Related Information
Thanksgiving Heritage Tour
(Departure Date: Nov 15, 2008)
$1,650.00/per adult
$1,320.00/per child
Special Note: Join us for this winter promotion celebrating Thanksgiving Day with your children and host families. This homeland trip is for famlies with insight into the importance of their children's cultural heritages. It also provides a wonderful opportunity to express gratitude to the orphanage directors and caregivers on Thanksgiving Day! Imagine the joy, fun, winter season view and excitement your children will have when they are climbing the Great Wall in Beijing, exploring the breathtaking Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, riding a bike on the ancient city wall of Xian, hugging adorable baby pandas in Chengdu and enjoying a Li River cruise in Guilin. Your trip can be very meaningful and worthwhile during this special period! The excursion to your child’s province on Nov26-Nov28 is customized according to your preferences and price is determined accordingly.
Itinerary
Nov-15-08 |
Saturday |
U.S./Beijing |
Leave U.S. for Beijing today.
Begin your day with a tour at the Forbidden City. Listed as a world heritage site in 1987, the Forbidden City contains the largest group of intact palace structures in the world. The palace is 720,000 square meters in size and contains 9,999 rooms, numerous pavilions, gardens and courtyards. Then visit the Tiananmen Square. Noted as the largest city square in the world, the square was initially designed for political rallies and important gala events. Today the square is flanked by the Forbidden City in the north, the Great Hall of the People in the west, Mao TseTung’s Mausoleum in the south and the Museum of Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History in the east. This afternoon, stop by at the major 2008 Olympic Venues including the National Stadiums – “Bird's Nest”, the National Aquatics Center – “Watercube” on the way to the imperial gardens of the Summer Palace. The palace was originally built in 1750 and was rebuilt in 1886. Located in the western outskirts of the city, the Summer Palace is the leading classical garden in China and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Explore the fascinating Hutong neighborhoods. Beijing’s oldest Hutongs were constructed during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Your tour will take you through some of the best-preserved Hutong neighborhoods, which represent the history, culture and lifestyle of old Beijing. After a special homemade lunch at a local family residence in the Hutong Lane area, your family can learn how to make your own kites under professional instruction, and then fly your handmade kites with others at the Temple of Heaven which is China’s largest temple and altar. It is often regarded as the most recognizable symbol of China.
Early this evening, get onboard a luxury express train for your overnight journey to Xian.
Arrive early this morning in China's ancient capital city of Xian. Known as ChangAn in ancient times, Xian was the capital city of China for 1,062 years (13 dynasties and 73 different emperors). Visit the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum for an in-depth look at China’s extensive history with more than 2,000 items on exhibit. In the afternoon, get on top the 950-year-old city wall and ride a bike; be sure to enjoy the panoramic view. Built during the early Ming Dynasty with a core of mud and covered by three layers of bricks, Xian’s city wall is the only city wall that remained intact in China today. Enjoy the traditional puppet show in the GaoJia Courtyard. Your children can practice working the puppet after the show.
Embark on an amazing historical and cultural adventure today, beginning with an exploration at the Terracotta Warriors and Horses
Museum, where you will find lifelike terracotta soldiers, horses, chariots and weapons created more than 2,000 years ago to guard the
first emperor’s tomb. Their vibrant painted details have worn away and revealed their original earthy color. Learn to make JiaoZi(t raditional Chinese dumplings) in a local restaurant and have a JiaoZi lunch there. This evening, relax and unwind. Enjoy recording your experiences of the day in a journal or just lounging in your fine hotel room.
Your local guide and driver will transfer you to Xian Airport for trip to Chengdu.
Xian/Chengdu MU2347(1:25P/2:40P) (Your local guide has tickets) Please meet your local guide and driver at the Chengdu airport exit for transfer to the hotel. You will visit The People's Park Tea House and Garden in the afternoon.
Embark on an extraordinary journey to the Panda Breeding Research Base this morning. A professional panda caregiver will give a brief insight into panda research findings and everyone will have the rare opportunity to hold and hug a baby panda — something everyone in the family is sure to enjoy. After lunch, visit the fascinating SanXingDui Museum. Little is known about the mysterious culture and religious beliefs of the SanXingDui people, yet visitors can gain a sense of these people through intriguing displays of ancient and rare artifacts used in daily life and religious ceremonies.
Your local English-speaking tour guide and driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and bring you to the airport for your flight to Guilin.
Chengdu/Guilin CA4323 (11:40A/1:05P) (Your local guide has tickets) Meet your tour guide and driver at the Guilin Airport, and they’ll transfer you to hotel. After lunch, explore the Reed Flute Caves. Enjoy the gorgeous views of beautiful backdrops created by the cool atmosphere and colorful lighting displays inside the caves as you pass by many fanciful shapes (don’t forget to look for the Monkey King).
After breakfast, embark on a Li River scenic cruise and enjoy a delicious lunch onboard. The landscape of Guilin is noted as the most gorgeous in China, with sparkling clear waters and magnificent green hills; you will see fishermen fishing with their trained cormorant birds occasionally as well. Your children will be excited to watch water buffalos either grazing along the riverbanks or taking lazy afternoon swims. Walk along the rice field and visit some local village in Yangshuo. Visit the ShiWaiTaoYuan water garden on the way back to Guilin from Yangshuo.
Inclusions
- Beijing/Xian soft sleeper train tickets.
- Airfare of Xian/Chengdu /Guilin.
- Airport/hotel/airport (or train station) transfer as listed on itinerary.
- All listed sightseeing and tour programs with private English-speaking tour guide and private van or bus with driver.
- Hotels and meals as stipulated on itinerary.
- All prices are quoted in US Dollars and are subject to change without notice. Please check at time of booking.
- All prices are quoted per person based on two people sharing a room (double occupancy). Single supplement applies for single travelers.
Exclusions
- US/Beijing, Guangzhou/US international airfare. Please contact us for discount international airfare starting from your city.
- Passport and/or China Visa Fees
- Some meals
- Tips to guides and drivers
- Expenses of a personal nature
- Provincial Civil Affair Bureau orphanage visit filing fee
- Side trips to the designated provinces on Nov 26 to Nov 28 and the airfare of Guilin - province city – Guangzhou which can be arranged with extra cost by us.
- The cost of holding the panda and taking a picture is additional to the entry fee. The costs are USD185.00/per person for holding a baby panda. Although the Pandas are cute and adorable, they may inflict accidental injuries in their playful nature.
Important Remarks
- For different scheduled tour, please contact us for a price quote
- All prices are quoted in US dollars, per person, based on two people sharing a room (double occupancy)
- A child has to be 11 years old or under on the last day of the tour to receive a discount.
- Twin beds in China hotels, about 50 inches wide, are closer in width to the 54" double size beds in the U.S., and much wider than the 39 inches wide twin beds found in U.S. homes.
- A soft sleeper train compartment is equipped with two bunk beds and sleeps four. If there are less than four people in your party, Lotus Travel highly recommends purchasing the extra seats in the compartment to ensure privacy.
- If your itinerary states "free time" or "free day", no activities would be planned for you and your English-speaking tour guide and driver would not be present.
- Lotus Travel highly recommends clients to purchase travel insurance. The Travel Plus Plan offered by the Travelex Insurance Company has excellent travel benefits and children 15 and under are free of charge when traveling with an adult.
- A Chinese visa issued at the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles is good for 6 months. We recommend applying for travel visas at least two months before your departure. For detailed information, please visit the Web page at http://www.lotustours.net/promo/visas/index.shtml
- Lotus Travel offers a very affordable cell phone rental package to help you stay in touch with families while in China. Please contact our cell phone rental specialist Theresa for more details.
- A $500.00 per person non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration.
- Balance is due 60 days before departure.
Tour Overview
Tour Code:
THT08-1115-
Trip Duration:
15 Days/14 Nights -
Price:
Adult: $1,650.00
Child: $1,320.00
-
Departure Dates:
2008: November 15, 2008
- For more information, please contact our Homeland Heritage Tour expert, Louie.
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