MEALS

American breakfast daily (B), 10 lunches (L), 11 dinners (D), including a Peking Duck welcome dinner in Beijing and a farewell dinner in Shanghai

SUPERIOR HOTELS

Beijing Westin Beijing (D), Xi'an Golden Flower (SF), Lhasa Lhasa Hotel (MF), Victoria Cruises Victoria Anna or Victoria Jenna, Shanghai Westin Shanghai (D)

INSIDE VISITS

Inside visits and special features are shown in the description, including admission charges when applicable.

Itinerary

Day 1

Board your transpacific flight.

Day 2 Arrive in Beijing, China

Welcome to China's capital city. Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.

Day 3 Beijing

Your full-day sightseeing starts with a visit to the FORBIDDEN CITY and its IMPERIAL PALACE, once the home of China's great emperors. Nearby is 100-acre TIAN'ANMEN SQUARE, the largest public square in the world. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and continue to the former SUMMER PALACE, a complex of pavilions, temples, and galleries set among beautifully landscaped grounds. This evening, meet your traveling companions at a special PEKING DUCK WELCOME DINNER in a local restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 4 Beijing

The GREAT WALL OF CHINA once stretched 4,000 miles across China's 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 enjoy sweeping vistas of this mammoth fortress. Then, visit a CLOISONNE WORKSHOP, where you will see local artisans use the techniques of this ancient art form to turn pieces of copper into colorful decorative items. 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. Tonight, experience local culture at the PEKING OPERA, including a behind-the-scenes look at the colorful makeup being applied to the performers. (B,L,D)

Day 5 Beijing-Xi'an

This morning, enjoy a rickshaw ride through one of Beijing's HUTONGS, the city's ancient alleys. Experience life in this historic neighborhood as you are invited into a daycare center and into the courtyard of a family's home for a tea ceremony. Fly to Xi'an, where you spend the next two nights. This evening, enjoy "The Tang Dynasty" DINNER SHOW, featuring a colorful assemblage of classical performances. (B,D)

Day 6 Xi'an

One of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world when China dominated the silk trade, Xi'an today is an archaeological treasure-trove. Sightseeing begins with the nearby DAYAN PAGODA, built in 652 AD, followed by a LACQUER WORKSHOP. Next, visit the enormous tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, accidentally discovered by local farmers in 1974. Marvel at the legion of TERRACOTA WARRIORS that has been guarding the burial site for 2,000 years. During lunch, enjoy a NOODLE MAKING DEMONSTRATION by a master chef and learn how Chinese noodles are made by hand. Then, visit the Xi'an City Wall South Gate and learn to write like a local during a traditional Chinese CALLIGRAPHY CLASS. (B,L,D)

Day 7 Xi'an-Lhasa

Today, fly to the holy city of Lhasa, the capital of the mystical Buddhist kingdom of Tibet. The balance of the day is free to rest and adjust to the 14,000-foot altitude. (B,L,D)

Day 8 Lhasa

This morning, after a city tour, visit the imposing POTALA PALACE, once the center of the Tibetan government and the former winter residence of the Dalai Lama. Also visit one of Tibet's oldest shrines, JOKHANG TEMPLE, then spend time in the local BAZAAR. This afternoon, visit the SUMMER PALACE and a typical Tibetan monastery. (B,L,D)

Day 9 Lhasa

Today, take a special trip to a TIBETAN'S HOME that includes lunch, a visit to the DREPUNG MONASTERY (the largest in Tibet), and a TIBETAN HOSPITAL to learn of traditional medicine and therapy. (B,L,D)

Day 10 Lhasa-Chongqing, China (Embarkation)-Yangtze River Cruise

Fly to Chongqing, China's capital during World War II. The city is high on a hill overlooking the Jialing and Yangtze Rivers. Visit a local ZOO to see pandas before boarding the Victoria Anna for a 3-night CRUISE through the breathtaking Three Gorges of the Yangtze. (B,D)

Day 11 Cruising: Wanxian or Shibaozhai or Fengdu

Depending on river conditions, one of the following shore excursions will be offered: Wanxian, "Gateway to Eastern Szechuan Province," where you will see an acrobatic show, market, and possibly a school; Shibaozhai with its 400-year-old, 12-story red wooden pagoda perched high on a cliff; or Fengdu, where you'll visit Snow Jade Cave. (B,L,D)

Day 12 Cruising: Shennong Stream or Daning River

Head downstream through the first and second of the three gorges-Qutang Gorge, the shortest but most dramatic gorge, and Wu, known for its quiet beauty and forest-covered mountains. You can almost touch the perpendicular walls rising from the riverbanks as your captain negotiates this narrow gap. After lunch, disembark for a BOAT EXCURSION down either the Daning River or Shennong Stream, depending on conditions. Continue sailing through Xiling Gorge and the Three Gorges ship locks. (B,L,D)

Day 13 Cruising: Three Gorges Dam Site-Yichang (Disembarkation)-Shanghai

View tiny villages clinging to hillsides as you proceed toward Yang Jia Wang. This morning, visit the THREE GORGES DAM SITE, where the Chinese progress toward building the largest dam of its kind in the world. After lunch, say farewell to your ship's crew in Yichang and transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai, China's most populous city and center of trade and industry. (B,L)

Day 14 Shanghai

Full day of sightseeing. Stroll along the Bund, the city's riverfront boulevard lined with historic buildings, housing, banks, and trade houses. You'll visit the SHANGHAI MUSEUM and experience the YU YUAN GARDENS. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant, then visit a SILK FACTORY and the CHILDREN'S PALACE, one of China's famous kindergartens. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner followed by a spectacular ACROBATIC SHOW. (B,L,D)

Day 15

Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B)

AIRPORT TRANSFERS

Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight arrangements.