China Essence - Deluxe - 11 Days

Welcome to Beijing! Meet your guide and transfer to the hotel. Beijing, ancient capital, modern metropolis, the home of emperors and the heart of a great cultural tradition. Spend the rest of the day to explore Beijing's historical yet dynamic atmosphere on your own.

Meals: Buffet breakfast, Western lunch
You can't come to Beijing and not get a photo taken on one of Beijing's cultural icons -- the Tian'anmen Square, the world's largest square lying in the middle of Beijing's central axis. Head directly to the north of the Tian'anmen Square for the Forbidden City (UNESCO), the world's largest imperial palace complex. The yellow-glazed tiles and ancient relics in the Forbidden City make it easy to feel like you're being transported back in time, when the city existed in all its imperial glory. Then head 15 km from central Beijing to one of the capital's most visited sites, the Summer Palace (UNESCO). Once as a resort for the imperial court, the Summer Palace is an opulent mixture of palaces, temples, gardens, pavillions, lakes and corridors. It's a perfect time to sit, catch your breath and take in the beauty of this magnificent place.

Meals: Buffet breakfast, Western lunch, Special Dinner (Quanjude Peking Duck)
Today you'll visit another renowned imperial site, the Temple of Heaven (UNESCO), where ancient Chinese emperors made sacrifices to Heaven and prayed for bountiful harvests. Visit Great Wall at Mutianyu for its awe-inspiring former glory, winding through mountain scenery, with easier walking conditions and fewer crowds compared with Badaling Great Wall. You won't regret the fresh air, the nature and your marvelous Great Wall experience. Traditional Peking Duck at Century-old Quanjude Restaurant for special dinner tonight.

Meals: Buffet breakfast, Chinese lunch
Today you'll be taken to the culture of grassroots Beijingers -- Hutong tour with pedicab ride. The Hutong courtyard, traditional courtyard homes of local Beijing people, is symmetrical and neat inside with room on all four sides. You'll be welcomed by hospitable Beijing residents during your home visit. Your next stop today is the Yonghegong Lama Temple. Initially built as a prince residence and later transformed into a royal resort palace, Yonghegong finally became the Buddhist temple as we know today, where Lamas read scriptures and hold Buddhist ceremonies. Then head to the airport for your Xi'an flight. Transfer to the hotel upon arrival.

Meals: Buffet breakfast, Western lunch, Special Dinner (Dumpling Dinner & Tang Dynasty Show)
Take an excursion to the Terracotta Warriors Museum. Admire the 7,000 terracotta soldiers that have stood guard over China's first emperor for over 2,200 years. "A nation that could create such a great history and culture will certainly create a bright future," quoted former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, who has visited the Terracotta Army three times. Dip your toes into the century-old Great Mosque, which blends Islamic mosque styles and traditional Chinese architectural elements. If you happen to be interested in Chinese folk arts, then a visit to the Gao's Familiy is a must for your journey in Xi'an. You'll feast your eyes with the Chinese Shadow Puppetry, a form of theatre acted by colorful silhouette figures made from leather or paper, accompanied by music and singing and manipulated by puppeteers using rods. Tonight experience the enchantment and the splendors of the Dumpling Dinner & Tang Dynasty Show, taking you back thousands of years.

Meals: Buffet breakfast, Western lunch
Head to Shaanxi Provincial Museum, housing large quantities, full categories, and high grade precious art treasures, stone carvings and unearthed historical relics of the Han and Tang dynasties. Your day will start with Xi'an Ancient City Wall, one of 10 top attractions you must see in Xi'an and is the best-preserved city wall in China as well one of the largest ancient military defensive systems across the globe. Cycle on the nine-mile City Wall, one of the largest ancient military defense systems in the world. Then head to the airport for your Guilin flight. Transfer to the hotel upon arrival.

Meals: Buffet breakfast, Chinese lunch
Today take a car ride to Longsheng (about 3 hours). Longsheng is well known for its spectacular Longji Terraced Rice Fields. Longji received its name because the rice terraces resemble dragon's scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon. Stand on top of the mountain and gaze the dragon's backbone twisting off into the distance. Head back to Guilin for a good night's sleep.

Meals: Buffet breakfast, Chinese lunch (on board the Li River cruise), Western dinner
Today embark the Li River cruise and head downstream along the 83 km-long waterway to Yangshuo. The beauty of the distant mountains, rolling hills, bamboo forests, dense reed-beds and incredibly bizarre rock formations that sandwiched the pristine and tranquil waters is surreal. Four hours seem to fly pass as you'll be distracted by the gorgeous scenery alongside. Yangshuo, dotted with small ethnic villages that you can explore, boasts breath-taking natural sceneries, mysterious ancient local dwelling houses and an insight into a diverse range of cultures. Here in Yangshuo we offer biking and cooking programs for you to choose. You'll either: Attend the Yangshuo Biking Program. Get yourself a bike and hit the road for a 3-4 hours scenic ride, as bicycle booths are throughout town. Or you can learn and enjoy the 3-hour Chinese Cuisine Cookery Class with our local chef, who will teach you hands-on stuff of the Chinese way of cooking from scratch! You'll share your Chinese flavor chef d'oeuvre with your loved ones when you return home. To see world's largest outdoor musical Impression Liu Sanjie performed live is a spectacular experience as jaw-droppingly beautiful as anything one would see on a tour of China. Directed by the famous Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony director Zhang Yimou and performed by local villagers and fishermen, particularly local minority groups as Zhuang and Yao, the performance, with the natural mountains and water as the setting, has become a must for your Guilin tour.

Meals: Buffet breakfast, Special lunch (Guilin Rice Noodles Banquet)
After breakfast have a great view of Guilin's charming landmark, the Elephant-trunk Hill. Standing majestically at the confluence of the Li River, the hill resembles a huge elephant drinking in the river with its trunk. Your Guilin visit won't be complete if you don't take a look at Nature's Art Palace -- the Reed Flute Cave, a dazzling underground palace and a fascinating gallery of natural limestone cave sculptures, looking like an artist's masterpiece. Guilin rice noodles banquet for special lunch. Then head to the airport for your Shanghai flight. Transfer to the hotel upon arrival.

Meals: Buffet breakfast, Special lunch (Dim Sum Banquet), Western dinner
Put all the quick paces and the hustles and bustles aside and stroll through the Yu Garden, you'll suddenly find yourself in an oasis of calm and beauty. Walk around the Old City of Shanghai with its maze of walkways, ponds, pavilions and stone bridges exuding Shanghai's history and stories. Your next stop is the Bund, a perfect introduction to Shanghai's glorious past. Stunning structures sit side-by-side with dazzling skyscrapers and super structures. Nicknamed as Shanghai's Wall Street, the Bund is filled with banks and institutions, even the bricks could talk! You simply can't miss the Dim Sum Banquet for special lunch in Lyubolang Restaurant. Try a wide varirty of mouth-watering Shanghai snacks. Go all the way to the lookout deck for a bird's eye view on the Shanghai World Financial Center (100th floor), the tallest structure in the Chinese mainland and the third highest sky-scraper in the world consisting of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks and ground-floor shopping malls. Then get a good view and the best taste of the essence of Chinese folk art in Tianzifang Artist Area. Golden glows of the old shikumen-style buildings shine with all the galleries, bars, restaurants and lounges inside. We'll call it a day after the exhilarating ERA Acrobatic Show tonight.