Terms and Conditions

Reservation Form

Day 1 Oct 18 USA – Xian
Depart the USA for your international trans-Pacific flight to Xian.

Day 2 Oct 19 Cross the International Dateline

Day 3 Oct 20 Xian
Arrival in Xian and be greeted by a Cartan representative who will escort you to the hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this ancient capital.

Day 4 Oct 21 Xian (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Begin your journey at the starting point of the famous “Silk Road” with an excursion to the Terra-Cotta Warriors excavation pits. An intrepid farmer’s serendipitous uncovering in 1974 of the Terra-Cotta Warriors ranks as one of the century’s great archaeological discoveries. The Terra-Cotta Warriors were buried to protect China’s unifying emperor Qin Shi Huang as he journeyed to his afterlife. Heading back into town in the afternoon, drive by the ancient City Wall of the Ming Dynasty. Climb to the top of the Bell Tower, enjoying a panoramic view of the city. Your last stop will be the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the famous Buddhist Pagodas in China. This evening, enjoy a dance show of the Tang Dynasty Era.

Day 5 Oct 22 Xian – Dunhuang (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for a short flight to Dunhuang, a national and historic cultural city that was an outpost of China during the Silk Road trade period. Meet and greet by the local guide upon your arrival. Transfer to the hotel for check in. Take a leisurely stroll around your hotel, conveniently located in the city center. After dinner, enjoy the local Apsara show.

Day 6 Oct 23 Dunhuang (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Depart this ancient oasis town for the Mogao Caves, located 24km southeast of the city. The grottoes were first adorned with paintings and effigies of Buddha in the fourth century A.D., mysteriously sealed after the 11th century and not discovered until 1900. The grottoes is the world’s richest trove of Buddhist manuscripts, wall paintings, and statuaries, the best preserved Buddhist cave art in China. You will have the afternoon to take an optional camel ride around Singing Hill and Crescent Moon Lake or try some sand surfing. Explore the Night Market after dinner.

Day 7 Oct 24 Dunhuang – Urumqi (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Travel along the Yangguan Pass, a military outpost of China during the Silk Road Trade Period. Board a short flight for Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Transfer to the hotel for check in.

Day 8 Oct 25 Urumqi (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. You will first visit Heavenly Lake (Tianche) situated at an elevation of over 6,000 ft, surrounded by green pastures and pristine conifer forests. Snowy Alp-like peaks soar to great heights and enclose the lake. Enjoy a cruise on the lake, taking in the peaceful and majestic surroundings.

Day 9 Oct 26 Urumqi – Turpan (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Travel across the dry basin to the oasis town of Turpan located 154 meters below sea level, the second lowest place in the world after the Dead Sea in Jordan. Turpan is a very important cultural and historical town in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with a history of more than 2,000 years. Upon your arrival,visit the Karez Underground Irrigation System, one of the three man-made ancient projects of China. Next visit Sugongta (Emin Minaret), a minaret and mosque that commemorates the religious head of Turpan and the only single minaret mosque in the world.

Day 10 Oct 27 Turpan (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Travel to the southeast part of Turpan to visit the ancient city of Gaochang, originally built in the first century as a garrison town to control traffic during the Silk Road Trade Period. Being a well-irrigated city, Turpan is a premier wine-growing region. Sample some local wine at a vineyard, enjoying the tastes of different varieties of grapes. Next visit the Jiaohe Ruins, the world’s largest and bestprotected clay-built city. Jiaohe, “old city between two rivers,” used to be an ancient frontier army citadel from the Han Dynasty. Tonight’s dinner features an entire roasted lamb. Be entertained by a local song and dance show during your dinner.

Day 11 Oct 28Turpan – Urumqi (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Travel back to Urumqi, en route visiting the Xinjiang Regional Museum that exhibits Xinjiang’s ethnic culture and archaeological treasures from the Silk Road, including 3,000 year old mummies. Stroll through the streets of the Grand Bazaar where you can get a feel for local life.

Day 12 Oct 29 Urumqi – Chongqing – Yangtze River (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Depart for a short flight for Chongqing where you will board the deluxe Victoria Cruises to begin your Yangtze River adventure. Enjoy a brief city tour of this bustling industrial city before transferring to the docks. In the veil of the night, the ship sets sail down the mighty Yangtze.

Day 13 Oct 30 Yangtze River Cruise (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast on board your luxury cruise liner. The ships first excursion is at one of the three towns along the Yangtze, largely dependent upon the river conditions during your sailing. The ship will either dock at Shibaozhai, Fendgu or Wanzhou. At Shibaozhai, a visit is made to the 12 stories wooden pagoda, built completely without using a single nail. Fengdu contains over 700 temples and is well-known for its statues of ghosts and devils depicting the afterlife. Wanzhou is known as the “gateway to eastern Sichuan.”

Day 14 Oct 31 Yangtze River Cruise (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast on board. Today, the ship will enter the Three Gorges, one of nature’s most extraordinary sculptures. Qutang Gorge is the shortest and narrowest of the three but the most dramatic visually. Tonight, the ship will sail through the Three Gorges ship locks.

Day 15 Nov 01Yangtze River – Yichang – Shanghai (B/L/D)
Buffet breakfast on board. Your ship’s arrival into Yichang marks the end of your cruise. Visit the Three Gorges Dam Site, built to control the devastating flood waters of the Yangtze while generating hydroelectric power. Transfer to the airport for a short flight to Shanghai. Enjoy dinner at the hotel this evening.

Day 16 Nov 02 Shanghai (B/L)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. With a population of over 16 million, Shanghai stands as China’s largest city and its shining star of commerce. Your city tour includes visits to the beautiful Yu Garden, the famous Shanghai Museum, the waterfront called “the Bund,” and the bustling shopping district along Nanjing road. Attend a special performance of a Chinese Acrobatics show tonight.

Day 17 Nov 03 Shanghai – USA (B)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy the morning with some last minute souvenir shopping before you are escorted to the airport for your departure flight home.

Program subject to change.

Operated by mindbodytravel – CST# 2045087-40.