Day 1 (Sat.)                 Honolulu – Beijing
Board your international flight to the ancient city of Beijing, the capital of China. Meals and snacks will be served on the airplane.

Day 2 (Sun.)                Beijing
Arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport. You will be greeted by a Grande Holiday representative and escorted to your hotel.

Day 3 (Mon.)                Beijing                                                                                 (AB, L, D)
Your full-day of sightseeing starts with a visit to Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world. This immense courtyard located in the center of Beijing is the site of various historical events. Crowds of people gather at the square daily before sunrise to watch the Chinese national flag raising ceremony. Today, the square is also an informal place for the common people to fly kites and walk.

Then we will go to The Forbidden City, the world’s largest imperial place complex. It served as the imperial palace as well as the administrative center of the country during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This magnificent palace was brilliantly captured in the movies The Last Emperor.

In the afternoon, we will visit the Summer Palace, the summer retreat for the imperial family during the last Qing Dynasty. Today, it is China’s largest royal garden and ranked amongst the most noted classical gardens in the world. Then we visit a freshwater pearl shop; followed by an evening of a traditional Chinese Martial Arts Exhibition, dinner and the Legend of Kung Fu Show.

Day 4 (Tue.)                 Beijing                                                                              (AB, L, SD)
This morning, we attend a jade workshop to learn about Chinese jade culture and see jade artifacts and jewelries. Then we drive through a peaceful valley, the chosen burial grounds of the Ming emperors. In front of this cemetery is The Sacred Way (or Devine Road) which means “leading to heaven”. It was the way in which the emperor came from Heaven to his country and deservedly will return to Heaven. The road leading to “heaven” is lined with large stone statues of ancient government officials and animals each with a symbolic significance and is referred to as the Avenue of Animals.

In the afternoon we visit The Great Wall, a symbol of Chinese civilization and one of the wonders built (221 BC – 206 BC) by the Chinese people to protect China’s borders from intrusion of the northern nomadic tribes. We will ride a cable car to Bandaling Great Wall, the most well-preserved section of the Great Wall which was listed in 2007 in the World Cultural Heritage Directory by UNESCO. We end the day with the famous Peking Duck dinner

Day 5 (Wed.)               Beijing – Xi’an                                                                  (AB, L, SD)
Our day starts with a visit to the Temple of Heaven, widely regarded as the noblest example of religious architectures in China. During the Ming and Qing dynasties emperors came to worship “Heaven” to pray for a good future and bountiful harvest. Then we will proceed to Tongrentang, famous traditional Chinese pharmacy to learn the mystifying Chinese theory of balancing the Ying and Yang. Later in the day, we board a flight to Xi’an. Upon arrival in Xi’an we will have a hot-pot dinner before going to the hotel.

Day 6 (Thu.)                 Xi’an     (AB, L, SD)
Xi’an located in the Shaanxi Province, one of the wealthiest cities in the world when China dominated the silk trade, is today noted for the most exciting archaeological finds in the 20th century. The Terra-Cotta Warrior and Horse Pits as it is called today contain over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots and weapons which have been unearthed and many restored to their former grandeur. Then we visit Shaanxi Provincial Museum. The exhibits of this museum are primarily historical relics of the past dynasties, art treasures and stone carvings of the Han and Tang dynasties. Then we will stop at a lacquer ware factory. Today, China still leads the world in lacquer resources. We end the day with a fabulous dumpling banquet dinner and the Tang Dynasty Show.

Day 7 (Fri.)                  Xi’an – Shanghai – Suzhou    (AB, L, D)
Before leaving Xi’an, we will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a well-preserved ancient building and holy place for Buddhists. Next we visit the City Wall, one of the few ancient city walls still standing in China. In the afternoon we take a short flight to Shanghai. We will drive directly from Shanghai to Suzhou known as the “Venice of the East” with its network of canals that are crisscrossed by 300 bridges and then have dinner in Suzhou.

Day 8 (Sat.)                 Suzhou – Shanghai                                                           (AB, L, SD)
We will go to the Grand Canal, the world’s longest manmade waterway. The Grand Canal constructed 2,400 years ago is second only to the Great Wall as a remarkable Chinese engineering feat. We will explore the waterway in a boat and see graceful bridges that cross over the water and whitewashed houses with tile-roof along the river bank. Then we will visit one of the four most famous gardens in China, the Garden for Lingering In. Suzhou is also known for silk and embroidery so a mandatory stop while in Suzhou is a visit to the silk factory to observe how filaments are obtained from cocoons and made into silk thread and eventually into quilts/comforters. Then we drive back to Shanghai and attend the Chinese Acrobatic Show. Then we go to the bustling Nanjing Road, one of the world’s busiest shopping streets and enjoy a Brazilian BBQ dinner.

Day 9 (Sun.)   Shanghai – Guilin (AB, L D)
In the morning, we will travel along the famous Shanghai Bund, the city’s riverfront boulevard lined with historic buildings, housing, banks, and trading houses. Then we stop at a nearby Carpet Factory before taking a flight to Guilin.

Day 10 (Mon.) Guilin – Yangshuo – Guilin                                                      (AB, L, SD)
Today, we will go on the Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, a 40-mile journey through beautiful landscape of gorgeous limestone mountains, scenes of water buffalos in fields, peasants reaping in rice paddies, children and fisherman floating by on bamboo rafts---breathtaking scenery throughout the river cruise; far removed from living in the concrete metropolis of the cities. Lunch will be served on the boat. We disembark in Yangshuo and visit the Open Market to shop; then visit the Seven Star Park (Panda Zoo) and drive back to Guilin. After dinner, we will enjoy the Minority Cultural Show.

Day 11 (Tue.)              Guilin – Shenzhen                                                                    (AB, L)
In the morning, we will visit the Elephant Trunk Hill and Reed Flute Cave and enjoy a picturesque view of the city and countryside. In the late evening, we take a flight to Shenzhen, known for its great shopping opportunities.

Day 12 (Wed.)             Shenzhen                                                                                (AB, D)
In the morning, you will have free-leisure time to explore the area around the hotel on your own. In the afternoon we will visit the China Folk Cultural Village where you will see distinct ethnic groups and the unique festivals of minorities (depending on festival schedule), purchase craft items and taste local snacks.

Day 13 (Thu.)              Shenzhen – Hong Kong                                                               (AB)
Today we will take a coach to Hong Kong, the Harbor of Fragrance. After checking in at your hotel, you can explore the charm and dynamic beauty of Hong Kong on your own.

Day 14 (Fri.)                Hong Kong
You will have free-leisure time to explore Hong Kong on your own for the entire day.

Day 15 (Sat.)               Hong Kong – Honolulu
After breakfast, we will go to the airport for your return flight home, taking with you lasting memories of this wonderful trip to China.