www.merrytravelus.com
2.
Choose a valid date based on option purchased.
3.
Mention your VOUCHER number and provide your credit card information to pay the balance of payment (tipping, single supplement (if applied), and other related fees
ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE INCLUDES:
1.
Private air-conditioned Vehicle
2.
International airfare and airport taxes and fees
3.
Transportation to and from hotel, airports, and sightseeing places
4.
Standard room for accommodations
5.
Meals in the itinerary
6.
Entry fees for sightseeing places in the itinerary
7.
English speaking tour guide
ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE EXCLUDES:
1.
China Visa fees (for regular service: AUS98.5 for Australian passport holder,USD140 for United States passport holder, CAD85 for Canadian passport holder)
2.
US$50 per person service charges (including return postage) for obtaining visas
3.
China domestic airport taxes and fees US$200 per person
4.
Tour tipping US$160 per person
5.
Single Supplement $800 per person
6.
Meals and beverages, other than specified
7.
Laundry and other items of a personal nature
8.
Trip delay, or interruption by airline schedule change
9.
Cost for anything not specifically mentioned in the listing above
10.
Optional insurance coverage is available for Baggage, Accident and Trip Cancellation/Interruption
11
Extra cost or missing tour caused by flight delay or cancel
12.
Luggage fee and other special request for in-flight service that incurs additional surcharge
13.
Additional fee caused by passenger's special request for date change, routing change and itinerary change.
You must fill in the boxes marked *
All Traveler information must match exactly what is on the government-issued ID you use when travelling. Passport photo page coy must be provided upon booking for ticketing.
PLEASE NOTE: CREDIT CARD DETAILS REQUIRED TO COLLECT MANDATORY TIPPING AND VISA CHARGES AS WELL AS ANY ADDITIONAL TOURS PURCHASED ABOVE.
TRAVELER'S NAME MUST BE EXACTLY SAME AS PASSPORT NAME. AIRLINE PENALTY FOR NAME CORRECTION $100 AND ANY OTHER AIRLINE FEES WILL BE APPLIED.
/ 12 Nights 
