16-Luoyang Peony Festival Tour

Day 1 Arrive in Beijing (no meals)

Meet your local guide at the Beijing Capital International Airport. Then you are picked up to the hotel where the guide will will recommend you some famous restaurants. Rest of the day is your free time.

Day 2 Beijing (B, L, D)

Today, you will have a full-day tour to visit the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City (Ancient Palace), and the Temple of Heaven. After completing the day sightseeing, you will enjoy the Beijing Roast Duck Dinner at the Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant.

Note: We arrange Bianyifang instead of Quanjude for the dinner place. The reason is that Bianyifang Restaurant is also very good. But the price is much lower than that of the Quanjude Restaurant.

Day 3 Beijing (B, L, D)

After breakfast, take your private car (about 40 minutes drive) to visit Mutian Yu Great Wall. Then lunch at a local restaurant, and drive straight to visit the Sacred Way and the Ming Tombs. After dinner, experience local culture at the Beijing Opera, including a behind-the-scenes look at the colorful make-up being applied to the performers.

Day 4 Beijing (B, L)

In the morning, enjoy a morning tour in the Summer Palace where you will have a boating. After lunch, proceed to visit the Bird's Nest and Water Cube. Remainder of the day is on your own arrangement.

Day 5 Beijing/Xian by flight (B, L)

This morning you will visit the Beijing lanes (Hutong) by rickshaw then take the afternoon flight to Xi'an. You are met at the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport by the Xi'an local guide with your name sign, and then be collected to the hotel. The rest of the day is on your own arrangement.

Day 6 Xian (B, L)

Have a full day tour to the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, Xi'an Beilin Museum, Shuyuanmen Market and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Remainder of the day is your own arrangement.

Day 7 Xian (B, L, D)

Go on a visit to the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, the Bell Tower, Muslim Quarters and the Ancient City Wall. In the Evening have a Dumpling Banquet for your dinner.

Day 8 Xian/Luoyang by train (B)

Transfer to Luoyang via a morning train with soft sleepers (about 5hrs). Be met at the Luoyang Train Station and picked up to the hotel. Remainder of the day is your own arrangement.

Day 9 Luoyang (B, L)

After breakfast, visit the White Horse Temple - Built in 68 AD, it is known as the first official Buddhism temple in Chinese history. After that, transfer to the Shenzhou Peony Garden, where you will enjoy various beautiful peonies and learn some facts about peony and understand why the Chinese people call it national flower. After lunch, visit the world-famous historical site - Longmen Caves (aka Longmen Grottos),which contains the largest and most impressive collection of Early Chinese Buddhist cave art represented by well-preserved pagodas, carvings and statues. 

Day 10 Luoyang (B, L)

In the morning, we will visit the Luoyang Museum and the Luoyang Old Street. After lunch, the time is for your free exploration of Luoyang City, you can enjoy the Peony Festival with the local people, participate in some festival activities or enjoy the beautiful peony flowers in some gardens or parks.

-Luoyang Museum

Numerous unearthed cultural relics are on display in this museum, such as elephant fossils of prehistoric times, painted potteries of the Neolithic Period, bronze sacrificial vessels of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, painted singing and dancing figures of the Sui Dynasty and tri-colored glazed potteries of the Tang Dynasty.

Day 11 Luoyang/Zhengzhou by car (B, L)

Visit the Chariot and Horse Pits. Then take a private car to Zhengzhou, on the way visit Shaolin Temple.

-Shaolin Temple

Built in 495AD, the temple is the cradle of Kung Fu (wushu) of China and the Chinese Zen Buddhism. There are many attractions here including the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tianwangdian), the Pagoda Forest, the Dharma Cave and the Shaolin Temple Martial Art Training Center etc. Check in your hotel in Zhengzhou. Free at leisure.

Day 12 Zhengzhou/Shanghai by train (B)

Transfer to Zhengzhou railway station and take a morning D train to Shanghai (first class seat, 6 hours and 50 minutes). Upon arrival at Shanghai Railway Station, be met and transferred to your hotel. Free at leisure.

Day 13 Shanghai (B, L, D)

Have a full day visit to Yu Garden, Yuyuan Market, and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the former French Concession Xintiandi. In the evening watch Acrobatics Show at a local theatre.

Day 14 Shanghai (B, L)

Today, you will be driven to the Zhujiajiao to experience the water town scenery. After that, drive back to Shanghai. Visit the Nanjing Road and the Bund. The evening is for your own free exploration.

Day 15 Shanghai/Suzhou/Shanghai (B, L)

Drive 1.5 hours to Suzhou to visit the Humble Administrator's Garden - the largest private garden in Suzhou and one of the four most famous classical gardens in China. Then drive to visit Lingering Garden - the best garden in Suzhou as well as being one of the four most famous gardens in China. Proceed to see the Master of the Nets Garden -the smallest of the Suzhou residential gardens, yet it is the most impressive one. Visit Grand Canal -part of 1700-kilometer-long China Grand Canal starts from Beijing and ends in Hangzhou. Stop at Silk Factory (where you may interested in building a quilt) before we drive back to your Shanghai hotel.

Day 16 Shanghai / Departure (B)

Be free until your local guide escorts you to the Shanghai Pudong International Airport for your homebound flight.

Services End

Beijing
★★★★Bamboo Garden Hotel/★★★Harmony Hotel

Xian
★★★★Grand New World Hotel/★★★Melody Hotel

Luoyang
★★★★Peony Plaza Hotel /★★★New friendship Hotel

Zhengzhou
★★★★The Red Coral Hotel /★★★Longmen Hotel

Shanghai
★★★★Anting Villa Hotel/★★★ Piao Ying Hotel

·Hotel Accomodation-the hotel accommodation is based on two persons sharing one twin room with private facilities.
·All transportation, transfers and tours with private guide and car or van in each destination.
·All the admission tickets, English speaking guide service.
·Daily breakfast at the hotel, Chinese lunch and dinner with one cup of soft drink are offered outside the hotel or as specified in the itinerary.
·The government tax.
·Travel Agencies' Liability Insurance with the tour inside China. (Include China Life Tourist Accident Insurance/Casualty Insurance. We highly recommend that you purchase full coverage travel insurance from you country of origin.)

·Charge of obtaining your visa to enter China.
·In/out flight, domestic airport fee and departure tax is not included. (We can help you book the cheap tickets!)
·Gratitude to guide and driver is not included.
·Expenses of a personal nature such as laundry, drinks, telex, optional activities or sightseeing, telephone calls or overweight baggage charges or meals not indicated etc.
·The airport construction tax.

·The hotel, guide and transfer are all based on double occupancy. If the visitor travels alone, he or she must pay for the other person. This additional charge is called single supplement.

· If the traveler number is odd (such as 3, 5, 7...), the odd number person who stays in one single room has to pay the single room supplement. Since the hotel is on the double occupancy.