Hong Kong & China

• Day 1:

  Today you arrive at Hong Kong Airport. You will be met and assisted to your private vehicle for transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day free at leisure. Overnight at Eaton Hotel.

• Day 2:

  Today, you'll start with breakfast at your hotel and set off on a half-day Hong Kong Island tour. It begins with a ride on the iconic Star Ferry as you cross Victoria Harbor, one of Hong Kong’s greatest assets and a jewel that people marvel at no matter how many times they visit the city. Next is a ride on the world's steepest funicular railway, the Peak Tram. Pulled by steel cables, the tram climbs 373 metres (about 1,200 feet) and is so steep that the buildings you pass look like they're leaning. Looking down from Victoria Peak, you'll be amazed by the spectacular view of the surrounding city skyline, the world-famous Victoria Harbor and Kowloon, towering skyscrapers and peaceful green hillsides. From Victoria Peak you will pass through picturesque Repulse Bay with the option to stop off on your way to Stanley, a popular market town on the sunny south side of Hong Kong Island. Spend the remainder of your tour exploring Stanley's relaxed ambience and markets where bargain buys have made it world famous. A further stroll along the promenade leads you to the tiny Tin Hau Temple of the rock side overlooking the bay. Overnight at Eaton Hotel.

• Day 3:

  Today, you'll start with breakfast at your hotel and set off on a half-day Hong Kong Island tour. Lantau Island is almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island and is one of the best loved outlying islands. The island is known for its unspoiled countryside, virgin hills and lush green valleys. With the development of the Ngong Ping Cable Car and Ngong Ping Village, the island has become a big attraction in Hong Kong. En Route to Lantau Island, you will pass the famous Tsing Ma Bridge. This is an engineering marvel and is known as the longest road/rail suspension bridge in the world. Hop on the Ngong Ping Cable Car, a stunning 5.7-km ride up a mountainside. The 22-minute journey offers breath-taking panoramic views encompassing the airport, South China Sea, lush mountains, fishing villages, and the awe-inspiring Giant Buddha statue (also known as Tian Tan Buddha). Arriving at the top, hop off your cable car and walk through the culturally themed Ngong Ping Village before reaching Po Lin (Precious Lotus) Monastery, which is the principal center of Buddhism in Hong Kong and was built by three monks who originally called it Da Maopeng until 1924. The Monastery is home to a large bell that is rung 108 times per day to ‘relieve 108 vexations’. Above the Monastery you cannot miss the imposing Bronze Statue of Buddha looking out across the mountains. At the world’s largest outdoor bronze Buddha (26 meters high), make the steep climb up the steps to the Buddha for a view across Lantau Island which is truly breath taking. Don’t forget to stop by the museum as well for local history on the area. After exploring the Monastery and Big Buddha, enjoy a Chinese vegetarian lunch inside Po Lin Monastery before making your way back to the cable car for your journey back down to Tung Chung and onwards to your final drop off point. Overnight at Eaton Hotel.

• Day 4:

  Today, you'll have breakfast at your hotel before being met and transferred to Hong Kong International Airport for your flight to Beijing International Airport. Once you arrive in Beijing you will be transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day at your leisure. Overnight at Sunworld Hotel Beijing.

• Day 5:

  After breakfast at your hotel, you will depart on a full-day tour to Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Summer Palace. Tiananmen Square is the largest public square in the world. It has long been a gathering place for locals and visitors alike. On the north side of the square is Tiananmen Gate (the Rostrum). It was from the balcony of the Rostrum on October 1, 1949 where Mao Zedong, chairman of the Communist Party, proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Forbidden City (Imperial Palace), directly behind the Rostrum, was home to 24 emperors beginning with its creation by Emperor Yongle in 1420 until the last Qing emperor, Puyi, left in 1924. The entire complex consists of 8,706 rooms in which an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people lived including 3,000 eunuchs, as well as maids and concubines, all within 170 acres. The Summer Palace is one of the largest and best-preserved imperial gardens in the world. In the 18th century, Emperor Qianlong enlarged and embellished it, only to abandon it a few years later. The grounds today are stunning, as is the lovely Kunming Lake, which occupies more than three quarters of the total area. Enjoy a boat ride before walking the Long Corridor, a 728-metre (well over 2000 foot) hall featuring 8,000 paintings collected by the Emperor during his travels around the country. Overnight at Sunworld Hotel Beijing.

• Day 6:

  Following breakfast at your hotel, you will have chance to visit the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, one of the great wonders of the world (inclusive of the return cable car (fee required). Mutianyu Great Wall, located in Huairou County about 45 miles from Beijing, enjoys a long history and is part of the glorious culture of China. It connects Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou Great Wall in the east. The wall was first built in Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 557). Lunch at School House Restaurant near Mutianyu Great Wall Follow by visiting Ming Tombs (Changling) and Sacred Way. The Ming Tombs are a collection of imperial mausoleums built by the Chinese Ming dynasty emperors. After the Yongle Emperor finished the Forbidden City in 1420, he began constructing his own mausoleum outside of Beijing. Subsequent emperors placed their tombs in the same valley, resulting in the fascinating sight we can see there today. Visit the highlights of the area, including the Sacred Way, the imperial road leading to the tombs, which is lined with massive stone statues that lend a divine atmosphere to the whole experience. Overnight at Sunworld Hotel Beijing.

• Day 7:

  After breakfast at your hotel, you'll visit the Temple of Heaven, a sequence of temples and altars set in a park. Twice a year during imperial times, the emperor and a magnificent procession of some 1,000 eunuchs, courtiers, and ministers would leave the Forbidden City for the temple. At the winter solstice, he expressed thanks for the previous harvest, and on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year, he begged the gods of sun and moon, clouds and rain, and thunder and lightning to bless the coming harvest. Beijing Hutongs are lanes or alleys formed by lines of Siheyuan (a compound with houses around a courtyard). Most of them were built during the Yuan (1206-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1908) dynasties surrounding the Forbidden City. Many famous operas and dramas are based on the themes of hutong life. Man-power rickshaw is arranged for you to feel the Hutong of Beijing. Take rickshaw to visit the ancient Beijing Hutong. Have a fun and hands on lesson in Chinese arts and crafts in the traditional courtyard home of a local family. Learn how to make intricate paper cuts. Lunch with local family Private transfer to airport and fly to Shanghai. Upon arrival at Shanghai Airport you will take the Maglev train to Longyang station and then take a taxi to your hotel. Upon arrival at hotel, check in and have a good rest. Reminder of the day is at leisure. Overnight at Regal Shanghai East Asia.

• Day 8:

  Following breakfast at your hotel, visit the Shanghai Museum, which contains one of the finest collections of ancient Chinese art and antiques. The distinctive building was designed in the shape of an ancient bronze Chinese cooking vessel called a ding. Containing 11 permanent and 3 temporary galleries, the Museum has over 120,000 pieces in its collection including bronzes, jade, ceramics, calligraphy, sculptures, painting, furniture, imperial seals and ancient coins. Many of the items in the collection are priceless. Yuyuan Garden, a place of peace and comfort in the heart of bustling Shanghai, dates back to the fabled Ming Dynasty. Now a popular tourist destination, Yuyuan began as a private garden created by Pan Yunduan, who spent almost 20 years - and all of his savings - to build a garden in order to please his parents in their old age. That is why he called this garden "Yuyuan" as "yu" in Chinese means "peace and health". Lunch at a local restaurant with one glass of soft drink. Shanghai Tower, completed in March 2016, is the tallest building in China and second tallest one in the world, with the total height of 632m. This super skyscraper in Lujiazui Financial area in Shanghai has the world’s highest observation deck and world’s fastest elevator. Catch the terrific chance to stand above Shanghai and experience the high technology and excellent design of the outstanding “Green Building”. Follow by a walk along the famous Bund with its colonial architecture The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Road, is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts from the Baidu Bridge, which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, to the East Jinling Road and winds a 1500 meters (less than one mile) length. Walking along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao Tower. Being one of the Top Ten Shanghai Attractions, the Bund is a really beautiful and special place that is worth visiting. Transfer back to hotel after tour. Overnight at Regal Shanghai East Asia .

• Day 9:

  After breakfast at your hotel, take a morning tour to Zhujiajiao, a town with over 1,000 years of history, features rivers, bridges, old streets and gardens. Small rivers crisscross the town with 36 old bridges on them. Over 1,000 houses first built in Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) stand along both sides of nine narrow streets. Visit this old town including Fangsheng Bridge, a stone arch bridge built during the mid-Qing Dynasty, which is viewed as the landmark structure of Zhujiajiao. Lunch at a local restaurant with one glass of soft drink. Private transfer to airport for your return trip home.

May 01 – September 10, 2019; October 07 – 11, 2019 and December 10 – 22, 2019 

Per Person Sharing:     $3,299.00

September 11 – October 06, 2019; November 01 – 11, 2019; November 16 – December 09, 2019 and December 23 – 29, 2019 

Per Person Sharing:     $3,399.00

October 21 – 31, 2019; November 12-15, 2019 and December 30 – 31, 2019 

Per Person Sharing:     $3,499.00

Price includes:

Accommodation as per above itinerary in share twin/double rooms with daily buffet breakfast for 3 nights, roundtrip airport transfer airport/hotel/airport by private vehicle with English speaking guide, tours as specified including entry fees and an English speaking guide on a private basis, meals as specified in the above itinerary (drinks are not included), all Government tax and service charges, air tickets Beijing/Shanghai in economy class including tax, and bottled water provided on transfers and sightseeing.

Price Excludes:

International and domestic airfares and taxes, unless otherwise specified, visa expenses, processing and issuance fees, meals other than specified as included, travel insurance or expenses of a personal nature (mini-bar, phone call, laundry, etc.), tips or gratuities to guides/drivers/porters / hotel, restaurant or boat staff, etc., and drinks or personal expenses or entrance fees for any extra sightseeing or optional activities.