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 day one You will be met at the gate of Beijing International Airport by airport VIP staff who will lead you through immigration, baggage claim and customs to your vehicle to be transferred to your hotel. ( Raffles Beijing Hotel - 5 Stars - Landmark Rooms) day two This morning we take you to one of ancient China's most sacred sites, the majestic Temple of Heaven. This afternoon'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"). Your tour here will include private access to the Emperor's private quarters, normally closed to the general public. (Please note that access to this site is controlled by local authorities, who may deny access on occasion. (B, L, D) day three Today you will visit the Great Wall which 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. You will be treated to a private banquet on the wall itself (weather permitting). (B, L - no dinner included.)   day four We begin the day with a 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. The poetic expanses of Imperial life contrasts with the intimacy of the historic alleyways (or hutong ) of Beijing's old quarter. During our afternoon visit, you will be afforded an insight into the everyday life of Beijingers. This evening's scenic dinner perpetuates the sense of grace, leaving you with a wonderful memory of this Northern capital. (B, L, D)   day five 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. ( Sofitel Hotel - 5 Stars - Luxury Room) (B, L - no dinner included)       day six This morning 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. His reign, unifying competing kingdoms, anticipated Xi'an's subsequent rise to global prominence as the capital of a mighty empire in both the Han (206BCE - 220 CE) and Tang (618-907) dynasties. The city's well-presented History Museum traces this development. Your tour here this afternoon 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 evening, you will be treated to a private dumpling-wrapping and noodle-throwing lesson. (B, L, D)   day seven Commerce along the fabled Silk Road introduced an astonishing diversity of peoples, religions and ideas to China, such that Xi'an became home to motley, mutually tolerant communities of Nestorian Christians, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Daoists, Jews and Muslims, many of whom have left their mark. This morning, for example, you will tour the Beilin Museum, a former Confucian Temple which houses an eighth century Christian stone tablet amongst its collection of Chinese classics. Following this, we will observice the enduring influence of Xi'an's Muslim community in its Great Mosque, and forever-bustling Muslim quarter. 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 - an unrated Relais & Chateaux property - Deluxe Room) (B, L - no dinner included)   day eight 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 on traditional bamboo rafts 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 fathers, 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 nine 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 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 ten 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 eleven 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. (Four Seasons Hotel - 5 Stars - Deluxe Room) (B, L - no dinner included)   day twelve This morning features 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) [On this day during the July Imperial Tour you will have the chance to observe, from the top of Shanghai's tallest building, at the highest hotel in the world, the longest total solar eclipse of the century: to see a longer one you will have to wait until June of 2132!] day thirteen Our day begins at the Shanghai 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 fourteen 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 USD9,670 per person, based on double occupancy. There is a surcharge of USD2,880 for anyone requiring a single room. Upgrades to suites will be USD2,350 per person. Upgrades to business class on internal flights will be USD380 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 & 7 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. 2009 Departure Dates: Jul 7-20, Aug 11-24, Sep 1-14, Oct 13-26, Nov 3-16. 2010 Departure Dates: Mar 16-29, Apr 13-26, May 4-17, Jun 8-21, Jul 6-19, Aug 10-23, Sep 14-27, Oct 12-25, Nov 2-15. Departures require a minimum of 6 persons. Dates in bold are guaranteed departures. 2010 Tour Early Booking Special: book an Imperial Tour before September 15, 2009 and receive the 2009 tour price listed above. Tours can be extended with an option to visit other destinations, such as Chengdu, Lhasa, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Suzhou, Huangshan, Hong Kong, Sanya or Dunhuang. 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, in San Francisco, U.S. and Kent Milne in Poole, U.K. are ready to answer your queries about this tour at the contacts indicated below. Return to top