Trip Information

Trip Dates:
April 1 - April 9, 2012

Tour package includes:

• Coach transportation to and from Bethesda to JFK
• Roundtrip international airfare
• 4-and 5-star hotels
• 3 meals each day
• Deluxe bus tours
• Fluent English-speaking tour guides
• Entrance fees for all attractions
• Applicable airport taxes and fuel surcharges

Itinerary:

• Day 1 - JFK/Beijing
  • Meet your fellow travelers in Bethesda for a coach trip to JFK International Airport for an afternoon flight. Your adventure begins as you fly trans-Pacific aboard a wide cabin jetliner.
• Day 2 - Beijing
  • Arrive in Beijing, the Capital of China by 6:00pm. You will be met at the airport by your tour guide and transported to the hotel after dinner.
• Day 3 - Beijing
  • Visit the Tian An Men Square, the largest square in the world, and the Temple of Heaven, built in 1420 A.D., where the emperors prayed to the heavens for a good harvest. Sightseeing today will continue with a tour of the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, home of 24 emperors with a total space of 9,999 rooms, and the Summer Palace, featuring the Long Corridor with painted gallery, Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, Seventeen Arch Bridge and the Marble Boat.
• Day 4 - Beijing
  • Tour bus excursion to the Great Wall, the 4,000 mile long and 2,000 year old construction is said to be the only man-made structure visible by the naked eye from the moon. Visit the Ming Tombs. One of the 13 Ming Emperors' Tombs is fully excavated and open for exploration.
• Day 5 - Beijing/Shanghai/Suzhou***
  • Fly to Shanghai, followed by a bus trip to Suzhou for the Lingering Garden, Tiger Hill, Hanshan Temple and the National Embroidery Institute to see silk embroidery, a local craft with thousands of years of history. Dinner this evening will include a show featuring traditional Chinese music.
• Day 6 - Suzhou/Hangzhou***
  • Morning tour bus excursion to Hangzhou for a visit to the Economic Development Zone and the centuries-old Lingyin Temple, featuring a 64.3 foot high camphor-wood carving of Buddha.
• Day 7 - Hangzhou/Shanghai
  • Morning boat cruise on West Lake with relaxing stopover at jewel-like pagodas and tea houses. Afternoon tour bus trip to Shanghai.
• Day 8 - Shanghai
  • Visit the Yu Garden, a maze of marvelous pavilions, ponds, rocky works and overarching trees. Also visit the Bund, Shanghai’s famous waterfront park, and tour the Pudong Economic Development Zone.
• Day 9 - Shanghai/Beijing/JFK
  • Morning flight to Beijing. The afternoon flight will depart by 1:00pm for JFK where you will arrive at 1:30pm on the same day and board your coach for your return to Bethesda.

*** Optional excursion to Xi'an, home of the Terra-Cotta Warriors
Your itinerary is the same as the rest of the trip except for Day 5 and Day 6 (outlined below).  Xi'an excursion is an additional $500 per person. Must have a minimum of 10 travelers total to book. 

• Day 5 - Morning flight to Xi’an, stay at Grand Cast le Hotel . Af ternoon sightseeing to the Big Wild Geese Pagoda. Evening entertainment of Tang Style Dancing.
• Day 6 - Morning bus excursion to the Terra-Cotta Warriors at the Tomb of the First Emperor of Qin Dynasty. On the way back, visit the Huaqing Hot Spring Park and Banpo Museum, a preserved pre-historical cavemen site.

Cost and upgrades:

• $2,099 per person
  • Includes a $200 non-refundable deposit  to B-CC Chamber and $1,899 tour fee to CITSLINC (Double occupancy required)
• Cost for non-members is $2,399 (Includes a $400 non-refundable deposit to B-CC Chamber)
• Upgrade to single occupancy for $500
• Upgrade to fly Business Class for $6000
• Upgrade for Xi'an excursion is an additional $500 per person
• Deadline for full balance due is DECEMBER 15, 2011

Requirements:

• A valid passport and visa are required
• Chinese tourist visa is required for all travelers. 
  
  • Application fee through CITSLINC is $175
• No vaccinations necessary
• Trip insurance strongly recommended

Refund Policy

• If the trip is cancelled for any reason, including a travel alert from the U.S. State Dept., travel prohibitions by the Chinese government, or any other event within or outside the control of CITSLINC, CITSLINC will refund the traveler's 100% of the tour fees collected less the non-refundable registration fee per Traveler ($200/member or $400/non-member paid to B-CC Chamber)
• If the Travelers, for personal reasons cancels participation in the trip prior to the ticketing day (Jan.1, 2011), CITSLINC will refund 100% of the tour fees collected less the non-refundable registration fee per Traveler ($200/member or $400/non-member paid to B-CC Chamber)
• If the Travelers, for personal reasons cancels participation in the trip after the ticketing day (Jan. 1, 2011), CITSLINC will refund all tour fees collected minus a $500 cancellation fee AND the non-refundable registration fee per Traveler ($200/member or $400/non-member paid to B-CC Chamber)