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Great Wall China Tour
Beijing 9N Itinerary
Bejing Program - 9 nights
Sunday 13 May - Wednesday 25 May
Early morning flight on United Airlines from your hometown to San Francisco. Change planes.
Sun 13May 1207 Leave San Francisco SFO
on UNITED AIRLINES UA/889, Boeing 747-400, non-stop! Lunch and dinner served aloft. En route over Alaska, crossing the International Dateline. Flying Time: 12hrs08min.
Mon 14May 1515 Arrive BEIJING, China
Meet & Greet by our Chinese local hosts and transfer to your
a fine 41/2-star hotel centrally located only 10 minutes walk from the famous Tiananmen Square. Settle in at the hotel and relax this evening from your journey.
Dinner on own.
Tue 15May In Beijing
Forbidden City
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Flag raising - Tiananmen Square
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Early risers enjoy an optional, easy jog from the hotel to the Tiananmen Square to watch the traditional flag raising ceremony at dawn, witnessed every day by several thousand local Chinese. Continue jog during sunrise around the Forbidden City complex and back to the hotel. Guided personally by Kathy and Kurt.
Breakfast at the hotel.
0830 Morning Forbidden City Tour visiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City's Imperial Palace. Afternoon at leisure. Start exploring the city on your own for the greatest shopping opportunities you can imagine. Visit the silk alley, the pearl market, the Friendship Store, or any of the many other exciting shopping areas. Your US dollar is strong in China, making everything look like a bargain...
1700 Welcome to China "Happy Hour" at our hotel and race bib number distribution.
Dinner on own.
Wed 16May In Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel.
0830 Morning Tour Temple of Heaven & Pearl Market.
Lunch on own. Day at leisure for shopping.
1715 Acrobatic Show at the famous Chao Yang Theatre. Includes transfers,
followed by Peking Duck Dinner at Bianyi Fang Roast Duck Restaurant.
Thu 17May In Beijing
Great Wall - Inspection Day
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Early morning light breakfast at the hotel. Every traveler to China wants to climb the Great Wall, and today your dreams come true on this "mandatory" site inspection. Full day trip by motorcoach to the isolated section of the Great Wall of China where the runs will take place on 21May. This visit is mandatory for everyone in order to familiarize yourself with the Great Wall and the run route. You will be walking the actual 4-km, incredibly spectacular section of the Wall which is included on the run. Lunch is included. Return directly to your hotel in the mid-afternoon.
Eve: A special, exclusive carbo-loading Pasta Dinner is included this evening for our group at our hotel.
Fri 18May In Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel.
0830 Morning Hutong Tour a visit to the Old Beijing section. Includes a pedicab ride, a visit to a kindergarten, and lunch with local families.
Also includes visit to the famous "Birdnest".
Balance of afternoon at leisure. Free shuttle service available this afternoon to/from the Beijing Silk Exhibition Hall. Or treat yourself to a traditional Chinese massage or a foot reflexology, all available at your hotel. Or just take advantage of the hotel's indoor swimming pool (swim cap required!), the gym, the 4-lane bowling alley or the billiard room for your enjoyment.
Dinner on own. Plan to tuck in early!
Sat 19May RACE DAY!
Great Wall Marathon start
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This is surely going to be one of the most exciting and memorable days of your life...
Coffee and juices and light breakfast items at the hotel. THIS IS YOUR DAY! Very early morning wake-up call for 2-hour, 130 km drive by motorcoach (yes, you can sleep on the bus) to "our" piece of the Great Wall at Huangyaguan for THE event, the Great Wall Marathon or Half Marathon or 10k, whichever you have chosen. It takes place on a part of the 6,000 km long Great Wall which is not generally visited by tourists.
This is an official international event with chip timing, medals, and certificates for all participants. The primary objective is not time, but fun and the experience of having "done" the Great Wall Marathon or Half Marathon or 10k. What a thrill it is - just talk to Kathy Loper or Kurt Bodmer who have done it several times, or to some of the over 1500 people who went with us in the last nine years. For the accompanying "spectators", non-runners, lunch will be
provided at the Wall and the bus will take them to various places along the village route to cheer on the runners. Perfect for family members of participating runners.
All KLE participants (including spectators) will be treated to a special 20-minute cool-down massage at our own "exclusive KLE massage tent" at the finish line. Afternoon bus back to your hotel, feeling exhausted and yet, triumphant!
Dinner on own.
Sun 20May In Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel. Sleep in and recover! No particular plans today, although adventurous souls may wish to explore the city further and do some more shopping. For those interested, we will offer an optional morning tour to the Lama Temple, one of the most interesting religious buildings in Beijing, originally built in 1694. Foot massage.
Eve: Gala Dinner for all participating runners and non-runners. A very special, elaborate Chinese Banquet to celebrate the runners' triumph over the Great Wall. A fun evening, sharing the experience with others. Includes transfers.
Mon 21May Beijing - USA
Breakfast at the hotel.
Temple of Heaven Tour. Free afternoon. Last minute
shopping or relaxing.
Tue 22May Beijing - Xian
Breakfast at the hotel.
0600 Transfer to the airport for flight to Xian.
0755 Leave Beijing on CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES MU7137, Boeing 757, non-stop.
0945 Arrive XIAN, the east end of the legendary Silk Road.
Upon arrival at Xian airport, met by local guide for the 2 hour bus ride to Mt. Huashan.
You will need your backpacks as you will challenge yourselves to hike the most beautiful mountain in Northern China today.
Your guide will prepare some snack food boxes with soft pack drinks for you to bring up the mountain, a picnic lunch on the mountain after the cable car ride. You are free to choose to climb up either the Eastern or Western slope of the Mount after lunch and get down the Mount by cable car together. Transfer back to the city & check into your hotel. (Your luggage will remain on the bus for later transfer to your hotel.)
A fine 5-star hotel centrally located inside the city wall.
1730 Leave your hotel for transfer to Shaanxi Grand Opera House for a Tang
Dynasty Show at 18:00 followed by a Chinese Dinner if there are two scenes that day or Dinner first at 19:30 with show at 20:30 (number of scenes based on the audience volume).
2030 Return back to hotel at 21:45 if see the later show.
Transfer back to hotel.
Tue 22May In Xian.
terra cotta warriors
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Breakfast at the hotel.
0730 Meet you local guide in the hotel lobby.
Morning visit to the Terra Cotta Warriors Digs, one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the world and a highlight of any China itinerary.
Just discovered in 1974 by local farmers (one of them is usually at the gift shop signing autographs), these clay figures resemble actual army soldiers of the Qin dynasty which were buried over two thousand years ago.
An awesome site, and they are still excavating burial pits that are expected to eventually unveil a total of 6,000 terra-cotta clay figures.
Recent excavations also revealed a formation of infantry, cavalry and soldiers on chariots. Early lunch at a local restaurant inside the Digs compound, including a noodle-making demonstration.
Tue 22May Xian - Beijing (Chicago Passengers ONLY)
1400 Transfer to the airport by coach with guide, who has the group air ticket.
1605 Leave Xian on CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES MU2113, Airbus320, non-stop.
1805 Arrive Beijing, Transfer to Sino-Swiss Hotel for dinner & overnight.
Wed 23May Beijing - Chicago (American Airlines passengers ONLY)
0400 Transfer to Beijing International Airport
0655 Leave Beijing on AMERICAN AIRLINES UA/186, Boeing 777, non-stop. Dinner and breakfast served aloft.
Cross the International Dateline, gain one day.
Flying Time: 12hrs 50min
Wed 25May 0640 Arrive Chicago ORD
OR:
Tue 22May Xian - SFO Passengers ONLY
On return to your hotel, stop for 45 minutes at a Jade Factory to see how fine jade is made. You may wish to be dropped off at the South City Gate to rent a bike to ride on the wall at your own cost and return to the hotel on your own.
1900 Leave the hotel for Dumpling Dinner at Han Tang Tian Xia Restaurant.
Transfer back to hotel.
Wed 23May Xian - Beijing (SFO Passengers ONLY)
Breakfast at the hotel.
0600 Pick up & transfer to the airport by coach with guide,
who has the group air ticket .
0800 Leave Xian on CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES MU2101, Airbus320, non-stop.
0940 Arrive Beijing. Change Planes.
1200 Leave Beijing on UNITED AIRLINES UA/888, Boeing 747-400, non-stop!.
Dinner and breakfast served aloft. Cross the International Dateline, gain one day.
Flying Time: 11hrs38min.
Wed 25May 0826 Arrive San Francisco SFO
On arrival at your above US gateway city, clear Immigration and Customs
Connect to your hometown.
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