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Yangtze River |
THREE GORGES YANGTZE RIVER BESTOUR D
featuring VICTORIA CRUISES
The consummate land/cruise odyssey with a leisurely 4-night Yangtze cruise upstream and a journey into Shangri-La.
18 days / 16 nights from $4,550 |
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Shanghai, the amazing city (2 nights)
Yangtze River & the famed Three Gorges (4 nights upstream)
Dazu & the stone carvings valley (1 night)
Kunming and Stone Forest (2 nights)
Dali and an Erhai Lake cruise (1 night)
Lijiang Old Town, World Heritage Site (2 nights)
Shangri-la and minority cultures (2 nights)
Hong Kong, the Pearl of Orient (2 nights)
Extensions to complement & personalize your vacations:
Beijing, the emperor's city (3 nights)
Tokyo, the bustling city (3 nights) |
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| Tour Features |
- All domestic airfare included within China
- Premier or Deluxe accommodations throughout
- 16 breakfast (B), 11 lunches (L), 10 dinners (D or SD-special dinner)
- 2 gala evening events including Shanghai Acrobats and Lijiang performance of a traditional Naxi Orchestra
- 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
- Kunming and its eternally spring like weather.
- Explore the old town and Dongba Cultural Research Institute
- Shangri-La the lost horizon
- 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 $460 per person.
- Guaranteed departures are based on minimum of 2 passengers.
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| Detailed Itinerary |
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| Day 1, Thu: Depart Hometown |
| Depart on an overnight flight to China’s largest city, Shanghai, the landing point for many international arrivals. |
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| Day 2, Fri: Arrive Shanghai, China |
Arrive at one of the great seaports of the world, an exciting starting point for your China adventure. Your deluxe hotel is a comfortable place to rest or set off shopping at the arts and crafts center.
HOTEL: PUDONG SHANGRI LA or WESTIN ON THE BUND (premier)
HOTEL: SOFITEL or HUA TING (deluxe) |
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| Day 3, Sat: Shanghai – Meals: (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 4, Sun: Shanghai/Yichang/Yangtze River Cruise – Meals: (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 5, Mon: Yangtze River Cruise - The Three Gorges and Dam Site – Meals: (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 6, Tue: Yangtze River Cruise - The Three Small Gorges – Meals: (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 7, Wed: Yangtze River Cruise - Fengdu or Wanxian – Meals: (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 8, Thu: Arrive Chongqing/Dazu/Chongqing – Meals: (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 relief’s portraying Buddhist life during the 9th-13th centuries.
HOTEL: JW MARRIOTT or HILTON |
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| Day 9, Fri: Chongqing/Kunming (B) |
Depart Chengdu in the morning and arrive in Kunming, the idyllic Yunnan Province, whose name means South of the Clouds, a reference to its eternally spring like weather. Spend the afternoon at leisure strolling the town’s narrow streets, and shopping the unusual markets.
HOTEL: BANK or GREEN LAKE |
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| Day 10, Sat: Kunming – Meals: (B,L,D) |
| This morning’s excursion will take you to the dramatic Stone Forest, home of the Sani people, for a walk among the eerie limestone formations and a visit to a traditional Yi village. |
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| Day 11, Sun: Kunming/Dali – Meals: (B,L,D) |
Fly to the old walled town of Dali at the heart of a mountain valley terrain sometimes called the Chinese Switzerland, and begin your journey into the world of Shangri-La. Visit the Three Pagodas and Xizhou Village, onetime cosmopolitan capital of the Ming Dynasty and now one of the best-preserved Bai towns. Then cruise across Erhai Lake to take in a traditional Bai Three Course Tea and performance of traditional Bai dance and song.
HOTEL: REGENT |
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| Day 12, Mon: Dali/Lijiang – Meals: (B,L,D) |
Travel overland to Lijiang, center of the Naxi, a small matriarchal tribe with an ancient religion known as Dongba and unique picture script that can only be read by shamans. Spend the afternoon touring the city’s Old Town, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its bustling market square, streets crisscrossed by rivulets, and parrots and plants adorning the fronts of the traditional earthen-walled houses. Sample, if you like, the regional specialty called “across-the-bridge noodles”, before taking in a haunting evening performance of a traditional Naxi Orchestra.
HOTEL: TREASURE HARBOR INTERNATIONAL |
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| Day 13, Tue: Lijiang – Meals: (B,L,D) |
| Head into the countryside in view of the blazing white peaks of Jade Dragon Mountain this morning for a visit to the Yufeng Monastery and “Riot of Camellias” - a 500-year-old tree famed throughout the province for its enormity and profuse bloom. The monastery is also famous for its religious frescoes dating back to the 14th century. Continue on your excursion to Black Dragon Pool with its ancient Dragon God temple, flamboyant Phoenix Hall, and Dongba Cultural Research Institute. |
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| Day 14, Wed: Lijiang/Zhong Dian (Shangri-La) – Meals: (B,L,D) |
Today your journey will continue northward with a drive along the Yunnan-Tibet Road to Zhong Dian, once a major caravan stop on the ancient tea trade routes between India, South China, and Burma, and still a kaleidoscope of ancient customs, dialects, and dress. In the markets and courtyard houses of this harmonious Lost Horizon world you may meet matriarchal Naxi, Bai, or the equestrian Khampas in traditional clothes.
HOTEL: PARADISE |
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| Day 15, Thu: Zhong Dian – Meals: (B,L,D) |
| Spend a full day exploring the Diqing plateau, the land believed the inspiration of the mythical Shangri-La in novelist James Hilton’s great work Lost Horizon. Shangri-La is a Tibetan word that means “The sun and moon in one’s heart” – a place free of the turmoil of the earthly world, and it aptly describes this land of crystalline lakes surrounded by forest, wildflower meadows, shining temples, and snow-capped mountains terraced to the valley floor. Dwelling within this plateau are a number of remote and fascinating tribal peoples, who continue to coexist as they have for centuries within their separate and unique traditional cultural worlds. A highlight of the day will be your visit to a local Tibetan family. |
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| Day 16, Fri: Zhong Dian/Kunming/Hong Kong - Meals: (B) |
Depart the idyllic world of Yunnan Province on your flight via Kunming 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 17, Sat: Hong Kong – Meals: (B) |
| This morning, explore Hong Kong’s unique blend of Chinese heritage and colonial influences. Travel to one of its newest attractions, the distinctive Peak Tower Complex, with its array of shops, restaurants, and viewing decks for taking in the superb panoramas. Continue around the island to scenic Repulse Bay, the floating community of Aberdeen, and the shopping mecca of Stanley. The afternoon is at leisure. |
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| Day 18, Sun: Hong Kong/Hometown – Meals: (B) |
| Bid farewell to China as you transfer to the new international airport and depart on your selected airline to the United States. |
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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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