Itinerary

1. Day1

   Meeting on terminal 1 Toronto Pearson international airport, departure on Air Canada flight.

   
   
2. Day2

   Arrive Beijing From Toronto   AC031   3:55pm Welcome to China capital city.  Upon arrival, after clearing immigrations and customs you will be  met by Big Five Tours local representative and transferred to the hotel.  This evening enjoy a Welcome Buffet Dinner at your hotel.Hotel: New Otani Changfugong Hotel (Buffet Dinner)

   
   
3. Day3

   Your full-day sightseeing starts with a visit to the Forbidden City and its Imperial Palace, once the home of China great emperors. Nearby is 100-acre Tian`nmen Square, the largest public square in the world.  Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and continue to the Temple of Heaven.  The Temple of Heaven is a worthwhile visiting place in Beijing. It is much bigger than the Forbidden City and smaller than the Summer Palace with an area of about 2,700,000 square meters. The Temple was built in 1420 A.D. during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to Heaven.  The Temple of Heaven is enclosed with a long wall. The northern part within the wall is semicircular symbolizing the heavens and the southern part is square symbolizing the earth. The northern part is higher than the southern part. This design shows that the heaven is high and the earth is low and the design reflected an ancient Chinese thought of 'The heaven is round and the earth is square'.

   
   
4. Day4

   Full day excursion to the ancient Great Wall and the Ming Tombs  The Great Wall of China once stretched 4,000 miles across China barren northern terrain from the Bohai Sea to the Gobi Desert. Head north to a village where the Great Wall is well preserved and walk along the wall to en  joy sweeping vistas of this mammoth fortress.  After lunch in a local restaurant, take a leisurely walk down the Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs and marvel at the impressive hand-carved stone statues.Hotel: New Otani Changfugong Hotel (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner).

   
   
5. Day5

   Visit Summer Palace, the Imperial garden in the Qing Dynasty.   Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from central Beijing. Having the largest royal park and being well preserved, it was designated, in 1960 by the State Council, as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Site of China. Containing examples of the ancient arts, it also has graceful landscapes and magnificent constructions. The Summer Palace is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked amongst the  most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, it was listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.  After lunch, a rickshaw tour to experience the different aspects of the past and the present of Beijing city, the society and the daily life of Beijing residents.  People say that the real culture of Beijing is "the culture of hutong" and "the culture of courtyard". Hutong is a typical lane or small street in Beijing that originated during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). "Hutong" is a Mongolian word, meaning "water well". During that time, water well is the settlement around which people lived. There are tens of thousands of hutongs surrounding the Forbidden City. In the  past, Beijing was composed of countless courtyards. Hutongs were formed when people left a passageway between two courtyards to make entering them more convenient. This evening fly to Xian.  Known as the leading city of China's Western Development Drive Program since 1990s, Xian is an important economic, cultural, industrial and educational center of the central-northwest region, providing visitors with modern and convenient facilities.  On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotelHotel: Titan Times Hotel (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner on board your flight) 

   
   
6. Day6

   Xian’s most spectacular archaeological site – the army of lifelike terra cotta soldiers and horses – is the focus today. The discovery of this unlikely army astounded the world in 1974. This 2,200-year-old wonder was part of the Tomb of Qinshihuang, China’s first emperor of China. Now enclosed beneath a protective hangar, the site contains some 8,000 individually sculpted warriors and horses. Step into the adjoining museum to see a fantastic bronze chariot and figures that still have some of the original bright paint. End the day with a Chinese banquet and stage show at Tang Dynasty TheaterHotel: Titan Tim  es Hotel (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

   
   
7. Day7

   Xian- Guilin (flight)This morning fly to the green hills of Guilin, China’s great scenic city on poetic Li River. Check into your hotel before setting out on a memorable tour of the city. Sightseeing to the Elephant Trunk Hill.  Located at the confluence of the Taohua (Peach Blossom) River and the Li River, this Hill is too famous to be missed. The Moon-over-Water Cave and the Moon-through-Hill Cave make up the unique Li River Twin Moons, with one moon over the water and the other in the sky.Hotel: Park Hotel (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner) 

   
   
8. Day8

   Guilin – Yangshuo A pleasure cruise on Li River fills your day, passing through unique scenery around which many folktales and legends have been woven. Floating past cormorant fishermen, valleys and bamboo groves, misty limestone pinnacles, and rock formations resembling horses and elephants, you feel you are in a Chinese scroll painting. We then travel to Yangshuo for an overnight stay.  Yangshuo is about 65km South of its neighbouring city. It covers an area of 1400 square km with a population of 30, 000. It's famous for its breathtaking natural beauty, nestled as it is alongside the Li River and surrounded by mountains. Hotel: New West Street International Hotel (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

   
   
9. Day9

   Guilin-Chongqing (flight) – Yangtze Cruise This morning we fly to Chongqing. On arrival, you will be met and  will visit the Panda Zoo and the city in Chongqing before your embarkation on board the M.V. President 2 Cruiseship at 10:00pm (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner).

   
   
10. Day10

    Yangtze River Cruise Shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City, known for its statues of ghosts and devils on Mingshan Hill.M.V. President 2 Cruiseship (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner).

    
    
11. Day11

    Yangtze River CruiseEnter the Three Gorges/ Shennong Stream/Shiplocks Enter the Three Gorges, one of nature’s most extraordinary sculptures. Today you will pass through the first two-Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. Qutang Gorge is the shortest (5 miles), narrowest (500 feet), and most dramatic. The 25-mile long Wu Gorge is known for its quiet beauty, forest-covered mountains, and cliffs so sheer that the sun barely penetrates the precipices. Board a ferry for a relaxing ride up the Shennong Stream, a tributary of the Yangtze, which has its own attractive gorges. Enter Xiling Gorge, the lo  ngest (41miles), and the deepest of the Three Gorges. In the evening, sail through the Three Gorges Dam Ship locks.M.V. President 2 Cruiseship (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner). 

    
    
12. Day12

    Yangtze River Cruise – Yichang – Shanghai (Flight)In the morning, pay a visit to the Three Gorges Dam site at Sandouping, the largest project of its kind in the world. Arrive Yichang at 1:30pm, and disembark after lunch.  Bid farewell to your cruise hosts as you disembark in Yichang, and are transferred to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. On arrival, you are greeted and transferred to your hotel. Balance of the evening is at leisure to explore lively Shanghai

    Hotel: Ramada Plaza Gateway Hotel (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner).

     
    
    
13. Day13

    ShanghaiTour the diverse attractions of this vibrant, trend-setting metropolis. Stroll Bund waterfront lined with Art Deco buildings from her past and sleek new skyscrapers of futuristic Pudong District. Visit the Shanghai Museum and free time to shop at Nanjing Road. This evening enjoy the daring performance of Shanghai’s famous Acrobats, who stage a high-spirited and beautiful presentation.

    Hotel: Ramada Plaza Gateway Hotel (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner).

    
    
14. Day14

    Day at leisure in Shanghai for own exploration or opt for an optional tour to Zhujiajiao is an ancient water town. Located in a suburb of Shanghai city, Zhujiajiao is an ancient water town well-known throughout the country, with a history of more than 1700 years. Covering an area of 47 square kilometers, the little fan-shaped town glimmers like a bright pearl in the landscape of lakes and mo  untains.  This little town is the best-preserved among the four ancient towns in Shanghai. Unique old bridges across bubbling streams, small rivers shaded by willow trees, and houses with courtyards attached all transport people who have been living amidst the bustle and hustle of the modern big city to a brand-new world full of antiquity, leisure and tranquillity.

    Hotel: Ramada Plaza Gateway Hotel (Breakfast).

    
    
15. Day15

    Depart Shanghai      AC 088 ETD 5:10pmTransfer to the airport for your flight home (B)