MAGICAL CHINA and THE YANGTZE RIVER (WYC2010)

Hotels


Shanghai
Westin Shanghai (D),

Victoria Cruises
Victoria Jenna,

Xi’an
Golden Flower (SF),

Beijing
Westin Beijing (D)

Meals
American breakfasts daily (B), 9 lunches (L), 9 dinners (D), including a welcome dinner in Shanghai and a Peking Duck farewell dinner in Beijing

Day 1:
(Sun.) Board your transpacific flight.

Day 2:
Arrive in Shanghai, China. (Mon.) Welcome to China’s most populous city and center of trade and industry. Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.

Day 3:
Shanghai. (Tue.) Full day of sightseeing. Stroll along the Bund, the city’s riverfront boulevard lined with historic buildings, housing, banks, and trade houses. You’ll visit a SILK FACTORY and experience the YU YUAN GARDENS. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and visit the CHILDREN’S PALACE, one of China’s famous kindergartens. Your Tour Director will host a welcome dinner tonight as you meet your traveling companions. This evening, you’ll be amazed at the fabulous ACROBATIC SHOW. (B,L,D)

Day 4:
Shanghai–Yichang (Embarkation)–Yangtze River Cruise. (Wed.) Visit the SHANGHAI MUSEUM before flying to Yichang. Board the Victoria Jenna for a 4-night CRUISE through the breathtaking Three Gorges of the Yangtze. (B,D)

Day 5:
Cruising: Three Gorges Dam Site. (Thu.) This morning, visit the THREE GORGES DAM SITE, where the Chinese progress toward building the largest dam of its kind in the world. After lunch, sail through the Three Gorges ship locks and the Xiling Gorge. (B,L,D)

Day 6:
Cruising: Shennong Stream or Daning River. (Fri.) This morning, disembark for a BOAT EXCURSION down either the Daning River or Shennong Stream, depending on conditions. After lunch, head upstream through the Qutang Gorge, the shortest but most dramatic gorge, and the Wu Gorge, known for its quiet beauty and forest-covered mountains. You can nearly touch the perpendicular walls rising from the riverbanks as your captain negotiates this narrow gap. (B,L,D)

Day 7:
Cruising: Wanxian or Shibaozhai or Fengdu. (Sat.) Depending on river conditions, one of the following shore excursions will be offered: Wanxian, “Gateway to Eastern Szechuan Province,” where you will see an acrobatic show, market, and possibly a school; Shibaozhai with its 400-year-old, 12-story red wooden pagoda perched high on a cliff; or Fengdu, where you’ll visit Snow Jade Cave. (B,L,D)

Day 8:
Cruising: Chongqing (Disembarkation)–Xi’an. (Sun.) Bid farewell to your ship’s crew upon arrival in Chongqing, China’s capital during World War II. The city is high on a hill overlooking the Jialing and Yangtze Rivers. Visit a local ZOO to see pandas before boarding your flight to the city of Xi’an in central China. (B,L,D)

Day 9:
Xi’an. (Mon.) One of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world when China dominated the silk trade, Xi’an today is an archaeological treasure-trove. Sightseeing begins with the nearby DAYAN PAGODA, built in 652 AD, followed by a LACQUER WORKSHOP. Next, visit the enormous tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, accidentally discovered by local farmers in 1974. Marvel at the legion of TERRACOTA WARRIORS that has been guarding the burial site for 2,000 years. During lunch, enjoy a NOODLE-MAKING DEMONSTRATION by a master chef and learn how Chinese noodles are made by hand. Then, visit the Xi’an City Wall South Gate and learn to write like a local during a traditional Chinese CALLIGRAPHY CLASS. This evening, enjoy “The Tang Dynasty” DINNER SHOW, featuring a colorful assemblage of classical performances. (B,L,D)

Day 10:
Xi’an–Beijing. (Tue.) Today, fly to Beijing, China’s capital city. Enjoy a rickshaw ride through one of Beijing’s HUTONGS, the city’s ancient alleys. Experience life in this historic neighborhood as you are invited into a daycare center and into the courtyard of a family’s home for tea. (B,L)

Day 11:
Beijing. (Wed.) Your full-day sightseeing starts with a visit to the FORBIDDEN CITY and its IMPERIAL PALACE, once the home of China’s great emperors. Nearby is 100-acre TIAN’ANMEN SQUARE, the largest public square in the world. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and continue to the former SUMMER PALACE, a complex of pavilions, temples, and galleries set among beautifully landscaped grounds and situated on Kunming Lake. Tonight, experience local culture at the PEKING OPERA, including a behind-the-scenes look at the colorful make-up being applied to the performers. (B,L,D)

Day 12:
Beijing. (Thu.) The GREAT WALL OF CHINA once stretched 4,000 miles across China’s barren northern terrain from the Bohai Sea to the Gobi Desert. Head north to a village where the Great Wall is well preserved and walk along the wall to enjoy sweeping vistas of this mammoth fortress. Then, visit a CLOISONNÉ WORKSHOP and see local artisans use the techniques of this ancient art form to turn pieces of copper into colorful decorative items. After lunch in a local restaurant, take a leisurely walk down the SACRED WAY of the Ming Tombs and marvel at the impressive hand-carved stone statues. This evening is the perfect finale to a great touring adventure as you’re hosted to a special PEKING DUCK FAREWELL DINNER in a local restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 13:
Beijing. (Fri.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B)

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Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
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Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

City Highlights


Cruise:
Deluxe 4-night cruise from Yichang to Chongqing in an outside stateroom with two lower beds, private facilities, and balconySightseeing including a personal headset in Shanghai, Xi'an, and Beijing.

Shanghai:
Sightseeing with a Local Guide including headsets, visit the Bund, a silk factory, Yu Yuan Gardens, the Children’s Palace, and the Shanghai Museum; attend an acrobatic show.

Yichang:
Begin your Yangtze cruise aboard the Victoria Jenna

Three Gorges Dam:
Sightseeing of the impressive dam site with a Local Guide

Shennong Stream or Daning River:
Enjoy a boat excursion down one of the Yangtze’s lesser gorges

Wanxian/Shibaozhai/Fengdu:
View a wooden pagoda, an acrobatic show, or visit Snow Jade Cave

Chongqing:
Visit a local zoo

Xi’an:
Sightseeing with a Local Guide including headsets, visit the Dayan Pagoda and Terracotta Warriors, calligraphy class, lacquer workshop, noodle-making demonstration; enjoy “The Tang Dynasty” dinner show

Beijing:
Sightseeing with a Local Guide including headsets; Hutong tour by rickshaw; visit the Forbidden City, Imperial Palace, Tian’anmen Square, Summer Palace, Great Wall, cloisonné workshop, and Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs; Peking Opera performance; Peking Duck farewell dinnerNotes:Wine with dinner on cruise.Intra-tour flights included in both land-only and air-inclusive prices.

Ship
Victoria Jenna

Price Details US
Intra-tour air value: $390Single Room Supplement: $1186Triples are not available.Extra nights per person in Shanghai:Mon. - Thu. in single room $244; in twin room $133.Fri. - Sun. in single room $181; in twin room $101.Extra nights per person in Beijing:Mon. - Thu. in single room $228; in twin room $125.Fri. - Sun. in single room $181; in twin room $101.Suites are available on board the Victoria Jenna upon request. Please call for prices.

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