CTS Tours

• China Regular
• Golden China
• China Highlights
• China Spectacular
• China Experience
• Majestic Yangtze
• China Panorama
• Grand China
• China UNESCO Heritage Tour
• Tibet Express
• Silk Road Discovery
• Colourful Minority Cultures
• Splendid China
• Splendors of South & Western China
• China Specials
• America
• Indochina
• Japan Tours
• India Tour
• Booking form

China Highlights

A true 'best of' 13 nights, 14 days tour to Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Longsheng, Yangshuo, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai, from $3,430 (Tour Code: EB)
Guaranteed departure with minimum two passengers!

Day 01 Australia/Beijing

Fly from Australia to Beijing, the dynamic capital of the People’s Republic of China. Once the imperial city of Mongol. Ming and Manchu emperors, Beijing today is still extraordinarily rich in historical sites and cultural relics. After clearing airport formalities, meet your CTS guide and transfer to your hotel.

Day 02 Beijing (B/L/D)

Tour the Tian’anmen Square, the biggest public square in the world. You will also be able to have a photo stop at The National Centre for the Performing Arts, formerly known as the National Grand Theatre, and colloquially described as The Egg. The Centre, an ellipsoid dome of titanium and glass surrounded by an artificial lake, seats 6,500 people in the three halls and is 200,000 m2 in size. Afterwards, visit Forbidden City, the vast complex of palaces, which was home to successive Emperors for more than 500 years. Included is admission to the living quarters, museum and jewelry sections. Tonight you will experience the famous Beijing Duck banquet for your welcome dinner.

Day 03 Beijing (B/L/D)

Morning tour to the Great Wall at Juyongguan section, stretching almost 4,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the sands of Central Asia and befittingly crowned one of the ten wonders of the world. Along the way, you will stopover at China National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) and China National Aquatics Centre (Water Cube) for photo taking, then stop at a jade carving factory where you can watch artisans at work. Continue to the Summer Palace, the largest and the best preserved of all imperial palace gardens, which boasts such delights as the famous Marble Boat and the ornately painted ‘Long Corridor’, and take a boat ride on its Lake Kunming if the weather permits. After dinner, you will witness the amazing Beijing Acrobatic Show.

Day 04 Beijing (B/L)

In the morning, enjoy a pedi-cab tour of Hutong – the ‘old city’ neighbourhoods of narrow alleyways and courtyard gardens, experience local life on a family visit and kindergarten if opens. After lunch, tour to the Temple of Heaven, the 500-year old Temple houses altars on which sacrifices and offerings were laid to the gods in a glorious setting of gardens, tress and sculptures. Then, we tour to the brand new Qianmen Street, which is also called the Heaven Street, because there were 23 emperors during China’s Ming and Qing dynasties walking through this street to pray and make sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven. Centuries ago, Qianmen Street had become a commercial and amusement center due to its convenient location connecting the Forbidden City and communities in ancient Beijing. Also visit a local market if time permits. Evening at leisure

Day 05 Beijing/Xi’an (B/D)

Morning, transfer to the airport for a flight to Xi’an. Upon arrival, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Today you will sample the Xi’an dumpling dinner. Afterwards, you will see the Tang Dynasty Show.

Day 06 Xi’an (B/L/D)

Morning tour to the greatest archaeological discovery of the century, more than 2,000 year-old Terracotta Warriors interred with the Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Included are the Circle Vision Movie and Bronze Chariot. On the way to the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, we visit Xi’an Art Ceramic and Lacquer Ware Factory, which focus on the reproductions of terra-cotta warriors and horses and lacquer ware products. The craftsman in the factory, with professional knowledge, have made the replica of terra-cotta warriors and horses that popularly accepted as souvenirs and gifts by both Chinese and foreign visitors. In the afternoon, we walk through the lively Muslim Quarter and market, visit to the Great Mosque, a best-preserved Islamic mosque in China and focus for the 30,000 Chinese Muslims of Xi’an.

Day 07 Xi’an/Guilin (B)

You are free to further explore this historical city on own path until your transfer to the airport for your flight to Guilin. Upon arrival, being transferred to the hotel.

Day 08 Guilin-Longshen-Guilin (B/L)

Today, we take a full day excursion to Longsheng, located in the mountainous region on the northeastern part of Guilin. The natural beauty and the colorful ethnic Chinese cultures and customs attract people from all over the world. After 2.5 hours drive (115KM beautiful mountain road) you will get to the Longji area, Heping Township of Longsheng County. Visit Zhuang and Yao Minority tribes’ villages and some families. You will see the beautiful terraced rice fields after arriving at the summit of Longji (Dragon’s backbone). The terraced rice fields were first built in the Yuan Dynasty (about 800 years ago) and completed in the Qing dynasty. The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountaintop, which looks like a giant snail from afar. On the way back to hotel, we visit to Reed Flute Cave, a site of wonderful limestone caves, showcasing a dazzling variety of stalactite and stalagmite stone formations. If time permits, we will visit Guangxi Normal University Art Gallery to see Guilin landscape paintings and also to have a short lecture on Chinese Art.

Day 09 Guilin-Yangshuo (B/L)

The Highlight of the trip to Guilin is a spectacular cruise down the meandering and picturesque Li River. The scenery is breathtaking as jagged mist-covered mountains; quaint villages dot the riverbanks, drift past humped limestone peaks, fishermen aboard bamboo rafts and grazing water buffalo. You will also have a chance to roam Yangshuo’s local market in the evening. The well-known West Street in Yangshuo also called Foreigner Street, which the history has 1400 years.

Day 10 Yangshuo-Guilin/Hangzhou (B/L/D)

Morning will be free at leisure. You may rent a bike to further explore the stunning karst landscapes of Yangshuo on your own pace. Fly to Hangzhou in the early afternoon, which is a well-known tourist, historical, and cultural city and one of the six ancient capitals in China.

Day 11 Hangzhou (B/L)

Visit the Hua Gang Park and West Lake. You will surely appreciate the fabled scenery such as ‘Broken Bridge’, ‘Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake’ and ‘ Three Pools mirroring the Moon’. You will take a short cruise tour on the West Lake, then visit Lingyin Temple, which is among the ten most famous Buddhist temples in China and has a history of over 1000 years. Hangzhou is famous for Longjing Green Tea; you will visit a tea plantation to taste its famous tea as well as learning about the ancient tea making process.

Day 12 Hangzhou-Suzhou-Shanghai (B/L/D)

In the morning, take a side trip to Suzhou, a small town famous for its classic gardens in the south of China and often so-called Oriental Venice. You will visit the Master of Nets Garden, Silk Spinning Mill. Afterwards, you will take a boat cruise on the Canal constructed over 1,300 year ago in Sui Dynasty. If time permits, we take a short visit to newly renovated Shan Tang Street. Late in the afternoon, we will travel by coach to metropolitan Shanghai.

Day 13 Shanghai (B/L)

In the morning tour we will visit the Bund, a popular promenade along the Huangpu River, where the old meets the modern in Shanghai. You may see the local people performing Tai Chi during your stroll along the Bund. Afterwards, we will visit the Old Town with its winding alleyways, lined with shops, teahouses and restaurants, and then to the elegant and tranquil Yu Garden. In the afternoon we will visit Shanghai Xintiandi, which is a new tourist attraction in downtown Shanghai, featuring the city’s unique “Shikumen” houses and a maze of narrow alleys, which have been converted into cafes, restaurants, bars, art retail shops. Dinner will be on your own arrangement.

Day 14 Shanghai/Australia (B)

Today you are free for some last minute shopping before being transferred to the airport for your flight back home.

Day 15 Australia

Arrival in Australia