Our five nights at Guilin Ming Garden were great as well! It is certainly our favorite place in China. The apartment is remodeled, extremely clean and has a great view; having internet access is a nice touch and there is plenty of room for our entire family. After a long day of fun, it was relaxing to come home to delicious home cooked meals prepared by our nanny Mrs Huang.She made us feel right at home with her traditional Cantonese home cooked dinners: her normal dinner consist of soup, two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes; very much like the meals our Cantonese parents made for us when we were younger and the meals had brought back fond memories.
-Helen Lee
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China Homeland Heritage Tour

Small budget, great tour! Yes, these two can pair up! Even if your family has a limited budget when it comes to returning to your children's motherland, we can assist you with planning your once-in-a-lifetime tour. The Budget China Homeland Heritage Tour is for families with limited budgets and a deep insight into the importance of their children's cultural heritages.

Imagine the joy, fun and excitement your children will have when they are climbing the Great Wall in Beijing, exploring the breathtaking Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum and riding a bike on the ancient city wall of Xian. This tour provides the opportunity to reunite with the orphanage directors and caregivers, and hugging adorable baby pandas in Chengdu. Your budget trip can be very meaningful and worthwhile. (Orphanage visitation filing fees are indeed separated costs and are determined by specific visitation ordinances). The trips to your child's province on days 8-10 are customized according to your preferences and price is determined accordingly.

Tour Overview
Tour Code: BCHHT-04
Trip Duration: 16 days/15 nights
Tour Price/Accommodations
Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Guilin, Guangzhou
Departure Dates: 2010: Every Monday
Day 1 : US/Beijing
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
meals: N/A
Arrive at the Beijing International Airport. Your private English-speaking guide and driver will take you to your hotel. Soak in your child's birth country while you adjust to your new time zone and surroundings.
Day 3 : Beijing
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. 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.
Day 4 : Beijing
meals: B/L
Visit the UNESCO world heritage site today. Begin your day with a tour at the MuTianYu section of the Great Wall. Constructed more than 2,000 years ago by China's first emperor, the ancient wall is the world's longest man-made structure at approximately 4,000 miles in length.
Day 5 : Beijing/Xian
meals: B/L/D
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 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 how to make your own kites under professional instructions, 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.
Day 6 : Xian
meals: 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 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.
Day 7 : Xian
meals: B/L
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 (traditional 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.
Day 8 : Xian/Province
meals: B
Depart Xian and travel to the capital city of your designated province for an orphanage visit. A Lotus guide 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, stroll around the area and absorb the city and locale.
Day 9 : Province
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 10 : Province/Chengdu
meals: N/A
This morning, take some final glimpses around your child's province to capture your special memories. After breakfast, depart your province and travel to Chengdu.
Day 11 : Chengdu
meals: B/L
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.
Day 12 : Chengdu/Guilin
meals: B/L/D
Your local English-speaking tour guide and driver will meet you in the hotel lobby, bring you to the airport and arrange your flight to Guilin. Enjoy a delicious lunch upon your arrival and then tour the Reed Flute Caves. Enjoy the beautiful backdrops of the lighting displays inside the caves as you pass by the many fanciful shapes there; don't forget to look for the Monkey King!
Day 13 : Guilin
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 14 : Guilin/Guangzhou
meals: B/L/D
Today you can visit the Diecai Hill, which is one of the most popular attractions in Guilin and a place known for amazing scenery and stone carvings. This area is known as Folded Brocade Hill due to its rock formations, piled up layer upon layer on each other, as folded brocade. Also enjoy a visual feast of magnificent scenes such as Diecai Pavilion, Wind Cave and Cloud-Catching Pavilion, with stone inscriptions created by famous Chinese scribes. Visit Guilin Art Museum where you could learn the basic techniques of Chinese calligraphy and landscape painting; certainly a fun activity for both adults and children. You will also meet 4 -6 years old local children there who spend most their weekends there for art class. After dinner, get onboard an express train to Guangzhou.
Day 15 : Guangzhou
meals: L
When you arrive around 9 a.m., your local English-speaking tour guide and driver will pick you up at the Guangzhou train station and take you to the hotel. Today you will tour around Shamian Island: stopping at the medical clinic where adoption medical exams are conducted and visiting 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. Bring closure to the lifelong memories from the past two weeks this evening. Enjoy journaling, some last minute shopping or sightseeing before you embark on a return trip.
Day 16 : Guangzhou/US
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.


Tour Prices:
Valid: Jan 01, 2010- March 31, 2011
1 Person 2-5 Persons 6-9 Persons 10 Persons Hotel Single Supplement
Standard Class / $1699.00 Booking Tour $1450.00 Booking Tour / $260.00
Deluxe Class / $1999.00 Booking Tour $1799.00 Booking Tour / $570.00
Superior Class / $2350.00 Booking Tour $2099.00 Booking Tour / $880.00
Note: child price is 80% of adult price.

Accommodations:

Hotel Information:
Hotel Indoor Pool Outdoor Pool Gym Safe Box Refrigerator Hair Dryer Kitchen
Home Inn Beijing Tiantan            
Gloria Plaza Hotel   √     √   √   √   √
Nikko New Century hotel Beijing   √     √   √   √   √
Home Inn Rujia Tumen            
Grand New World Hotel Xi'an   √     √   √   √   √
Sheraton Xian Hotel   √     √   √   √   √
Home Inn Rujia Chengdu Zhengfu            
Tianfu Sunshine Hotel     √   √   √   √   √
Sheraton Chengdu Lido Hotel   √          
Home Inn Guilin Railway Station            
Ming Garden Apartment Suites         √   √   √ √
Ming Garden Apartment Suites         √   √   √ √
Home Inn Rujia ShangxiaJiu           √  
Guangdong Victory Hotel     √   √   √   √  
White Swan Hotel     √   √   √   √   √

Inclusions

  • Beijing/Xian and Guilin/Guangzhou soft sleeper train tickets
  • Airfare of Chengdu/Guilin
  • Airport/hotel/airport (or train station) transfer as listed on itinerary
  • Tour price includes hotel accommodations, sightseeing and meals as noted in the itinerary, intra-China airfare, private transfers and ground transportation, and the services of an English- speaking guide and 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

  • 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 Day 8-10 and the airfare of Xian - province city-Chengdu 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
  • International Airfare (Please contact our travel advisors for the consolidator rate of international air ticket).

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 Select Plan offered by the Travelex Insurance Company has excellent travel benefits and children 18 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/visas/china.shtml
  • Lotus Travel offers a very affordable cell phone rental package to help you stay in touch with families while in China. Please contact us at 1-800-956-8873 or email us at info@lotustours.net 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.
To review full listing of terms and conditions, refer to: http://www.lotustours.net/info/terms.shtml
Lotus Travel, Inc. 5990 158th Ave., SE, Bellevue, WA 98006 1-800-956-8873

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