Luxury China

Starting in Beijing, we will visit all the essential sights in the capital, including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. In Chongqing, one of China's largest cities, we will board the luxury cruise ship and begin an unforgettable voyage on the mighty Yangtze. After four relaxing days, we will continue to Shanghai and spend two exhilarating days in cosmopolitan surroundings before heading towards one of the most charming canal towns of China, Suzhou, where we will visit the famed Garden of the Master of Nets and explore the narrow cobbled streets and picturesque canals of Suzhou.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing - Welcome Dinner

Meals: D

Upon arrival at Beijing Capital Airport, our guide and driver will pick you up and take you on the 1hr drive to your hotel in downtown Beijing. After check-in we will enjoy dinner at a local Chinese restaurant.

Accommodation: Beijing Raffles Hotel

Day 2: Tiananmen Square - The Forbidden City - Temple of Heaven - Night Market

Meals: B L D

The morning begins at the Temple of Heaven. Depending on the season this will be a fairly early pick-up at the hotel (7:30am summer, 8:30am winter) as we leave for the Temple of Heaven to experience the outdoor life of Beijing locals. In every corner of the park inside the Temple of Heaven we will see elderly Beijing residents dancing gracefully, exercising and playing “pukepai” which just means playing cards but is based on the phonetics of the English word poker.

2 kms to the North is one the greatest symbols of new China: Tiananmen Square. The 440,000m² square is home to the Memorial Hall of Mao Zedong. Entry requires a valid ID, so please bring your passport if you wish to see Mao Zedong. To the north of the square, lies the Forbidden City of the Ming and Qing dynasties. We cross over the five famous bridges and Mao Zedong’s picture to enter through the city’s south gate. There is a short walk before having lunch just next to the city walls.

Entering the Forbidden City and seeing the largest courtyard (Siheyuan) in all of Beijing, is a stunning sight that instantly transports you back to Beijing before 1910. Leaving the Forbidden City, we climb the Coal Hill or Jingshan which means the 'Hill of Scenery’ and the character Jing (景) holds the characters for both sun and capital city inside it, meaning the hill from where one can see the sun rise and set over the capital.

On our way back to the hotel we walk through the boisterous Donghuamen Night Market at Wangfujing road where you can whet your appetite with skewered cricket or roasted silk worm if you are feeling adventurous.

Accommodation: Beijing Raffles Hotel

Day 3: The Great Wall of China - The Ming Tombs - Bird's Nest Stadium

Meals: B L D

Today we’ll start in the centre of Beijing and drive through the suburbs into the rural areas of the municipality of Beijing. On our way we will visit a cloissone factory.

In the morning we will climb the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall which once was one of the most important sections of the Great Wall due to its strategic location between two mountain tops just north of Beijing.

After a good climb we proceed to the Sacred Way which leads into the area of the Ming Tombs. Thirteen emperors were buried in the area and we will visit the only tomb that was excavated, the Ding Tomb.

Driving back on the new highway, the tall buildings of Beijing’s inner city slowly reappear showing how great construction projects have been always been embedded in Chinese history. The day will end at the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium in the northern part of Beijing. Outside the Bird's Nest you will be able to see the extension of the north – south axis that runs through Beijing.

Accommodation: Beijing Raffles Hotel

Day 4: Beijing-Chongqing. Arrive in Chongqing - Pandas at the zoo - Three Gorges Museum

Meals: B L D

An Albatros Travel representative will meet you at the airport. Our first stop in this megacity is the city zoo where we'll pay the giant pandas a visit. After lunch we will head to one of the city's central squares where a replica of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing was built a few years ago. The building is now used as the city hall. After a tour of the hall and area, we gain invaluable background information about the majestic Yangtze River at the Three Gorges Museum. After dinner we board the cruise ship and begin our voyage of 2,660km on the fabled Yangtze River.

Accommodation: Cruise ship

Day 5: Yangtze River - Visit the ghost city of Fengdu - Tai chi and other activities

Meals: B L D

After enjoying a peaceful morning onboard the luxury five-star ship, we make our first port of call at Fengdu, the city of ghosts, in the afternoon. There is no shortage of activities onboard. Enjoy the phenomenal view from the upper deck, sign up for various activities that include tai chi lessons, calligraphy demonstrations and talks on Chinese history and culture.

Accommodation: Cruise ship

Day 6: Yangtze River - Sail through the Three Gorges - Excursion to Shennong Stream

Meals: B L D

Today, our journey will take us through the second of the Three Gorges, Wu Gorge, which is a narrow passageway with steep cliffs and forest-clad peaks. At the Wushan mountain, we'll transfer to small motorboats and sail down the Shennong stream, a tributary of the Yangtze. In the afternoon, back on the cruise ship,we'll sail through the Three Gorges ship locks.

Accommodation: Cruise ship

Day 7: Yangtze River - Three Gorges Dam - Travel to Shanghai

Meals: B L D

Today we will see the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric dam. We'll get a closer look at the enormous turbines that power this massive plant. In the afternoon, we disembark from the cruise ship and fly to Shanghai. We'll check into our hotel and have dinner nearby.

Accommodation: The Fairmont Peace Hotel

Day 8: Shanghai. The Bund - Yuyuan Bazaar - The Old Street - Jinmao Building

Meals: B L D

Our first stop in Shanghai is the incredible Jin Mao building in the Pudong district. From the 88th-floor we'll be able to enjoy phenomenal views of the sprawling metropolis. From Pudong, we journey into Old Shanghai and visit the Yuyuan bazaar and experience a slice of Shanghai history. Shop for trinkets and taste local eats. Next stop is Shanghai's main shopping street, Nanjing Lu, where major designer brands are represented. We'll also see the Bund, Shanghai's waterfront, with its European-style former banks and trading houses.

Accommodation: The Fairmont Peace Hotel

Day 9: Suzhou Classical Garden - Panmen Gate - Suzhou Museum

Meals: B L D

With its numerous small canals, low whitewashed houses and peaceful gardens, Suzhou has always been a popular city. Our first stop is the Garden of the Master of the Nets, one of the most famous gardens in Suzhou.

Suzhou has been China’s silk capital since the Tang Dynasty. We’ll visit a silk factory and be introduced to the intricate and labour-intensive process of silk-making. After lunch, we carry on to one of the old city gates - Panmen Gate. This particular gate is different from many other gates of ancient China because of its waterway into the city that makes it possible to enter the city by boat, as well as by foot. Next we visit the beautiful canal town of Zhouzhuang.

Accommodation: Suzhou Pan Pacific Hotel

Day 10: Departure

Meals: B

Depending on your departure time, you will be picked up at your hotel and driven to the airport or train station.

Additional information

A child is defined as 12 years or younger and below 1.20m in height.

All rates are based on double occupancy and it is therefore not possible to add additional cots or beds in the cabins.

Above are prices based on the period of travel. If the dates don't fit your holiday plans, just get in touch with us and we'll arrange the holiday to accommodate your preferred travel dates

Prices do not apply to the Golden Weeks (approx. May 1-7, Oct. 1-7) and the Chinese New Year.

Included

Pick up and drop off service at hotel, airport or train station
Professional local English-speaking guide
Hotel accommodation and 3 nights on cruise ships
Transportation according to the programme with car, coach or bus depending on group size
Meals as stated in the itinerary B = Breakfast. L = Lunch D = Dinner. Breakfast is usually international breakfast buffet combined with local Chinese breakfast. Lunch consists of local Chinese dishes including meat and vegetables. Sometimes lunch is a western-style sandwich if the weather or programme so requires. Dinner is specialised Chinese meals from many different regions in China.
All entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary
Beverages (soft drinks or local beer) within a reasonable limit (2-3 glasses)
English map of Beijing
24hr on-call service in case of emergencies

Excluded

Anything not in “Included” list above
Any flights or transportation besides those mentioned in the "Included" list above
Phone calls or other personal expenses
Tips - We recommend that the guide receives 2 USD per person per day and 1 USD per person per day for the driver

We reserve the right to make improvements and changes to the itinerary due to local circumstances or events outside our control.

Tour starts/ends:

This tour starts in Beijing and ends in Shanghai.

An Albatros Travel representative will meet you at the airport. This tour includes pick-up and departure services. Please let us know your flight details, including flight number, arrival and departure times, in order for us to arrange your transfers.

Type of vehicles used:

For transfers between destinations we use modern and comfortable vehicles that have air conditioning.

Level of ability required:

This tour does not include any strenuous activity so no particular level of ability is required, however please be prepared for some walking. If you have any concerns or questions regarding disability access, please contact us in advance.

Food and dietary information:

If you have any particular dietary preferences or requirements, please make these clear when you make your booking. Most types of diet can be catered for. We will eat at local restaurants. It’s not a problem to maintain a vegetarian diet in China.

Breakfast at the hotel is usually an international breakfast buffet.

Health and vaccinations:

In general, tourists do not need any vaccinations. Malaria vaccinations are not necessary in most parts of China. However, we advise you to consult with your doctor before travelling. For more information about health and vaccinations, please look at this website.

Baggage and what to bring:

Baggage
For domestic travel by air, the baggage allowance is 20kg (44lbs) per person. Since we do not provide tours with international air travel, please check your airline's website for luggage weight limits.

Adaptors
Flat two pin outlets are used in China. European round two pin outlets can also be used but don't fit perfectly. A plug adaptor can be purchased in most electronic stores.

Visa requirements:

Most travellers need a tourist visa to China. Please consult the Chinese consulate or embassy in your country of residence for visa application. This website may be useful in providing information regarding the application procedure.

Cancellations:

If you need to cancel
We understand that your travel plans sometimes change and we try to be as flexible as possible. However as we have to book accommodation at hotels we are also bound by their cancellation policies. In general, the following rules will apply when cancelling a tour you have booked:

- If cancelling more than 45 days before commencement of our services there is no cancellation fee and we will refund 100% of your money

- If cancelling within 45 to 31 days before commencement of our services: 20 % of the total booking value will be levied

- If cancelling within 30 to 15 days before commencement of our services: 60 % of the total booking value will be levied

- We are unable to offer a refund if cancelling less than two weeks before commencement of our services

For full details of our cancellation terms, please see our general Terms and Conditions.

China Tours & Holidays

Quality travel since 1986

Spend ten days seeing some of China's most incredible sights. Four of those days will be spent on a luxury cruise travelling down the mighty Yangtze River. Indulge in 5-star luxury on this journey.

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