12 days / 11 nights

• A perfect introduction to China
• The Forbidden City
• The Great Wall
• A&K’s own stylish cruise boat on the Yangzi
• VIP Terracotta Warriors
• Choose your accommodation
• Sophisticated Shanghai

Itinerary

Day 01 Arrive Beijing
Arrive to your private A&K welcome and settle into your luxury hotel.
Beijing

Days 02-03 Design Your Days Beijing
With so much to see in China’s capital plan your stay to suit. We recommend a visit to the Great Wall of China, recently voted one of the new ‘Wonders of the World’. Away from the crowds, take a cable car ride and climb the ramparts at Mutianyue with lunch nearby. Also not to be missed is Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City perfectly topped off by a delicious Peking duck lunch.
Want to see more? Then choose from our selection of handpicked Beijing experiences: drive the Spirit Way and visit the Ming dynasty tombs north-west of the city; take a boat cruise on Lake Kunming to see the Summer Palace or visit the Beijing Opera Training School to understand the intricacies of this ancient art (B,L).
Beijing

Day 04 Beijing-Xian
Before leaving a relaxing Tai Chi class at the Temple of Heaven and a pedicab ride through the old alleyways of Beijing. Evening flight to the Tang Dynasty capital Xian (B).
Xian

Day 05 Xian
Ancient history comes to life as you explore this treasure trove of Chinese civilisation. From a VIP viewing point, you will be dazzled by the amazing Terracotta Warriors. Regarded by many as the most sensational archaeological discovery of the 20th century, you will see up close the army of life-sized figures. After an authentic Shaanxi dumpling lunch visit the Provincial Museum and its impressive collection of Tang dynasty tomb murals (B,L).
Xian

Day 06 Xian-Chongqing
Xian was the start of the ancient Silk Road, the historic junction of East and West and where we include time to explore the Old Quarter and Great Mosque alongside the ancient city walls and Wild Goose Pagoda. En route to the airport A&K includes a visit to the small but well designed Yangling Museum which houses recent archaeological discoveries from Han dynasty tombs. A flight to Chongqing to board M.S. Yangzi Explorer (B,D).
Yangzi Explorer

Days 07-08 Cruising the Yangzi
Considered one of China’s iconic experiences, the next three days are a river journey through the breathtaking Three Gorges with a variety of shore excursions available en route. It is the perfect way to explore in comfort this rather inaccessible part of the country. See thriving riverside towns, temples, pagodas, dramatic cliff faces and sheer peaks and of course the impressive Three Gorges Dam, China’s biggest construction project since the Great Wall (B,L,D).
Yangzi Explorer

Day 09 Yichang-Shanghai
Disembark for your orientation of Yichang and lunch. Fly to Shanghai, the ‘Paris of the East’ and settle into your luxury hotel. A lively acrobatic show is scheduled this evening (B).
Shanghai

Days 10-11 Design Your Days Shanghai
The glittering metropolis of Shanghai is China’s commercial heart with diversions aplenty. A&K includes a visit to the Shanghai Museum, the world’s finest showcase of Chinese art and antiquities, as well as the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall which houses a vast scale model of Shanghai in 2020. Lunch at Shanghai institution, Meilongzhen. Your visit also includes a drive out of the city to the peaceful waterside town of Zhujiajiao where a boat ride on the canals is the best way to appreciate its well-preserved Ming architecture and ancient stone bridges. For more ideas in Shanghai we recommend exploring the fashionable shops and galleries of the French Concession, or board a futuristic glass capsule to travel through the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel to Pudong, site of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai’s most famous modern landmark (B,L).
Shanghai

Day 12 Depart Shanghai
A farewell to China as you depart Shanghai (B).

Note: Rates for Design your Day excursions available on request. 2007 Yangzi cruises operate on M.S. East King.

Departure Dates & Prices – Highlights of China

Tour Departs:

On the following dates

2008