China & the Yangtze River 2017 21-Day Grand Circle Cruise Tour{TRIPOperatedBy}
Extend your trip
Pre-Trip Tokyo, Japan
Your Day-to-Day Itinerary Grand Circle Travel
Grand Circle Travel, founded in 1958 to serve the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), is the leader in international travel and discovery for Americans over age 50. Grand Circle vacations have been recommended by The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, The Los Angeles Times, Travel + Leisure, The Wall Street Journal, Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel, and oth- ers. But our most impressive reviews come from our travelers. More than one million people have traveled with us, and 96% say they’d gladly do so again.
Included in Your Price
»» Choose to purchase Grand Circle’s »» Personal headset for all included and airfare, and your airport transfers, optional tours on your main trip government taxes, fees, and airline fuel »» Baggage handling for 1 piece of luggage surcharges are included. Or, make your per person, including tips own air arrangements »» 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward »» All flights within China your next Grand Circle trip—an average »» Accommodations for 19 nights, including of $261 4 nights aboard a Victoria Cruises river ship
»» 45 meals: 19 breakfasts, 15 lunches, and 11 dinners (including 2 Home-Hosted Lunches)
»» 20 included features: 16 guided tours and 4 exclusive Discovery Series events: Shanghai market & Cao Yang New Village senior center visits • Shanghai Home- Hosted Lunch • Fengdu home visit with relocated family • Xian Home-Hosted Lunch
»» Exclusive services of a local Grand Circle Program Director (assigned to no more than 42 travelers)
»» Gratuities on your main trip for local guides, ship crew, and motorcoach drivers
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. What This Trip is Like
Pacing »» Onboard meals feature both local »» 20 days, with 5 hotel stays and a 4-night specialties and American standards cruise
»» 4 internal flights of 1-2 hours each
Physical Requirements »» Walk 2 miles unassisted and participate in 2-4 hours of physical activities each day, including stairs
»» Not accessible for travelers using wheelchairs or scooters
»» Travelers using walkers, crutches, or other mobility aids must travel with a companion who can assist them
»» We reserve the right for Program Directors to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience
Terrain & Transportation »» Uneven walking surfaces, including unpaved paths, hills, stairs, and cobblestones
»» Travel by 45-seat motorcoach, train, 30-seat boat, 100-seat river boat, and 208- to 218-passenger cruise ship
Climate »» Daytime temperatures range from 51-91°F during cruising season
»» June-August are the warmest months
Accommodations & Cuisine »» Asian-style toilets (squat-style, rather than with seats) may be the only available facilities
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. China & the Yangtze River 2017
Extend your trip
Pre-Trip Tokyo, Japan
Post-Trip Bangkok, Thailand
Discover ancient and modern Chinese civilization through a blend of land exploration and river cruising, encompassing Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Hong Kong, and more. The centerpiece of your trip is a cruise along the mighty Yangtze River, home to spectacular landscapes and some of China’s greatest cultural treasures, which lie along its narrow, cliff-bound passages.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. Detailed Itinerary
Your Grand Circle Program Director
During your exclusive Grand Circle vacation, you’ll have reliable assistance available at all times from an on-site Grand Circle Travel Program Director. Your Program Director is fluent in English and can give you an inside perspective on your destinations. He or she is supported along the way by local tour guides, who guide you expertly through particular sites and cities.
Many Grand Circle Program Directors are graduates of professional education programs for travel guides. In addition, they receive specialized training directly from Grand Circle, training that is based on what we’ve learned from thousands of past travelers about how to make the trip most enjoyable. Your Program Director offers both a deep knowledge of the region and a commitment to make this a very pleasant, informative, and rewarding travel experience for you.
Your Program Director will provide sightseeing trips, handle all travel details, reserve optional tours you choose to take, oversee your Discovery Series events, and provide any other as- sistance you may need. You will be in the company of a Program Director throughout your vacation.
DAY 1 Depart U.S. DAY 3 Beijing • Temple of Embark on your transpacific flight from your Heaven & Summer Palace choice of several U.S. gateway cities. After breakfast, get to know your Program Director and fellow travelers—including those who experienced our Tokyo, Japan pre- DAY 2 Beijing, China trip extension—at an orientation briefing, Arrive in Beijing this afternoon or evening, where you’ll go over the details of your where a Grand Circle representative will trip and have the opportunity to purchase meet you at the airport and assist you to optional tours. your hotel. Then embark on a included tour of the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 during the Ming
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. Dynasty to offer sacrifices to heaven and been the setting for mass Red Guard rallies for a successful harvest. A masterpiece of through the years and, in 1989, saw huge architecture and landscape design, a number pro-democracy demonstrations. of buildings, gardens, and pathways—whose The city of Beijing is built around Tiananmen organization symbolize the relationship Square and the Forbidden City, a UNESCO between Earth and Heaven—comprise the World Heritage Site. Beijing is not only the temple, and this layout profoundly influ- political and administrative center of China, enced Chinese architecture and planning it is also the single greatest repository of for centuries. As you explore the temple monuments and treasures from the Imperial grounds, you might find locals practicing tai era. Beijing was not laid out until the rule of chi, calligraphy, or playing music. the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In traditional Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before Chinese thought, the world was conceived continuing on to the Summer Palace, the of as square. A city, especially a capital, was former summer retreat for the imperial supposed to be square, a geometric reflection family during the late Qing Dynasty and of the cosmic order. now China’s largest and best-preserved You’ll enter the Forbidden City, so named royal garden. It has an 800-year history, because it was off limits to visitors for 500 beginning with the creation here of the years. Completed in 1420, this was the center Golden Hill Palace during the Jin Dynasty. of Imperial palaces for the emperors of the Much later, in 1750, the Garden of Clear Ming and Qing dynasties. The last dynasty Ripples was built on this site. The garden has fell in 1911, though the last Qing emperor been restored twice since then, after being lived here until 1925 when it became a damaged by foreign military forces. This museum. The city contains 800 ceremonial twelve-square-mile complex includes many buildings, containing 9,999 rooms, and a pavilions, temples, palaces, and halls in a courtyard that can hold 100,000 people. landscape of hills amidst open water. You Marvel at its acres of grandeur—elegant might find the Long Gallery an interesting palaces, pavilions, courtyards, and gardens— feature, as it measures more than 2,300 feet all walled in as a rectangular island within a long and offers paintings depicting Chinese moat wide enough for naval engagements. legend, history, and natural settings. You’ll enjoy lunch at a restaurant outside This evening, gather with your fellow the Forbidden City. Then join us for a tour travelers for a Welcome Dinner featuring of Beijing’s Hidden Lanes. In the past, several traditional Chinese cuisine at the hotel. thousand lanes, alleys, and quadrangles Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner formed residential areas for ordinary people living in the capital. The word hutong refers to the narrow lanes created DAY 4 Beijing • Tiananmen Square by the walled residential compounds built & Forbidden City • Beijing’s Hidden one on top of the other in these cramped Lanes • Optional Beijing opera tour districts. Surrounding the Forbidden City, Today, enjoy an introduction to Beijing many hutongs were built during the Yuan during an included sightseeing tour. You’ll (1206-1341), Ming (1368-1628), and Qing walk around Tiananmen Square, which has (1644-1911) dynasties. In the prime of these
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. dynasties, the emperors, in order to establish BC) with sections built in scattered areas. their absolute power, planned the city and It was only following China’s unification arranged the residential areas. under the first emperor Qin Shi Huangdi (221-206 BC) that some 300,000 men were About half the population of Beijing lives in put to work connecting the segments into hutongs, which comprise one-third of the one rampart of brick, stone, and earth nearly sprawling city’s total area. The high walls 4,000 miles long. Intended to shield the surround the traditional siheyuan quadrangle, nation from invaders, the Great Wall is now, made up of four single-story buildings ironically, one of China’s leading tourist fronting a courtyard. Hutongs are named for attractions. the groups who live within, for instance, the Bowstring Makers’ Lane, or if populated by a Originally built in sections to protect various single family, their surname. Unfortunately, provinces from northern tribes, the wall’s encroaching urban development now threat- construction ranges from brick-and- ens hutongs. mortar to earthen ramparts. In the 1950s, restoration was begun on several significant You’ll take a rickshaw and then walk portions of the wall—including one of the through Beijing’s ancient narrow hutongs, most impressive, at the Jun Du Hills, where seeing the old houses and learning about the construction started in 1345. As you walk daily life of ordinary Beijing citizens. Then, along its ramparts, undulating up and down we split up into smaller groups to visit with steep hills and graced with massive lookout local families and enjoy a tea break. towers, imagine the scenes of battle, cer- Your evening is at leisure. Or, join us for emony, commerce, and labor that have taken an evening at the theater for traditional place along its serpentine path to the sea. performances of Beijing opera. This ancient Each of the wall’s great stone towers could theatrical art is not like the Western opera, garrison hundreds of soldiers. The towers full of arias and centered around singing. It’s are built at a distance of two bowshots a beautiful and delicate blend of grand opera, apart—meaning that the entire wall could be ballet, song, drama, and comedy that spans defended by the archers within it. You may the entire history of China, its folklore, notice that the wall snakes along a winding mythology, literature, and culture. The cost path—this is because Chinese mythology of this optional tour includes dinner. maintains that demons and evil spirits can Breakfast, Lunch only travel in a straight line, and the undu- lating wall effectively keeps them out.
After lunch at a local restaurant, your tour DAY 5 Beijing • Great Wall & Sacred Way continues in the peaceful valley that the Begin today’s full-day tour with a visit to a Ming emperors chose as their burial ground. jade workshop, where you can peruse pieces Pass through a great marble gateway more made by local artisans. Then, continue your than four centuries old, and onto Sacred tour with a ride through the suburbs to the Way, the Avenue of the Animals, lined with Jun Du Hills, arriving at the fabled Great massive stone statues of kneeling and stand- Wall of China. Construction of the Great ing elephants, lions, camels, and fanciful Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, began beasts. during the Warring States Period (403-221
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. Enjoy an included dinner at a local restau- Enjoy this evening at leisure in Shanghai. rant tonight. Or, discover the beauty of Shanghai by Night during an optional tour that begins with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner an included dinner and continues with a cruise on the Huangpu River, known as the “Mother River” of Shanghai. As you cruise, DAY 6 Beijing • Shanghai glimpse vestiges of old and new Shanghai This morning, admire the grace and skill of in the architecture along its banks, all re- the students at a local kung fu school and splendent with lights. Disembark to explore perhaps even get a lesson from its young Shanghai’s vibrant new Pudong district, and pupils. Then visit a cloisonne (enamelware) enjoy a panoramic drive through the city factory to learn about this ancient craft. before returning to your hotel. Artisans craft brilliantly colored pieces with often complex patterns, using strips of metal Breakfast, Lunch and traditional painting techniques, and you can observe the skills involved in creating this decorative art form. DAY 8 Shanghai • Optional Suzhou tour You have a full day to pursue your own This afternoon, enjoy an included lunch at interests in Shanghai. a local restaurant and then transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai, arriving Or, join us on an optional full-day tour to in the early evening. Dinner is on your own 500-year-old Suzhou in China’s fabled Silk tonight. Region. This is the city of silk, gardens, and canals that inspired Marco Polo. Travel by Breakfast, Lunch train (just more than 40 minutes), arriving in mid-morning.
DAY 7 Shanghai • Optional Suzhou means “Plentiful Water,” and Shanghai by Night tour its Grand Canal is crowded with strings After breakfast this morning, see the lavishly of barges laden with fruits, vegetables, decorated Jade Buddha Temple, a relatively construction materials, and coal. The Grand new but elegant structure. The Buddha Canal, second only to the Great Wall as a statue here is older than the current temple, Chinese engineering feat, was begun 2,400 which dates back less than 100 years, and is years ago. Graceful bridges cross over carved of solid white jade, encrusted with the water, and tile-roofed whitewashed jewels. Then stop by at a nearby carpet houses sit close to shore. On arrival, you’ll factory. disembark the train and take a short ride to the waterfront. From here, you’ll cruise After a traditional Mongolian barbecue the canal to the Water Gate, which connects lunch, travel along the famous Bund, a Suzhou to the southern end of the canal and five-block-long riverfront promenade was used as a “toll gate” for the canal’s containing many of Shanghai’s banks and commercial traffic. Then visit the Wangshi trading houses. Here, every afternoon finds (Master of the Fishing Net) Garden, built in street performers and vendors sharing the boulevard with pedestrians.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. 1140 and boasting a peony-filled courtyard Dinner this evening is at a local restaurant, that has been reproduced at the Metropolitan then discover the breathtaking artistry of Museum of Art in New York City. Chinese acrobats during an included cultural performance. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit a fac- tory to see how silk is made from mulberry- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner munching silkworms to thread to fine cloth. Marco Polo reported that so much silk was produced in Suzhou that every citizen was DAY 10 Shanghai • Yichang • Embark ship clothed in it. At one time, Suzhou guarded After breakfast, board a high-speed train and the secrets of silk-making so closely that ride from Shanghai to Yichang, with a box smuggling silkworms out of the city was lunch available to you as you journey. Arrive punishable by death. Return to Shanghai in Yichang this afternoon, and embark your by motorcoach (about a two-hour drive) by Yangtze River cruise ship, where you’ll enjoy dinnertime. a late dinner onboard.
Relax this evening and enjoy a Western-style Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner dinner at your hotel.
Please note: This optional tour must be pre- DAY 11 Yangtze River cruise booked at least 10 days prior to departure to • Three Gorges Dam guarantee space. On-site reservations are subject to limited availability. Sit back and enjoy the scenery of the Yangtze this morning. Breakfast, Dinner For the next 150 miles, the Yangtze has forged its way through a spectacular barrier DAY 9 Shanghai • Market and of solid limestone ridges known as the Three senior center visit • Home-Hosted Gorges. You’ll enter Xiling Gorge, the longest Lunch • Shanghai Museum • of the gorges, noted for its narrow, precipi- Chinese acrobatic show tous cliffs. You’ll sail past tombs, shrines, and caves, through stretches of tranquil After breakfast, begin your exclusive water and swirling rapids. As you cruise, Discovery Series events by getting a feel for look for the Twelve Peaks (enshrouded in everyday life in Shanghai with a visit to a rain and mist), Five Sisters Peaks, Three local market and then a senior center. Brothers Rocks, The Needle, and Goddess Before noon, join a Shanghai family for an- Peak. other, very special Discovery Series event—a You’ll also see the site of the controversial Home-Hosted Lunch. See local customs Three Gorges Dam project. Until huge new enacted firsthand as your gracious hosts locks on the north bank are completed in prepare and serve a typical Chinese meal. a few years, ships will pass the dam site Then visit the Shanghai Museum of Art and via a temporary channel, which has been History, showcasing fascinating glimpses dug out of the south bank. This may be a into ancient everyday Chinese life and a rich thought-provoking visit as you hear about collection of artifacts from the Song to Qing the monumental construction project and dynasties.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. its effects on the people and landscape. DAY 13 Yangtze River cruise When complete, this massive hydroelectric • Fengdu home visit project will displace 1.25 million people and Today you disembark for a shore excur- submerge countless archaeological sites, 13 sion to Fengdu, one of the towns due to be cities, 140 towns, and 1,352 villages, creating flooded by the Three Gorges Dam reservoir. a reservoir equal in size to Singapore. When docking, you will see buildings This evening, enjoy the Captain’s Welcome sprawled along the steep riverbanks. Cocktail Party and a “welcome aboard” show You’ll get a personal perspective on the with traditional Chinese costumes and danc- effects of the Three Gorges Dam project ers, followed by demonstrations in the art of during an exclusive Discovery Series visit to traditional Chinese massage and medicine. the home of a local family that was forced to Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner relocate when their village was submerged. Afterward, return to your ship and resume cruising, passing underneath the mighty DAY 12 Yangtze River cruise Wanxian Bridge, a concrete arch bridge • Lesser Three Gorges spanning the wide gap between the banks of the Yangtze. Weather permitting, you’ll disembark your river cruise ship this morning and take During the rest of your day of cruising, a ferry ride to the entrance of Shennong you’ll observe the old and new traditions Stream. Here, you will board authentic small of China. Because of the rise and fall of the boats for an excursion on the Daning River river over millennia, the terraced fields are or Shennong Stream (depending on the among the most fertile in the country. water levels) to the Lesser Three Gorges. Narrower than the great Three Gorges, these Each year, new fields are carved out of the remarkable canyons are considered just as higher slopes to prepare for the future rise in impressive as their larger counterparts. Then the reservoir to be created here. As you pass our Yangtze River cruise takes you through the many river towns along the banks, you Wu Gorge, known for its magnificent scenery can watch the industry and commerce that of lush green mountains. drives the economy of this watery inland region. Back aboard our cruise ship by mid- afternoon, you continue through the Qutang This evening, gather with your fellow travel- Gorge, the shortest and narrowest of the ers for a Farewell Dinner. three, but quite spectacular. This narrow Please note: Due to water levels, you may dock gorge is a one-way passage, so upstream in Fengdu, Wanxian, or Shi Bao Zhai. All included ships must often wait for downstream ships features will remain the same. to clear it before entering. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. DAY 14 Disembark ship • Chongqing & When ancient Peking (now Beijing) was Stilwell Museum • Panda visit • Xian just a remote trading post, Xian was the capital of the Middle Kingdom and one of Continue cruising on the Yangtze this morn- the world’s biggest and richest cities, the ing and arrive in Chongqing after breakfast. geographical beginning of China’s fabled Silk In April of 1997, Chongqing was separated Road. The town itself is famous for its city from Sichuan Province, and became an walls, measuring more than eight miles in independent municipality, encompassing circumference. Xian (then named Chang’an, the entire Yangtze Valley between Wushan meaning “Everlasting Peace”) reached its (Lesser Three Gorges) and Chongqing peak during the Tang Dynasty. It was once proper. You’ll disembark and tour this proud one of the largest cities in the world, with a mountain city, which was the capital of population of almost two million. China during World War II, and is the most important inland industrial city in China This evening, enjoy a dumpling dinner at a today. local restaurant.
During your tour, visit the Stilwell Museum Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner dedicated to “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell, com- mander of American forces in China, Burma, and India during World War II. Here, you’ll DAY 15 Xian • Terra Cotta Army • learn about the colorful history of the Home-Hosted Lunch • Primary school American Volunteer Air Group, the “Flying visit • Optional Tang Dynasty show Tigers,” who were based here during the This morning, visit the Qin Mausoleum, war. famed for its vast Terra Cotta Army, a After lunch at a local restaurant, drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than zoo to see pandas. With their cuddly good 2,000 years ago, the Emperor Qin Shi Huang looks, giant pandas seem to hold a universal was buried in an earth mound, along with appeal. However, they remain one of the 6,400 life-sized terra cotta warriors, archers, world’s most endangered species, with just and infantrymen, together with their horses an estimated 1,000 surviving in the wild. and chariots—individually sculpted from live Native to China, these bamboo-chompers in- models. habit small, fragmented pockets in Sichuan, In the early 1970s, farmers digging a well Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces. About 110 accidentally uncovered some of these giant pandas live in zoos and breeding facili- soldiers. Since then, three large pits have ties, with fewer than 20 outside China. These been uncovered, and are now on view to the bears have thrived at the Beijing Zoo, where public. Walkways have been constructed to they were first bred in captivity in 1963. give you a bird’s-eye view of the stunning Biologists at the zoo also recorded the first sight of an entire army carved in incredible successful birth from artificial insemination detail (each man and each horse with his in 1978. Observe these solitary creatures in own distinct personality). Here they stand, their specially designed habitat. in battle formation, set in the ground to Then transfer to the Chongqing airport to guard and protect the great emperor’s tomb. take a short flight to Xian. On arrival in No visit to China would be complete without the mid-afternoon, transfer to your hotel.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. witnessing the astounding Qin Terra Cotta local restaurant, you’ll explore Xian’s city Army, an exquisite and beautifully preserved walls, built in the 14th century by the Ming symbol of an ancient era. Dynasty.
Later, join a local family for a Home- This afternoon, you’ll transfer to the airport Hosted Lunch. After lunch, you’ll visit Huo and fly from the dry northwestern plateau of Kou Primary School or Shao Ping Dian Xian to the moist, semi-tropical mountain- Primary School (except for July and August ous region of Guilin. departures, when school is not in session), In the words of a Chinese poet, Guilin is a community-founded school that is sup- known as the land of the “finest misty lime- ported in part by Grand Circle Foundation. stone mountains and rivers under heaven.” You’ll be welcomed by students and have Here you’ll find China’s most “Chinese” the chance to visit classrooms, read English scenery, the familiar subject of so much of together, witness traditional brush painting, the country’s beautiful art. and perhaps play some table tennis or other sports. You return to Xian in late afternoon. Dinner is on your own and the rest of your evening is at leisure. After dinner on your own, you have the evening to relax at your hotel or discover a Breakfast, Lunch little more of the city independently.
Or, experience the culinary and cultural DAY 17 Guilin • Li River cruise • delights of ancient Xian this evening with Optional Yao Shan Tea Garden tour an optional Tang Dynasty show and dinner. The beautiful costumes, enchanting dances, After breakfast, board a local river craft and and ancient music of the Tang Dynasty—a cruise the Li River, passing humped lime- period of peace and exceptional creativity stone peaks, fishermen astride bamboo rafts, from AD 618 to 907—have been carefully washerwomen squatting on the shore, and recreated for your enjoyment. This type of water buffalo ambling down to the banks performance has been treasured as a national for a dip. Here you can see the captive cor- art that reflects the glory and richness of the morants with their leashed necks, perched Tang Dynasty. Dinner is served before the on rafts waiting for orders to go fishing. show. These are the celebrated scenes often seen in Chinese watercolors and scroll paintings. Breakfast, Lunch A simple lunch is served on board the boat during your River Cruise.
DAY 16 Xian • Guilin Your afternoon is free to relax or do some After breakfast, set off to discover Chinese exploring on your own. Or, join us on an craftsmanship at a lacquerware factory, optional tour to the Yao Shan Tea Garden. At followed by a visit to the Small Wild Goose this Chinese tea farm, you will learn from a Pagoda. One of the oldest pagodas in China, tea master how the delicate leaves are picked it is housed in Xian’s Jianfu Temple. After from the tea tree and then dried, and how savoring an authentic dumpling lunch at a much of the harvesting process is done by
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. hand. You will also hear about the history 100 years—aboard the Star Ferry. A mo- and traditions that surround the growing torcoach will then bring you to the Central and brewing of tea. district and Western district, an older part of Hong Kong full of local flavor where Toward the end of your visit to the garden, you’ll find less of the Western influence you can taste a flavorful cup of tea brewed that permeates the rest of the city. Drive from local leaves and experience its up Victoria Peak, which offers a spectacular subtle charm. Teas will also be available for view of the harbor, islands, and imposing purchase. Your Yao Shan Tea Garden visit skyscrapers. This famous hill, more than includes dinner in the cost of your optional 1,800 feet high, is called Tai Ping Shan in tour. Chinese—"Mountain of Great Peace.” If you choose to explore independently Then see where Hong Kong plays and prays today, dinner is on your own. as you visit the beach of shrine-dotted Please note: Depending on the water level of the Repulse Bay. You’ll also see Deep Water Bay Li River, your itinerary may be subject to change. and visit the floating village of Aberdeen, which may soon become only a memory as Breakfast, Lunch the houseboats are moved to other harbors. In the past, thousands of people spent their lives and make their livings on junks and DAY 18 Guilin • Hong Kong sampans in the harbor, though these days After breakfast this morning, head to the there are fewer and fewer fishingjunks . train station to begin your transfer to Hong Toward the end of the tour, you’ll have time Kong, long the center of trade in Asia and for a stop at a jewelry factory. one of the world’s busiest ports. The first leg Your afternoon and evening are at leisure. of your journey takes place aboard a high- You may want to visit the district of Wan speed bullet train, which will zip you across Chai. The district became notorious after the Chinese countryside for three hours, with World War II, known for its hostess clubs, an included box lunch onboard, to the city of tattoo parlors, bars, and sailors on leave Shenzhen. There, you’ll board a motorcoach looking for a good time. Richard Mason’s and drive to Hong Kong, where, after passing 1957 novel, The World of Suzie Wong, describes through customs, you’ll arrive at your hotel the district’s bygone era. in the early evening. You can also visit Stanley, one of Hong Dinner is included at your hotel tonight. Kong’s oldest fishing villages and now Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner a thriving and popular marketplace, or have a meal at one of the harbor’s floating restaurants. DAY 19 Hong Kong Breakfast After breakfast, begin a morning tour of Hong Kong that introduces you to the major sites of this vibrant city. First, make the journey between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island the way locals have for more than
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. DAY 20 Hong Kong • Optional Kowloon & the New Territories tour You have the full day at leisure to explore the city. Relax, see the sights on your own, or look for some of the bargains in this city famous worldwide for its duty-free shopping.
Or, join an optional tour traveling through the eastern part of the New Territories, leased to Britain by China in 1898 for a period of 99 years. Known as “the land between,” the peninsula across Victoria Harbor consists of rocky coastline and lush, hilly farmland—a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city itself.
Take a stroll through the local flower mar- ket, followed by a visit to famed Bird Street, where songbirds are sold and traded. Then, visit the Wong Tai Sin Temple, a colorful example of a traditional Chinese place of worship. Continue on to Nan Lian Garden, a serene, well-appointed green space deco- rated in the Tang Dynasty style, followed by a visit to Sai Kung, a fishing village where you’ll see how the people of Hong Kong buy and sell fresh seafood. Then enjoy a seafood lunch at a local restaurant in Sai Kung.
Tonight, gather with your fellow travelers for a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.
Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 21 Hong Kong • Return to U.S. Say zai jian (goodbye) to China and your Program Director today. After breakfast, you’ll be assisted to the airport for your flight home or extend your discoveries with our optional extension in Bangkok, Thailand.
Breakfast
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. Pre-trip Tokyo, Japan
Included in Your Price
»» Air transportation from Tokyo to Beijing »» Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers on your extension »» Accommodations for 4 nights and all optional tours »» 6 meals: 4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 1 »» All transfers dinner
»» 2 included tours: Tokyo, Mount Fuji & Hakone
»» Exclusive services of a Grand Circle Program Director
Itinerary, Pre-Trip Extension
A colorful mix of small villages and cultural centers that often seem hidden in a city of more than 13 million people, Tokyo is one of the world’s busiest and most complex metropolitan areas. Discover a city of high energy, blazing neon lights, and almost endless possibilities.
DAY 1 Depart U.S. Edo, this city has been a center of Japanese Depart the U.S. today on your flight to civilization since it was first fortified in Tokyo, Japan. 1603. It was already one of the world’s most populous cities by the 19th century.
DAY 2 Tokyo, Japan DAY 3 Tokyo Upon arrival in Tokyo late this afternoon, a Grand Circle representative meets you After breakfast this morning, set off on a and helps you transfer to your hotel. Your tour of this impressive modern metropolis. Program Director will welcome you at the You’ll begin at the Asakusa Kannon Temple, hotel and assist you in checking in. The one of Tokyo’s cultural landmarks and the balance of the evening is at leisure to relax main site of the Sho-Kannon branch of after your overseas flight. Formerly called Buddhism. Built in the year AD 645, the
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. temple honors Kannon, the goddess of you’ll enjoy scenic views. Then, cruise mercy, and boasts a graceful, imposing gate tranquil Lake Ashi before enjoying an and lovely arcaded walkway. included lunch.
At your next destination, you’ll stop by the Next, you’ll visit the Narukawa Museum, Imperial Palace—home of the Emperor of a private art museum located idyllically Japan—and visit the entrance plaza where on a wooded hill overlooking Lake Ashi. the imperial guard stands watch. Then tour The museum boasts a collection of modern the high-tech Tokyo Tower, contrasting nihonga, or Japanese-style paintings. While vividly with the venerable city’s ancient nihonga can be traced back to centuries-old monuments. En route back to your hotel, traditions, Japanese artists continue to inno- drive through the famous Ginza shopping vate within it, and the Narukawa Museum is district. dedicated to showcasing masterpieces of the new nihonga style. After taking in the art, be The balance of your afternoon is at leisure sure to the museum’s panoramic lounge to to relax or explore independently. Seek savor a cup of tea as you gaze out through out an interesting spot for lunch on your the massive window for an unforgettable own. Maybe you’ll want to try out one of view of Lake Ashi, with Mount Fuji rising the many sushi bars for a taste of Japan’s majestically over the horizon. traditional cuisine. Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own. You might notice that, as the day progresses toward dusk, Tokyo’s colorful and dazzling Breakfast, Lunch lights emerge and change the face of the city. DAY 5 Tokyo • Optional Gather with your traveling companions this Yanaka district tour evening for a Welcome Dinner. Spend your final day in Tokyo at leisure. Breakfast, Dinner Or, join us on an optional tour of the Yanaka district, famed for its traditional-style DAY 4 Tokyo • Mount Fuji & Hakone wooden houses. The day starts with a local train ride to Ueno Park, known for its many Today, after an included breakfast, we museums and cherry blossom trees. You’ll depart for Hakone, a scenic region about 50 enjoy a relaxing stroll through the park on miles west of Tokyo that’s home to majestic your way to the Tokyo National Museum, the Mount Fuji. With an altitude of more than oldest and largest museum in Japan. Then 12,000 feet, Mount Fuji is the tallest moun- you will journey to the Yanaka district. tain in Japan—and its perfectly symmetrical, perpetually snowcapped peak has made it a The gently sloping hills of Yanaka offer a popular subject for artists and photographers peaceful side of Tokyo. This small commu- throughout the centuries. nity was once known for attracting artists, writers, and intellectuals. Now, it is a color- You’ll set off via private motorcoach for ful area of narrow lanes and small homes, Mount Fuji, ascending to the mountain’s interspersed with old Buddhist temples, Fifth Station, where (weather permitting) stone gardens, statuary, and bonsai trees.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. Tucked in among the residences you can find old neighborhood shops to browse, and during your walk you’ll see some of the re- maining traditional wooden houses (concrete is being used increasingly more in replacing older structures). This afternoon, you’ll enjoy a Japanese-style included lunch. Please note: The Tokyo National Museum visited on the optional tour is closed on Mondays. If this day of your extension falls on a Monday, the itineraries for Days 4 and 5 will be switched.
Enjoy dinner on your own this evening.
Breakfast
DAY 6 Tokyo • Beijing, China Enjoy a morning at leisure as your Tokyo experience draws to a close. This afternoon, fly to Beijing, where you’ll meet your fellow travelers and begin your China & the Yangtze River Cruise Tour.
Breakfast
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. optional tours on Pre-trip
Yanaka district (Day 5 $75 per person)
On this walking tour, explore the picturesque Yanaka District, one of the few Tokyo neighborhoods undamaged during World War II. Begin with a relaxing stroll through Ueno Park, home to the Tokyo National Museum, the oldest and largest museum in Japan. After viewing the many treasures in the museum’s collection, continue north to Yanaka—a colorful area of narrow lanes and small homes, interspersed with old Buddhist temples, stone gardens, statuary, and bonsai trees. Tucked in among the residences you can find old neighborhood shops to browse, and during your walk you’ll see some of the remaining traditional wooden houses (concrete is being used more and more in replacing older structures). Your explora- tions of Yanaka also include a Japanese-style included lunch.
Please note: The Tokyo National Museum is closed on Mondays. If this day of your extension falls on a Monday, the itineraries for Days 4 and 5 will be switched.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. Post-trip Bangkok, Thailand
Included in Your Price
»» Air transportation from Hong Kong to »» Gratuities for local guides and Bangkok motorcoach drivers on your extension and all optional tours »» Accommodations for 4 nights »» All transfers »» 6 meals: 4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 1 dinner
»» 2 included tours: Bangkok, floral market & Wat Pho
»» Exclusive services of a Grand Circle Program Director
Itinerary, Post-Trip Extension
Explore one of Asia’s great and bustling cities—a city of famous temples and shrines, of fine museums, galleries, and performance venues. Bangkok is rich with both culture and contrasts, a place where small side streets lined by traditional shops and buildings are nestled between more fast-paced and lively main thoroughfares.
DAY 1 Hong Kong, China • DAY 2 Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand This morning, have breakfast at your hotel You’ll transfer to the airport for your flight and then enjoy a tour of Bangkok. Step to Bangkok today after finishing your China into the Old Kingdom of Siam at the Grand & the Yangtze River tour. A Grand Circle Palace. In 1767, Burmese forces attacked the representative will meet you at the airport Thai capital of Ayutthaya, leaving it in ruins. and assist you to your hotel, where you King Rama I moved the capital to its present will meet your Thai Program Director. The site in 1782, and the Grand Palace became balance of your day and evening is at leisure the centerpiece of a new Thai capital called to relax. Krung Thep (City of Angels), known outside of Thailand as Bangkok. The original palace was constructed with some material brought from Ayutthaya, and each successive ruler
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. expanded and refined the complex. It was and part Cirque du Soleil, the show employs King Mongkut (or Rama IV) who ruled from a cast of more than 150 actors, who wear this palace, expanded trade with the West, more than 500 extravagant costumes as and was romanticized in the musical The they depict seven centuries of Thai history King and I. through song and dance.
The palace is a massive square-mile Breakfast complex of gilded wats (temples), intricate ceremonial halls, and elaborate statues. Enclosed by ancient walls, the palace also DAY 4 Bangkok • Optional contains the residence of the Royal Family Ayutthaya Ancient City tour and government offices. You have a full day to relax or enjoy the delights of Bangkok at your own pace. Here you will also see the beautiful Temple of the Emerald Buddha, with a statue of the Or, join us for an optional full-day excursion Buddha carved from a piece of emerald- to the ancient city of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO green jade. After lunch at a local restaurant, World Heritage Site whose golden ruins you’ll have time to see a jewelry-making remind you of the splendor of early Siam. demonstration and browse at a local jewelry Ayutthaya was the capital of the kingdom of shop. The rest of the afternoon is yours to Thailand for hundreds of years, from 1350 to enjoy at leisure. 1767. With three rivers surrounding this city and more than 30 miles of canals, it was the Enjoy dinner on your own this evening. thriving cultural and commercial heart of the Breakfast, Lunch kingdom, attracting foreign merchants from Europe and Asia. In 1767, after 33 dynasties, most of this majestic city was destroyed by DAY 3 Bangkok • Floral Market the Burmese. & Wat Pho visit • Optional Thai cultural heritage show & dinner Ayutthaya offers numerous historic ruins, fascinating architecture, and intriguing After breakfast, stroll through one of temples, which you’ll discover for yourself Bangkok’s largest flower markets, marveling during your tour of the ancient city. You’ll at the impressive array of colorful blooms. start with Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, where the Then pay a visit to Wat Pho to see its cel- royal palace was once located, as well as Wat ebrated Reclining Buddha statue—a gilded Phra Mongkol Bopit, home to an impressive sculpture that’s more than 150 feet long and Bronze Buddha statue. Then continue to Wat 50 feet high. The afternoon is yours to make Chaiwatthanaram, renowned for its elabo- your own discoveries. rate, symmetrical architecture. Then enjoy Or, join us this evening for an optional tour a long-tailed speedboat cruise for views of showcasing Thailand’s cultural heritage. Phet Fortress, Wat Phanacheong, and other You’ll begin with a tour of Siam Niramit city sights, as well as daily life for those theater followed by dinner (included with who live along the river. We lunch together the optional tour) and an elaborate stage aboard an air-conditioned river cruise boat production celebrating Thai history and before we return to Bangkok. culture. Part Andrew Lloyd Webber musical
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. Tonight, rejoin your fellow travelers to toast your discoveries of Thailand during a Farewell Dinner at your hotel.
Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 5 Bangkok • Return to U.S. After an early breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight home.
Breakfast
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610. optional tours on Post-trip
Thai cultural heritage show & dinner (Day 3 $70 per person)
Join us for an optional tour showcasing Thailand’s cultural heritage. Take in a performance of Siam Niramit, an elaborate stage production celebrating Thai history and culture. Part Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and part Cirque du Soleil, the show employs a cast of more than 150 actors, who wear more than 500 extravagant costumes as they depict seven centuries of Thai history through song and dance. Dinner is included in the cost of this optional tour.
Ayutthaya Ancient City (Day 4 $90 per person)
Ayutthaya offers numerous historic ruins, fascinating architecture, and intriguing temples, which you’ll discover for yourself during your tour of the ancient city. You’ll start with Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, where the royal palace was once located, as well as Wat Phra Mongkol Bopit, home to an impressive Bronze Buddha statue. Then continue to Wat Chaiwatthanaram, renowned for its elabo- rate, symmetrical architecture. Then enjoy a long-tailed speed boat cruise for views of Phet Fortress, Wat Phanacheong, and other city sights, as well as daily life for those who live along the river. We lunch together aboard an air conditioned river cruise boat before we return to Bangkok.
Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-221-2610.