C ome experience one of the most ancient civilizations on earth, a culture so rich and exotic it can’t help but fill the senses and fire the imagination. On our family vacation to China, learning comes naturally - practicing the art of Tai Chi, walking the famous Great Wall, making dumplings in a traditional Chinese home, and getting up close and personal with Giant Pandas.

Our trip to China is evenly paced, so your family keeps a satisfying balance of relaxation and adventure. Locally born guides accompany us each step of the way to ensure pleasant encounters and to reveal subtleties of authentic Chinese culture.

Accommodations are welcoming and child-friendly four and five-star hotels. Every meal is comprised of delicious local Chinese cuisine along with kid-pleasing options for the less adventurous.

2008 Dates

Triple Discount: $400 for child under 12 sharing with 2 adults

Internal Air Discount: Children under 12 subtract $400

2009 Dates

Triple Discount: $400 for child under 12 sharing with 2 adults

Internal Air Discount: Children under 12 subtract $400

Dates

Don't see your travel dates? Please call and we'll offer a trip to meet your needs!

Days 1 and 2 – Depart U.S. / Arrive Beijing

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, where your China family vacation begins.

Days 3 to 5 – Beijing

Beijing is both an ancient city as well as a thriving metropolis; a fascinating mixture of old world culture and the new, modern China. Nothing can prepare your family for their first glimpse of the largest public park in the world – Tiananmen Square.

Tiananmen Square At 109 acres, Tiananmen Square is so enormous it can hold almost one million people. It is home to museums, ornate halls and soaring towers, and the locals enjoy flying kites and taking walks around the perimeter. The Forbidden City Get ready for a rare glimpse at the opulence of Chinese emperors as we explore the Forbidden City, where for 500 years only rulers and their servants were allowed to enter. Make sure to get close enough to the architecture to see the detailed painted decorations. Acrobatics Show Visit the most talked about theater in China – Chaoyang Theater. Spectacular individual and team acrobatic displays involve bicycles, seesaws, barrels, swings and even catapults. The Great Wall You can't miss the 4,000 mile long wall as it zigzags its way through deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to walk the longest human-made structure ever built. Temple of Heaven This complex is a masterpiece of architecture and landscape where long ago emperors worshipped heaven. Friends Across Borders meeting (pen pals) Thomson families love this program! Children traveling with us can choose to exchange letters with a local child of similar age before leaving on their adventure. While on the family trip we organize a pen pal meeting with a scheduled activity like soccer or hacky sacking. It's amazing how such interaction can be a real eye-opener for everyone involved. Hutong rickshaw tour and dinner with a local family Explore the city's traditional neighborhoods, called Hutongs, where you'll see what it was like to live here 700 years ago! Experience the traditional way of life by learning to make dumplings with a Hutong family.

Days 6 and 7 – Xi'an

The city of Xi'an records the great changes of the Chinese nation just like a living history book, and is known by many as the “Natural History Museum.” The Terra Cotta Warriors are its best-known claim to fame, and the sheer number of these life-size, hand-carved statues will amaze children of all ages.

Calligraphy lesson First we’ll visit the Forest of Steles, where we can check out China’s finest collection of calligraphy – the writing was carved into stone by ancient masters. Then we’ll get a lesson of our own in this ancient art, taught by a local expert! Terra Cotta Warriors Imagine 7,000 life size stone warriors hand carved to look like real men and all created to protect one emperor in the afterlife. The statue army is complete with generals, archers, horses and foot soldiers, each individual statue being unique. Bike along Ming Dynasty City Wall This ancient wall that encloses all of Xi'an allows for a unique perspective of the city below. In each brick used to build this wall is carved the brick master's name – but you will have to look closely, since it has worn very faint over time. Painting and paper cutting lesson with a local family Called Peasant Painting, the style of art you will learn here originated as late as the 1950s in Huxian. As a new reservoir was being built, the locals began capturing the impressive project on paper, and the style has since evolved to include all aspects of daily life in China.

Days 8 and 9 – Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie is famous for its exquisite forests, which are home to huge, leaf-covered stone pinnacles that rise right from the level ground. Get ready for some jaw-dropping panoramic views on your family hiking adventures.

Hike at Yaozizhai Peak This is a great opportunity for a challenging hike (flexible according to each family’s hiking ability) that will lead your family to numerous lookout points for stunning views, from which you can see nearly half the peaks of Zhangjiajie.

Days 10 and 11 – Chengdu

Chengdu is graced with beautiful flowers and trees that line streets and fill its many parks. But the most beautiful features in this city are not plants. Almost all Giant Panda Bears call this Chinese province home, and your vacation is not complete until you meet one in person.

Free Time Swim, shop and explore this lovely city on your own. Giant Panda Breeding Center The environment here is exquisitely designed to imitate the panda’s natural habitat, with bamboo growing everywhere and flocks of wild birds that fly above as you tour the center. There’s even an opportunity to hold a Panda Bear. Wenshu Monastery This Buddhist temple features unique works of art and ornate carvings on the inside, but on the outside it’s a bustling, lively atmosphere where worshippers burn incense, fortune tellers reveal futures, and you can even see stalls selling fireworks.

Days 12 and 13 – Guilin and Yangshuo

These neighboring cities sit on the Li River and are renowned for having the most picturesque landscapes in the world. Thomson travelers are always awestruck as we cruise past the enormous Gumdrop Mountains.

Li River cruise along Gumdrop Mountains As you make your way from Guilin to Yangshuo, keep an eye out for water buffalo patrolling the fields, fisherman floating on bamboo rafts and of course the stunning landscape of karst limestone formations that will amaze you at every bend of the river. Cormorant fishing The cormorant is not a fish – it’s actually a bird that is used to catch fish. It’s a remarkable experience to witness people and birds working together in harmony in a tradition that dates back more than a millennium. Bike to Yulong River This scenic ride is perfect for exploring China’s countryside. Your destination is the mysterious Moon Hill Mountain. See if you can figure out how the moon-shaped opening formed in this peak.

Days 14 and 15 – Shanghai

Foreigners lent Shanghai its appearance, making it more western than traditional Chinese. Twenty-story high buildings that reach skyward, tons of shopping villas and gourmet restaurants make this bustling city a shopper’s paradise.

Free Time Swim, shop and explore this lovely city on your own.

Day 15 – Depart Shanghai / Arrive U.S.

Please Note:   Thomson Family Adventures will attempt to adhere to this itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, cultural, or availability) may necessitate changes in the accommodations.