Your tour - at a glance
Day 1~3 Arrival & Shanghai Tour
Experience the great contrast of Shanghai by visiting the traditional Yu Garden and Jade Buddha Temple, modern and prosperous Jinmao Tower, Nanjing Road and the Bund, etc.
Day 4~7 Yangtze River Cruise & Flight to Xian from Chongqing
Explore the stunning scenery along Yangtze River, such as Three Gorges, Three Gorges Dam and interesting excursions to Shibaozhai Pagoda, Shennv Stream, etc. Also relax yourself with rich activities on board. After disembarking in Chongqing, visit Three Gorges Museum and Ciqikou Ancient Town.
Day 8~9 Xian Tour & High Speed Train to Beijing
One full day to visit the incredible Terracotta Warriors, leisurely walk on the Ancient City Wall and Muslim Quarter. Before leaving for Beijing, explore the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Shaan’xi History Museum.
Day 10~12 Beijing Tour & Departure
Two full days and a half day sightseeing covering the grand Tiananmen Square, historical Forbidden City, spectacular Temple of Heaven, manmade wonder Great Wall of China, royal park Summer Palace, traditional Hutong, etc.
Full Itinerary Day by Day
Day 1 Shanghai Arrival
Ni Hao! Welcome to Shanghai,
the biggest metropolis of China!
Upon
arrival, you will be met by local tour guide at the arrival hall of the airport
and escorted to check in your hotel in downtown by a private comfortable
vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to relax. If you want to explore
nearby, feel free to get some practical suggestions from your tour guide.
Day 2 Shanghai ( B, L )
You will take a full day of sightseeing to explore both the past and present of Shanghai. Your first stop is Shanghai Museum,
one of the Best Four Museums in China. This modern museum, with a round
top and a square base which symbolizing the ancient Chinese perception
of the world as "round sky, square earth", has collected many
international-standard exhibits of bronzes, paintings, calligraphy,
sculpture, ceramics, jade from more than 5,000 years ago to the Qing
dynasty. To help you learn about the history and facts
about the relics in the museum easily, an Audio Explanation Device will be
prepared for you.
Then, take an interesting visit to Yu
Garden, a shining star among all the ancient Chinese gardens in
Jiangnan. This garden fully embodies the traditional design of Chinese
architecture with jagged pavilions with elegant decorations, glittering pools
with roving fish, and pine trees sprouting to the sky, all designed to refresh
your mood and spirit. Adjacent to the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar
where you can savor tasteful local snacks and explore elaborate traditional
Chinese handicrafts and art works. Next you will drive several kilometers to enjoy a panoramic view of the
modern face of Shanghai from the 100th floor (474m) of “the Eye of
Shanghai” - Shanghai World Financial Center.
You will then be transferred to another popular landmark of Shanghai, Nanjing Road, a
shopping paradise as well as a great place to take a wonderful walk to
experience the modern atmosphere of the City. Lastly, you will stop at
the Bund, originally a simple towpath for transporting
goods but now transformed into a feverish trading district. You will
stroll along the Bund, seeing and feeling the perfect fusion of Chinese
and Western cultures while at the same time taking in the stunning
Shanghai skyline with your own eyes!
Optional activities: 1). Take a relaxing Huangpu
River night cruise to see the city’s most significant edifices and
streets sparkling under the atmospheric cover of darkness (about 50
minutes); 2). Enjoy an entertaining and breathtaking Acrobatic Show at
Shanghai Circus World or other acrobatic theatres (usually performs
during 19:30~21:00).
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Exquiste International Buildings at The Bund
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Yuyuan Bazaar Shot by Our Customer Paul
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474 M High Glass Walkway in World Financial Center
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The Bund: Famous “Exhibition of the World's Architecture”
Day 3 Shanghai & Flight to Yichang ( B, L )
After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. First, you’ll pay a wonderful visit to Jade Buddha Temple, the site of the largest Jade Buddha in the world and numerous religious artifacts, ancient statues and Buddhist scriptures. This peaceful kingdom of Buddhism hidden among modern blocks and dominating mansions is a great place for a nice break in this very busy city.
Next, you’ll be transferred to Tianzifang which is touristic arts and crafts enclave that has developed from a renovated traditional residential area. It is the typical tourist attraction to appreciate the preservation of local Shikumen architecture. In this place full of rich flavor of life, you can leisurely stroll along the clean old alleys to watch the daily life of local Shanghai people, savor a cup of drink at the open-air café, and find some interesting things in the novel shops to feel the international feature mixed with real Shanghai culture.
In
the afternoon, your guide will escort you to the airport for your flight to
Yichang (2hrs). Upon arrival, you’ll be transferred to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise
Terminal (or Yichang East Railway Station)
for a bus arranged by the cruise company heading to Maoping Port for embarkation. Your lifetime Yangtze River cruise
starts!
Embarkation Tips: (1) The Shanghai to Yichang flight in the afternoon is not always available every day. If there is no such flight, to embark your cruise ship on time, you will have to cancel your visit to Jade Buddha Temple and Tianzifang in Shanghai and change your transfer to Yichang with 2 optional arrangements. (a). Take the early morning flight (around 7:30 a.m.) to Yichang to have a half-day tour. After the city tour, your guide would escort you to take the arranged bus to the port for Yangtze River cruise embarkation; (b). Take a morning bullet train (about 6-7 hours) from Shanghai to Yichang, and after arrival, take the arranged bus to the port for Yangtze River cruise embarkation. (2)All the cruise companies will arrange free transfer service at Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal or Yichang East Railway Station during 16:00~21:00. You could choose either one to take the tourist bus to Maoping Port. If you take a train arriving at Yichang East Railway Station, you can take the bus at the exit directly. (3) The boarding time and departure piers may change based on the ship line, water level, season, weather and other factors. Please pay attention to the important info your travel consultants sent to you before your boarding.
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Woo's group visited Jade Buddha Temple
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Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal Nightview
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Spend Leisure Time at the Mazy Lanes of Tianzifang
Day 4 Yangtze River Cruise ( B, L, D )
In
the morning, wake up leisurely and enjoy the gentle sunshine shining over the
tranquil and beautiful Yangtze River. It will be colorful and interesting
whether you decide to stay onboard or go ashore at river stops.
Onboard
you will enjoy different kinds of activities, like practicing Tai Chi on the
boat’s sundeck, drinking a relaxing morning coffee, attending a Yangtze River
history and culture lecture, or taking part in the Captain’s Welcome Party and
evening shows.
Today’s
highlight is an afternoon excursion to Three Gorges Dam, the
world’s largest hydropower project, located at the middle of Xiling Gorge near
Yichang. You will marvel at this gigantic dam from different angles, learn more
of the background history of the Three Gorges Dam Project and enjoy the
surrounding beautiful landscape and scenery. If
you like, you can take optional experience to sail through Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift, the largest and the most sophisticated ship
lift in the world, which takes only 40 minutes with fresh insight into the dam
project.
Optional excursion: take shore excursion to the Tribe of Three Gorges in the Xiling Gorge which charges extra fee. It has lovely scenes everywhere - waterfalls, boats, fishermen, laundry girls washing in the stream, a mock wedding ceremony…Take an easy boardwalk in the valley to enjoy impressive scenery and explore the life and customs of Bai people of this region.
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The Magnificent Giant Three Gorges Dam
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Yangtze River Cruise
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A Lifetime Relaxing Yangtze River Cruise
Day 5 Yangtze River Cruise ( B, L, D )
Today
you will sail through the spectacular Three Gorges!
You will relax on the sun deck and soak up
the breathtaking gorge scenery passing by as you drift through Qutang Gorge, Wu
Gorge and Xiling Gorge respectively.
In
Wu Gorge you will take an enjoyable adventure to primitive Shennv
Stream (Goddess Stream). You’ll be switched to a smaller boat to sail
down this beautiful stream running in a narrow side gorge where you will have
close-up views of high mountain peaks and hanging coffins on the steep cliff
faces. During this side trip you will be entertained with local music and dance
offered by the Tujia ethnic minority.
Optional excursion: Take a shore
excursion to White Emperor City for an extra fee. Located at
the entrance of Qutang Gorge, this excursion offers the best viewing spot to
appreciate the magnificent Kuimen Gate.
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Gorgeous Scenery of Three Gorges
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Qutang Gorge
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Wu Gorge
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Shennv Stream
Day 6 Yangtze River Cruise ( B, L, D )
In
this morning, you will follow a local guide and make a shore excursion to Shibaozhai
Pagoda, one of the “Pearls” of the Yangtze River. A gem of
Chinese architecture, this 12-story, 18th
century red wooden temple on the northern bank of Yangtze River is an
architectural delight full of legends and beautiful stories. (Note: Comfortable
shoes are highly recommended since there will be lots of stairs to climb up!)
Optional excursion: Take a shore excursion to Fengdu
Ghost City for an extra fee. Called the “City of Ghosts”, it is
endowed with mysterious stories about underworld and cruel tortures and
different kinds of devils and Chinese demons. Entering this ghost city, you
will find many statues of demons and vivid scenes of their perfidious
activities. (Note: Once again, the visit to Fengdu Ghost City requires much
walking and comfortable shoes are again highly recommended!)
In this evening, enjoy Captain’s Farewell Party with all the mates onboard and cherish your last night on the relaxing Yangtze River cruise.
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Shibaozhai Pagoda
Day 7 Chongqing & Flight to Xian ( B, L)
In
the morning, your ship will arrive at Chongqing
Chaotianmen Port around 09:00 where you will go through a check-out
procedure and disembark. Upon arrival, be met by our tour guide and then go to
visit Ciqikou Ancient Town - Chongqing's old harbor and once
the site of the residential houses of many of Chongqing's richest merchants. Here
you can still see exquisite Ming and Qing dynasty architecture, visit local
shops and tea houses, watch local Sichuan street performances and undertake
other interesting activities.
After
the tour, your guide and driver will escort you to Chongqing Jiangbei Airport
for your flight to Xian (about 1hr
and 25mins). You will be picked up by your tour guide at Xian Xianyang Airport and
escorted to your hotel in Xian. The rest of the day is on your own to explore
this ancient capital of China.
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Ciqikou Old Town
Day 8 Xian ( B, L )
After breakfast, drive about 40 km to discover one of the greatest man-made wonders in the world - the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, built by the first emperor of China Qin Shihuang to protect him in his afterlife. Over 8,000 life-size warriors, horses and chariots, buried in 3 pits for more than 2,000 years until uncovered by a local farmer in 1974, form an ancient military army with complete battle units of infantry, cavalry, etc. Standing in front of these figures, one can’t help being amazed not only by the ambition of Emperor Qin Shihuang but also by the fabulous artistic skills of ancient Chinese artisans. (Before the Terracotta Warriors Museum visit, you will have a rare opportunity to make a miniature Terracotta Warrior on your own under the instruction of a local potter.)
After lunch, return to Xian to spend a leisure time on the Ancient City Wall, the largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in China. Just like the merchants and envoys on the Silk Road thousands of years ago, you will enter the interior of the city walls through the Hanguang Gate. There you will visit a mini museum to see the real Tang Dynasty city wall ruins from over 1400 years ago, including gateways, cross-sections of the wall, and the remains of water channels. After the museum visit, get up to the city wall to enjoy a leisure stroll and pleasant panoramic views of Xian city. Rent a bike (extra cost: 45RMB) to enjoy a relaxing cycling on the Wall is strongly recommended. The cycling routes and duration are flexible. Feel free to discuss with your tour guide. Leave the City Wall, then go to wander leisurely around the bustling and lively Muslim Quarter, a place where you can try different local snacks and explore Muslim culture.
This evening you will be offered an interesting visit to Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City which is a great place to walk, enjoy amazing nightscape and most importantly recall the prosperity and glory of the mighty Tang Dynasty. Seeing this area at night is totally different as the lighting is marvelous yet tastefully done.
Optional activity: enjoy a wonderful Tang Palace Dance Show (usually from 8pm to 9pm) after (or without) a hearty dumpling dinner.
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Our guests biking on the Ancient City Wall
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Amazing Different Terra Cotta Warriors, Picture Taken by Elie from Belge in 2019
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Muslim Quarter, Picture Shared by Our Guest Anath from India
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Dazzling Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City lovely night views
Day 9 Xian & High Speed Train to Beijing ( B, L )
After breakfast, head to Da Cien Temple, a famous Buddhist sutra translation site during the Tang Dynasty. Big Wild Goose Pagoda
is the most famous building in the temple. The pagoda, rising to a
height of 64.5 meters, was built by the famous Buddhist master Xuanzang
to preserve classic scriptures he bought back from India during the
early Tang Dynasty. Xuanzang was the prototype character for Tang Seng
in the famous Chinese novel “Journey to the West”. (Note: It costs an
extra 30 RMB if you want to climb up the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.)
Next is an educational visit to the Shaanxi History Museum
where you can ramble in the modern exhibition halls to appreciate
historic relics such as porcelains, paintings, and currencies dating
from the Zhou to the Tang dynastic periods (1100BC to 907 AD).
The rest of today is free for you until get escorted to catch a high speed train to Beijing
(about 5hrs), the iconic city and capital of China! You will be met by
local tour guide at the Beijing West Railway Station and escorted to
check in your hotel in downtown by a private comfortable vehicle. The
rest of today is on your own to relax.
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Wilfred from Nederlandse visited Big Wild Goose Pagoda in 2018
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Collections in Shaanxi History Museum
Day 10 Beijing ( B, L )
After breakfast, start to explore the historical face of Beijing with a brief visit to Tiananmen Square, now
the largest city plaza in the world. Tiananmen Gate on the northern
side of the square was the site where Chairman Mao announced the
establishment of the People's Republic of China. Stepping into the
Tiananmen, you will see one of the world’s five most important palaces - the Forbidden City, a huge palace complex of more than
9,000 rooms where 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties lived.
Pass through various doorways in this magnificent structure to admire
the beautiful and well preserved buildings decorated with yellow-glazed
tile roofs, white marble bases and splendid colorful paintings.
After lunch, drive to the outskirts of Beijing to spend an enjoyable time in the Summer Palace,
the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China. Stroll around
ancient pavilions, mansions, temples, bridges and corridors while
feasting your eyes on the vast lotus in Kunming Lake and the colorful
paintings in the Long Corridor.
Optional activities: 1) You can watch a wonderful
Kungfu Show in the Red Theater (Hong Ju Chang) which usually starts at
19:30; 2) Enjoy the classic Chinese art performance of Beijing Opera at
Liyuan Theater between 19:30-21:00.
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The Fudol Couple visited Summer Palace with China Discovery
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Linda's family visited the Forbidden City with China Disocvery
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Our customers visited Tiananmen Square
Day 11 Beijing ( B, L )
After breakfast, drive about 70km to witness one of the
Seven Wonders of the World - the Great Wall. Visit the Mutianyu,
a less crowded yet well-preserved segment of the Great Wall built in the Ming
Dynasty. It will more than live up to all of your expectations! You’ll take a cable car to ascend the Great Wall, then hike the most beautiful and interesting part of Mutianyu. It's a wonderful experience to climb up its rising towers to enjoy scenic views and take brag-worthy photos of the wall wriggling along mountain ridges. After the exciting time, descend Mutianyu Great Wall by cable car. (Note: If energy permits, you can hike up or down which takes about 40 minutes to climb steps. Please tell your likes to your travel consultant.)
Continue your trip to Sacred Way, a
7-kilometer-long passage leading to the Imperial Tombs of 13 Emperors of Ming
Dynasty. The Emperor, known as the Son of the Heaven, who came from Heaven to
his country through the Sacred Way, also would return to Heaven through this
road. Take a walk through the largest archway in China and Great Palace Gate
and you’ll see the magnificent stone guard of 12 sets of mythical animals and
12 officials. Then drive back to Beijing city and take a short stop at the
Beijing Olympic Village to view its famous Bird’s Nest and Water Cube
from the outside.
Optional activity: After the whole day’s tour, treat yourself a great dinner to taste the famous Peking Roasted Duck at Quanjude.
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Sara's family from Australia visited Mutianyu Great Wall in December 2023
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Sacred Way: the road leading to Ming Tombs
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Taylor's family from USA visited Water Cube with China Discovery
Day 12 Beijing Departure ( B )
After breakfast, drive to the imperial site of the Temple of Heaven.
Originally a site used to pay homage to Heaven and pray for good
harvests, it is now a bustling place where locals take part in
traditional activities such as Tai Chi, dancing, kite flying, water
calligraphy, and others.
Then get back to the central city to hop on a rickshaw to experience the Beijing Hutongs - small alleys made by neighboring quadrangle dwellings. Shuttle among
different Hutongs to get a feel of the old Beijing life style, visit
various antique shops and small boutiques, and truly feel the historical
changes of Beijing, also pay a visit to a local family's home in the traditional Hutongs.
After the tour, your Beijing tour is about to end. Your guide will
escort you to the airport for your flight to next destination or home.
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Our customer Rebeca's group from Mexico visited the Temple of Heaven
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Taylor's Family's Hutong Exploration with China Discovery in 2018
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Travel Tips for Traveling China
Beijing Great Wall Hiking Tips
You need to pack some personal gears, such as light and comfortable walking shoes, outdoor coat
and pants.
You'd better also pack sun cream, sun glasses.
Tibet Travel Tips
1. A valid passport, a valid China visa and Tibet Permits are necessary documents for traveling
in Tibet.
2. In Tibet, we suggest you avoid strong activity; do not take shower at the first day; drink
more water
and avoid of alcohol; better not to take oxygen if your AMS symptoms are mild. Always remember
that
if you have any problems or feel uncomfortable, please tell your guide immediately or contact
our
travel consultant.
3. A windbreaker, a pair of durable and comfortable shoes, a down jacket (better with hat),
sunscreen
cream, sun block, skin cream and lip balm, sunglasses, medicine for urgent use.
Panda Volunteer in Chengdu
Chengdu Research Base of Panda Breeding is only available to see giant pandas. If you are interested in
giant panda volunteer experience, please extend to Dujiangyan Panda Base, Wolong Shenshuping
Panda
Base or Ya'an Bifengxia Panda Base instead.
High Speed Train Experience
Taking high speed train to travel around China will be unique and special experience for you.
Instead
of taking flight, you can take high speed train from Beijing to Xian/Xian to Beijing, Chengdu
to
Chongqing, Yichang to Shanghai/Shanghai to Yichang, etc. All are within comfortable traveling
time
to reach the destinations. If you are interested, please feel free to ask our travel
consultants
to arrange high speed train for you.
Practical Info about Traveling with Us
Restaurant & Food
Vegetarian food Requirement
Vegetarian food in Chinese cuisine culture is usually divided into 3 categories: the Monastery
Vegetarian
Food, the Court Vegetarian Food and the Folk Vegetarian Food. And the main ingredients are:
soybean,
taro powder, mushrooms, fresh vegetables and tofu (bean curd). It will be easier to find the
vegetarian
restaurants in big cities of china, such as: Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, HK, etc.
If allergic to some food
We suggest you to list any food or ingredients that you are allergic to and let our travel
consultant
know. Then your travel consultant will mark them in the guide’s itinerary, so that our guides
in
different cities can make some preparations and arrangements in advance.
Do our guide and driver join the meal with us?
The tour guides and driver will be at the same restaurants with you, but they will only join the
meal
when you invite. Sometimes the drivers are shy to join as they usually eat fast and could not
understand
English talk around the table, so the guide will be with you more often.
Will we be able to try some local foods during our visit?
Yes, you will. There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private
guide
will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants, if you
are
interested in local food tasting. But remember, some local snacks may not match your stomach,
so
ask your guided for more information before eating.
Shopping
What to buy in China?
In China, there are myriads of souvenirs for visitors, and each city has its own specialty.
Some of the best buys are:
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Beijing: Cloisonné; Fresh water pearls
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Xi'an: Replicas of the Terra Cotta soldiers; Tangsancai (Tang Dynasty hand
painted China);
Antique Furniture
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Shanghai: Silk carpets
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Hangzhou: Longjing Tea; Silk
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Suzhou: Silk
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Guilin: Scroll paintings; China Southern Sea Pearls
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Yunnan: Mounted Butterflies; Pure tea; Dali Batik (tie-dyed fabric)
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Xinjiang: Carpets; jade articles
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Tibet: Thang-ka(tanka)(Sheep skin wall hangings)
How to bargain?
Bargains are not acceptable in big supermarkets and department stores. But in some night markets
or tourist
shops, you can bargain for a lower price, since the vendors always ask for very high price for
a
certain item. You’d better ask the opinion of the guide first, and then the guide will tell you
the
real value and quality of the item. Please note that when the bargain is processing, the guide
will
be hesitate to help as it may annoy the bosses. Just try to let the guides know you will
bargain
in advance.
What to do with persistent vendors?
If you do not need something from them, just do not ask for price. Some of the venders are very
persisted,
and if they keep selling things to you, you can simply say “No, thanks.” (Chinese
pronunciation:
”Bu, XieXie”). If they do not give up, you just keep silence. Silence is sometimes useful to
handle
this situation.
More Tips for free-time shopping
- 1. If you think you have no desire or interest, you do not feel embarrassed to let our
guide know
DIRECTLY (since some of our guides are enthusiastic in taking you shopping)
- 2. Better to choose the shops run by the state when buying expensive articles.
- 3. Do not shop everything in one city, because every place has its unique local products
which worth
buying.
- 4. Do not feel obligate to buy anything only because the shop attendants are very kind to
you.
- 5. Be smart consumers. Do not spend big money on things you are not familiar with. Do ask
for shop
guarantee, contacts and certificates when purchasing big items like antiques, jade, arts
pieces.
- 6. Leave plenty of time for transactions. When you see something you like - buy it.
Usually, you
would not find it elsewhere and you would not have time to go back.
- 7. Always verify the date of antiques before you purchase them. Antiques dated before 1795
cannot
legally be exported.
- 8. Articles made from rare wild animals are contraband and will be confiscated by customs
without
compensation.
Private tour & Group Tour
A: Private tours
- 1. Private guide, driver and vehicle are for your exclusive use; no matter you are
individually,
or in a family or friends group. The tour is run exclusively for you without strangers.
- 2. Every itinerary can be customized to meet your specific interests/ wishes, that is, you
can choose
your favored hotels, sightseeing spots, the tour length, means of transportation, budget,
etc.
All are free of charge.
- 3. Start the tour on any date you want.
- 4. Escort you through the whole tour. All private transfers during the tour are offered,
including
airport/train station transfer, hotel-attractions round trip transfer.
- 5. The sightseeing during the tour could be based on your own timetable and pace. Flexible
to change
at your short notice.
- 6. Ideal for people who need considerate care and assistance, such as elderly, the
disabled, families
with small children.
B: Group tours
- 1. Low Price;
- 2. Share a guide and driver;
- 3. Share a clean, safe and air-conditioned vehicle;
- 4. Good chance for you to meet and make friends from all over the world;
- 5. Tour date is fixed and unchangeable.
Emergency calls
Call your guide, or if you can’t find your guide, call your travel consultant or our office
immediately.
All the phone numbers include in our confirmation letter. Keep the letter with your during your
trip.
Note: As our Beijing office is using the different guide arranging system, so
we will not
be able to provide the Beijing guide information until the day before you arrival, but once we
have
it, we will email you immediately.