China Discovery
For SINGLE TRAVELLERS 45 years and over
Saturday 2 October - Tuesday 19 October 2010 (18 days)
Itinerary
Depart Australia ~ Beijing ~ Xi'an ~ Wuhan ~ Yichang ~ Yangtze River Cruise ~ Chongqing ~ Guilin ~ Yangshuo (Li River Cruise) ~ Guilin ~ Shanghai ~ Return Australia
Highlights
- Discover some of the highlights of eastern China from Beijing to Shanghai.
- Visit one of the most precious historical & cultural heritage sites in the world, the Great Wall.
- Imagine the presence of a million people marching at Tiananmen Square in the very heart of Beijing.
- Enter the Forbidden City, home to the Ming and Qing emperors, but off limits to everyone else for 500 years.
- Delight in the presence of the ancient army of Terracotta Warriors, the major archaeological discovery of the 20th Century.
- Take in the magnificent gorges while cruising the mighty Yangtze River.
- Relax at Guilin on the banks of the Li River, surrounded by limestone peaks.
- Catch the city views from The Bund, Shanghai's answer to "Wall Street".
SMALL GROUP TOURING
ASIAQUEST TOURS specialises in small group travel. The maximum group size you could expect is 18 people. All tours are fully escorted by a knowledgeable and helpful National tour escort.
GETTING AROUND
When groups travel by road, modern, air-conditioned coaches are used that are perfect for small group travel. If there are 12 passengers, it is an 18-seater coach. If there are more then 15 passengers, it is a 30-35 seater coach to ensure that everyone has enough leg room and that there are plenty of window seats to choose from.
FELLOW PASSENGERS
There is the comfort of knowing you'll be sharing the tour with other like-minded singles as within this tour departure we have a special group booking for single travellers with 15 places reserved for A Rendezvous travellers. Plus, when you book with our special group we go the extra mile and offer a pre-departure contact service to our group of guests.
PRE-DEPARTURE CONTACT SERVICE
As a friendly gesture to everyone in our group, we offer a pre-departure contact service. With your permission, we share your first name, state and email (or other preferred contact method) to the rest of our guests prior to departure. It's a popular choice with many travellers especially as the majority of our guests are solo travellers. This service provides you with the opportunity to get in touch with others prior to departure and especially from your city of departure in Australia. This list is provided after bookings close, about six weeks prior to departure.
For people travelling alone, you can be matched with someone of the same gender on the tour, so you don't have to pay the single room supplement. If AsiaQuest Tours is unable to find a room mate of the same gender, they will pay the single supplement charge for hotel rooms. However, a single supplement is payable at your own expense on the four night Yangtze River Cruise.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For the answers. Download the FAQ information page
Download the China Weather Chart
IMPORTANT:
This is just to remind you that ASIAQUEST TOURS runs small group tours which, apart from giving you excellent value for money, will bring you into contact with different cultures and religions. You are embarking on a tour in an ancient and developing country. The regions you will journey through may not be able to offer the same standards of technology, support services and predictability to which you may be accustomed. While they make every effort to operate according to the planned itinerary, this is not always possible for reasons outside the tour operator's control. All hotels chosen for your itinerary are comfortable 3-4 star hotels with private facilities. They are not 5-star hotels with swimming pools or spas. The coaches are air-conditioned and if you have a train journey in your itinerary, it is booked in first class soft sleepers.
Day 3-4: Beijing
Day 1-2: Australia/Singapore/Beijing
Fly with Singapore Airlines and overnight in Singapore. Then travel to Beijing for the start of your China Discovery tour. On arrival to Beijing you will be welcomed by your Chinese National Escort and transferred to your hotel for 3 nights.
Today we tour the city of Beijing including Tiananmen Square and the Chairman Mao's Mausoleum. After lunch it's on to the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. Dinner tonight is Beijing (Peking) Duck. Overnight at hotel.
Next day, we visit some Chinese national symbols, the Great Wall & the Summer Palace. After dinner we enjoy a Chinese acrobatic show. Overnight at hotel.
Day 5-6: Beijing/Xi'an
Morning at leisure. After lunch transfer to the airport to board flight to Xi'an. 
On arrival transfer to hotel for 2 nights. Afternoon visit to the Shaanxi Museum. Your dinner tonight is "Jiaozi", the specialty meat and vegetable dumplings of Xi'an.
The following day we visit the World Heritage-listed Terracotta Warriors. After lunch we tour the ancient city wall and visit the Great Mosque. After dinner we enjoy Tang Dynasty dancing. Overnight at hotel.
Day 7: Xi'an/Wuhan/Yichang
Morning at leisure. After lunch transfer to airport to board flight to Wuhan. On arrival transfer to Yichang to board Yangtze River Cruise for 4 nights.
Day 8-10: Yangtze River Cruise
Over the next three days cruise the mighty Yangtze River. Relax & enjoy the breathtaking scenery, crossing through the Three Gorges: Qutang, Xiling and Wu. You will have the opportunity to visit small villages along the way.
Day 11: Chongqing/Guilin
Disembark cruise at Chongqing. Visit the Chongqing Zoo to see its resident Giant Pandas. We then transfer to the airport to board flight to Guilin, most famous for its scenery and greenery. Overnight at hotel.
Day 12: Guilin/Yangshuo (Li River Cruise)
This morning we board our boat for a Li River cruise to Yangshuo, enjoying lunch on board. On arrival at Yangshuo, transfer to hotel. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight at hotel for 1 night.
Day 13: Yangshuo/Guilin
Morning at leisure. After lunch we transfer back to Guilin for an afternoon visit to Reed Flute Cave. Overnight at hotel.
Day 14: Guilin/Shanghai
Morning departure transfer to the airport to board flight to Shanghai. Shanghai is China's leading industrial, commercial & financial centre, also known as the "Paris of The East". With a population of 20 million and covering an area of 6340 km2, it has many tourist attractions. On arrival we visit the Shanghai Museum and People's Square. Overnight at hotel for 3 nights.
Day 15-16: Shanghai
This morning we visit the Xintiandi area of Shanghai. After lunch it's on to the Jade Buddha Temple. Overnight at hotel. The next day we tour the city of Shanghai including Old Shanghai and Yu Gardens Bazaar. After lunch we visit the Bund. Tonight after dinner we enjoy an evening cruise on Huangpu River. Overnight at hotel.
Day 17-18: Shanghai/Australia
Morning at leisure. Departure transfer to board flight back to Australia, via Singapore. Arrive home the following day filled with happy memories some of the best attractions that China has to offer.
* A Rendezvous for Singles has 15 places on this departure for their clients.
A Rendezvous for Singles © 2010