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.

2009 Dates

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

Internal Air Discount: Children under 12 subtract $300

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. Olympic Village/ Friends Across Borders (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 as part of our visit to Olympic Village. It's amazing how such interaction can be a real eye-opener for everyone involved. And seeing the Bird's Nest and Water Cube of the 2008 Olympics is an amazing experience in itself! 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. Huangpu River boat ride Enjoy a great view of the Pudong skyline and the Bund as we leisurely float down the Huangpu River.

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.

Why China?

Fascinating, ancient history and culture Come 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. Learning comes naturally as you explore this fascinating country, which has a complex history stretching back thousands of years.

A rapidly-changing culture and growing economy The Chinese Communist Party is the founding and ruling political party of the People’s Repubic of China. Founded in 1921, the Commuist Party is the world’s largest political party. In recent years, China has opened its doors to global commerce and has experienced enormous economic growth — now second only to the US with a GDP of $7 trillion. Due to this extraordinary growth, you and your children will witness a rapidly changing culture as China reacts to this new-found prosperity and influx of foreign influences.

Beijing’s many highlights include the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall You can't miss the 4,000 mile long Great Wall as it zigzags its way through deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus.  The Tiananmen Gate, built in the 1420s during the Ming Dynasty, is the foundation of Tiananmen Square. The square has evolved through the years, until it was expanded in the 1950s to roughly the size it is today.  Closed to commoners for nearly 500 years, the Forbidden City is a maze of opulent palaces, serene gardens, astonishing carvings and sculptures.

Xian with the Terracota warriors Not to be missed is Xi'an, former capital to eleven dynasties, and home to one of the world's most intriguing archaeological discoveries — the famous Terra Cotta Army of Xi'an. More than 8,000 life-size clay soldiers and horses have steadfastly guarded the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang for more than 2,000 years. Walk among the astonishing statues, carved to look like real men, each with its own unique characteristics and facial expressions. The statue army is complete with generals, archers, horses and foot soldiers.

Pandas In beautiful Chengdu, graced with exotic flowers and trees that line the streets and fill its many parks, live some of China’s most loved residents: the Giant Panda bears. The Giant Panda Breeding Center features an exquisitely designed environment that imitates the panda’s natural habitat, with bamboo growing everywhere and flocks of wild birds flying overhead.

Why China with Thomson?

Enjoy viewing all of the “must sees” in Beijing You’ll be amazed at your first sight of Tiananmen Square.  At 109 acres, it is large enough to hold almost one million people! The square is home to museums, ornate halls and soaring towers. You’ll be dazzled by the sights and sounds as you stroll through this incredible plaza.
Get ready for a glimpse of breathtaking opulence as you explore the Forbidden City. Built between 1406 and 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings and 8,707 rooms (out of an original 20,000 rooms). The largest remaining palace complex in the world, the Forbidden City covers approximately 170 acres. Imagine life as it was thousands of years ago, where for 500 years only rulers and their servants were allowed to enter.

Get off the beaten path in Guilin & Yangshuo Spend two glorious days exploring the neighboring cities of Guilin and Yanshuo, picturesque towns dotted by karst formations — a fascinating landscape of limestone mountains and formations. You and your kids will feel like you've stepped back into old China as you walk the ancient villages of Yangshuo.
As you make your way from Guilin to Yangshuo, floating down the Li River, you’ll see vivid green rice paddies framed by the enormous Gumdrop Mountains in the distance.  Keep an eye out for water buffalo patrolling the fields and fisherman floating on bamboo rafts.  And don’t miss 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.

Hiking Zhangjiaje National Park Setting out with guides on some of the least traveled trails of China's first national park, your family will be treated to awesome views of deep canyons and dense, primeval forests. In the distance, the park's peculiarly massive, often mist-shrouded sandstone pillars rise up, geological wonders in a landscape that inspires both reverence and awe, even among the most blasé teens! Where is the world's highest elevator? In Zhangjiajie, and instead of going to the top of a building, it goes to the top of a mountain.

Fantastic Chinese guides, and local flavor with plenty of comfort Our trip to China is evenly paced, so your family keeps a satisfying balance of relaxation and adventure. Locally-born guides accompany you each step of the way to ensure pleasant encounters and to reveal subtleties of authentic Chinese culture. Accommodations are welcoming and child-friendly, and at meal time you’ll discover delicious local Chinese cuisine along with kid-pleasing options for the less adventurous.