| 25 Days China Odyssey No Shopping Tour (Tour code: PT2517) | |
| Themes:History, culture, nature, minorities | |
| Destinations: Beijing - Luoyang - Xi'an - Yunnan - Guilin - Yangshuo - Shaoxing - Wuzhen - Shanghai | |
| From: $4580 |  |
| Destination | Beijing |
| Activities | Your amazing odyssey of China begins immediately after arrival in Beijing. Your private guide and driver are waiting to take you directly from the airport to the famous Hutongs of Beijing. These alleys used to make up most of the city, but are now diminished in size. There are still great areas to see these Hutongs however, which you will do when taking a rickshaw tour. Later you drive to your hotel for check in and rest. |
| Attractions | Hutong Rickshaw Tour |
| Meals | Lunch |
| Accommodation | Standart 4* hotel or 3* Hutong hotel |
| Destination | Beijing |
| Activities | Beijing has been the capital of China for nearly 600 years and is home to many of the most important sights in the country. Today you will visit some of them, starting the day at the Temple of Heaven. From the temple you go to Tian'anmen Square in the middle of Beijing, and as you walk across it you can see many of the most important buildings in the capital. Just north lies the Forbidden City. This stunning sight is a study in Ming Dynasty architecture and life of the emperors. In the afternoon you return to your hotel. |
| Attractions | Temple of Heaven, Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | Standart 4* hotel or 3* Hutong hotel |
| Destination | Beijing |
| Activities | The Great Wall of China stretches for more than 6000 kilometers, from the remote sections far west to the parts that are near Beijing in the east. Today you will visit the Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall about two hours' drive north of Beijing. Once there you have as much time as you like to walk on the wall, before you return to downtown Beijing in late afternoon. |
| Attractions | Great Wall of China at Mutianyu |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | Standart 4* hotel or 3* Hutong hotel |
| Destination | Beijing - night train |
| Activities | After breakfast you check out from your hotel. You will be eaving Beijing by night train later today, but will first visit more of the capital's sights. The Lama Temple is a still active temple dating back to the late 17th century. Here you will see one of the largest indoor Buddha images in the world. At the nearby Confucian Temple you will learn about China's greatest scholar, Confucius, before you continue to the Bird's Nest Stadium, which you see from the outside, and then go to the Summer Palace, once the summer refuge for the emperors. In late afternoon you go to the train station and prepare to leave Beijing. |
| Attractions | Lama Temple, Confucian Temple, Bird's Nest Stadium (from outside), Summer Palace |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | Night train, soft sleeper berths |
| Destination | Luoyang - Xi'an |
| Activities | You arrive in Luoyang in the morning. Luoyang is a major city in Henan Province, and is also home to the stunning Longmen Buddhist Caves, which you wil visit after breakfast at a nearby hotel. The caves cover almost one kilometer of rock surface and contains over 50.000 Buddha images in all sizes. The largest are almost 30 meters tall. Later you visit China's very first Buddhist temple, the White Horse Temple, dating back to the 1st century B.C., before taking a late afternoon high-speed train to Xi'an. Once arrived your guide will bring you to your hotel for check in and rest. |
| Attractions | Longmen Buddhist Caves, White Horse Temple |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Xi'an |
| Activities | Xi'ans prominent place in Chinese history is undisputed. Being the capital of China under the influential Qin-, Han- and Tang Dynasties Xi'an is loaded with historical sights. You begin your exploration of Xi'an at the impressive history museum, before taking in the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. In the afternoon you return to the city center and walk across the central square to reach the Muslim Quarter, a lively and very interesting place to visit in the afternoon when vendors come out and set up shop along the street. |
| Attractions | Shaanxi History Museum, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, central square, Muslim Quarter |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Xi'an |
| Activities | The Terracotta Army, a collection of thousands of lifesized clay soldiers, was discovered in 1974. It is the work of Emperor Qin, one of the most important emperors of Chinese history, and an absolutely incredible sight to visit. You will have plenty of time to see all three pits before heading back to Xi'an to scale the mightly City Wall, one of the best preserved today. |
| Attractions | Terracotta Army, City Wall |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Xi'an - Kunming |
| Activities | Today you take a flight to the capital of Yunnan Province, Kunming. Once arrived your local guide meet with you and take you to the Stone Forest, a fascinating natural sight of stone pillars covering a very large area outside the city. In the afternoon you return to the city proper and check in at your hotel. |
| Attractions | Stone Forest |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Kunming - Dali |
| Activities | Today you will take an early morning flight to Dali farther west in Yunnan. Dali is famous for its tranquil way of life, beautiful nature and charming Old Town. Once there your guide takes you on a tour of the Old Town and the famous Three Pagodas, before it is time to check in and rest. |
| Attractions | Dali Old Town, Three Pagodas |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* hotel |
| Destination | Dali |
| Activities | Today you visit the Bai Minority village of Xizhou near Dali. The morning market here is a lively experience. You will see how the Bai live and also witness a traditional fishing performance, before returning to Dali in the afternoon. The rest of the day is free to explore on your own. |
| Attractions | Xizhou Bai Minority Village |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* hotel |
| Destination | Dali - Shaxi |
| Activities | It is time to leave Dali and head for the tiny village of Shaxi farther west. On the way you stop at Stone Treasure Mountain to see to rock carvings, and will also have the opportunety to hike in the countryside, before reaching Shaxi and check in at the charming and very comfortabe Laoma Lodge. |
| Attractions | Stone Treasure Mountain, Shaxi Village |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | Non-graded Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Shaxi - Lijiang |
| Activities | Fabled Lijiang awaits you today. The drive there takes about three hours and you will stop on the way to visit Xingjiao Temple and Ouyuan Courtyard before reaching Lijiangs famous Old Town. The Old Town is a maze of charming old buildings alongside canals, and you will stay at a hotel inside this area. In the evening there is much to look at as red lanterns are lit, creating a charming atmosphere. |
| Attractions | Xingjiao Temple, Ouyuan Courtyard, Lijiang Old Town |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel in the Old Town |
| Destination | Lijiang |
| Activities | After breakfast you set out to visit nearby Baisha Village and its famous Baisha Murals, a collection of murals famous for their special content. Later you visit Shuhe Village, a traditional minority village outside Lijiang. These villages are famed for their efforts in preserving the traditional way of life. |
| Attractions | Baisha Village & Murals, Shuhe Village |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel in the Old Town |
| Destination | Lijiang - Shangri-la |
| Activities | You travel farther up into the mountains and will pass the 3000-meter mark today. Your destination is the charming Tibetan town of Shangri-la, made famous in literature and films as the fabled paradise on earth. On the way here you stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge to enjoy the sight of this specacular natural sight, before driving the rest of the way to Shangri-la. Once arrived you check in and rest. |
| Attractions | Tiger Leaping Gorge, scenery of Yunnan |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* hotel |
| Destination | Shangri-la |
| Activities | This part of China is renowned for the beauty of the natural landscape, with lush mountain slopes, snowcapped mountaintops and clear rivers all around. After breakfast you visit nearby Pudacuo National Park to enjoy the scenery, before you visit Shangri-la Old Town in the afternoon. The Old Town has managed to preserve the Tibetan-style housing and is a fascinating place for a stroll. Late in the afternoon you return to your hotel. |
| Attractions | Pudacuo National Park, Shangri-la Old Town |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* hotel |
| Destination | Shangri-la - Guilin |
| Activities | Outside Shangri-la lies the stunning Songzanlin Temple, an active temple that is home to a group of Tibetan monks. After check out you visit this temple, nestled beautifully on a hillside, before you go to the airport to catch you flight back to Kunming. At Kunming Airport you need to change planes to get to your destination today, Guilin in Guangxi Province. Once arrived your new local guide will take you to your hotel for check in and rest. |
| Attractions | Songzanlin Temple |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* hotel |
| Destination | Guilin - Ping'an |
| Activities | The area around Guilin is famous for the limestone hills and many waterways, but first you go to the minority village of Ping'an north of Guilin. The drive takes about three hours and once there you will need to walk for about 30 minutes to reach the road-free village. Porters will carry your luggage. Once in Ping'an you can enjoy the incredible sight of the famous Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces, thousands of small rice terraces that almost cover the entire mountainside. Tonight you will stay in Ping'an in one of the villages comfortable family hotels. |
| Attractions | Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | Non-graded Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Ping'an - Yangshuo |
| Activities | The world-famous scenery south of Guilin awaits you. After breakfast you walk down the mountain and drive to Yangshuo. The trip takes about five hours, but time will pass quickly enjoying the stunning scenery from the car. After arrival in Yangshuo you check in at your hotel, from where it is a short walk to nearby West Street, where you can find many good restaurants, cafes and little shops. |
| Attractions | Scenery of Guangxi |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Yangshuo |
| Activities | The natural scenery around Yangshuo is simply stunning, which you will experience today. You drive to the village of Xingping, from where you embark on a min-cruise on bamboo rafts to enjoy the most famous part of the Li River. The mini-cruise also takes in the tiny fishing village of Yucun, before you return to Xingping, and take a stroll along its charming Old Street. Back in Yangshuo the rest of the day is free to explore on your own. |
| Attractions | Li River Bamboo Mini-cruise, Yucun Village, Xingping Old Street |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Yangshuo - Shaoxing |
| Activities | It is time to leave the southern regions behind and head for the East Coast. Here lies Shaoxing, now a modern city, but with much of the original canalside town still preserved. You drive to Guilin Airport and fly to Shaoxing, where your guide will take you to your great hotel inside the Old Quarter. After check in and a rest you go to Shen Garden, a beautiful small garden that is lit by night, and where you will experience a short performance of local song and dance, before going back to your hotel. |
| Attractions | Shen Garden |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 5* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Shaoxing |
| Activities | Shaoxing's classic East China building style has been preserved in many of the old sections of town, which you will see today. Shaoxing was also the ancestrial home of famous writer Lu Xun, and your day begins with a visit to his former home. Later you go to the Bazi Bridge area to take a stroll along the canals, before visiting Zhou Enlais memorial. You will also take a short tour in the local Wupeng fishing boats on the canals, before finishing up the day by visiting one of the water gates around the center of Shaoxing. |
| Attractions | Former home of Lu Xun, Bazi Bridge area, Zhou Enlai Memorial, Wupeng boat tour, City Water Gate |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 5* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Shaoxing - Wuzhen |
| Activities | Next stop on your tour in charming Wuzhen, a village in the Yangtze River Delta famous for its 17th century houses and tranquil way of life by the canals that criss-cross the Old Town. You drive here from Shaoxing, and once arrived your guide takes you on a tour on the Old Town. After lunch it is time to check in at your hotel located inside the Old Town. The rest of the day is free to explore or relax at one of the canalside cafes. make sure to go out in the evening to see the village lit up by lanterns. |
| Attractions | Wuzhen Old Town |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Wuzhen - Shanghai |
| Activities | Last stop on your tour is the megacity of Shanghai. The dirve here takes about two hours and you go straight to the City Planning Museum to see the large-scale modal of downtown Shanghai. From here you continue to the Jinmao Tower to go up to the sightseeing deck on the 88th floor to see the incredible view of Shanghai below. From here it is a short drive to your hotel, where you check in and rest. |
| Attractions | City Planning Museum, Jinmao Tower |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | Central 4* hotel |
| Destination | Shanghai |
| Activities | Shanghais waterfront, The Bund, is a famous landmark and must-see when here. Your guide leads you on a walking tour that takes in The Bund, before diving into nearby Chinatown, a part of the city that was relatively undisturbed by the foreign powers that controlled Shanghai back in the day. In here you also find the Yuyuan Garden, a fantastic example of Chinese garden art. In the afternoon you return to your hotel. |
| Attractions | The Bund, Chinatown, Yuyuan Garden |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | Central 4* hotel |
| Destination | Shanghai - home |
| Activities | After a fantastic journey through many parts of China, and having seen some of both history, culture, nature and minorities, it is now time to begin your trip home. You leave the hotel in ample time to catch your flight from Shanghai Intl. Airport. Bon voyage! |
| Attractions | None |
| Meals | Breakfast |
| Accommodation | Not incl. |
| Price information | |
| 2-3 person group: $6320/person
4-6 person group: $5130/person 7-9 person group: $4580/person Luxury upgrade: partially available |
|
| Price including |
| Domestic flights as in itinerary
Train travel as in itinerary Private English-speaking guide Private ground transportation as per itinerary Accommodation as listed Entrances as listed Meals as listed Chinese travel accident insurance Guaranteed no shopping stops |
| Price not including |
Flights to/from China Personal expenses Tips for guides and drivers Anything not listed in itinerary |
| Important tour information |
Luxury Upgrade Policy: A luxury upgrade option is available with many of our tours. In accordance with our quality benchmark, upgrade options are divided into four categories: 1. Available - upgrade possible at all destinations in tour itinerary. 2. Partially available - upgrade not possible at one or more destnations in tour itinerary. 3. Not recommended - available or partially available, but not recommended (see Hotel Policy). 4. Not available - luxury upgrades are not possible on many of our trademark specialty tours to remote or developing regions. These tours are deeply genuine and authentic.
Keeping our guests' comfort in mind, we prefer to stay in a 2* or 3* hotel in or close to the attraction, rather than a 4* or 5* hotel much further away. Genuine China Tours' all-encompassing hotel policy is that we will never pick a hotel only because of its price. All our partner hotels must live up to a strict quality test that includes: 1. Geographical location - the location of our chosen hotel is of great importantce, both in large cities, where traffic congestion can play a vital role in the handling of the tour, and also on tours to remote villages, where the right choice of village or hotel can mean a world of difference to the tour. 2. Quality of hotel - including room size and cleanliness, quality of breakfast, ease of getting in/out and more. 3. Local environment - local environment should include local sights (when possible), be in the vicinity of local markets/night markets (if any) and have access to shops and convenience stores (if any). 4. Design and layout of hotel - we prefer hotels with history and atmosphere, especially if these have relevance with the sight(s) at the destination. 5. Value for money - any hotel must pass requirements 1-3 and 5. If a hotel passes all five requirements it becomes a Priority Hotel.
Also important: 1. Please perform a thorough health check before traveling. If your health is not good enough please refrain from traveling. Most major tourist destinations in China have good health care services, but on tours to remote or high altitude destinations you should make sure your health allows you to travel to these destinations. Genuine China Tours will bear no responsibility in case of any accident, relapse or discomfort. 2. Disabled persons should be accompanied by by their own aid instruments or an accompanying person. Genuine China Tours can not provide aid instruments. 3. While traveling please adhere to instructions from your guide and stay clear of any dangers and/or annoyances. 4. Genuine China Tours reserves the right to refuse participation on a tour if the traveler is deemed unfit to participate or will be a nuisance to other travelers. 5. On tours to remote areas or high altitude areas accommodation and restaurants may not be up to standart. You should be prepared for this if choosing a tour to these areas. 6. Please make sure to bring items that may be necessary, like windproof jacket, umbrella, sun screen (sun lotion), health related articles, items of personal nature etc. 7. On speciality tours to remote regions, Tibetan areas and mountainous regions Genuine China Tours will bear no responsibility if tour itinerary is changed due to government policies, weather or any other influencing factors outside GCTs control. |
| Genuine China Tours is an officially registered travel agency operating under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Guests are required to follow rules and regulations set forth by existing laws of the country, including behavior respectful of local customs and manners. Tour designs and quotations may not be used in connection with other travel agencies. Genuine China Tours cannot be held responsible for any inconvenience caused by weather, traffic, government policies or other situations outside GCTs control. |