China UNESCO World Heritage

Discover a China rich in natural and cultural resources with this 20 nights, 21 days tour to Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Dazu, Chongqing, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-la, Suzhou and Shanghai, from $4,600 (Tour Code: EK)

Day 01 Australia/Beijing

Fly from Australia to 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, you will be met by our CTS guide and transferred to your hotel.

Day 02 Beijing (B/L/D)

Tour the Tian’anmen Square, the biggest public square in the world. If permitted, we visit Mao’s Mausoleum. After lunch, visit Forbidden City, the vast complex of palaces, which was the home to successive emperors for more than 500 years. Included is admission to the living quarters, museum and jewellery 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, 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 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 pedicab tour of the Hutong – the ‘old city’ with neighbourhoods of narrow alleyways and courtyard gardens. Here you will experience local life on a family visit and a kindergarten school. After our special lunch in a local family home, 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, trees and sculptures. Visit a local market if time permits. Evening at leisure.

Day 05 Beijing/Xian (B/D)

Morning, transfer to the airport for a flight to Xian. Upon arrival, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Today you will sample the Xian dumpling dinner. Afterwords, you will see the traditional Tang Dynasty Show.

Day 06 Xian (B/L/D)

Morning tour to the greatest archaeological discovery of the century, the 2,000 year-old Terracotta Warriors interred with the Emperor Qin Shi Huang. In the afternoon, we will visit the Great Mosque, the best-preserved Islamic mosque in China and focus for the 30,000 Chinese Muslims of Xian.

Day 07 Xian (B)

Today is a free day for you to explore this city at your own pace.

Day 08 Xian/Chengdu (B/L/D)

Morning fly to Chengdu. Upon arrival, take a drive to Dujiangyan Dam, which was built more than 2,000 years ago. Have a local cuisine dinner – Sichuan style hot & spicy. Check into the hotel.

Day 09 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, Shanxi 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, one of their main objectives will be to see the giant pandas for themselves.

Day 10 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 tours in Dazu, take coach back to Chongqing.

Day 11 Chongqing/Kunming (B/L/D)

Visit the Three Georges Museum before transferred to the airport and fly to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, is called ‘City of Perpetual Spring’ with beautiful sceneries and historical sites. Check to your hotel.

Day 12 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 which forms a large forest. Visit Western Hills and Dragon Gate in the afternoon.

Day 13 Kunming / Dali (B/L/D)

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, 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 14 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 Cultural 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. Afterwards, we will wander through the cobbled streets.

Day 15 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 the 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 Frescos. Return back to your hotel, here you will have some free time to explore the old town. Dinner will be on your own arrangement.

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

Morning drive to Zhongdian, 250km away. On the way will pass Shigu (Stone Drum) County, see 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 17 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 nationalities.

Day 18 Shangri-la/Kunming/Shanghai (B/D)

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

Day 19 Shanghai-Suzhou-Shanghai (B/L/D)

In the morning, take a side trip to Suzhou, a small town famous for its classic gardens 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 1300 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 20 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. Afternoon tour the 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 21 Shanghai/Australia (B)

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

Day 22 Australia

Arrival in Australia.