DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY:

Day 1 • Depart San Francisco for Beijing
Fly transpacific aboard United Airlines, accompanied by our professional Tour Director from arrival in Asia.

CHINA

Day 2 • Arrive Beijing
Upon arrival, you are escorted to your hotel.
Hilton Beijing Hotel

Day 3 • Beijing

After breakfast and a welcome orien­tation, begin your tour with Tiananmen Square, then the exquisite Imperial Palace within the Forbidden City, as well as the Palace Museum's collection of imperial jewelry. Afternoon is at leisure. Tonight, attend a welcome dinner party featuring delicious Peking Duck.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Party

Day 4 • Beijing

This morning visit the Temple of Heaven and see local morning exercise. See the Imperial Vault of Heaven with its Echo Wall and the Nine-Dragon Cypress, thought to be more than 500 years old. Then tour Beijing's ancient narrow streets, known as Hutongs in a pedicab. Visit Siheyuan (quadrangle homes) and learn about life in the city during the reign of Kublai Khan. Stroll along the Hutongs and visit with one of the local families. Continue on to view the city from atop the Drum Tower (Gu Lou). After dinner, enjoy a remarkable show, “The Legend of Kung Fu.”
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 • Beijing

Today, a highlight of your trip to China–-walk the ramparts of the historic Great Wall, one of the most amazing feats of mankind. After lunch, visit a cloisonné factory. Then stroll along the Sacred Way, lined with statues, to the Ming Tombs and Chang Ling Exhibition Hall.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Buffet Dinner

Day 6 • Beijing/Xi'an

Fly to historic Xi'an this morning. On arrival visit the lovely Wild Goose Pagoda before checking in to your hotel. Buffet dinner at the hotel.
Shangri-La Golden Flower Hotel
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Buffet Dinner

Day 7 • Xi'an

Visit the famed life-sized terra-cotta legion of warriors, buried with the emperor for over 2,200 years, Circle Vision Movie and the Bronze Chariot. Enjoy a dumpling lunch at the renowned Defachang Restaurant. Later, visit the Shaanxi Provincial Historical Museum with our exclusive visit to the private artifact room where you may handle some of the national treasures from the museum's collection. Tonight, from your front section seats enjoy an entertaining dinner and show at the Tang Dynasty Theatre.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Special Lunch, Dinner Show

Day 8 • Xi'an/Chongqing

The morning is free in Xi'an. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Chongqing. On arrival, tour the Stilwell Museum with its World War ll and Flying Tigers memorabilia. The Flying Tigers volunteered to aid the Chinese before Pearl Harbor. Check into your hotel.
Hilton Chongqing Hotel
MEALS: American Breakfast, Buffet Dinner

Day 9 • Chongqing/Dazu/Chongqing

Today, travel by motor coach to Dazu, famed for its Buddhist archeological sites. Lunch in Dazu; sightseeing includes monumental Buddhist sculptures at Beishan and Baodingshan. After dinner, board your ship to begin the cruise downstream in your outside cabin accommodations with balcony.
Victoria Cruises' Victoria Katarina
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Buffet Dinner

Day 10 • Yangtze River Cruise: Shibaozhai*

A shore excursion at Shibaozhai shows its scenic 12-story wooden pagoda. Over 400 years old, this magnificent pagoda is known as the “Pearl of the Yangtze.”
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
*Alternate shore excursion may visit Fengdu or Wanzhou.

Day 11 • Yangtze River Cruise: Qutang Gorge/Daning River Small Gorges or Shennong Stream/Wu Gorge/Xiling Gorge

Unforgettable scenery unfolds as you cruise through the first of the fabled Three Gorges: Qutang Gorge hemmed by towering cliffs. At Wushan, transfer to a cruiser for an excursion up the Daning River to view its splendid Small Gorges. Continue by sampan to the picturesque mini-gorges of the Ma Du River. Alter­natively, your excursion may be on Shennong Stream with its impressive small gorges. Sail on from Wushan and pass through Wu Gorge, known for its lofty Twelve Peaks. Next, cruise through Xiling Gorge, the last and most scenic of all the gorges. Finally, sail through the dramatic Three Gorges ship lock.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12 • Yangtze River Cruise: Xiling Gorge/San Dou Ping/Yichang to Shanghai*

At San Dou Ping, visit the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric project.
Board the ship and continue downstream to Yichang where you board a flight to Shanghai. Check into your hotel.
Pudong Shangri-La Hotel
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Buffet Dinner
*If direct flight is not available, travel by motor coach to Wuhan and fly to Shanghai.

Day 13 • Shanghai

Your full day tour shows the Shanghai Museum, including handheld recorder highlighting the special features of the museum's permanent collection, selected shopping stops, the Jade Buddha Temple and a carpet factory. Then on to visit the European-styled Bund and see a performance at the Children's Palace. After dinner, the renowned Shanghai acrobats show is sure to amaze.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14 • Shanghai/Hangzhou*

The morning is free in Shanghai for last minute sightseeing or shopping. After lunch, travel to scenic Hangzhou.
Shangri-La Hotel Hangzhou
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
*Travel to Hangzhou by train if group is less than 6 tour members.

Day 15 • Hangzhou

Today enjoy a boat ride on lovely West Lake and Inner West Lake; visit Hua Gang Park; Huqingyu Pharmacy, a remarkable 4th century Ling Yin Mona­stery and the Tea Production Brigade.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Buffet Dinner

Day 16 • Hangzhou/Guilin

The morning is at leisure in Hangzhou. After lunch fly to Guilin and enjoy a leisurely dinner at the hotel this evening.
Sheraton Guilin Hotel
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner in Hotel

Day 17 • Guilin

Today you will enjoy a relaxing cruise on a deluxe air-conditioned boat along the Li River, passing through scenery reminiscent of Chinese ink paintings. See the haunting beauty of Guilin's mist-wrapped monolithic peaks surrounding the river en route to Yangshuo.
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch, Buffet Dinner

HONG KONG

Day 18 • Guilin/Hong Kong

This morning, see dramatic rock formations at Fu Bo Hill and Reed Flute Cave, followed by a lunch of dim sum specialties. Then fly to Hong Kong.
Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel
MEALS: American Breakfast, Lunch in Hotel

Day 19 • HONG KONG

Today, your tour of Hong Kong Island passes through Stanley Market and Repulse Bay; included is a sampan tour of the floating community at Aberdeen and a ride up to Victoria Peak for wonderful panoramic views of the city and its harbor.
MEALS: American Breakfast

Day 20 • HONG KONG

Day at leisure to explore at will. Perhaps take an optional tour.
MEALS: Breakfast

Day 21 • Depart Hong Kong for San Francisco

Fly home aboard United Airlines.

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS:
BEIJING: 4 Nights Hilton Beijing Hotel
Tiananmen Square • Forbidden City's Imperial Palace • Temple of Heaven • Peking Duck Welcome Dinner Party • Great Wall • Cloisonné Factory • Sacred Way to Ming Tombs • Chang Ling Exhibition Hall • Hutong Tour and Visit with a Local Family • Drum Tower • “The Legend of Kung Fu” Show

XI’AN: 2 Nights Shangri-la Golden Flower Hotel
Buffet Dinner • Terra-Cotta Warriors • Circle Vision Movie • Bronze Chariot • Dumpling Lunch at Defachang Restaurant • Shaanxi Provincial Historical Museum with private visit to museum's artifact room to handle  national treasures of the museum's collection • Tang Dynasty Theatre Dinner Show • Wild Goose Pagoda

CHONGQING: 1 Night Hilton Chongging Hotel
Stilwell Museum

DAZU: Sightseeing
Buddhist Sculptures at Beishan and Baodingshan

YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE: 3 Nights Victoria Cruises' ship (outside cabin with balcony)
Victoria Cruise Downstream: Shibaozhai • Daning River's Small Gorges or Shennong Stream • San Dou Ping (Three Gorges Dam) • Yichang

SHANGHAI: 2 Nights Pudong Shangri-la Hotel
Shanghai Museum • Nanjing or Huai Hai Road Shops • Jade Buddha Temple • Carpet Factory • The Bund • Children's Palace Performance • Acrobatic Show

HANGZHOU: 2 Nights Shangri-La Hotel Hangzhou
West Lake and Inner West Lake Boat Ride • Hua Gang Park • Huqingyu Pharmacy • Ling Yin Monastery • Tea Production Brigade

GUILIN: 2 Nights Sheraton Guilin Hotel
Li River Deluxe Day Cruise • Reed Flute Cave • Fu Bo Hill

HONG KONG: 3 NIghts Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel
Stanley Market • Repulse Bay • Sampan ride at Aberdeen • Victoria Peak

ALL INCLUSIVE FEATURES:
• Round-trip transpacific air transportation
• United Mileage Plus® members earn: frequent flyer credit with the purchase of each air/land tour package
• All intra-China air/land transportation
• Fully Escorted from arrival in Asia by our professional U.S.Tour Director
• 16 nights in select Five Star hotels; 3 nights aboard Victoria Cruises' ship in outside cabin with balcony
• 18 breakfasts, 14 lunches, 15 dinners
• Round-trip transfers between airport and hotel, baggage handling, hotel taxes and service charges
• Comprehensive sightseeing, special cultural activities and performances as noted
• $100,000 Automatic Flight Insurance for transpacific air ticketed by Pacific Delight Tours
• USTOA $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program

SATURDAY DEPARTURES; FRIDAY ARRIVALS ON UNITED AIRLINES: