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I really think the kids who were adopted from China should go back to visit, so they
could see what kind of life they might have in the orphanages if they never immigrated
to America and of course to see China. I will definitely recommend Lotus Travel to
others because Ms. Lea and her staff provided us with great service, interesting tours and
kept us safe the entire trip.
- Ana Caroline Huiwen Joros (age 12)
China Heritage Discovery Tour
This tour intends to help adoptive families and their children to recapture the sweet memories during their initial contact in China. Little explorers would have the chance to tour around the Shamian Island area: visiting the old American Consulate, the medical clinic where adoption medical exams are conducted, the photo shop where children's photos were taken and the White Swan hotel that adoptive families stayed during the adoption process to recall how their families had striven to complete all adoption proceedings.
Besides flashing good old memories, all travelers would be able to go sightseeing and enjoy hands on cultural activities: biking and enjoying the great sceneries in Yangshuo at the same time, flying kites at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, and visiting Zhu Jia Jiao, an ancient town which retains its traditional Chinese paintings with its quaint buildings, traditional arched bridges and willow lined canals.
Two percent of the standard tour cost would be donated to Lotus Travel's Orphans Improvement Program to improve the quality of life of orphans in China. By joining our China Homeland Heritage Tours, you help improve the lives of Chinese orphans!
Itinerary
Day 1: U.S./Beijing
accommodations: n/a
meals: n/a
Begin your tour to China's most popular historical sites and cities today when you depart from the US gateway city for Beijing.
Day 2: Beijing
accommodations: deluxe hotel
meals: n/a
Arrive at the Beijing International Airport. Your private English-speaking guide and driver will bring you to the hotel upon your arrival. Have a good rest tonight and soak in the arrival to your child's birth country while you adjust to your new time zone and surroundings.
Day 3: Beijing
accommodations: deluxe hotel
meals: B/L
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. In the afternoon, visit China's largest temple and altar-the Temple of Heaven, which is often depicted as the most recognizable symbol of China.
Day 4: Beijing
accommodations: deluxe hotel
meals: B/L
Visit two UNESCO world heritage sites today. Begin your day with a tour at the Great Wall. Constructed more than 2,000 years ago by China's first emperor, the ancient wall is 6,350 km or about 4,000 miles in length. Stop at the Beijing's Cloisonne (Jingtailan) Factory to learn about the intricate cloisonné making process after your Great Wall experience. Cloisonné originated in 1426 and became popular during the reign of Ming Emperor Jingtai. In the afternoon, explore the imperial gardens of the Summer Palace originally built in 1750 and later 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.
Day 5: Beijing/Xian
accommodations: Overnight Express Train
meals: B/L/D
This morning explore the fascinating Hutong neighborhoods. Beijing's oldest Hutongs were constructed during Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Your tour will take you through some of the best-preserved Hutong neighborhoods that represented 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 to make your own kites under professional instructions. Then kick back, relax and fly your handmade kites with the others at 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. Early this evening, get onboard a luxury express train for your overnight journey to Xian.
Day 6: Xian
accommodations: deluxe hotel
meals: B/L
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 under the reign of 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 of the city. Built during the early Ming Dynasty with a core of mud covered by three layers of bricks, it is the only city wall that remained intact in China today.
Day 7: Xian
accommodations: deluxe hotel
meals: B/L
Embark on an amazing historical and cultural adventure today and begin 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 worn away during weathering, thus revealing their original earthy color. Continue your tour at the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum nearby. Historical records noted that 700,000 labors spent 36 years building Qin's Mausoleum at the foot of Lishan Mountain; numerous treasures entombed with the emperor still remain undiscovered. Learn to make JiaoZi (traditional Chinese dumplings) in a local restaurant and have JiaoZi lunch there. Visit the HuaQing Hot Springs Palace constructed during the Tang Dynasty. This evening, relax and unwind. Enjoy recording your experiences of the day in a journal or just lounging in your fine hotel room.
Day 8: Xian/Chengdu
accommodations: deluxe hotel
meals: B/L
You will fly to Chengdu from Xian today. After lunch, visit the Chengdu Children's Palace where your family can learn the basic techniques of Chinese calligraphy and landscape painting; certainly a fun activity for both adults and children.
Day 9: Chengdu
accommodations: deluxe hotel
meals: B/L
Embark on an extraordinary journey to the Panda Breeding Research Base this morning. A professional panda caregiver will give you a brief insight of the 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 beliefs of the SanSingDui, yet visitors can gain a sense of the culture through intriguing displays of ancient and rare artifacts used in daily life and religious ceremonies.
Day 10: Chengdu/Guilin
accommodations: Guilin Ming Garden Apartment Suites
meals: B/L/D
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. 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).
Tonight you will stay at the Ming Garden Apartment Suites, which is located within the local Chinese residents' apartment complexes. Each unit is decorated in the Ming Dynasty Style with beautiful Ming furniture, an air-conditioning/heating unit, a private western-style bath, a kitchen equipped with microwave, refrigerator and cooking utensils; free Internet access, television and telephone. The apartment units are rated above five-stars standard and guests can also enjoy free late checkouts until 6:00 p.m. (all hotels request checkouts before 12:00 noon). All guests will have the rare chance to live among local residents within the same apartment complex. We can even arrange an assistant to make traditional Chinese meals for your family.
Day 11: Guilin/Yangshuo/Guilin
accommodations: Guilin Ming Garden Apartment Suites
meals: B/L/D
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. Visit the ShiWaiTaoYuan water garden on the way back to Guilin from Yangshuo.
Day 12: Guilin/Province
accommodations: deluxe hotel
meals: B
Depart Guilin and travel to the capital city of the designated province for an orphanage visit. Lotus guides will sensitively and carefully assist your family as you embark on this most meaningful portion of your return trip. On this initial day of the city visit, one can spend time strolling the area and absorbing a sense of the city and locale.
Day 13: Province
accommodations: n/a
meals: n/a
Your orphanage visitation typically includes a lunch meeting with the orphanage director and staff. If your family wishes to be in touch with the foster family, Lotus can also arrange a time for you to reunite if contact information is available. After lunch, you may explore your child's finding site. Record the day's events in your journal or just relax with your family this evening.
Day 14: Province/Guangzhou
accommodations: Guangzhou White Swan Hotel
meals: n/a
This morning take some final glimpses around your child's province to capture your special memories. After breakfast, depart for Guangzhou.
Day 15: Guangzhou
accommodations: Guangzhou White Swan Hotel
meals: B/L
After breakfast, tour around Shamian Island: stop at the medical clinic where adoption medical exams are conducted and visit the photo shop where your child's visa photo was taken. In the afternoon, take another trip down memory lane when you visit the American Consulate. Your guide will then escort you to a local park where you can linger and relax while enjoying a story-time of traditional Chinese folktales to deepen your understanding of the rich cultural heritage of your child.
Day 16: Guangzhou/U.S.
accommodations: n/a
meals: B
Please meet your private English-speaking tour guide and driver at the hotel lobby and travel to the Guangzhou New Bai Yun Airport for your international flight back to the United States. Cross the International Dateline and arrive home on the same day.
Inclusions
- Prices listed above include Super Deluxe hotels.
- Please contact Lotus Travel for tour customization.
- Tour price includes sightseeing and meals as indicated on the itinerary, intra-China airfare, private transfers and ground transportation, hotel accommodations and the services of an English- speaking guide and driver.
- All prices are quoted in US Dollars and are subjected to change without notice. Please check at the time of reservation.
- All prices are quoted per person based on two people sharing a room (double occupancy). Single supplement applies for single travelers.
Exclusions
- International Airfare
- Passport or China Visa Fees.
- Tips to guides and driver.
- Expenses of a personal nature.
- Side trips to the designated provinces
- Provincial Civil Affair Bureau orphanage visit filing fee
- Costs associated with side-trip to orphanage
Important Remarks
- An extra $330.00 will be charged for traveling on dates marked with **
- An extra $100.00 will be charged for traveling on dates marked with *
- 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.
Tour Overview
Tour Code:
CHDT-10-
Trip Duration:
16 days/15 nights -
Price:
Adult: $1,999 Oct 2007 - Mar 2008
Adult: $2,100 Apr 2008 - Mar 2009
Single Supplement:
$660-
Departure Dates:
2007: 8/7, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22, 12/29
2008: 1/5, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 4/5, 4/12, 5/10, 5/17, 5/24, 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21, 6/28**, 7/5**, 7/12**, 7/19**, 7/26**, 9/6, 9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/22, 11/29, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20, 12/27
2009: 1/3, 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14
- For more information, please contact our Homeland Heritage Tour expert Louie.
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