Destinations: Arrive in Beijing

Activities: Beijing is a city of amazing contrasts - an ancient capital with some incredible historical sites and a bustling modern metropolis getting ready to host the 2008 Olympics. Upon your arrival in Beijing, our guide will meet you and transfer you to your Hotel. The guide will give you some tips on local restaurants that we recommend and you can do some shopping in streets nearby. The rest of the day is free to rest to recover from jetlag or to explore by yourself.

Destinations: Beijing

Activities: After breakfast head out for Tian'anmen Square, the world's largest public square, which is closely linked to the Forbidden City, from which the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties governed for over 500 years. Followed by a rickshaw tour to Hutongs (small back lanes) to see daily life of Beijinger. In the afternoon you'll visit the Temple of Heaven, where the Emperors prayed for good harvests and rain, or gave thanks for the harvest. Near the temple we will visit a work shop gathering many old masters of Beijing's traditional crafts.

Meals: lunch

Destinations: Beijing

Activities: Leave town in the morning for the drive (a bit under two hours) to the Badaling Section of The Great Wall, which stretches for over 6000 km, and was originally built to protect China from the barbarians. You can walk and climb at your own pace, or enjoy spectacular views from the cable car. Then visit a Cloisonne (enamelware) workshop. Before returning to the city you'll enjoy visiting the Changling (one of the Ming tombs), and the attractive tree-lined Sacred Road, bordered by stone statues, along which the Emperors once trod to conduct their sacred ceremonies. Dinner tonight is at Quanjude Restaurant, where you'll eat some of the best 'Peking Duck' in Beijing.

Meals: lunch

Destinations: Beijing

Activities: In the morning we will learn Chinese cooking lesson which covers not only how the dishes are prepared, but also the culture and customs. During the class, you will cook three popular dishes with your own set of cooking equipment provided by us. And after the class you can sit down to enjoy your culinary creations and to share your new skills with other students like you. In the afternoon visit Summer Palace. The palace is positioned in the west suburb of Beijing, about 12 kilometers northwest of the city center. It is up to now the best preserved and the largest imperial gardens in China. In the park, you can also have a boat ride on the lake for about 10 minutes. In the evening enjoy a Peking Opera Show. You can come to the back stage to find out how actors and actress do make-up and even have photos with them.

Meals: lunch

Destinations: Beijing to Xi'an

Activities: We’re going to the one of the best museums in China, the Shaanxi Historical Museum. Among the 400,000 items on display are treasures from many Dynasties including magnificent bronzes and porcelain, many of which have never been on permanent display before. Then we will continue a half-hour's hike along the Ancient City Wall to familiarize ourselves with this fascinating cross cultural city city. For the energetic we recommend a ride bike along the top of the wall (Bikes can be rented for around 20 yuan/hour).

Destinations: Xi'an

Activities: After breakfast in the hotel, you will set off for the incredible 2000 year-old Terracotta warriors. The Warriors are part of the underground tomb of the Emperor Qin. Well over 7000 figures in full battle array are formed for battle in several large pits. Many of the figures - soldiers, archers, horses and chariots have been restored. Followed by a visit to a pottery factory where you can learn how to make terracotta and pottery by yourself. We will then visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda where widely renowned Master Xuanzang (Monk Tripitaka) stored his collection of classic Buddhist artifacts brought from India.

Meals: lunch

Destinations: Xi'an to Guilin

Activities: Reed Flute Cave: Known as 'the Palace of Natural Arts' this large and well-presented cave system has some remarkable formations. Make sure you have some small change for the children who sell flutes for as little as one yuan if you've got nothing less than a dollar you'll end up with their whole stock. Elephant Trunk Hill: really does look like an elephant drinking from the river.

Destinations: Guilin to Yangshuo

Activities: Li River Cruise: A cruise along the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo is an unforgettable experience. As you take in the stunning scenery there's something interesting to see at almost every bend in the river. Between spectacular limestone peaks you'll see graceful bamboo groves, farmers tending rice paddies, and lumbering water buffaloes pulling carts or cooling off in the river. You may see fishermen gliding along on their narrow bamboo rafts and fishing cormorants. Traditional Chinese painting is a combination of the arts of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal engraving in the same picture. It reflects the 3000-year-old culture and always be endowed with profound cultural connotations. Within this two hours class, you will be introduced to the theory and basic skills of paining and taught to draw a simple picture by your own by following our teacher’s instruction with the brush, ink, paper, and ink-grind all provided by us.

Meals: lunch

Destinations: Yangshuo to Guilin to Shanghai

Activities: At noon fly to Shanghai. Upon arrival we will go to the Bund - the old colonial sector, which is home to a myriad of European-styled buildings that face the Huangpu River. It is a must-see when visiting Shanghai. Architectural styles include gothic, baroque, Romanesque, and renaissance.

Destinations: Shanghai

Activities: Today you visit the lovely old Yuyuan Garden, the Shanghai Museum, which has rivals the Shaanxi Museum in Xi'an and is well worth a visit, the Jade Buddha Temple, and the famous Oriental TV Tower (also known as the Pearl Tower, for its distinctive shape). The second-highest platform provides wonderful views over Shanghai and the Huang Pu River, and those with a good head for heights can choose to buy a ticket to continue on to the very top.

Meals: lunch

Destinations: Shanghai to Suzhou to Shanghai

Activities: We will take one day tour to Suzhou by private car. First we will visit the Humble Administrator's Garden. It is the best representation of a Chinese classical garden in China. Afterward we are head to the Grand Canal, the longest man-made waterway in the world. Cruising on the Canal, you can observe the lifestyle of local people. Suzhou is also famous for its silk production and the last item of the day of the day is a visit to the No.1 silk factory where you can see how the silk is processed from the silk worm to the final woven cloth. In late afternoon transfered back to Shanghai.

Meals: lunch

Destinations: Depart from Shanghai

Activities: Your time is your own, until you are ready to be transferred to the airport for your departure.