Keeping abreast of the developments in China's luxury scene is no small task! We are constantly updating our hotels, restaurants and special events to incorporate the very best within our unique tours. Guests are never led to tourist restaurants and souvenir shops, but are introduced to places that are the privilege of those in-the-know. Each and every one of our tours is accompanied not only by a local Chinese guide, but also by an experienced western China Host. Our carefully chosen China Hosts, who are fluent in Chinese and English (as well as French, German, Italian and Spanish), are there to make sure that each client is treated Imperially and receives only the very best. Price And Departure Dates days one and two Travelling to China you cross the international dateline, arriving in Beijing the next day in the afternoon or evening. ( Raffles Beijing Hotel - 5 Stars - Landmark Rooms) day three This morning's activities contrast colossal monuments of the past and present. After strolling across the impressive Tiananmen Square, an authoritative symbol of today's China, you will by awed by the majesty of the magnificent Forbidden City (as in Bertolucci's film "The Last Emperor"). In the afternoon, we take you to one of ancient China's most sacred sites, the majestic Temple of Heaven. For dinner we enjoy a change of pace and mood, dining at the recently opened, Philippe Starck-designed contemporary Chinese restaurant "Lan". (B, L, D)   day four The Great Wall has fascinated generations of travelers. Whereas Genghis Khan contemplated it as a military obstacle, Richard Nixon saw it as one of humankind's greatest achievments. Spanning from the Gobi desert in the west to the Bohai Gulf in the east, it reaches as far back in time as the seventh century BCE and is being projected forwards as one of China's proudest symbols for the 2008 Olympics. While the utility and meaning of this defense mechanism has been contested by centuries of diplomats and invaders, its unprecedented scale will astonish you and its unexpected beauty will inspire you. Today you will visit and dine at the Great Wall of China. (B, L, D)   day five We begin with a pedicab tour through Beijing's historic alleyways (or hutong ). During this you will be afforded an insight into the everyday life of Beijingers. The hutongs ' intimacy contrasts with the poetic expanses you will see at our afternoon visit to the Summer Palace, a retreat built exclusively for the Dowager Empress Cixi. Its ornate temples, pavilions, and covered corridors, set amidst a graceful landscape, epitomize the refinement of this powerful matriarch.This evening's scenic dinner perpetuates the sense of grace, leaving you with a wonderful memory of this Northern capital. (B, L, D)   day six For shoppers, Beijing's largest open-air market will come close to paradise. Here you will mingle with Beijingers, overseas and local art dealers as well as farmers who import goods from the countyrside. In the afternoon, we travel to Xi'an, where you will be treated to a dumpling-rolling and noodle-throwing lesson. ( Sheraton Hotel - 5 Stars - Deluxe Room) (B,L,D)       day seven Commerce along the fabled Silk Road introduced a diverse variety of foreign peoples and ideas to Xi'an, China's capital during the spectacular Tang dynasty. This morning we will compare its Buddhist Big Goose Pagoda with its Great Mosque, which stands in the midst of a thriving Muslim quarter. This afternoon we visit Xi'an's most stunning site, the Terracotta Warriors. Dating from the third century BCE, the thousands of moulded soldiers, officers, horses and wagons form a small component of the underground army buried to protect the legendary first Emperor of China during his afterlife. (B, L , No dinner included)   day eight Xi'an's well-presented History Museum traces the city's development from the matriarchal societies of the third millenium BC to its apogee under the mighty Tang dynasty in the tenth century. Your visit includes access to the Tang dynasty murals, normally closed to the general public. (Please note that entry is controlled by local authorities, who may deny access on occasion.) In the afternoon we fly to Guilin, whose poetic countryside will soothe you of your urban cares. Craggy limestone towers, their caves appearing like windows in a sheen of vegetation, overlook lush plains of rice fields and fruit orchards. ( Hotel of Modern Art - 5 Stars - Deluxe Room) (B, L, D)   day nine This morning you will have the opportunity to explore traditional village life. Visit a local school, take part in preparing soy milk, or just wander through the rice fields. The day continues with a relaxing boat-ride along a rarely visited stretch of the Li River: clumbs of bamboo trees line the shores, buffalo wallow in the shallow water, children play beside their father, who rake the river bed for reeds. En route, we will meet with villagers herding their cormorant birds along the river bottom in search of fish. (B, L, D)   day ten This morning has been left free. Some might wish to rent a bike to further explore the area. Others may wish to tour the hotel's internationally-acclaimed contemporary sculpture park. Many though, will choose to relax by the swimming pool with a good book. After lunch a flight takes us from Guilin to Hangzhou, a city whose beauty is encapsulated by a famous Chinese couplet: "In heaven there is paradise, on earth there is Hangzhou and Suzhou. ( Hyatt Regency Hotel - 5 Stars - Lakeview Room) (B, L, No dinner included)   day eleven It was Hangzhou whose wealth and splendour flabbergasted Marco Polo. Your visit begins exactly as he recommends, with a tour by gondola of the West Lake's elegant causways and landscaped islands. After a lunch of local seafood delicacies, we head west out of the city into verdant tea-fields. You will have a chance to watch a traditional tea ceremony and enjoy a private tea tasting. (B, L, D)   day twelve For those who wish to join us, we will be setting off extra early to watch the early morning exercises taking place at this time by West Lake. After breakfast, we will visit Lingyin Temple to view not only a historic temple, but also to inspect the astounding sculptures of its Buddhist monks. In the afternoon, en route for Shanghai, you will be surprised by the fast-paced development taking place across Zhejiang province. Last century considered to be the most Western of Chinese cities, Shanghai, should perhaps now be thought of as its most futuristic. Having advised you of Shanghai's best restaurant and bars, we will help make any reservations that you might require for this evening of fun, when we leave you to enjoy Shanghai on your own. (Grand Hyatt Hotel - 5 Stars - River View Room) (B, L)   day thirteen This morning we will arrange for a lecture/tour on colonial architecture in Shanghai given by a member of the Shanghai Historical Society. This tour will take you into some of the most important buildings along the Bund and French Concessions including the Peace Hotel and Hong Kong Shanghai Bank. En route to lunch, we will travel along sycamore-lined boulevards into the heart of the French Concession. This section of the "Paris of the Orient" now hosts many arts-based businesses and art galleries that we can visit if you so desire. After dining at one of Shanghai's chic new restaurants, we will enjoy the marvelous stunts of the Acrobatic Show. (B, L, D)   day fourteen Our day begins at Shanghai's Art Museum, one of the most modern in the country. Arranged by category rather than chronologically, its well-conceived displays elucidate all aspects of Chinese art from ceramics to jade and ivory carving to furniture to seals to paintings. This afternoon we take you to visit the Yu Gardens, one of the best examples of traditional Chinese garden design in the country. Afterwards, you will have some time to stroll through Shanghai's Old Quarter and visit a local Buddhist temple. Our farewell dinner takes place at our favorite Shanghai restaurant, boasting a magnificent view over the Bund and Pudong waterfronts. (B, L, D)   day fifteen For many guests, today heralds their departure from China. You will be transferred to the airport in time for your return flight home. (B) Please note that B, L, D denotes Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.   The price of this tour will be USD8,610 per person, based on double occupancy. There is a surcharge of USD2,590 for anyone requiring a single room. Upgrades to suites will be USD1,480 per person. Upgrades to business class on internal flights will be USD360 per person. Included in the tour price are: 13 nights accommodation in the best five star hotels (where available). Please also pay particular attention to the room category specified in the itinerary - we rarely use entry level rooms 13 breakfasts, 12 lunches & 9 dinners at China's finest restaurants Services of a Western bilingual China Host and local tour guides All internal flights (Beijing/Xi'an, Xi'an/Guilin, Guilin/Hangzhou) All land transportation Entrance fees to all tourist sites Baggage handling, service charges, guide and driver gratuities, hotel and domestic airport taxes Tour group limited to 20 people 2007 Departure Dates: Aug 13-27, Sep 10-24, Oct 15-29, Nov 5-19 2008 Departure Dates: Mar 17-31, Mar 31 - Apr 14, May 5-19, Jun 9-23, Jul 7-21, Sep 8-22, Oct 13-27, Nov 3-17 Departures require a minimum of 6 persons Dates in bold are guaranteed departures Please inquire about the option to upgrade your hotel room category Tours can be extended with an option to cruise along the Yangzi River. Please inquire for details. Not included in the tour price are: International airfare to/from China, visa processing fees, travel insurance. Personal expenses such as alcoholic beverages, excess luggage fees, telephone charges, room service and laundry charges. Gratuities to the China Host. Margot Kong, based in San Francisco, is ready to answer your queries about this tour. Phone her at 888 888 1970, or click here to send her an email. Return to top