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Yangtze River |
THREE GORGES YANGTZE RIVER BESTOUR C
featuring VICTORIA CRUISES
China’s remote and spectacular landscapes and antiquities, including 4-night Three Gorges cruise, Hangzhou, Xitang, Dazu & Hong Kong
19 days / 17 nights from $5,070 (land only) |
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Beijing, the emperors' city (3 nights)
Hangzhou, Marco Polo’s favorite city (2 nights)
Xitang, the ancient water town
Shanghai, the amazing city (2 nights)
Yangtze River & the famed Three Gorges (4 nights upstream)
Dazu & the stone carvings valley (1 night)
Xian & the great terra cotta army (2 nights)
Guilin & the scenic Li River (1 night)
Hong Kong, the pearl of Orient (2 nights)
Extensions to complement & personalize your vacations:
Singapore, the lion city (2 nights)
Saigon, the largest city in Vietnam (3 nights)
Tokyo, the bustling city (3 nights)
Bangkok & the Grand Palace (3 nights) |
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| Tour Features |
- All domestic airfare included within China
- Premier or Deluxe accommodations throughout
- 17 breakfast (B), 11 lunches (L), 7 dinners (D or SD-special dinner)
- 4 gala evening events including Peking Duck dinner, Shanghai Acrobats, Tang Dynasty Theater and Guilin cultural show
- “heavenly city” Hangzhou’s West Lake cruise
- Visit Xitang, the ancient water town
- Tour the astounding art of the innovative new Shanghai Museum
- Be among the first to tour the Yangtze's new dam, and among the last to see Yangtze gorges and landmarks before they're
submerged
- Tour the colossal stone carvings of little-traveled Dazu
- Visit the excavation site of 8,000 terra cotta soldiers
- Full-day Great Wall and Ming Tombs outing
- Pedicab tour of the seldom-visited Hutong quarter of Old Beijing
- Full-day Li River Cruise along this unique and tranquil waterway
- Explore exciting new attractions of post-colonial Hong Kong
- Comprehensive sightseeing of each city's highlights
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| Pricing |
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- Special US domestic add-on fare available from your home city (from $100 to $300)
- Weekend (Fri,Sat,Sun) surcharge $50 each way (applicable to Trans-Pacific flight only)
- Above SAMPLE AIRFARES are for your reference only and are based on all major Transpacific carriers. It is inclusive of Transpacific airfare and airfares between China, Hong Kong & Asia. The exact airfare will be quoted at the time of booking. US departure taxes, foreign airport taxes, security charges and fuel surcharges of $250 to $400 are not included.
- Land prices are inclusive of all domestic airfares within China. Airfare between China and Hong Kong is not included.
- Competitive Executive Class airfares available upon request.
- Optional upgrade to First Class air travel within China $550 per person.
- Guaranteed departures are based on minimum of 2 passengers.
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| Detailed Itinerary |
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| Day 1, Sat: Depart Hometown |
| Board your selected airline for your transpacific flight to Beijing, crossing the international date line en route. |
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| Day 2, Sun: Arrive Beijing, China |
Arrive in sprawling Beijing, where every boulevard, monument, plaza and edifice exudes an air of importance. Your hotel is one of the city's finest, an ideal location to relax; enjoy the fine restaurants, pool and facilities; or go shopping and
exploring.
HOTEL: THE PENINSULA PALACE or THE REGENT (premier)
HOTEL: NEW OTANI or PARK PLAZA (deluxe) |
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| Day 3, Mon: Beijing (2 Meals included - B,L) |
| Walk in the steps of ancient emperors today as you tour the powerful Forbidden City, hidden from public view for over 500 years; and the masterpiece Temple of Heaven, the embodiment of grace and harmony. Enjoy glorious aerial views during lunch at the fine revolving restaurant, before continuing to the outstanding Summer Palace, now a favorite recreational spot for locals. The pomp and grandeur of imperial China lives on in these historic landmarks so integral to the nation’s soul. |
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| Day 4, Tue: Beijing (3 Meals included - B,L,SD) |
| Built entirely by hand some 2,200 years ago, the Great Wall of China bears testimony to the strength and resilience of the Chinese people. On a full-day tour, walk its promenades, peer out from its towers, and marvel at the Wall stretching endlessly into the countryside. Continue to the Ming Tombs, lined with granite statues of court attendants which have stood for some 500 years. On route, you will visit the Olympic site (Bird’s Nest and Water Cube). Top off a grand day with an imperial-style dinner of Peking duck at a top city venue. After dinner, enjoy a cultural performance – Kung Fu show or Peking Opera. |
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| Day 5, Wed: Beijing/Hangzhou (1 Meal included - B) |
A completely different side of Beijing emerges on your morning tour of the Hutongs, the lanes of the old district. Survey the labyrinth below from the Drum Tower, then set out on three-wheel passenger cycles to explore its tiny courtyard homes, markets, and gracious old estates, each a window on life in old Beijing and the lives of ordinary citizens today. After your tour, fly to the charming natural setting of Hangzhou, a silk center acclaimed by Marco Polo as a "heavenly city" of "beautiful palaces and wonderfully built
houses".
HOTEL: SOFITEL |
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| Day 6, Thu: Hangzhou (2 Meals included - B,L) |
| The premier sights of this Song Dynasty city are scattered on West Lake, whose placid waters you'll tour today by boat, stopping to explore tranquil islands, gardens, reflecting pools and other colorful settings. Survey other highlights in town, and shop for Hangzhou's famous silks and teas. |
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| Day 7, Fri: Hangzhou/Xitang/Shanghai (2 Meals included - B,L) |
Today, be among the few travelers to Xitang, a well-preserved ancient town dating back to Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasty. Old buildings scatter in the area of a square kilometer, The perfect embodiment of the serene villages. Tour the stone lanes and interlaced streams where the 600-year-old town's stories are depicted in landmark mansions and magnificent bridges resembling keys, rainbows and musical instruments. After lunch, coach to Shanghai and arrive cosmopolitan Shanghai in the afternoon, known as the "Paris of the
East".
HOTEL: PUDONG SHANGRI-LA or WESTIN ON THE BUND (Premier)
HOTEL: SOFITEL or HUA TING (Deluxe) |
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| Day 8, Sat: Shanghai (2 Meals included - B,L) |
| Immerse yourself in the culture and sophistication of Shanghai on a full-day tour of the city's premier attractions. View all manners of Chinese arts, beautifully displayed in the astounding galleries of the new Shanghai Museum. Wander the lovely paths and pavilions of Yuyuan Gardens; experience the old world ambiance of the waterfront Bund; enchanting Xintiande, an urban tourist attraction imbued with the city’s history and culture. After dinner, prepare for a thrilling evening at the Shanghai Acrobatics Show. |
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| Day 9, Sun: Shanghai/Yichang/Yangtze River Cruise
(2 Meals included - B,D) |
Fly into Yichang, here you are welcomed aboard your Yangtze cruise ship and shown to your comfortable, air-conditioned cabin. Get acquainted with the American cruise director and helpful cabin stewards, enjoy the relaxing lounges and varied amenities. Later tonight, the city lights fade as we depart
upriver.
VICTORIA CRUISES (MV KATRINA) Mar 15 - Nov 2009
VICTORIA CRUISES (MV EMPRESS) Other dates
*Upgrade to MV. YANGTZE EXPLORER (Super Deluxe) available with additional cruise fare. |
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| Day 10, Mon: Yangtze River Cruise - The Three Gorges and Dam Site (B,L,D) |
| After breakfast, enjoy an insightful tour of the colossal new Three Gorges Dam site. Then return to ship, where an incomparable stretch of river scenery unfolds as the river narrows and we begin our dramatic passage through the famed Three Gorges. Enjoy commentary up on the open decks, and informal lectures in the main observation lounge, while ascending through the rapids of Xiling Gorge and the forested limestone peaks of Wu Gorge. Docking overnight in Wushan, you are free to go ashore to browse the lively street market. |
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| Day 11, Tue: Yangtze River Cruise - The Three Small
Gorges (3 Meals included - B,L,D) |
| A thrilling excursion has us motoring up the Daning River to the sheer cliffs and rushing waters of the Three Small Gorges, this morning's destination. Return for a fresh, delicious lunch on ship, before sailing on to the final great gorge, Qutang, an exceptionally tranquil and scenic passage through soaring hills blanketed by evergreen forest. Further ahead, the ancient walled city of Fengjie climbs steeply from the riverfront. |
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| Day 12, Wed: Yangtze River Cruise - Fengdu or Wanxian
(3 Meals included - B,L,D) |
| Travel past fragrant orchards, sleepy villages, and small family farms to Fengdu or Wanxian. A shore excursion will present either the fabled "Ghost City" of Fengdu, with its monstrous carvings and mystical temple; or the picturesque old Sichuan river city of Wanxian, famed for its silk and woven textiles. |
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| Day 13, Thu: Arrive Chongqing/Dazu/Chongqing (2 Meals included - B,L) |
Arise in Chongqing and enjoy breakfast on ship, before bidding your cruise staff farewell and heading to your next destination. Continue by coach through rolling green Sichuan countryside to Dazu, home of fantastic grottoes and hills packed with over 50,000 statues and reliefs portraying Buddhist life during the 9th-13th
centuries.
HOTEL: JW MARRIOTT or HILTON |
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| Day 14, Fri: Chongqing/Xian (1 Meals included - B) |
A city tour of Chongqing if time allows, before departing by air to inner China and the old Silk Road city of
Xian.
HOTEL: SHANGRI-LA or SOFITEL (Premier)
HOTEL: SHANGRI-LA GOLDEN FLOWER or HYATT (Deluxe) |
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| Day 15, Sat: Xian (3 Meals included - B,L,SD) |
| Xian was a capital and international trade center for many centuries while Beijing was still a small frontier settlement, and today you'll explore the sights of that glorious era: the army of terra cotta soldiers, individually carved to the smallest detail; the splendid city wall with its Ming Dynasty Gates; and one of China's oldest brick structures, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Art lovers will adore the collections of the Provincial Museum. A Tang Dynasty banquet and stage show completes the day. |
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| Day 16, Sun: Xian/Guilin (2 Meals included - B,SD) |
Fly today to another of China's famously beautiful regions, the hills of Guilin. Set out exploring on an afternoon tour of Reed Flute Cave with its spectacular grottoes, formations and ancient inscriptions. A dinner party and cultural show by local artists complete a great
day.
HOTEL: SHERATON GUILIN |
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| Day 17, Mon: Guilin/Hong Kong (2 Meals included - B,L) |
Chinese artists and poets have been enchanted with Guilin's delicate karst scenery for ages, and today you'll explore the source of their inspiration on a full-day Li River cruise. Glide in air-conditioned comfort through breathtaking panoramas of layered limestone spires, quiet rural villages, riverbanks fringed with feathery bamboo, cormorant fishermen, and unusual sights at every river bend. A late afternoon flight will take you to nearby Hong Kong. Now a special administrative zone of China, this former British colony remains as vibrant and forward-looking as
ever.
HOTEL: KOWLOON SHANGRI-LA
or ISLAND SHANGRI-LA (Premier)
HOTEL: ROYAL GARDEN or REGAL KOWLOON (Deluxe) |
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| Day 18, Tue: Hong Kong (1 Meal included - B) |
| A morning's sightseeing takes in Hong Kong's intriguing juxtaposition of old and new sights, Chinese and colonial influences. Travel to the new tower complex atop Victoria Peak and view Hong Kong's glittering new skyscrapers and the traditional Chinese junks that still ply the harbor. Circle the island on visits to Repulse Bay, the floating Aberdeen village, and Stanley, a bargain shopper's delight. The afternoon is at leisure. |
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| Day 19, Wed: Hong Kong/Hometown (1 Meal included -
B) |
| Departing for home on your selected airline, bid China a fond farewell. |
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OPTIONAL UPGRADE … NEW LUXURY VESSEL MV. YANGTZE EXPLORER
Shoulder season: March 15 – 29, 2009 & June 06 – September 06, 2009
Deluxe cabin (Main deck) $650 per person or $1,300 per person (single cabin)
Deluxe cabin (Xiling deck) $750 per person or $1,500 per person (single cabin)
Deluxe cabin (Wu deck) $850 per person or $1,670 per person (single cabin)
High season: April 05 – 26, 2009 & November 01 - 22, 2009
Deluxe cabin (Main deck) $1,080 per person or $2,130 per person (single cabin)
Deluxe cabin (Xiling deck) $1,180 per person or $2,290 per person (single cabin)
Deluxe cabin (Wu deck) $1,280 per person or $2,490 per person (single cabin)
Peak season: April 30 – May 31 & September 10 – October 29, 2009
Deluxe cabin (Main deck) $1,170 per person or $1,990 per person (single cabin)
Deluxe cabin (Xiling deck) $1,270 per person or $2,190 per person (single cabin)
Deluxe cabin (Wu deck) $1,370 per person or $2,350 per person (single cabin)
Note: Limited space and subject to availability
3rd person in the room – rates available upon request |
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