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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.
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