Chinese Tale from Beijing to Shanghai – 8 nights

Connecting in Germany - Munich or Frankfurt to Beijing. Arrival in the Chinese capital. Transfer to hotel. Free time with the opportunity for first impressions of Beijing and dinner roast duck Peking style according to a closely guarded recipe. Overnight in Beijing.

Breakfast. Visit Tiananmen Square - the largest central square in the world. Here on 01.10.1949 the establishment of the PRC was proclaimed. In the center of the square stands the Monument to the People's Heroes and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. In the northern part of the square is the Tiananmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Tranquility), which was the main entrance to the Imperial Palace - or the so-called "Gate of Heavenly Tranquility". "Forbidden City" - with 800 buildings and 9,999 halls, the residence of 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Watching a Chinese tea ceremony. Visit the Temple of Heaven, one of the symbols of Beijing. From here, Ming and Qing emperors, as high priests, offered prayers to heaven for peace and fertility twice a year. Free time along Beijing's most famous shopping street, Wangfujing street. Overnight in Beijing.

The Great Wall of China - cable car ride - jade factory - Ming Dynasty's Dingling Raptor - Panjiayuan Antiques Market Breakfast. The day is scheduled for a visit to the Great Wall of China, the symbol of Chinese civilization, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the most famous and spectacular structure of ancient civilization with a length of 6,500 km. that stretches from the Gobi Desert to the East China Sea. Ascent by cable car. Visit to a jade factory where we will be shown the technology of processing the "stone of harmony". Visit the Dingling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), one of their thirteen imperial tombs dedicated to Emperor Wang Li. The emperor commissioned the construction of his tomb when he was only 22 years old. Its construction lasted 6 years, and its cost was measured by the taxes of the entire empire for 2 years. The tomb was unveiled in 1958 and opened to the public as an underground mausoleum.We continue with the Panjiayuan Antiquities Market - the place is known, especially to collectors from all over the world, as a center of trade in antiquities and unique handicrafts. It is said to be one of the cheapest such markets in Beijing. There's something for everyone who decides to browse, buy collectibles or just see remarkable items from the past. Overnight in Beijing.

Visit the Summer Imperial Palace - Beijing-Xian train Breakfast. Visit the magnificent Summer Palace of the Chinese Emperors, known as the "Gardens of Paradise", a complex of palace buildings, lakes and sumptuous gardens. Next, visit the Yonghe Temple or Lama Temple. The Lama Temple is one of the most colorful and lively temples in Beijing. Famous for its curved roofs, fabulous murals, magnificent decorative arches, tapestries, mirrors and tantric statues mingling in thick clouds of incense. It is the largest Buddhist monastery outside Tibet, having been built as a mansion for the Qing Dynasty Emperor Yongzheng when he was a prince. Take a rickshaw ride through the narrow streets of Beijing known as hutongs. This is the way to experience the life of the locals, their lifestyle, culture and traditions. Transfer to the train station. Travel by high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an, the old capital of China. Arrival in Xi'an. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Xi'an.

Xi'an - The Terracotta Army After breakfast, we will visit the "eighth wonder of the world" - the famous terracotta army, consisting of more than 7,500 life-size figures of warriors: generals, officers, infantrymen, archers, horses and carriages - a true work of art, located on an artificial hill near Xi'an. It was built on the orders of Emperor Qin Shihuang to guard him in his afterlife, in which he wished to possess the same power and military might he had in his lifetime. Most astonishing is the fact that Emperor Qin, to avoid human sacrifice, for the first time replaced living human soldiers and imperial officials with terracotta figures.The Terracotta Army was opened in March 1974 by a farmer and is now one of the must-see sites in China. In the evening, an optional night tour to the Pagoda of the "Great Wild Goose" Ta Yen. The pagoda was built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty, a true masterpiece of Buddhist architecture. One of the main purposes of the pagoda was to preserve sitars and Buddha figures brought over from India. Today, the temple is a sacred place for Buddhists and a symbol of Xi'an. Overnight in Xi'an.

Xi'an City Tour - flight to Shanghai Breakfast. Stop at the ancient walls of Xi'an - the best preserved and oldest city walls, dating back to 194 BC. The South Gate and the North Gate are the two main entrances to the so-called inner city. Walk into the picturesque Muslim Quarter and the Grand Mosque, one of the oldest and most famous mosques in China, dating back to 742. The intriguing thing about the building is that it has only Chinese architectural elements, it does not bear any Arabic ones, except for a few Arabic Islamic calligraphies - there are not even any Arabic style minarets. Transfer to the airport for the Xi'an - Shanghai flight. Arrival in Shanghai - the largest city in the country, an important financial and cultural center, the largest cargo port in the world. It is called the "Paris of the East" or the "Pearl of the East". Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Shanghai.

Shanghai Tour - TV Tower Climb Breakfast. Program in Shanghai - The Bund, a waterfront area in central Shanghai. There are interesting historical buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, considered a symbol of the city, famous for its typical colonial architecture from the time of the first settlers, located along the banks of the Huangpu River, which in the past housed banks and trading houses from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Italy, Russia, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as the consulates of Russia and Great Britain. Shanghai's famous landmarks, the Pearl of the East Television Tower and the Jinmao Tower, are located on The Bund. In the Yu Yuan Garden, the "happy gardens", with traditional architecture and open spaces, we will experience the "Old China", built in the 16th century by the provincial governor Pan Yongduan, in honour of his father, a minister at the time. The fine design and exquisite layout of the whole space give the impression of a "garden within a garden"! We continue to the Temple of the Jade Buddha, the largest Buddhist temple in operation, built in 1882. During the Song Dynasty by the Chan Buddhist sect, to be the eternal home of two jade statues brought from Burma - the Seated and Reclining Buddha, the Yu Yuan Garden - the "happy gardens" - one of the finest examples of the exquisiteness of architecture of the Ming Dynasty. Next, climb the Pearl of the East Television Tower, the fourth tallest television tower in the world and one of the most famous landmarks. Optional boat cruise on the Huangpu River at an additional cost. Overnight in Shanghai.

Shanghai - excursion to Suzhou "Chinese Venice" - Shanghai Breakfast. Free time or full day excursion to Suzhou - the "Venice of China", with its many beautiful canals and bridges along the largest man-made waterway in the world. Walk along Pingjiang Street - located in the eastern part of Suzhou. This street has retained its traditional appearance from the Tang and Song dynasties. It is the best preserved historical area in Suzhou's old town. Take a tricycle and boat ride through the canals as the traveling merchants did centuries ago. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Suzhou established itself as an important silk production centre and remains so to this day. It is deservedly called the "Venice of China" for the many beautiful canals that cut through it. Return to Shanghai. Overnight.

Shanghai - flight via Vienna to Sofia Breakfast. Early transfer to the airport for the flight Shanghai - Vienna - Sofia. Arrival late evening at Sofia airport.