CT02 Beijing, Xi'an,Chengdu,Jiuzhaigou,Emeishan, Chongqing, Three Gorges, Shanghai 18 days Tour

Duration: 18 days
Route: Beijing - Xi'an- Chengdu – Jiuzhaigou - Emeishan - Chengdu – Chongqing - Three Gorges – Yichang - Shanghai

Highlights and Attractions:

Exploring Beijing’s famous sites Tiananmen Square, Forbidden city, Summer palace

Mutianyu Great Wall - the most beautiful part of the walls in Beijing

Xi’an highlights Terre cotta warriors and Great Mosque

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Jiuzhaigou National Park and Huanglong National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site

Mt.Emei, a UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage site

Dazu Grottoes, Beishan (North Hill) and Baodingshan (Baoding Hill)

Yangtze River Three Gorges Cruise, then panoramic landscape of Yangtze

Shanghai, the Oriental Pearl in the east of China.

Itinerary：
Day 01: Beijing airport pick up.  O/N in Beijing Arrive in Beijing, the capital city of the People’s Republic of China where we will be welcomed at the airport and escorted to our hotel for check-in.
Day 02:Beijing Sightseeing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden city. Summer palace.     O/N in Beijing   Exploring Beijing’s famous sites with a tour of the vast Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world. We walk through the Gate of Heavenly Peace to the magnificent Forbidden City, which was home to the Ming and Qing dynasties for over 500 years. In the afternoon, we marvel at the former Imperial Summer Palace - the famous royal garden that was favored by the Empress Cixi in the late 19th Century.  This evening, we will be served one of the most popular dishes in China at the Beijing Duck Dinner Party.
Day 03:Visit the Mutianyu great wall, bird's nest and Water Cube.  O/N in Beijing Drive to Mutianyu Great Wall - the most beautiful part of the walls in Beijing, situated in Huairou District, 73 kilometers (45.4 miles) northwest from Beijing. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is connected with Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou Gateway in the east .Eight and a half miles to the northwest is where General Xu Da defeated the Yuan troops ,and barrier was built to prevent them from attacking again .After lunch driving (1.5 hours) to the Bird's Nest - The Beijing National Stadium, also known as the bird's nest will be the main track and field stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics and host to the Opening and Closing ceremonies. Then walk to Water Cube. The "Water Cube" was built in accordance with a water-saving design concept to be a gigantic green architectural wonder. Tonight, enjoy an entertaining “The Legend of Kung Fu” show.
Day 04:Temple of Heaven, Hutong, fly to Xi’an   O/N in Xi’an In the morning, we will visit the Temple of Heaven, a complex of buildings representing the pinnacle of Ming and Qing architecture built in 1420, including the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Imperial Vault of Heaven, Circular Altar, and Abstinence Palace. The surrounding park areas are also alive with locals practicing Tai Chi, playing traditional musical instruments, enjoying a game of Chinese chess, or just chatting with friends. Hutong is an ancient city alley or lane typical in Beijing, where hutongs run into the several thousand. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan (1206-1341), Ming(1368-1628) and Qing(1644-1908) dynasties. In the prime of these dynasties the emperors, in order to establish supreme power for themselves, planned the city and arranged the residential areas according to the etiquette systems of the Zhou Dynasty. The center of the city of Beijing was the royal palace -- the Forbidden City. Do you have the experience of taking a pedicab? In the old Beijing hutong areas, you can find the ancient transportation tools now still preserved for tourists as the main traffic tool of visiting hutong - Beijing unique old city lanes. Afterwards, board your flight to Xian. Your guide will pick you up from the airport ,which is 50 KM. to the city of Xian,and transfer to hotel. In the evening, you will take a chance to enjoy Local Specialty Dumpling Banquet  and the Tang Dynasty Dance Show. A performance of Changan music and dance originated in China's Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago. This wonderful combination of colourful costumes, melodious tunes and ancient history is a living, breathing work of art-an extravaganza not to be missed!
Day 05:Xi’an Sightseeing: Terre cotta warriors, Great Mosque, fly to Chendu.  O/N in Chendu After breakfast, tansfer to Terracotta Warriors. Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum is the Eighth Wonder of the World. More than 6,000 different looking pottery figures depict the history of the Qin Dynasty from 221 BC-206 BC. Take sightseeing in this attraction for about 2 to 2.5 hours. Drive back to visit Great Mosque. It is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China. Occupying an area of over 12,000 square meters, the Great Mosque is divided into four courtyards, 250 meters long and 47 meters wide with a well-arranged layout. Landscaped with gardens, the further one strolls into its interior, the more serene one feels. Then transfer to airport , take flight to Chengdu
Day 06: Visit Chengdu Panda Base, fly to Jiuzhaigou airport.  O/N in Jiuzhaigou Visit Chengdu Panda Base. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is located in the northern suburb of Chengdu on Futou Hill. It is 10 km from downtown Chengdu, and can be reached by the Panda Road. Giant pandas at the Chengdu Research Base live in large naturalistic habitats, which help the visitor to understand how these animals live in the wild . It is an excellent recreational area and a highlight of any visit to Chengdu. Many types of bamboo, trees, and flowers thrive at the Research Base.Several species of birds also make their home there. The Research Base is one of the important centers in China for the captive conservation of giant pandas. Take flight (45 minutes) from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou in later afternoon.
Day 07: One day Jiuzhaigou Sightseeing.  O/N in Jiuzhaigou After breakfast, head to the Jiuzhaigou National Park where you will board environmentally friendly buses to sightsee the Park. Visit the Shuzheng and Zezawa Valleys; Pearl Sands and Shuzheng Waterfall; the Tibetan village of Shuzheng, and numerous picturesque lakes including Panda Lake, Long Lake, Rainbow Lake, Tiger Lake and Rhinoceros Lake. Then summon your energy for a Tibetan folk customs show at night, consisting of singing, dancing and other programs. (The entrance fee of 180 RMB is not included in the tour price).
Day 08: Visit Huanglong, fly back to Chengdu, dirve to Mt.Emei   O/N in the hotel on the foot of Emeishan Drive to visit Huanglong National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, with beautiful mountains, lush woods, colourful flowers, and crystal clear waters. (Note: If the road is icy , the tour will visit Munigou National Park instead) Then take flight back to Chengdu, drive to Mt.Emei, enjoying countryside views of the Chuanxi Plain.on the way (two and half hour along expressway).
Day 09: Mt. Emei Sightseeing   O/N in the hotel on the foot of Emeishan Set off from the hotel at 7:00am by tour bus to the cable car station, where you will begin your ride to the the highest summit of Mt. Emei, the Golden summit. Have a look around the Golden summit including Huazang temple. After lunch,Take the cable car down and take the bus to Wanniansi parking lot which is located halfway up Mt. Emei. Take another cable car to visit Wanniansi temple. Hiking down to sightsee Qingying pavilion, the Strip Skyline and Monkey Mountain. Then take the local bus down to the gate.
Day 10: Mt.Emei - Leshan Grand Buddha –Dazu  O/N in Dazu Drive half an hour to Leshan, board a tour boat have a panoramic view of the biggest carved Buddha statue in the world, with 71 meters tall and age of over 900 years. Then continue drive about 3 hours from Leshan to to Zigong. Visit the Dinosaur Museum. Established in the noted site of dinosaur fossils, Dashanpu, it is about 11 kilometers from the center of Zigong City. Together with the American National Dinosaur Park and the Canadian Dinosaur Park, it is one of the world's three largest dinosaur museums. Then visit Zigong Salt-mining Museum. Zigong has a long-standing civilization as well as rich underground resources in China. The city is also called the "Salt Capital" in the past because of its salt resources and production. The museum to show how people make salt in traditional way.
Day 11: Visit Dazu Grottoes, drive to Chongqing   O/N in Chongqing Visit Dazu Grottoes in the morning. The Dazu Grottoes spread across more than 75 sites in the county, and contain over 50,000 stone sculptures carved from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The two major sites are Beishan (North Hill) and Baodingshan (Baoding Hill). Afterwards, we will drive to Chongqing (117km).
Day 12: Chongqing city sightseeing, board the Yangtze River Cruise Visit the People's Congress Hall, a giant traditional building with a large square, where plenty of people do morning and evening exercise everyday. Then visit the General Stilwell Museum, a museum to commemorate General Stiwell during The World War Two. Move on to visit the Eling Park, where people can have a bird's view of the whole Chongqing city and get a general idea of the Yangtze River. Then visit the Ciqikou Old Town, an old town with traditional Chongqing style buildings, tea houses and Sichuan Opera houses. Get aboard for your Yangtze cruise.
Day 13: Three Gorges Cruise: Chongqing - Fengdu The river guide will give a brief introduction to the cruise after the breakfast. In the afternoon you will visit the Snowy Jade Cave. After sightseeing, proceed to sail in the fantastic Yangtze River. You will have some happy hours in the Captain's Welcome Party tonight.
Day 14: Three Gorges Cruise: Badong - Xiling Gorge - Sandouping You will visit Badong and take a small junk for a close-up view of the breathtaking natural splendors along the Shennong Stream. You are sure to be impressed by the dexterity the team of trackers as they push and haul the wooden sampans over the rapids. Back to the ship to continue your cruise into the western section of the Xiling Gorge and pass through the five-step ship lock in the evening.
Day 15: Three Gorges Cruise, Disembarkation, Transfer to airport, flights to Shanghai Your morning excursion is to visit the world-famous Three Gorges Dam Project. The sheer size of the dam and the exhibition hall with the Dam model will pleasantly surprise you. Then pack your luaggage and follow the check-out procedure. Our guide will pick you up at the cruise. After lunch, visit the Yichang Museum if time permits. Take a flight to Shanghai and transfer to the hotel. This evening will be free for you to explore something of Shanghai and maybe sample your dinner at one of the many cafes or restaurants there.
Day 16: Shanghai city sightseeing. Overnight in Shanghai Morning visit Oriental Pearl TV Tower (the highest TV Tower in Asia ), then followed by visit to Yuyuan Garden , walking along the Bund (a myriad of European-styled buildings that face the Huangpu River, home to chic restaurants and shopping opportunities), visit Yufo Temple and Silk Museum. free shopping in Nanjing road, the one of most prosperous street in Shanghai. Tonight, enjoy acrobatic show (Optional program).
Day 18: Drop off to the airport for you international flights. Service end.

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