European Homeland Heritage Tour C

Travel to Guilin after visiting pandas’ hometown Chengdu. You will surely be amazed by the picturesque city of Guilin, Guangxi Province. The Li River Cruise will lead you to see the most gorgeous landscape in China, with sparkling clear waters and magnificent green hills and to explore the fascinating Yangshuo, where you can see combined features of east and west, classic and modern. Also take a trip to Longsheng for the wonderful terrace there, which are result of hundreds of year’s hard work. Besides the attractive visual cuisine, you have a great opportunity to stay in the home-like cozy Guilin Ming Garden Apartment Suite. It is located among local residence, and you can get a sense of local people’s daily life.

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart for Chengdu En Route
accommodations: n/a
meals: n/a
Take flight to Chengdu.
Day 2: Chengdu
accommodations: Chengdu Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
meals: n/a
Arrive in Chengdu. Our English-speaking tour guide and driver will meet you at the airport exit and transfer you to hotel.
Day 3: Chengdu
accommodations: Chengdu Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
meals: B/L
Embark on an extraordinary journey to the Panda Breeding Research Base this morning. Everyone will have the rare opportunity to hold and hug a baby panda; something everyone in the family is sure to enjoy. Continue on to Huanglongxi which is a 1700-year-old scenic town in Sichuan Province. It has been lovingly restored to retain its old world charm, so that visitors can walk the streets as they would have done a couple of centuries ago.
Day 4: Chengdu
accommodations: Chengdu Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
meals: B/L
Explore Leshan Giant Buddha is a statue of Maitreya (a Bodhisattva usually represented as a very stout monk with a broad smile on his face and with his naked breast and paunch exposed to view) in sitting posture. The Buddha is located to the east of Leshan City, Sichuan Province, at the confluence of three rivers, namely, Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River. The statue makes itself the most renowned scenic spot in Leshan City. In December, 1996, the location of the Buddha was included by UNESCO on the list of the World Heritage sites.
Day 5: Chengdu/Guilin
accommodations: Guilin Ming Garden Apartment
meals: B/L

After breakfast, visit the People’s Park with tea house & garden. Full of vegetation and shade, it is a great place to visit with friends or family. You’ll be surprised to see so many people exercising together to traditional Chinese music. People dance, do tai chi, play badminton or sing Chinese Opera songs. The Teahouse is as relaxing and shady a setting as any place in Chengdu. Your English-speaking tour guide and driver will transfer you to airport.
Chengdu/Guilin       by air ( Your guide has tickets )
Your English-speaking tour guide and driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to hotel.

Day 6: Guilin
accommodations: Guilin Ming Garden Apartment
meals: B/L
After breakfast, visit to the Reed Flute Caves (Ludi Yan). Inside the caves, the cool atmosphere and colorful lighting displays provide a beautiful backdrop as you pass by many fanciful shapes (don’t forget to look for the Monkey King). In the afternoon, visit Children’s Palace or the art gallery under Duxiu Peak where you can learn the basic techniques used for centuries to create Chinese calligraphy and landscape painting, making this a fun activity for all.
Day 7: Guilin/Longji/Guilin
accommodations: Guilin Ming Garden Apartment
meals: B/L
Your English-speaking tour guide and driver will take you to Longsheng Longji Terrace which is a fascinating scenic spot for tourist. Being one of the 12 top class scenic spots in Guangxi Province, the fields has a history of 600 years, which were first constructed in Yuan dynasty and completed in early Qing dynasty. These fields are result of hundreds of year’s wise management and hard work. Return to Guilin.
Day 8: Guilin/Yangshuo
accommodations: Yangshuo New West Street Hotel
meals: B/L
Enjoy Li River Cruise. The landscape surrounding Guilin is noted as being the most beautiful in China with sparkling clear waters, magnificent green hills, and the occasional fisherman fishing with his trained cormorant birds. Your children will be excited to watch for water buffalo either grazing along the riverbanks, or perhaps taking a lazy afternoon swim. Arrive in Yangshuo this afternoon and check into your hotel.
Day 9: Yangshuo
accommodations: Yangshuo New West Street Hotel
meals: B/L
Enjoy bike riding in Yangshuo.
Day 10: Yangshuo/Guilin/Province
accommodations: Deluxe Hotel
meals: B/L
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 11: Province
accommodations: Deluxe Hotel
meals: B/L
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 12: Province/Guangzhou
accommodations:Victory Hotel
meals: B/L
This morning take some final glimpses around your child's province to capture your special memories. Then depart for Guangzhou.
Day 13: Guangzhou
accommodations: Victory Hotel
meals: B/L
After breakfast, your guide will take you to Yuexiu park where you can enjoy a story-time of traditional Chinese folktales. Then explore the halls and courtyards of the Chen Family Temple covering more than 10,000 square meters.
Day 14: Leave Guangzhou
accommodations: n/a
meals: B
Meet your private English-speaking tour guide and driver at the hotel lobby and transfer to the airport for your flight back home.

You may extend your tour to visit other cities in China, such as your child’s birthplace.

Inclusions

  • Chengdu/Guilin air ticket
  • Airport (or bus station) /hotel/airport (or bus station) transfer as listed in 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 in itinerary. (B = Breakfast, L = lunch, D = Dinner)

Exclusions

  • International Airfare. [Airlines have not released price or renew contract for 2009].
  • Side trips to the designated provinces on Day 10-12 and the airfare of Guilin - province city – Guangzhou which can be arranged with extra cost by us
  • Orphanage visit filing fee to the Provincial Civil Affair Bureau.
  • 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
  • Some meals.
  • Tipping to tour guide and driver.
  • Chinese visa.
  • Expenses of a personal nature.

Terms and Conditions:

  • Deposit: 20 percent of the total tour cost deposit is due at the time of registration
  • Balance: Balance is due 60 days before departure
  • Terms & Conditions: Our terms and conditions are listed on

    Lotus Travel Terms and Conditions

Remark:

  • To qualify for a child discount, a child has to be under 12 year old on last day of tour.
  • In China, a child over 3’10” tall is charged adult fare for admission tickets, transportation fare (except for airfare) and meals in restaurant. Lotus Travel’s assumes all children under 12 years old to be under the height of 3’10” and quotes you a child’s fee. If your child exceeds this height limit, you might be asked to pay for transportation fare and admission ticket difference by your tour guide while in China.
  • 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 state “free time” or “free day”, no activities will be planned for you, neither will you have a tour guide or driver.
  • It might be worthwhile purchasing travel insurance; the Travelex plans we recommend covers children under 16 for free with an adult coverage. Please see attached document for detail.
  • A Chinese visa is good for 3 months only. We can apply about 2 months before your departure. If you want our service, a regular visa-processing fee is $100, which include consulate application fee and express mail fee.
  • Lotus Travel offers a very affordable cell phone rental package to help you stay in touch with families while in China. Please contact us for detail.