Table of Contents Click on a section title below to jump straight to that section. About Us 2 Mysterious Tibet 16-Day Tour (CIT008): 41 Beijing – Three Gorges – Xi’an – Lhasa – Why Book With CIT? 2 Shanghai Tour Suggestions 5 Northeast China 15-Day Tour (CIT009): 47 Harbin (Haerbin) – Changchun – Jilin – China Highlights 11-Day Tour (CIT001): 7 Shenyang – Dalian – Lüshun – Yantai – Beijing – Xi’an – Guilin/Yangshuo – Qingdao – Lao Mountain – Weifang – Shanghai Ji’nan – Mount Tai – Qufu China Highlights 15-Day Tour (CIT002): 11 Majestic Scenery 15-Day Tour (CIT010): 52 Beijing – Xi’an – Guilin/Yangshuo – Mounigou – Jiuzhaigou – Chengdu – Leshan Shanghai – Zhouzhuang – Suzhou – Wuxi – Mount Emei – Zhangjiajie – Fenghuang – Hangzhou China Discovery 11-Day Tour (CIT011): 57 Jiangnan Gourmet Cuisine / Yellow 17 Beijing – Xi’an – Shanghai – Hong Kong Mountain 10-Day Tour (CIT003): Shanghai – Zhouzhuang – Suzhou – Wuxi Ancient and Modern China 13-Day Tour 61 – Hangzhou – Hong Village – Huangshan (CIT012): Beijing – Xi’an – Guilin/Yangshuo (Yellow Mountain) – Shanghai – Hong Kong Yunnan Highlands Local Culture 11-Day 21 Beijing 4-Day Tour Extension (CITBJ1) 66 Tour (CIT004): Kunming – Stone Forest – Jiuxiang Caverns – Dali – Lijiang – Tiger Guilin/Yangshuo 3-Day Tour Extension 68 Leaping Gorge – Xianggelila (Shangri-La) (CITGL1) Magnificent Yangtze / Ancient Capitals 25 Hong Kong 3-Day Tour Extension 69 Deluxe 15-Day Tour (CIT005): Beijing – (CITHK1) Three Gorges – Xi’an – Guilin/Yangshuo – Shanghai Shanghai 3-Day Tour Extension (CITSH1) 70 Roots of Chinese Culture 14-Day Tour 31 Xi’an 3-Day Tour Extension (CITXA1) 71 (CIT006): Taiyuan – Wutai Mountain – Heng Mountain – Yingxian – Datong – Booking Information, Terms and 72 Pingyao – Linfen – Yuncheng – Luoyang – Conditions, Statement of Responsibility Dengfeng (Shaolin Monastery) – Zhengzhou – Kaifeng Acknowledgments 78 Silk Road 16-Day Tour (CIT007): Ürümqi – 36 Addenda: CIT Tour Reservation Form, Turpan – Dunhuang – Jiayuguan – Lanzhou CIT Credit Card Form, Travel Insurance – Xining – Xi’an Enrollment Form The cover of this brochure shows the misty cliffs of Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), which is featured on our Jiangnan Gourmet Cuisine/Yellow Mountain 10-Day Tour (CIT003); the First Emperor’s terracotta army, which is featured on all of our tours that stop in Xi’an; a mural at Xianggelila’s Songzanlin Monastery, which is featured on our Yunnan Highlands Local Culture 11-Day Tour (CIT004); and Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower, which you can see on any tour that includes Shanghai. (All photos by CIT) 1 © 2009-2012 China International Travel CA, Inc. About Us We are experienced travel agents who decided to open our own travel agency in San Mateo, California, as partners. Having observed the questionable business practices of some companies in the China travel industry, we were determined to take better care of our customers and run our business in a transparent, ethical manner. We specialize in ticketing and tour arrangements for travel to China, but we also handle travel arrangements to and from the United States and other East Asian countries, including Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Our wide variety of carefully designed tour packages will please most customers, but we're also happy to prepare custom tour packages to suit individual travelers' needs. We know China extremely well because most of us are originally from China, and we are all experienced travelers there. In addition, we have native speakers of Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese, and English on staff, so we can communicate well with both our clients and our partners in China, most of whom are members of the China International Travel Service network, the largest and most successful domestic travel agency in China. Please visit our website (http://www.chinatravelca.com) for more information about us and our services, and read our China travel blog while you're there. You're also welcome to call us or write to us, and it will be our pleasure to provide you with friendly, thoughtful, and knowledgeable service. If you'd like to come visit us in person, please note that our office suite is located on the lower level of the Comerica Bank building. Enter the building from the 5th Avenue entrance, then take the elevator down to the bottom level. Contact Information (650) 513-1502 toll-free: (888) 648-1568 fax: (650) 513-1503 [email protected] [email protected] 2 West 5th Avenue Lower Level Suite 200 San Mateo, CA 94402 Business Hours Monday–Friday: 9:30 AM–6 PM Saturday: 10 AM–2 PM for telephone inquiries; office visits by appointment Sunday: Closed California Seller of Travel Registration #2095947-40 Image source: Google Maps Why Book With CIT? Here are a plethora of reasons why booking with us is the right move: • We are experts on the China travel industry with a tremendous amount of experience. Since we have worked in the China travel industry for many years, we have expert knowledge of the complexi- ties of planning, booking, and managing individual and group travel in China. We also have extensive experi- ence traveling, living, and working in China. As both travelers and agents, we have dealt with just about every situation that might arise, so we know how to ensure that you have a pleasant, trouble-free journey. 2 © 2009-2012 China International Travel CA, Inc. • Our quality control is excellent because we have access to unsurpassed resources. Since we have many partners throughout China with whom we have long-term working relationships, most of them part of the China International Travel Service network, we can ensure that the meals you eat, the hotels you stay in, the tour guides and drivers who serve you, and the attractions you visit are of the best quality for the price you pay. You may or may not find cheaper deals at another travel agency, but lower prices probably mean that they’re cutting corners at the expense of your safety, comfort, or the quality of your experience. (As with so many other things, if it seems too good to be true, it is.) A CIT tour group in Tiananmen Square • We also have the freedom and flexibility to make the best arrangements for our clients. As independent agents, we are not tied down to any particular itinerary, tour package, or service provider. We have the flexibility to make any changes we feel are necessary, and we can make whatever arrangements are best for your individual needs based on your input and our experience. • Our tour guides are experienced, accredited, and multilingual. The tour guides we contract with are professional, experienced guides who speak various combinations of English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and even Spanish. All of them have received government accreditation for their qualifications from China’s National Tourism Administration, and they all have a minimum of three years of experience before they are put in charge of our tour groups. • CIT has communication covered. With native speakers of English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Shanghainese on staff (all of whom are at least bilingual), as well as itineraries and other informational materials written by native speakers of both Chinese and English, China International Travel CA has the linguistic resources to ensure clear communication with our clients. That means we can be sure that you know exactly what you’re getting and that you have the best possible travel experience. It also means we can easily communicate with the local tour guides, drivers, hotel representatives, and airline representatives who will be serving you in China. • We do business the right way. Our travel agents are veterans of other China travel agencies, and they have witnessed the questionable business practices that are, unfortunately, too common in this industry. The desire to do business in an ethical, transparent, and customer-friendly manner is one of the main reasons we decided to start our own company. We give you up-front information about our tours and practices, with no unpleasant surprises or fine-print deception. • As a U.S.-based company, we are directly accountable to our clients. If you book a tour with a travel agency based in China, they may not be motivated or able to ensure your satisfaction. CIT, on the other hand, is a locally owned company, so you can always reach us, and you can be sure that we will be responsive to your questions, requests, and concerns. A CIT custom tour group waving our flag for us • We ensure your safety and peace of mind with insurance policies. CIT provides a travel accident insurance policy free of charge to everyone who participates in one of our Mainland China tours. For all of our standard tours (CIT001–CIT012), we will provide a more comprehensive 3 © 2009-2012 China International Travel CA, Inc. ―Preferred Benefits Silver Plan‖ insurance policy free of charge to all customers who make full payment no later than 60 days prior to departure. (Jump to the Booking Information section below for details on these policies.) • We won’t cancel your tour, and we won’t make you join a larger group. If you book with another travel agency, you may find your tour suddenly cancelled and your vacation plans ruined if your group isn’t large enough. At CIT, on the other hand, our policy is that as long as your tour group (for our standard tours, CIT001–CIT012) has at least two members, your tour is guaranteed to proceed as planned. In addition, we won’t make your group join other groups from other agencies to cut costs at the expense of your comfort—your tour group is independent, and your guides are yours alone. • We don’t let shopping arrangements interfere with your enjoyment of the trip. In the China travel industry, it is a universal practice to keep tour costs down by taking tour participants to prearranged shopping destinations.