Cultural Immersion and Hiking Tour to China

This specially designed trip is for people who want to explore the history, culture, and natural beauty of China. Starting in Beijing, we will explore all the main places of interest, including the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace. We will also visit a largely unrestored and remote section of the Great Wall, allowing you to absorb the immensity of this incredible structure without having to compete with thousands of other tourists for a good view. Fly to Zhangjiajie, a World Natural Heritage site, and get a taste of the local culture.  In Zhangjiajie, we also will walk in the country's First National Forest Park, enjoying its unique hills, peaks, and tranquil valleys. Stroll in the ancient Phoenix Town, Fenghuangchen, and experience what it was like to live in China a thousand years ago.   Continue to Xi’an, the former capital of China and the home to a flourishing Muslim population and the 2,000-year-old Terracotta Warriors.

What's Included:

• Services of an English-speaking expedition manager
• Double-occupancy hotel accommodations in the towns
• Camping accommodations during trek, with trekking support and kitchen staff
• Meals according to itinerary
• Ground transportation in private vehicle with driver
• Sightseeing and admission fees as per itinerary
• Airport / hotel transfers

Tour Dates:

• October 6  – 17, 2009

Tour Cost:

• $3,495 per person, double occupancy

• Single supplement: $720

Detailed Itinerary

Day One                                  Leave for China

Depart New York for Beijing. Cross the International Date Line. In-flight meals.

Day Two                                 Beijing

Arrive in Beijing, China’s bustling capital, late in the day. Board your air-conditioned motor coach, sit back and enjoy Beijing’s night scenery as your bus takes you to your hotel. You will be surprised to find how modern Beijing is. The city now rivals Hong Kong and Tokyo as one of the great cities of Asia. Almost overnight, Beijing’s tourism industry has caught up to Western standards, with shopping malls and international hotels, all connected by an intricate freeway and subway system criss-crossing the city. Check in hotel. Relax and get ready for tomorrow.

Day Three                               Beijing

You will begin your official tour of Beijing. First is the imposing Forbidden City, the secluded and guarded home to the emperors of China. The Forbidden City is the abiding symbol of traditional China.  You cannot get a sense of how immense this royal palace is from looking at it from the outside – you can only appreciate its size from walking through it. Its construction is truly one of the great feats of human history, employing hundreds of thousands of workers between 1406 and 1420. View its imperial gardens, expansive architecture, and many museums of antiques and treasures unrivaled in the world. In front of the Forbidden City is Tiananmen Square, which at 98 acres is the largest public square in the world and the site of many history-making events. A visit to the 15th century Temple of Heaven shows you where emperors made offerings for the harvest. Today it is a popular place for local people to play chess, practice tai chi, or listen to the Peking Opera. If time allows, we will arrange a special visit to a Chinese tailor who specializes in designing clothes combining Western and traditional Chinese styles.  (B.L.D)

Day Four                                 Beijing

A full-day excursion takes you 40 miles north of Beijing to the Great Wall, one of most remarkable human achievements, extending over 3,000 miles. A walk along a section of this enormous wall is a not-to-be-missed experience. According to a famous Chinese saying, “Not a real hero until one reaches the Great Wall.” Later, you’ll attend an elegant traditional tea ceremony followed by a warm, colorful Dai minority ethnic dinner party where each member will receive a lucky red thread. An enthralling and famous Chinese Acrobatic Show is scheduled for tonight. (B.L.D)

Day Five                                  Beijing/Zhangjiajie

Today we will meet the locals as we enjoy an educational walking tour through the “hutongs” - China’s alleys, courtyards, and back streets in which the local people live, work, and congregate. We’ll visit a kindergarten class, tour some homes, and shop at some of the markets, stores, and restaurants. In the afternoon, fly to Zhangjiajie, flight No. HU7271, leave Beijing at 5:30pm, arrive Zhangjiajie at 7:50pm. Zhangjiajie, the home of China's first National Park and a World Natural Heritage site, is one of the most beautiful regions of China.

Day Six                                    Zhangjiajie

Lying in the northwest corner of Hunan, Zhangjiajie was called "a rare charming belle in the boudoir" by the famous Chinese painter Wu Guanzhong. Zhangjiajie was China’s first National Forest Park.  It is breath-taking features include unique hills, queer ridges and peaks, tranquil valleys, thrilling streams and abundant plant and animal resources. Today we are going to Huangshi (Yellow Stone) Village. It is the most important sightseeing spot in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. We shall visit the Baofeng Lake. It is a masterpiece made by the power of nature and human, which consists of Baofeng Lake, Baofeng Waterfall, One Line Gorge and Hawk Nest Village.

Day Seven                               Zhangjiajie

Breakfast in the hotel.  Today hike along the Golden Whip Brook Trail, about 7.5 kilometers.  The trail winding along the brook stretches ahead of you.  You can see towering pinnacles on both side of 50-100 meters wide valley, experience the great tranquility of nature, smell the wild flowers, listen to lovely birds singing, and watch wild monkeys playing in the trees.  Take the tallest lift in the world (326 meters) to reach the top of Yuanjiajie and to Yuanjiajie Natural Reserve area. Picnic lunch on the mountain.  Tour Tianzi Mount, the heart of the mount, also called the Gate to Heaven.  You will see largest sea of unique peaks (western sea) and the smallest adventure ground in China.  In the evening; drive to Feng Huan Cheng (Phoenix Town) in Xiangxi Autonomous Region, where 80 percent of locals are members of ethnic minority groups.  Overnight in Jishou, capital of Xiangxi (B.L.D.)       

Day Eight                               Phoenix Town

After breakfast, visit Jishou Children’s Welfare Institute and continue driving to Phoenix City.  Stroll down the ancient streets to experience this ancient town, which was the home to Chinese writer Shen Congwen (1902-1988), the first prime minister Xiong Xilin (1870-1937), and the Yang's family 1300-year-old divine yard.  Boat tour in Tuojiang River is also an unforgettable experience.  We can view long rows of stilted houses of the ancient city on both sides of the river and enjoy a contest of ethnic minority songs. In the afternoon we will visit Dehang Miao minority village, and then drive back to Zhangjiajie in the evening. (B.L.)  

Day Nine                                 Gate to Heaven Mountain

Breakfast in the hotel and then take the excursion tour to the Gate to Heaven Mountain, the highest mountain (1518.6 meters) in this area. Take the longest cable car (7455 meters) in the world to see the highest cave in the world, which international pilots flew an aircraft through for a competition in 1999. You can also experience the traffic road wonder, which has 99 sharp turnings within a short distance. Gate to Heaven Mountain has been called “a garden in the air.” Evening flight to Xi’an.  (B.L.D)

Day Ten                                  Xi’an

Xi’an, the “City of Everlasting Peace,” was the capital of China for 11 dynasties and is one of the world’s largest and grandest cities. It is here that you’ll experience a once-in-a-lifetime viewing of the extraordinary 2,300 year-old Terra Cotta Warriors of China’s first emperor, Qinshihuang. The warriors still stand on the actual site where peasants discovered them in 1974! This evening enjoy a Tang Dynasty theater performance (B.L.D)

Day Eleven                             Xi’an

Today’s excursion takes you to the ancient the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. This newly built square features a statue of Tangseng, the master of the Monkey King from the famous Chinese story “Journey to the West.” We’ll also see some Tang-style architecture in the many exhibition halls of the Shaanxi History Museum. In the afternoon visit the old City Wall with the South Gate Tower (showing the ancient military defending system and the only one of its kind in China).  The evening is free for you to walk around the area surrounding the hotel. (B.L.) 

Day Twelve                             Beijing/US

This morning you will have time to do some last-minute shopping. Afterwards, we will be transferred to the Beijing Capital Airport for our return flight to the US.  Arrive home the same day.

Please note that B, L, D denotes Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

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