Day 1: Journey to China

Board your overnight flight and arrive in Beijing on the following day.

Day 2

Your Joshua Expeditions tour guide will meet you at the airport then travel with you to the hotel. You will have a chance to freshen up and enjoy dinner before an orientation and discussion time.

Day 3

Today, your introduction to China’s capital begins with a tour to awesome Tian'anmen Square and Ming Dynasty extravagance at the Forbidden City’s Imperial Palace, including admission to the living quarters, museum and jewelry sections. After lunch you will visit the pandas at the zoo and see the Summer Palace where you will enjoy a boat ride on Lake Kunming (weather permitting). Group discussion will follow dinner in the evening.

Day 4

This morning the group will visit the stupendous Great Wall at Badaling and walk along its ancient ramparts. Later, you will stroll along the Sacred Way, guarded by stone statues of warriors and mythical beasts, on the way to the Ming Tombs. The group will later visit the Chang Ling Exhibition Hall, then enjoy a traditional Peking duck dinner in the evening. A time of discussion will round out the day.

Day 5

After breakfast, the group will visit the Temple of Heaven before transferring to the airport for a flight to Xi'an. Here, you will enjoy a city tour that includes the Bell Tower, Wild Goose Pagoda, and the City Wall. The day will close with dinner and group discussion.

Day 6

Today you will experience a full day excursion to the First Qin Emperor’s Tomb and its famed legion of Terracotta warriors, as well as Circle Vision movie, and Bronze Chariot and Horses. You will enjoy a noodle making demonstration during lunch, then spend the afternoon visiting the celebrated Xi'an History Museum. In the evening the group will see a local Xi'an folk show, then close the day with dinner and group discussion.

Day 7

Following breakfast the group will fly to Shanghai, China’s center of commerce. Once there, you will tour emporium-lined Nanjing Road or Huai Hai Road and then see the colonial era Bund. Dinner in the evening will be followed by a time of discussion.

Day 8

Today’s sightseeing will show you the glories of ancient China at the Shanghai Museum and the Jade Buddha Temple. In the evening you will enjoy an acrobatic show at the Portman Theater before rounding out the day with dinner and group discussion.

Day 9: Journey home or Extend your trip to Hong Kong

Following breakfast the group will transfer to the airport for the flight home, crossing the International Date Line to arrive on the same day, or your group may choose to extend the trip with a visit to Hong Kong.

HONG KONG EXTENSION
Days 9-12
During the next three days the group will tour this unique and beautiful island and make stops at places like Stanley Market, where you can stroll through this seaside village bazaar, and the Aberdeen Fishing Village, home of “Boat People” whose lifestyle has not changed much since their earliest days. (An optional Sampan ride is available at your own expense.) En route you will be able to view the most popular beach in town – the Repulse Bay Beach. You will also visit an exquisite jewelry factory where the world’s famous jewelry-setting art is carried out, and you will complete your tour with a panoramic ride that brings you up to Victoria Peak where the harbor and the city sprawl in front of you. (Another option is a visit to Lantau Island, the largest island in Hong Kong. Extra fees will apply.)

At the end of the tour, the group will transfer to the airport for the flight home.