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The Magic of Beijing

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If your time is limited, let us show you the essence of the unique culture of China--with one week in Beijing. Beijing is the cultural, social, and political nerve center of the country, since the days of Kublai Khan. Our one-week exploration of Beijing is designed to immerse you in the epicenter of China.

Trip Highlights
Our week in Beijing will encompass all the World Heritage sites of Beijing. But in addition, we'll take in some activities most tourists don't.

  • The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Lama Temple, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
  • Walking the Great Wall.
  • Visiting the hutongs, the fast-disappearing old neighborhoods of Beijing.
  • Planned dinners that will let you experience the major cuisines from all sections of the country.
  • Shopping excursions from the modern downtown area and tourist markets, to the wholesale markets where only the locals go.
  • Visiting a typical Chinese neighborhood far away from the foreigners' section of Beijing, complete with a visit to to family's home.
  • Visiting an English Corner, and having a chance to meet and talk with the locals.
  • Choosing from many optional entertainment venues; from the Peking Opera to the world-famous Chinese acrobats

Transportation
Public and private bus, taxi, and subway (For those who need an adrenaline fix, we can rent bicycles)

Accommodation
You'll stay in a beautiful Chinese boutique hotel. It is only minutes from downtown

Meals
Most meals are included on this trip as indicated on itinerary. However, please allow $30-$50 per person for any meals outside the itinerary.

Optional Costs
All entrance fees for those locations included under the "Trip Highlights" section are included in the tour price. Please allow $40-$70 per person for optional evening activities.

Activities
Walking and light hiking (along the Great Wall)


Daily Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive and transfer to hotel. That evening we will go over the week's itinerary and get you started learning a few phrases in Mandarin (by a native speaker of course).

Day 2 Visit The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Temple of Heaven. In the afternoon, we will show you around a hutong and give you a glimpse of the life in an old neighborhood of Beijing. That night, we dine at a local Beijing noodle restaurant. It is noisy and crowded--just the way the locals like it. (Meals: B, D)

Day 3 Today, we will go to explore the Great Wall. That night, we dine at a restaurant featuring some of the best Guizhou cuisine in the city. Guizhou is a small province in the south. It is fast becoming the "in" menu of Beijing.(Meals: B, L, D)

Day 4 Today is shop-till-you-drop day. We always start off with a lesson in how to bargain in a Chinese market. Tell us what you want and we'll take you to the best spots. But not before we show you the final resting place of Mao Zedong. That evening, it's Mongolian Hot Pot. If you've never had it (or even heard of it), you're in for a treat. (Meals: B, D)

Day 5 In the morning, we head out to the Summer Palace, just like the emperors of old. In the afternoon, we visit the Lama Temple, the most beautiful Tibetan temple outside of Lhasa. Later, we dine at very popular restaurant (well off the beaten path) that features "family style" cooking from the north of China. (Meals: B, D)

Day 6 Today is your day. By now, you'll have a very good feel for the city. We'll give you several different options and our tour leader will be there to assist. That evening, dinner is what many folks consider their favorite Chinese cuisine: Sichuan. It is the hot (sometimes very hot) food from the southwest. Don't worry; the cooks know how to tame it down for foreigners. (Meals: B, D)

Day 7 In the morning, we'll visit a typical Chinese neighborhood. Your tour leader will show and describe how the neighborhood operates. We'll sneak a peek inside the home of a Chinese family before we have lunch at a small neighborhood cafe. The afternoon is free. Dinner that night will be the one Beijing is most famous for--Peking Duck. (Meals: B, L, D)

Day 8 Today concludes our trip. But not until we explore one of the most unique and lesser-known of the Beijing markets--the Dirt Market. Only held on Saturdays and Sundays, it is your best chance of snagging a true Chinese antique. After transfer back to the hotel, our trip ends. (Meals: B)

(rev 6/2009)