Dynastic China - 9 days

Tour Highlights

Tiananmen Square • Great Wall • Temple of Heaven • Terra Cotta Warriors • Forbidden City • Summer Palace • Kowloon • Wild Goose Pagoda • Shaanxi Provincial Museum • Yu Yuan • The Bund • Nanjing Road • Yu Yuan Garden • Jade Buddha Temple • Nanjing Lu • 3 Performances

Overnights

Beijing 3, Xian 2, Shanghai 2

Itinerary

DAY 1: OVERNIGHT FLIGHT

DAY 2: BEIJING
Arrive in Beijing, the bustling capital city of China, where you meet your full time Chinese Tour Manager. Transfer to your hotel for check in and dinner, then settle in for a good night’s sleep.

DAY 3: BEIJING
Start your day with the popular Taiji exercises and then enjoy a full day’s tour of Beijing. At Tiananmen Square, view the impressive monuments and buildings such as the Great Hall of the People. Visit the Forbidden City, a maze of buildings also known as the Imperial Palace that was off-limits to the public for 500 years. Late this afternoon you’ll present your debut concert for the locals. Possible venues include Peking University, the North Church of Beijing, or the Central Conservatory Hall.

DAY 4: BEIJING
Today’s activities include a full day’s tour to the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs, with lunch en route. Explore the Juyong Pass of the Great Wall and the long valley called Guan Gou. Afterwards, visit Dingling Tomb, where the 13th Ming Emperor Zhu Yijun was buried. The Tombs are famous for the life size stone animal figures lining the long path to the burial sites. Return to Beijing for a visit of the Temple of Heaven before feasting on a Peking Duck dinner at a local restaurant this evening.

DAY 5: XIAN
Transfer to the airport for a flight to Xian. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel and begin your afternoon guided city sightseeing, including the Forest of Stone Steles, a treasure house of Chinese calligraphy with a huge collection of stone tablets and the famous Wild Goose Pagoda, a Buddhist temple still active today. Explore the ancient city wall of Xi’an and get a real sense for the importance of a walled city in early Chinese history.

DAY 6: XIAN
Enjoy a full day tour to the eighth wonder of the world, the life-size Terra Cotta warriors. View the Bronze Chariot and see a Circle Vision movie. This afternoon, prepare for your second concert of the tour. Proposed venues include the Conservatory of Music of Xi’an or the New City Theater.

DAY 7: SHANGHAI
Transfer to the airport for a morning flight to Shanghai. Experience a visit to a neighborhood hospital to learn the methods of Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Perform at your final concert this evening. Proposed venues include the Oriental Arts Center and the Children’s Palace.

DAY 8: SHANGHAI
A full day sightseeing tour of Shanghai shows you the city's old town highlights, including the Yu Yuan, as well as modern Shanghai's City Planning Exhibition Center, the Bund and Nanjing Road. At Yu Yuan Garden, view the only fully restored classical Chinese garden in Shanghai. After lunch, visit the Jade Buddha Temple and the lively district of Nanjing Lu for some last minute souvenir purchases. Your farewell dinner is followed by the incredible Shanghai acrobatic show.

DAY 9: RETURN TO THE USA
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the United States.