Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River (2012)

Beijing • Xian • Chengdu • Lhasa, Tibet • Yangtze River • Wuhan • Hong Kong
  • 21 days
  • from only:
  • $2745
  • $131 per day
    Small Ship Adventure Only
  • 22 days
  • from only:
  • $4145
  • $189 per dayIncludes international airfare and government taxes
IN THIS SECTION:
Detailed Itinerary
Is this Adventure Right for You?
It's Included
Unique Accommodations
Extend Your Adventure
Mongolia, the Gobi Desert & Kharkhorin
Shanghai: China's Historic Gateway to the West
Heart of Cambodia: Angkor Wat & Siem Reap
Optional Tours
Local Team & Insider Tips
Grand Circle Foundation
Your Travel Handbook
Air information
LearnMore
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Customize your trip

Learn how to customize your adventure, or view standard air routing and travel times. The choice is yours with our True Choice program.

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Customize your trip

With our True Choice Program, you can choose to stay longer before or after your trip on your own, or combine two adventures to maximize your value. Here are more ways to create the OAT adventure that’s right for you:

  • Choose our standard air routing, or work with us to select the airline and routing you prefer
  • Make your own international flight arrangements directly with the airline, applying frequent flyer miles if available
  • Stay overnight in a connecting city before or after your trip
  • Request to arrive a few days early to get a fresh start on your adventure
  • Choose to “break away” before or after your trip, spending additional days or weeks on your own
  • Extend your adventure with our optional pre- and post-trip extensions
  • Combine your choice of OAT adventures to maximize your value
  • Upgrade to business or premium economy class

The air options listed above will involve an additional fee of $100 per person for confirmed requests (as well as incremental airfare costs based on your specific choice). This service fee will be waived for Inner Circle/Sir Edmund Hillary Club members.

Or, when you make your reservation, you can choose our standard air routing, for which approximate travel times are shown below.

GATEWAY

TRAVEL TIME*

Atlanta, Dallas, Newark, Portland, OR

18hrs

Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco

19hrs

Denver, Orlando

20hrs

Houston, Washington, DC (Dulles)

21hrs

New York (JFK), Phoenix

22hrs

Los Angeles

17hrs

Seattle

12hrs

* Estimated total time, including connection and layover. Actual travel time may vary.

The information above reflects approximate flight times from the gateway cities listed to Beijing, China. Routing is based on availability and subject to change. You will receive your final air itinerary approximately 14 days prior to departure.

REFER and EARN

Earn increasing rewards as a Vacation Ambassador

REFER and EARN as a Vacation Ambassador with
the BEST referral program in the industry

Inspiring new travelers to join the OAT family is a rewarding experience—both for you and your new travelers.

Share your love of travel with others and, for each referral who embarks on an OAT trip, you will earn $100 in CASH or credit. With your 4th referral departing on a 2012 departure, your reward increases to $200 in CASH or credit per person. And once you refer 8 travelers departing in either 2012 or 2013, you'll earn a FREE trip valued up to $4,500 per household—which will bring the total value of your earned rewards up to $5,600.

And you are also passing along savings to your new traveler: We'll instantly deduct $100 off the cost of their reservation when they mention your name and Customer Number while reserving.

To learn more about the benefits of our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program, please call us toll-free at 1-800-955-1925 or click here.

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Pre-Trip: Shanghai: China's Historic Gateway to the West

4 nights from only $795

Shanghai retains—along with its colonial architecture—a determinedly cosmopolitan and contemporary point of view. That this culturally progressive city embraces the future while celebrating its past is apparent as you gaze up at the towering skyscrapers of the Bund while watching locals practice the ancient art of tai chi.

We’ll break down cultural boundaries while dining with a local Shanghai family during an intimate Home-Hosted Lunch. You’ll also tour Old and New Shanghai, cruise along the maze of canals lining an ancient river town, and explore the ancient treasures of the Shanghai Museum. Discover another side of China on this fascinating pre-trip extension.

Single Supplement: FREE.

Please note: This extension only available on select departures. Ask your Adventure Specialist for details.

It's Included

  • Airfare from Shanghai to Beijing
  • Accommodations for 4 nights in Shanghai
  • 8 meals—4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 1 dinner (including 1 Home-Hosted Lunch)
  • 6 small group activities
  • Services of an expert Trip Leader who speaks English and the native language
  • All transfers

Optional Tours

Suzhou ($90 per person), Shanghai by Night ($70 per person)

Day 1
Depart U.S.

You depart the U.S. on an overnight flight to Shanghai.
Day 2
Arrive in Shanghai, China

An OAT representative will meet you at the airport and assist with your transfer to your hotel.

Day 3
Visit the Bund/Visit Shanghai Museum

After breakfast at our hotel this morning, we set out for a sightseeing visit to the Bund. The Bund is perhaps the most recognizable area of Shanghai; its art deco buildings hug the Huangpu River and stand as a tribute to the city’s wealthy past. But developers are breathing life into this remarkable area and restoring it to its former glory. As you stroll the waterfront boulevard, notice how the European influence on Shanghai is apparent everywhere—from the historic Bank of China to the clock tower of the British Customs House.

Later this morning, we discover the treasures and trades of the Shanghai Museum. The Shanghai Museum is a must-see for visitors. Built in 1994, it reflects a new approach to viewing ancient artifacts. The galleries are vast and airy and the exterior of the museum is just as impressive as the collections housed within. As you pass through the Bronze Gallery to the sculpture collections and on to the Chinese Calligraphy exhibit, the museum also guides you through the pages of China’s history. Other displays include ornate furniture from the Ming and Qing dynasties, rare coins, exquisite Chinese paintings, and beautifully sculpted ceramics.After we tour the garden, we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then have time for independent exploration in the afternoon.

This evening we gather for a Chinese dinner near our hotel.
Day 4
Visit Zhu Jia Jiao village/Optional Shanghai by Night tour

Today after breakfast, we travel to Zhu Jia Jiao village. Located southwest of downtown Shanghai, Zhu Jia Jiao is a historic town known for producing the best rice in southeast China. Here we’ll visit Ke Zhi Garden, the former private garden of Mr. Ma, a salt merchant during the Ming Dynasty. We then enjoy a boat ride and a visit to the Rice Culture Exhibition Hall. Next, it’s on to the Setting-Free Bridge, a 400-year old arched stone bridge that is the earliest and longest in southeast China. Then we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, followed by some free time to browse the ancient streets and traditional shops before we return to our hotel.

You may choose to spend the remainder of your day resting or exploring Shanghai, with dinner on your own. Or join us for an optional Shanghai by Night tour. This tour includes a one-hour cruise on the Huangpu River, taking in beautiful scenery on both sides. We board the boat on the left bank and disembark on the right side to explore the New Shanghai-Pudong area. We then drive back through thriving Shanghai at night, taking in the glittering lights of the city. This tour includes dinner.
Day 5
Optional Suzhou tour/At leisure

After a leisurely breakfast at our hotel, the day is free for relaxation or independent exploration.

Or, if you wish, you can join our optional tour to Suzhou, which we reach with a 40-minute train ride. This 2,500-year-old city is known for its traditional Chinese handcrafts, in forms from woodblock prints to silk embroidery, and for its exquisite gardens. When we arrive, we enjoy a short cruise by the city’s Water Gate, which links this city of waterways to China’s Grand Canal. We then visit a local silk factory where we see how this classically Chinese fabric is woven. We enjoy a buffet lunch at a Suzhou restaurant before continuing to Dinghui Temple, said to be built at the end of the Han Dynasty around AD 220. Next, we visit the Ou Garden, a beautifully landscaped enclave begun in the sixth century. We return by train to Shanghai before dinnertime.

Tonight you are free to enjoy your last night in Shanghai as you choose.
Day 6
Explore Yu Gardens/Enjoy Home-Hosted Lunch/Fly to Beijing

After breakfast, we'll explore the Yuyuan (or “Yu”) Gardens. Along with the Bund, this area, located at the northeastern side of the Old City, is as justifiably famous for its serenity as the rest of the city is for its feverish pace. Founded by the Pan family in 1557, the Yu Gardens took 18 years to create. They consist of three main sections: traditional Chinese teahouses, sparkling goldfish ponds, and beautifully manicured pavilions.

Later in the morning, we delve even deeper into Shanghai’s culture when we travel into a residential area of Shanghai to enjoy a Home-Hosted Lunch. This is a unique opportunity to spend time with a local family and absorb the subtleties of Chinese life. There may be a language barrier, but you’ll be surprised at how much you can actually communicate without using words.

This afternoon we depart for the Shanghai airport and our flight to Beijing, where we join our fellow travelers on Day 2 of our Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River adventure.