Day 1:  Depart from home for your flight to Beijing. Lose one day crossing the international dateline.

Day 3:   Beijing (L,D)
Arrive in Beijing.  Transfer to the four-star Holiday Inn Downtown Hotel.

Day 4:   Beijing vicinity (AB,L,SD)
The highlight of this day is a visit to the Great Wall, symbol of the Chinese civilization and one of the man-made wonders of the world.  Then we will go to the famous Ming Tombs.  Return to Beijing for a special dinner of Beijing (Peking) Duck.

Day 5:   Beijing (AB,L, D)
Today we will visit the Forbidden City, home to China's Emperors for over 500 years.  Then we will proceed to the Summer Palace of Empress Dowager Ci Xi.

Day 6:  Beijing/Xi'an (AB,L,D)
Our day begins with a visit to the Temple of Heaven, which is at the exact geographical center of the world and the universe.  Then we transfer to the airport for a flight to Xi'an.  Check into the four-star Garden Hotel.  Walk atop the city wall, the only totally intact city wall left in China.

Day 7:  Xi'an (AB.L,SD)
A full day tour recalls the glories of ancient Xi'an as we visit the burial site of an incredible army of 8,000 lifelike terra-cotta soldiers, the ancient Banpo Neolithic Village, and the majestic Big Wild Goose Pagoda.  For evening delight and entertainment we will have the 20-course dumpling dinner and the Tang Dynasty Show.

Day 8:  Xi'an/Guilin (AB,L,D)
Fly to the mystical city of Guilin in the morning.  With its thousands of limestone outcroppings, Guilin has inspired generations of silk scroll painters.  Check into the four-star Guishan Hotel.  The city features the Reed Flute Caves where spectacular stalactities and stalagmites and the mirror lake dazzle visitors.

Day 9:  Guilin (AB,L,D)
Spend the day aboard a scenic Li River Cruise through the mist-shrouded limestone mountains, passing picturesque farms and fishing villages.

Day 10:  Guilin/Shanghai (AB,L,D)
Fly to Shanghai, China's financial and commercial center.  You will meet your guide and transfer to the four-star Ocean Hotel.  In the afternoon, visit the fabulous Shanghai Museum.

Day 11:  Shanghai (AB,L,D)
Today's tour encompasses the city's major attractions including the Yu Garden in the Old City, the Bund, the Jade Buddha Temple, and the Nanjing Road shopping district said to be the location with the highest population density in the world.

Day 12:  Shanghai (AB)
Transfer to the airport in the afternoon for the return flight to San Francisco and home.