30 days: Beijing/ Urumqi / Turpan/ Dunhuang / Xi'an / Lhasa /Zhongdian / Lijiang /Kunming/ Guilin / Yangshuo/ Guilin/Chongqing/ Yangzi River Cruise /Yichang/Suzhou / Shanghai

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Day 1 Depart for Beijing.

Day 2 Beijing
Arrive Beijing. Met and transferred to Beijing. Check in your hotel.

Day 3 Beijing
Begin the day with a visit to Tiananmen Square, the world largest. Move on to the Imperial Palace, also known as the "Forbidden City" that symbolizes the imperial and traditional China. After lunch, you will go to visit the enchanting Summer Palace, one of China's largest and best-preserved imperial gardens. A Peking Duck dinner concludes your first full day activities in China. (B-L-D)

Day 4 Beijing
Take your long expected excursion to the Great Wall. On your way back, make a stop at a mountain village and meet local residents. Visit the Temple of Heaven, which has impressed visitors with its magnificent structure of the Hall of Prayer. Tonight's dinner is the Royal Cuisine at Fangshan Restaurant in Beihai Park. After dinner, enjoy a short episode of classic Peking Opera in a nearby theatre. (B-L-D)

Day 5 Beijing-Urumqi
Morning fly to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Check in your hotel. Visit Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum in the afternoon. See the mummy exhibit in the museum. Dinner is at the hotel. (B-L-D)

Day 6 Urumqi
Visit the beautiful Heavenly Lake set among the alpine peaks of Tianshan Mountain. On Nanshan pasture, you will see Kazakh herdsmen demonstrate their horse riding skills and chasing games. Enjoy a Song & Dance Performance in the evening. (B-L-D)

Day 7 Urumqi-Turpan
Travel to Turpan by motor coachl. Check in your hotel. Turpan is China's hottest city with summer temperatures routinely reaching a toasty 40 degrees Celsius ( about 102 degrees Fahrenheit). Visit Jiaohe Ruins upon arrival, the view there is very spectacular. (B-L)

Day 8 Turpan
Start the day with a visit to the 200 year-old Emin Minaret. Move on to the mysterious Gaochang ruins that reveal traces of a prosperous ancient trading center and military stronghold. You will have some free time in late afternoon and evening for your own exploration. (B-L)

Day 9 Turpan-Dunhuang
Visit well-known Grape Valley in Turpan. Stop by homes of Uygur farmers and step down deep into the unique underground irrigation system -- Karez Wells. Finalize the day by taking an overnight train ride to Dunhuang. (B-L-D)

Day 10 Dunhuang
Arrive at Liuyuan early morning, transfer to Dunhuang by motor coach. Upon arrival,Check in your hotel. Visit Crescent Spring Lake and Singing Sand Dunes of Gobi Desert. You will stay the whole afternoon to explore Buddhist art at Mogao Caves. There are a total of 45,000 square meters of murals and over 2,000 painted clay figures. (L-D)

Day 11 Dunhuang-Xi'an
Fly to Xi'an. Climb up the City Walls to get a feeling of China's ancient capital. Your next stop is Shaanxi History Museum, one of the best in China. Check in your hotel. (B-L).

Day 12 Xi'an
Begin the day with viewing of the extraordinary 2,200-year-old terracotta warriors of China's first Emperor, Qin Shihuang. Inside the Terracotta Museum, the warriors still stand on the actual site where peasants discovered them in 1974. The other hot spots you will cover today are Lintong Museum and Big Goose Pagoda. Enjoy a dumpling dinner and the Tang Style Performance in the evening. (B-L-D)

Day 13 Xian-Lhasa
Fly to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, by air via Xining or Chengdu. Upon arrival. Check in your hotel. Rest of the day is free for you to get accustomed to the Tibetan climate and altitude. (B-L-D)

Day 14 Lhasa
Today, you will visit the sacred Jokhang Monastery. Out of the Jokhang, you are right in the center of fascinating Barkhor area, lined with the stalls of an outdoor market selling all kinds of goods. Move on to visit the Sera Monastery located a few miles to the north of Lhasa. (B-L-D)

Day 15 Lhasa
Today's highlight is a visit to the architectural and religious wonders of the Potala Palace. You will take an afternoon excursion to visit the Drepung Monastery which was founded in 1416. Return to the city and the rest of day is free for your own exploration. (B-L)

Day 16 Lhasa-Zhongdian
Wing on to Zhongdian, a Tibetan town in northwestern Yunnan Province. Visit Songzanlin Monastery upon arrival and then hike in the Bita Lake Nature Reserve. Brief introduction of Yangtze River is presented on this page, including attractions along the river. (B-L-D)

Day 17 Zhongdian
Take excursion to the Baishui Terrace, where geysers and hot springs have created a natural wonderland. Hike in the local forest and visit some of the villages of different ethnic people. (B-L-D)

Day 18 Zhongdian-Lijiang
Travel to Lijiang by land. Arrive Lijiang late afternoon. (B-L-D)

Day 19 Lijiang
Explore this fascinating Naxi town with a rich culture heritage. Visit Baisha Village, the Black Dragon Pool Park, Sifang Jie Square, and enjoy Naaxi Music Concert. You will have some free time to explore the town by your own. (B-L)

Day 20 Lijiang-Kunming
Fly to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. Visit Yuantong Temple and Daguan Lou (Grand View Pavilion) originally built in 1690. Later go to the Western Hill to get a bird's-eye view of the Dianchi Lake and the city. Spend the night in the hotel. (B-L-D)

Day 21 Kunming
The highlight of today's activities is to visit Stone Forest, a unique landscape of stark limestone pillars twisted and sculpted by the elements. You will also have opportunity to explore the local villages and markets. Back to Kunming in the evening. (B-L-D)

Day 22 Kunming-Guilin
Travel to Guilin by air in the morning. Check in hotel. Visit Ludi Cave with natural underground palaces, and move on to visit Fubo Hill. Enjoy ethnic song and dance performance after dinner. (B-L-D)

Day 23 Yangshuo
Visit the Elephant Trunk Hill in the morning. Then get on boat for a four-hour Li River Cruise and savor the lovely view of the area's extraordinary limestone peaks. Cruise ends at Yangshuo, a small town with its main streets lined with numerous small hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. Spend the night in your hotel. (B-L)

Day 24 Guilin-Chongqing
A morning walk through the town to the river. Explore Moon Hill and the Black Dragon Caves around the area. Transfer to the airport for a short evening flight to Chongqing. Board the cruise ship. (B-L-D)

Day 25 Yangzi River Cruise
Today you start your cruise downstream from Chongqing. Your cruise ship will dock at Shibaozhai (Precious Stone Fortress), for a few hours' shore excursion. You will have plenty of time to explore this legendary site. Prepare yourself for a climb of more than one hundred or so steps if you want to reach the top. (B-L-D)

Day 26 Yangzi River Cruise
The highlight of today's cruise is to be thrilled at one of China's greatest natural wonders -- the Three Gorges of Yangzi River, featuring towering peaks and sheer cliffs. The cruise ship docks in Sandouping for an excursion to Three Gorges Dam, the newest attraction on the cruise line. (B-L-D)

Day 27 Yichang-Suzhou
Cruise ends in Yichang. Upon disembarking, fly to Shanghai, the largest city of China, and transfer to Suzhou by motor coach upon arrival. Check in your hotel. Visit one of Suzhou's beautiful gardens Zhuozheng Yuan. Enjoy a boat ride on the Grand Canal, you will have opportunity to see the traditional way of life for the people who have lived there for generations. (B-L-D)

Day 28 Suzhou-Shanghai
Visit an embroidery factory and the Suzhou Silk Museum in the morning. Transfer to Shanghai by motor vehicle and arrive Shanghai in the afternoon. Stop by the Bund, a row of early 20th century European buildings. Enjoy a fabulous acrobatic show before dinner. Spend the night in your hotel. (B-L)

Day 29 Shanghai
Visit Shanghai Museum, a new attraction of the city since it opened in 1994. Later stop by Yuyuan Garden, a well restored Suzhou-style garden. You will have some free time in the afternoon for your own exploration or shipping. (B-L-D)

Day 30 Departure
Transfer to the airport and board your homebound flight. Arrive North America on the same day. (B)