Jasmine's China Adventure Tours - Classic (and Modern) China

Village scene, near Huangshan
(Photo by Paul Behrens)

Classic (and Modern) China

Beijing--Xi'an--Guilin--Yangshuo--Huangshan--Shanghai
17 days
Monthly departure on the 2nd Saturday of the month, all year around, 2010-2011
$3,650 USD per person, double occupancy
Guaranteed departure with minimum of 2 people
Land cost only; does not include international airfare
(Special Note: As an option, if you take this trip between May 1 and October 30, 2010, you can use the free day to visit the Shanghai Expo! Please contact us for details.)

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Experience the best of classic and modern China on this comprehensive 17-day tour that highlights the magical landscapes and teeming cities of this fascinating and fast-changing land. During your visits to the great urban centers, Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an, you'll have the chance to see how rapid modernization has changed the face of China, while also visiting the ancient monuments that root Chinese culture in the storied past: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and the terra cotta army.

Away from the crowded cities, you’ll have the chance to feel the slower rhythms of rural life by visiting small villages where much work is still done by hand or with the help of animals. You’ll also have the chance to relax, slow down, and absorb the beauty of some of China’s most stunning landscapes. The itinerary gives you two days to explore the countryside around Yangshuo, where jagged karst pinnacles overlook electric-green rice paddies, and small villages with lively produce markets cluster along the banks of quiet streams. You’ll have the option to bicycle quiet country lanes to get a close-up look at farm life. Lunch at a local farm family’s house gives you the chance to taste local specialties, and you even have the special option to spend one night at a village guesthouse.

Village scene, near Huangshan

Village scene, near Huangshan (Photo by Paul Behrens)

Farther south, in Anhui Province, classical Chinese brush painting comes to life on the craggy heights of Huangshan, the fabled “Yellow Mountain”, and in the whitewashed villages of the region’s emblematic “dragon well” courtyard houses, some of which have doubled as the settings for recent blockbuster movies such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. Watching the sun rise over the cloud sea from the top of Huangshan is an indelible memory, but the sight of a small village reflected in a pond, beneath a hill forested with bamboo trees gently swaying in the breeze, will also be a lasting reminder of your visit to classic China.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 (Saturday): Depart from the United States or Canada.

Day 2 (Sunday): Arrive in Beijing. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Beijing.

Days 3-5 (Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday): Sightseeing in and around Beijing, including: an all-day excursion to the Great Wall, a visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, visit the beautiful Summer Palace; wander around in some old neighborhoods of "Hutong" courtyard homes; walk through the lively Wangfujing area with its interesting night food street. In the morning, get up early to take part in local people's morning exercises at the park--you will be surprised how many people there are! In the evenings, enjoy a performance of Chinese acrobats and taste the famous Beijing Roast Duck in a neighborhood restaurant--where the local people enjoy it. On the late afternoon of Day 5, fly from Beijing to Xi’an. Overnight in Xi’an.

Day 6 (Thursday):
Sightseeing in and around Xi'an, including a full-day excursion to the terra cotta army, and a visit to a family living in a village of unusual Shaanxi-style "cave homes". In the evening, enjoy a wonderful dumpling banquet in a 100-year-old restaurant.

Day 7 (Friday): Take a walk to get to know the Moslem Quarter of this ancient city, including the Great Mosque, the Drum Tower and a visit to the 600-year –old city walls. In the afternoon, fly from Xi’an to Guilin. Overnight in Guilin.

Day 8 (Saturday): Boat cruise on the picturesque Li River through the stunning landscape, stopping along the way to visit an underground cavern; arrive in the small town of Yangshuo in the afternoon and have the balance of the day to explore the town. Overnight in Yangshuo.
(As a special option while you are in Yangshuo, I can arrange for you to stay at Mr. Li’s guest house in a nearby village for 1 night. If you are interested in this option, please contact me for more details.)

Days 9-10 (Sunday-Monday): Sightseeing in and around the beautiful countryside of Yangshuo, including a bicycle ride on country lanes and paths to a village for lunch at my farmer friends' home; a visit to nearby market towns and villages to see local produce fairs and traditional farming methods where rice cultivation is done by hand or with the aid of water buffalo. On one of the evenings, you will be taken on out the Li River on a small boat to see local fishermen using cormorants to catch fish.
(**The dinner on Day 10 is not included. There are many cafes and restaurants in town with English menus and helpful staff-- have fun finding one on your own!)

Day 11 (Tuesday): Drive from Yangshuo to Guilin to catch your flight to Tunxi with a stopover in Guangzhou. Transfer to the hotel after arrival in Tunxi and explore the old town of Tunxi if time permits. Overnight in Tunxi.

Day 12 (Wednesday):
Sightseeing in and around Tunxi to visit villages of whitewashed “dragon well” houses in a picturesque countryside where small farm plots are overshadowed by rugged hills covered with forests of bamboo. You may recognize the village of Hongcun from the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”!

Day 13 (Thursday): Drive to the cable car station of Huangshan Mountain in the morning (about 1 hour). After the spectacular ride to the summit, balance of the day for sightseeing on the top of the mountain. Overnight in the hotel on the top of the mountain.

Day 14
(Friday): If you like, get up very early to watch the sunrise—one of the most memorable experiences on Huangshan. Afterwards, more sightseeing on the mountain. In the afternoon, descend the mountain by cable car and drive to Tunxi to catch your flight to Shanghai. Overnight in Shanghai.

Day 15
(Saturday): Sightseeing in and around Shanghai, including: visit the Yuyuan Gardens; wander through the former French concession area at Huaihai Road; take a leisurely stroll along the waterfront Bund and visit the Pudong new development area. In the evening, take a cruise on the Huangpu River (about one hour) to see the illuminated skylines of the Bund and the fantastic Pudong area.

Day 16 (Sunday): This day is set aside for you to have a free day to relax or to discover the city or go shopping on your own. (Note: Travelers taking this tour between May 1 and October 30, 2010 may use this free day to visit the Shanghai Expo on their own.)
(** Lunch and dinner are not included for this day.)

Day 17 (Monday): Depart from Shanghai and fly to Canada or the United States, arriving home the same day.

C.S.T. Number 2034611-40

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Day 1 (Saturday):	Depart from the United States or Canada.
Day 2 (Sunday):	Arrive in Beijing. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Beijing.
Days 3-5 (Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday):	Sightseeing in and around Beijing, including: an all-day excursion to the Great Wall, a visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, visit the beautiful Summer Palace; wander around in some old neighborhoods of "Hutong" courtyard homes; walk through the lively Wangfujing area with its interesting night food street. In the morning, get up early to take part in local people's morning exercises at the park--you will be surprised how many people there are! In the evenings, enjoy a performance of Chinese acrobats and taste the famous Beijing Roast Duck in a neighborhood restaurant--where the local people enjoy it. On the late afternoon of Day 5, fly from Beijing to Xi’an. Overnight in Xi’an.
Day 6 (Thursday):	Sightseeing in and around Xi'an, including a full-day excursion to the terra cotta army, and a visit to a family living in a village of unusual Shaanxi-style "cave homes". In the evening, enjoy a wonderful dumpling banquet in a 100-year-old restaurant.
Day 7 (Friday):	Take a walk to get to know the Moslem Quarter of this ancient city, including the Great Mosque, the Drum Tower and a visit to the 600-year –old city walls. In the afternoon, fly from Xi’an to Guilin. Overnight in Guilin.
Day 8 (Saturday):	Boat cruise on the picturesque Li River through the stunning landscape, stopping along the way to visit an underground cavern; arrive in the small town of Yangshuo in the afternoon and have the balance of the day to explore the town. Overnight in Yangshuo. (As a special option while you are in Yangshuo, I can arrange for you to stay at Mr. Li’s guest house in a nearby village for 1 night. If you are interested in this option, please contact me for more details.)
Days 9-10 (Sunday-Monday):	Sightseeing in and around the beautiful countryside of Yangshuo, including a bicycle ride on country lanes and paths to a village for lunch at my farmer friends' home; a visit to nearby market towns and villages to see local produce fairs and traditional farming methods where rice cultivation is done by hand or with the aid of water buffalo. On one of the evenings, you will be taken on out the Li River on a small boat to see local fishermen using cormorants to catch fish. (**The dinner on Day 10 is not included. There are many cafes and restaurants in town with English menus and helpful staff-- have fun finding one on your own!)
Day 11 (Tuesday):	Drive from Yangshuo to Guilin to catch your flight to Tunxi with a stopover in Guangzhou. Transfer to the hotel after arrival in Tunxi and explore the old town of Tunxi if time permits. Overnight in Tunxi.
Day 12 (Wednesday):	Sightseeing in and around Tunxi to visit villages of whitewashed “dragon well” houses in a picturesque countryside where small farm plots are overshadowed by rugged hills covered with forests of bamboo. You may recognize the village of Hongcun from the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”!
Day 13 (Thursday):	Drive to the cable car station of Huangshan Mountain in the morning (about 1 hour). After the spectacular ride to the summit, balance of the day for sightseeing on the top of the mountain. Overnight in the hotel on the top of the mountain.
Day 14 (Friday):	If you like, get up very early to watch the sunrise—one of the most memorable experiences on Huangshan. Afterwards, more sightseeing on the mountain. In the afternoon, descend the mountain by cable car and drive to Tunxi to catch your flight to Shanghai. Overnight in Shanghai.
Day 15 (Saturday):	Sightseeing in and around Shanghai, including: visit the Yuyuan Gardens; wander through the former French concession area at Huaihai Road; take a leisurely stroll along the waterfront Bund and visit the Pudong new development area. In the evening, take a cruise on the Huangpu River (about one hour) to see the illuminated skylines of the Bund and the fantastic Pudong area.
Day 16 (Sunday):	This day is set aside for you to have a free day to relax or to discover the city or go shopping on your own. (Note: Travelers taking this tour between May 1 and October 30, 2010 may use this free day to visit the Shanghai Expo on their own.) (** Lunch and dinner are not included for this day.)
Day 17 (Monday):	Depart from Shanghai and fly to Canada or the United States, arriving home the same day.