TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE IN WUHAN, CHINA - 2009
A cultural tour of China

Tour Summary	Map
Day Place 01 Hometown / Beijing 02 Arrive Beijing 03 - 06 Beijing 07 Beijing / Wuhan 08 Wuhan / Xi’an - ECLIPSE VIEWING 09 Xi’an 10 Xi’an / Shanghai 11 Shanghai 12 Shanghai / Hometown

Day 01 (15 July): Hometown / Beijing
Begin your Total Solar Eclipse Journey embarking on your flight to the World’s capital city of Beijing.

Day 02 (16 July): Arrive Beijing
Crossing the International date line, we arrive Beijing in the afternoon. Upon arrival, we are warmly received and transferred to our hotel.
Balance of the day is free at leisure.
Dinner at own expense.
Hotel: Oriental Bay Hotel or similar (5 nights)

Day 03 (17 July): Beijing
Take a morning stroll around Tian’anmen Square - this vast square and its periphery are home to some of the grandest monuments and government edifices in China. Then Visit the Imperial Palace - the “Forbidden City” - the sequestered world of China’s final emperors. After lunch, enjoy a coach ride to the Summer Palace - which remains much as it was when the Empress Dowager Cixi retreated to this rolling, regal landscape of lake, pagodas, and pavilions. Enjoy a boat ride on Kunming Lake before heading back to Beijing. Tonight it Peking Duck Dinner in Peking. (B, L, SD)

Day 04 (18 July): Beijing
Today we head off to the outskirts of Beijing to see one of the most well known marvels of civilisation - The Great Wall. We get the opportunity to scale its heights. After lunch, we visit the Old Imperial Observatory. After dinner, enjoy a Martial Arts Kung Fu Performance ‘The Legend of Kung Fu’. (B, L, D)

Day 05 (19 July): Beijing
Full day tour of the Beijing Astronomical Observatory at Xinglong with lunch en-route. Dinner at own expense. (B, L)

Day 06 (20 July): Beijing
Our morning tour takes us to the famous Temple of Heaven, established on the site that feng shui masters determined was where heaven and earth intersect. This is where emperors presided over prayers and rituals for good weather and bountiful harvests. Then enjoy a bicycle rickshaw tour of a “Hutong” – one of Beijing’s traditional old neighbourhoods followed by lunch. We will visit the Beijing Planetarium after unch. Dinner at own expense. (B, L)

Day 07 (21 July): Beijing / Wuhan (air)
Morning we are transferred to the airport for our flight to Wuhan. After lunch we visit Yellow Crane Tower and Hubei Museum to witness the performance of ancient Gong. Enjoy a sumptuous dinner at a local restaurant.
Hotel: Oriental Hotel or similar (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 08 (22 July): Wuhan / Xi’an (air)
After breakfast, we are transferred to East Lake to view the Solar Eclipse. After lunch, we fly to the historical city of Xi’an, which served as the capital of 11 dynasties. Western dinner at the hotel.
Hotel: Hyatt Regency Hotel or similar (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 09 (23 July): Xi’an
Full day tour of Xi’an. Tour one of the most amazing archaeological finds of the 20th Century - the burial grounds of Emperor Qingshi Huangdi with its thousands of life-sized Terra-cotta Warriors and horses assembled to guard his afterlife. After lunch, visit Shaanxi Provincial Museum and the Ancient City Wall. Tonight, you will be treated to a traditional (and yummy) Xi’an special Dumpling Banquet followed by a very colourful Tang Dynasty Show. (B, L, SD)

Day 10 (24 July): Xi’an / Shanghai (air)
Morning we take a short flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, lunch and then visit Jade Buddha Temple. Promenade along "The Bund" - a terrific vantage point from which to view the grand colonial buildings along Zhongshan Donglu, the colourful traffic on the Huangpu River, and ultra-modern Pudong on the opposite shore and Fuxing Park. Dinner on own expense.
Hotel: Grand Mercure Baolong or similar (2 nights) (B, L)

Day 11 (25 July): Shanghai
Morning we visit the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. After lunch, we have free time to shop on the famous Nanjing Road. Tonight, we enjoy a farewell dinner followed by a spectacular show of acrobatics.
(B, L, D)

Day 12 (26 July): Shanghai / Hometown
After breakfast, we bid farewell to China after what will have been a spectacular combination of eclipse viewing and a walk back into history. (B)

Departure Dates
2009 English Speaking Departures July 15, 2009
Inclusions
Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include Accommodation as mentioned or similar, including hotel taxes Meals as mentioned (B=Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner SD=Special Dinner) All transfers and sightseeing Services of local English speaking guide Entrance fees to museums and sites included in the itinerary Domestic air tickets within China International airfares & departure taxes Insurance & Visa fees (approx US $65) Drinks/Beverages with meals Tips (approx US $110)
Tour Price
We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.
Departure Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement 2009 US $ 2095 US $ 880
Estimated International Airfare - International Airfare is NOT Included
International airfares based on current fares are: (Airfares are subject to change) Ex Vancouver $ 1935 per person Ex Toronto $ 2375 per person
Participants
This tour operates on a minimum group size of 10 participants.
Notes
Customised Itinerary If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you. Foreign Language Departures Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures. You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.