DAY 1 (Wed.) / BEIJING, CHINA

Upon arrival in Beijing, join Seat-In-Coach transfer to the hotel for check in. Balance of day at leisure.

Accommodation: Capital Hotel Beijing or similar (3 nights)

DAY 2 / BEIJING (B/L)

Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy a full day Seat-In-Coach tour with lunch included.

Morning visit the Tian’anmen Square and Forbidden City. Enjoy a Chinese lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon will be a Hutong Tour by pedicabs, including the visit to the local family, and the drum tower.

DAY 3 /  BEIJING (B/L/D)

Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy a full day Seat-In-Coach tour with lunch and dinner included.

Morning excursion to the Badaling Great Wall, then visit Beijing Jade Carving Factory followed by lunch at its Friendship Restaurant, followed by an afternoon visit to the Summer Palace. Tonight, enjoy a Peking Duck dinner at local restaurant.

DAY 4 / BEIJING / XIAN (B/L)

Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy a half day Seat-In-Coach tour with lunch included.

This morning, visit the Temple of Heaven and Lama Temple.  Then have a Beijing Noodle lunch at local restaurant.

Transfer to airport for flight flying to Xian.

Transportation: local flight

Upon arrival in Xian, transfer to your hotel for check in. Balance of day at leisure.

Accommodation: Days Hotel & Suite Xinxing Xian or similar (2 nights)

DAY 5 / XIAN (B,L,D)

Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy a full day Seat-In-Coach tour with lunch and dinner included.

The morning excursion will include visit to the Terra Cotta Museum, followed by a Xian Ceramic and Art Workshop. Enjoy a Chinese lunch at local restaurant including a noodle making demonstration. This afternoon, visit the Shaanxi Provincial Historical Museum.

Tonight will be a dumpling dinner followed by a Tang Dynasty Show performance.

DAY 6 / XIAN / CHONGQING (B/L)

Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy a half day Seat-In-Coach tour with lunch included.

This morning, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the ancient City Walls of Xian. Have lunch at local restaurant, and then transfer to the airport for your flight to Chongqing.

Transportation: local flight

Upon arrival in Chongqing, transfer to your hotel for check in. Balance of day at leisure.

Accommodation: Hilton Chongqing Hotel or similar (1 night)

DAY 7 / CHONGQING / EMBARKATION (B/L/D)

Breakfast at hotel. This morning, visit the Chongqing Panda Zoo then return to the hotel to check out. Lunch at local restaurant, followed by afternoon visit to the Stilwell Museum and local market. Have a traditional Sichuan Hot Pot Dinner before transfer to the pier to board on your Yangzte River cruise.

Accommodation: onboard MV President Prime (outside cabin with private balcony) or similar (3 nights)

DAY 8 / YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE (B,L,D)

Day at leisure to enjoy the scenery and facilities onboard the cruise.

DAY 9 / YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE (B,L,D)

Day at leisure to enjoy the scenery and facilities onboard the cruise.

DAY 10 / DISEMBARKATION / YICHANG / SHANGHAI (B/L)

Disembark in Yihang and transfer to airport for flight to Shanghai.

Transportation: local flight

Upon arrival in Shanghai, transfer to your hotel for check in. Balance of day at leisure.

Accommodation: Sunrise On The Bund Hotel or similar (4 nights)

DAY 11 / SHANGHAI (B/D)

Breakfast at hotel. This morning, visit the Yu Garden and the Old Town of Shanghai.

Lunch is on your own in the Old Town, then visit the Bund and the Shanghai Museum.

Tonight, have dinner at local restaurant followed by an Acrobatic Show.

DAY 12 / SHANGHAI / SUZHOU / SHANGHAI (B/L)

Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy a full day excursion to Suzhou via high-speed train.

Sightseeing in Suzhou includes visit to the Garden of Master Fishing Net, Suzhou’s best Silk Spinning Factory, the Old Town of Suzhou, and a Grand Canal cruise.

Lunch will be at local Chinese restaurant in Suzhou, dinner on your own.

Transportation: roundtrip onboard high speed train (2^nd class soft seat)

DAY 13 / SHANGHAI  (B)

Breakfast at hotel. Free day at leisure.

DAY 14 / SHANGHAI (B) 

Breakfast at hotel.

Check out from the hotel, and join Seat-In-Coach transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

• Superior First Class Hotel accommodations with daily ABF as listed in the itinerary
• Round trip airport/hotel/airport transfers
• Sightseeing tours as specified in the itinerary
• Lunches and dinners at the local restaurants
• Domestic air transportation based on coach class
• TOP English-speaking local guides
• Fully escorted by National Guide if the departure is final at 10 pax and up

Travel Documents / Visas

1. Passport

Canadian citizens must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the last date of travel in China.

Citizens of other countries should consult with their travel agent or our office.

2. Visa

A visa is required for citizens of Canada travelling to China.

Details on how to obtain a visa can be obtained here.

Packing List

A handy checklist of what to bring on your trip can be downloaded here.

Insurance

We very strongly recommend the purchase of appropriate travel insurance for any trip outside of Canada. Information on travel insurance options can be found here.

Smoking

Not permitted anywhere indoors. There are designated areas on the outside decks.

Weather

March: Temperatures in the high 10s to low 20s. Occasional rain.

April/May & September/October: Warm with temperatures in the mid 20s. Relatively dry.

June – August: Very hot. Temperatures in the mid to high 30s.

Arrival / Departure

The program includes all transportation beginning in Beijing and ending in Shanghai or the opposite.

Money

The currency is the Chinese Yuan (Renminbi). It is uncommon for local shops and restaurants to accept any other currency.

Credit cards are acceptable for larger purchases in retail shops, but often not in restaurants or cafés.

ATM’s accepting most international debit and credit cards can be found in the larger cities at the start and end of the cruise but may not be so easy to find at stops en route.

Gratuities (Tipping)

On the cruise, there is a bulk gratuity of USD$25 per guest for the entire trip to be distributed amongst the whole crew.

It is suggested to budget USD$5 per guest for the river guide and USD$ 1 or 2 per shore excursion for local drivers and guides, to be given out based on your level of satisfaction.

Laundry

Laundry services are available on board at an extra charge.

Excursions

Most of our programs include a full complement of excursions. Some additional excursions may be available on board at an extra cost. Please check with us or consult the purser onboard for additional information.

Excursions will usually involve a lot of walking. If you have difficulty walking any distance, please let us know in advance and we will advise how best we can accommodate you.

Regrettably, most of our excursions are not suitable to those confined to a wheelchair.

Activity Level / Strenuousness

Light – At most, participation in the shore excursions requires the ability to walk reasonable distances and some stairs.

Food

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included in your cruise fare. During the land portion of the program, not all lunches and dinners are included so you will have ample opportunity to sample the local cuisine.

Local food consisting of rice noodles and tofu are best and very authentic, most meats are delicious, but ensure they are properly cooked and not raw. The famous dish known as “Hot Pot” originates from Chongqing and if you haven’t had it before, it is worthwhile.

In Yichang, try the snack known as”Liangxia” which is basically cold shrimp, rice, corn, and brown sugar.

Language

Your shipboard staff all speak English of course, but when you are wandering through the shops in small villages, the local folk will probably speak little English.  Since your Mandarin is probably limited, you might want to have a phrasebook handy.

Medical Facilities

There are no medical personnel onboard the ship. However, the purser can contact onshore medical people for emergency and non-emergency situations and rapid evacuation can easily be facilitated in the most urgent cases.

Phone & Internet

There is a phone in each cabin. As is typical, the charges for overseas calls are relatively high.

During the cruise, Wi-Fi is available in the main public areas of the ship but not necessarily in all cabins. As internet is provided through a mobile network, bandwidth (speed) will vary depending on the number of concurrent users, the proximity to a cell tower and other factors.

If you would like to have regular data and phone connection, we suggest either arranging an overseas roaming plan with your mobile operator, or pick up a local SIM card if you have an unlocked phone.

Hotels during the land portion of the program all have phone and internet facilities which may be subject to varying charges.

Health / Vaccinations

There are no vaccinations required to travel to China unless you are travelling from a country where yellow fever occurs. There are other vaccines which you may wish to consider, and we suggest that you check with your physician or a travel medical clinic for specific advice.

As always, we recommend being in good health prior to any long distance travel. Consult your personal physician with any specific concerns about this program.

Safety & Security

The police in China are generally very friendly, though they speak very little English except for police in Beijing or Shanghai who generally can speak a few words of English. If you are lost do ask for directions as they will usually be happy to help.

By and large China is safe as penalties are harsh, but crime does occur and tourists may be vulnerable so precautions and common sense are still advisable, particularly at night

This being said, being constantly aware of your surroundings and not taking unnecessary valuables with you is always recommended. Leave your passport, extra money and any other belongings you do not need during the day in the safe in your cabin.

You can access current information about the security situation in China by referring to the Canadian government travel advisory site at https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/china

Suggested Reading

The River at the Center of the World

China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power

China: A History