18 days

I

 

 

TBA                  TBA                       $4,095

Single:  $5,395    (prices are approximate)

 

 

Operated by:

 

       

 

Sheri Koch at AAA Travel:  262-317-1250, ext. 211

 

 

China & The Yangtze River

 

Tentatively March or April 2008

 

  Itinerary

 

Day 1 – Depart USA

Your journey begins this morning as you depart Milwaukee aboard United Airlines, connecting through Chicago to Shanghai.  Cross the International Date Line en route.

 

Day 2 –  Arrive Shanghai, China

Upon arrival, the group will be met and transferred to the Salvo Hotel, wonderfully located in the center of the city.  This evening, gather with your fellow travelers for a dinner of regional specialties.

Salvo Hotel - Meals D

 

Day 3 –  Shanghai

Today’s sightseeing explores the many contrasts of this fascinating city. Drive along The Bund, Shanghai’s grand waterfront boulevard, once home to powerful turn-of-the-century European banks and shipping houses.  Then explore the lively Old City Market before touring the tranquil and picturesque 16t^h century Yu Yuan Garden. Visit the historic Old French Concession and travel through the Pudong Financial Zone to see the many towering, ultra-modern skyscrapers that have become a potent symbol of China’s blistering growth.  You’ll enjoy lunch and dinner in carefully selected restaurants of this cosmopolitan city.

Salvo Hotel - Meals B, L, D

 

Day 4 –  Shanghai / Zhujiajiao Excursion

Explore the ancient water town of Zhujiajiao, with its marvelously preserved homes and graceful, centuries-old bridges of wood and marble.  Strolling along willow-shaded waterways, you’ll feel transported to the Ming Dynasty.  This evening is free to enjoy Xin Tiandi, a hip district of narrow alleys and traditional buildings that have been restored to house galleries, boutiques and cafés.

Salvo Hotel - Meals B, L, D

 

Day 5 –  Shanghai

The day is at leisure to explore at your own pace.  Your hotel’s central location offers easy access for shopping on famous Nanjing Road or strolling along the waterfront Bund.

Salvo Hotel - Meals B

 

Day 6 –  Shanghai / Jingmen

After breakfast, you’ll transfer to the airport for your flight to Yichang in Hubei Province.  Upon arrival, you’ll travel by motorcoach to Jingmen and check in to the comfortable Jingmen International Hotel.

Jingmen International Hotel - Meals B, D

 

Days 7 to 9 – Jingmen

Jingmen is a bustling city in the heart of China.  Its fascinating blend of ancient history and thriving 21^st century commerce so defines this extraordinary country at the dawn of a new millennium.  With 3 days to explore Jingmen, you have the rare opportunity to experience the normal rhythms of the city and gain insight into the daily lives of its residents. You’ll also have opportunity to discover some of the sights of Jingmen, including Tang Temple on Xiangshan Mountain and Dragon Springs Park.

Jingmen International Hotel – Meals 3B

 

Day 10 – Jingmen / Yichang – Embark Victoria Queen

Today you travel back to Yichang by motorcoach.  Your adventure on the legendary Yangtze River begins as soon as you board the deluxe Victoria Queen and settle in to your comfortable outside staterooms.

Victoria Queen – Meals B, D

 

Day 11 – Cruising / Three Gorges Dam

Following breakfast you’ll enjoy an excursion to the Three Gorges Dam to learn about this enormous hydroelectric project, an extraordinary engineering feat that is having profound impact on China and the 1.5 million residents displaced by the rising waters..  This afternoon, the Victoria Queen begins her passage through the 5-stage ship locks of the dam.

Victoria Queen - Meals B, L, D

 

Day 12 – Cruising / Shennong Stream / Three Gorges

Today promises adventure and fantastic scenery.  An exciting excursion by “pea pod boats” will take you up the clear rushing waters of Shennong Stream through forested mountains and towering granite cliffs.  You return to ship and continue through the spectacular Yangtze Gorges, including Qutang Gorge where the river narrows to just a few hundred feet across and the mountains on either side rise precipitously to almost 5,000 feet.

Victoria Queen - Meals B, L, D

 

Day 13 – Cruising / Fengdu

Today’s excursion explores the famous “Ghost City” of Fengdu. Numerous temples, some dating to the 14th century, feature fantastic carvings and depictions of spirits and beings from the “Underworld” of Chinese mythologies. Return to the ship for a leisurely afternoon of cruising.

Victoria Queen – Meals B, L, D

 

Day 14 – Arrive Chongqing / Fly to Xian

Following disembarkation, you’ll fly to Xian, the ancient capital of China for 13 dynasties.  An afternoon tour visits the imposing, ancient city walls.  Enjoy a restful overnight at the comfortable Marriott Grand New World Hotel.

Marriott Grand New World – Meals B, D

 

Day 15 – Xian / Fly to Beijing

It’s been more than 30 years since farmers digging a well inadvertently made China’s greatest archaeological discovery:  Thousands of terra cotta soldiers buried 2,000 years ago to guard the tomb of China’s first emperor.  After breakfast, you’ll enjoy a fascinating visit to the excavation site at Pit K9801 to learn more about this amazing archaeological treasure.  It’s a wondrous experience to look down upon the thousands of soldiers, each one unique, that have silently stood guard for 2 millennia.  In the late afternoon, you’ll fly to Beijing where your group will be met and transferred to the comfortable Taiwan Hotel.

Taiwan Hotel – Meals B, L, D

 

Day 16 - Beijing

Today’s full day sightseeing includes the beautiful Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square, one of the largest public plazas in the world. You’ll also stroll through the courtyards, pavilions and palaces of the Forbidden City, once the exclusive enclave of Ming Dynasty emperors.  Journeying by rickshaw, you explore the cobbled streets of a Hutong, one of the city’s old settlements where residents live in traditional courtyard homes that date back generations.

Taiwan Hotel – Meals B, L, D

 

Day 17 - Beijing

Experience the thrill of walking on the Great Wall, an ancient fortification that stretches for thousands of miles across the rugged mountains north of Beijing.  Then visit the Ming Tombs where 13 Ming Dynasty emperors chose to be buried, believing that the beauty and harmony of this tranquil valley would dispel evil spirits.  This evening, enjoy a traditional Peking Duck Dinner.

Taiwan Hotel – Meals B, L, D

 

Day 18 – Depart Beijing

Following breakfast, your China adventure comes to a close.  You’ll be transferred to the airport for your return flight on United Airlines to Milwaukee via Chicago.

Meals B

 

NOTE: Tour price is based on minimum of 15 people and subject to increase with fewer travelers.

 

Cancellation penalties are as follows:

·        Up to 126 days prior to departure:  $500 fee per person plus airline cancellation penalties.

·        125 – 96 days prior to departure:  15% of price plus airline cancellation penalties.

·        95 – 66 days prior to departure:  35% of price plus airline cancellation penalties.

·        65 – 36 days prior to departure:  50% of price plus airline cancellation penalties.

·        Within 35 days of departure:  100% of the price plus airline cancellation penalties.

 

This tour is offered by AAA Travel and General Tours.  (Please refer to "Responsibility" section of General Tours World Traveler's Legendary World Journey catalog)