Best of China

Uncovering China’s greatest cultural treasures

The ancient treasures of China’s 10,000 years of civilization await you on this fascinating cruisetour. You’ll begin with two wonderful days in Beijing, where you’ll visit the city’s most famous attractions including the monumental Great Wall and the imperial gardens of the Summer Palace, and take a rickshaw ride through the ancient hutong alleyways. After that you’ll head to Xian, where you’ll see one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century – the 8,000 2nd century B.C. Terra Cotta Warriors of China’s first emperor. Several traditional dinners and performances bring China’s culture into focus.

Day 1 Beijing
Arrive in wonderful Beijing and get settled in your hotel. Overnight Beijing Marriott City Wall Hotel.

Day 2 Beijing
Today’s tour begins at the Great Wall, one of the undisputed ancient wonders of the world, stretching over 4,000 miles. Your tour also includes a visit to the Summer Palace, which features the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China. A dinner of famous Peking duck at a local restaurant is on the menu tonight. Overnight Beijing Marriott City Wall Hotel (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 3 Beijing/Xian
Today’s adventure begins with a tour of the Temple of Heaven, China’s largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings. After a local lunch, you’ll enjoy a rickshaw tour of the city’s ancient hutongs (alleyways) and see local families in their traditional courtyard homes. Later, fly to Xian for an evening at leisure. Overnight Xian Golden Flower Shangri-La (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 4 Xian
Discover one of the 20th century’s greatest archaeological finds on a tour of the Museum of Qin, where over 8,000 Terra Cotta Warriors and horses await you. The tour continues after lunch to the Forest of Stone Steles and the City Wall. We’ve got something special planned for this evening – dinner and a folkloric show at the Tang Palace Theatre Restaurant. Overnight Xian Golden Flower Shangri-La (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 5 Xian/Beijing
After breakfast, you’ll be escorted to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a well-preserved ancient place that is revered among practitioners of Buddhism. After lunch, you’ll fly back to Beijing where you’ll check into your hotel and look forward to a lavish banquet dinner. Overnight Beijing Marriott City Wall Hotel (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 6 Beijing/Xingang/Embark Ship
There’s more sightseeing in store this morning as you proceed to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Site of the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties, it’s one of the world’s largest palace complexes with a 6-meter-deep moat, 10-meter-high wall and 960 buildings. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before transferring to Xingang to board your ship and set sail on a thoroughly delightful cruise.

Day 6 – 22/25/29/30 Cruise
You can combine this Land Tour with our Cruises “Southeast Asia & China”, “Australia & China” and “Alaska & Far East” aboard Diamond Princess. The following combinations are available:

Cruisetour 1F – 21 nights
Beijing to Bangkok
Land tour after cruise
Cruise “Southeast Asia & China” (17 days)
Departures 2012: Oct 4 | Nov 5
Departures 2013: Mar 27

Cruisetour 1G – 21 nights
Beijing to Whittier
Land tour before cruise
Cruise “Alaska & Far East” (17 days)
Departure 2013: Apr 28

Cruisetour 1H – 21 nights
Whittier to Beijing
Cruise before land tour
Cruise “Alaska & Far Eas”t (17 days)
Departure 2012: Sep 22

Cruisetour 1I – 21 nights
Bangkok to Beijing
Cruise before land tour
Cruise “Southeast Asia & China” (17 days)
Departure 2012: Oct 25
Departure 2013: Apr 17

Cruisetour 1J – 29 nights
Sydney to Beijing
Cruise before land tour
Cruise “Australia & China” (25 days)
Departure 2013: Mar 08