DAY1 Arrival in Beijing (L/D)

Arrive in Beijing Capital International Airport from Hometown: Tour guide will meet you at the Baggage Claim Area and transfer to hotel. We will proceed to visit the Temple of Heaven if your flight arrives early. The Temple of Heaven is a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of one of the world's great civilizations.

Hotel: Sariz International Hotel, Beijing or similar.

DAY2 Beijing (B/L/D)

Today we are going to have a full day sightseeing. We will visit the Chang Tomb, one of the Ming Tombs (Consisting of mausoleums of 13 Ming emperors, is one of the largest imperial necropolises in China), Sacred Road and Great Wall at Badaling which is the symbol of China and Climbing the Great Wall you can pass visitors from all over the world, and hear conversations in almost every language.

Hotel: Sariz International Hotel, Beijing or similar.

DAY3 Beijing (B/L/D)

Full day sightseeing to the Tiananmen Square and explore the Palace Museum (known as Forbidden City) in the morning. After lunch, visit the Imperial Summer Palace, the imperial palace for the Ming and Qing with a history of around 600 years. Peking Duck dinner at local restaurant, then take the late evening train to Qufu. Overnight on train.

DAY4 Qufu (B/L/D)

Arrive and visit the Confucius Temple, Tomb and residence. The Temple of Confucius is the most representative Confucian classical architecture. The total area of 200,000 sq km, for its long history and best preservation, it is known as "the First Temple under Heaven". Confucius Tomb: The Forest of Confucius is the biggest, longest and best preserved Family Cemetery in the world. The total area of 2,000,000 sq km, known as "the First Forest under Heaven". Confucius Residence: In oriental architectural style, the Mansion of Confucius is the best preserved noble mansion with long history. The total area of 160,000 sq km, it is known as "the First Family under Heaven".

Hotel: Que Li Hotel, Qufu or similar.

DAY5 Qufu - Jinan (B/L/D)

Transfer to Jinan, today we will visit Daming Lake and Provincial Museum. Daming Lake is one of the most famous scenery in Jinan. What's more, it's a natural lake which is formed by many springs around its area in the city. The lake is very beautiful in all the seasons, especially in autumn. Provincial Museum was built in August 1957. It is the first comprehensive topology provincial museum in New China whose collections are very rich. It is the centre of the art works and natural samples. The heritages are the main collection of the museum.

Hotel: Shungeng Hillview Hotel, Jinan or similar.

DAY6 Jinan - Zhengzhou (B/L/D)

After breakfast, we will fly to Zhengzhou, and tour to Yellow River.

Hotel: Feng Leyuan Hotel, Zhengzhou or similar.

DAY7 Zhengzhou - Shaolin - Luoyang (B/L/D)

Today we will visit Shaolin Temple. Shaolin Temple is located in Dengfeng County, Henan Province, is known in and outside of China for Shaolin wushu (martial arts). The temple was built in 495, the 19th year of the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Shortly after, according to tradition, Bodhidharma, an Indian monk credited with the founding of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, came to live here, after visiting the emperor in Nanjing, then crossing the Yangtze River on a reed. At Shaolin he sat motionless for nine years facing a wall in a state of illumination. He was the first to practice what is now known as Shaolin martial arts. His limbs had become stiff from the long periods of sitting still and facing the cave wall, and he felt great discomfort. He also noticed that the monks were falling asleep during meditation and that their health was deteriorating, so he invented an exercise of eighteen movements, now known as the Eighteen Routines of Shaolin Martial Arts, imitating the pounce of the tiger, the climb of the monkey, and the jump of the leopard. After the visit, transfer to Luoyang.

Hotel: Luoyang Grand Hotel, Luoyang or similar.

DAY8 Luoyang (B/L/D)

Today we are going to visit the Longmen Grottoes (Dragon Gate Grottoes), a world heritage site named in 2000, the Grotto was judged by 3 criteria: The sculptures of the Longmen Grottoes are an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity. The Longmen Grottoes illustrate the perfection of a long-established art form, which was to play a highly significant role in the cultural evolution of this region of Asia. The high cultural level and sophisticated society of Tang Dynasty China is encapsulated in the exceptional stone carvings of the Longmen Grottoes. The grottoes and niches of Longmen contain the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties (316- 907). These works, entirely devoted to the Buddhist religion, represent the high point of Chinese stone carving.

Hotel: Luoyang Grand Hotel, Luoyang or similar.

DAY9 Luoyang - Xi'an (B/L/D)

Today we are going to the train station and take train to Xian.

Hotel: Xi'an Hotel, Xi'an or similar.

DAY10 Xi'an (B/L/D)

Today, our tour program will include an unforgettable visit to the astonishing underground ruins. Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century, the army of terra-cotta warriors and the bronze chariots entombed in vast underground vaults at emperor Qin's tomb. Then we will visit the Big wild Goose Pagoda. It is one of the city's most distinctive and outstanding landmarks, possibly the most beautiful building left in Xi'an today. In AD 652, the Big Goose Pagoda was built to store the sutras and the figurines of Buddha, which were brought from India by a famous Buddhist translator and traveler Tang Sanzang, also known by his Buddhist name as Xuanzang. You will enjoy Chinese lunch at local restaurant and banquet with show at Tang Dynasty Theater today.

Hotel: Xi'an Hotel, Xi'an or similar.

DAY11 Xi'an - Beijing (B/L/D)

Today we will visit the City Wall and Mosque. Xi'an City Wall was constructed in the early Ming Dynasty on the basis of the Imperial City of Chang An (Everlasting Peace) of the Tang Dynasty. The Great Mosque is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China. Then transfer to the airport and flight to Beijing.

Hotel: Sariz International Hotel, Beijing or similar.

DAY12 Beijing (B)

After breakfast, transfer to airport for your homeward flight or to your next destination.

*** Itinerary varies slightly depending on day of departure.