PFLAG China Rainbow Cruise – China & Vietnam (ABCRC)

We will take an Air China flight departing from LAX

Fly to Beijing, the capital of China.

Upon arriving at Beijing airport, our tour representative will greet you and arrange for your transportation to the hotel, allowing you the first chance to experience China.

Tour Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world, followed by the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City, which was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty.

For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of the Chinese government.

Optional Program : Peking Duck Dinner Banquet with Wine
Peking Duck Dinner, Beijing’s most delicious entree, is a must when you come to Beijing. You will also taste local red wine while enjoying your delicious Peking Duck Dinner.

The culinary history of Peking duck can be dated back to Yuan dynasty when it was a dish of the imperial court. Peking Duck is prepared from specially-bred Beijing duck with a unique roasting process which gives it a perfect combination of color, aroma and taste, a crisp thin skin.

Peking duck is eaten with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce with pancakes rolled around the fillings. Sometimes pickled radish is also inside, and other sauces can be used. You may also have the chance to enjoy the culinary presentation as the chef roasts the duck directly over the fire and then slices the meat at table side.

Free morning on your own, you are welcome to join our optional tour in the morning.

Optional Program: Temple of Heaven and Rickshaw Tour with Lunch
Temple of Heaven (#4 of 1,617 things to do in Beijing) was a place for emperors to worship Heaven during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

First built in 1420, it is the largest and most iconic of Chinese ancient buildings. Hutongs are the narrow alleyways formed by joining together courtyard residences, and are a glimpse – fast disappearing – of what the city used to look like before the skyscrapers began encroaching on the skyline.

Fly to Xi’an in the afternoon; your tour guide will meet us at airport and drive us back to hotel.

Ancient City Wall and Gates, which represents one of the largest, oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls.

The rest of the day we will visit to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. The serendipitous discovery of the Terra Cotta Warriors in 1974 ranks as one of the world’s most important recent archaeological finds.

Three excavation pits have been opened to the public with a fourth underway. Spend some time admiring the warriors, horses, and carriages in battle formation. Next, you’ll head to the Terra Cotta Replication Factory that re-creates terracotta soldiers. 

In the morning, we will fly to Hangzhou. In the afternoon, we will take a small boat ride on West Lake to experience the ethereal beauty of Hangzhou’s willow draped islands.

Admire the Su Causeway. It was built in the fifth year of the Yuanyou Period during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 BCE)) and has evolved since then. At that time, Su Shi (Dongpo), a poet from Hangzhou Prefecture, had West Lake dredged and built the Su Causeway by dredging silt.

Take a coach bus to Suzhou, which dates back to 514 BCE, is sometimes called the “Venice of the East”. Visit Shan Tang Street, which has always been regarded as the first name of Suzhou ancient streets. It has a long history of about 1,100 years, and it has connections to many ancient Chinese celebrities and folk tales.

Optional Program: Boat ride on the Grand Canal with a walk around the local Neighborhood
Known as the “Venice of the East”, the classical gardens in Suzhou were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997 and 2000.

You will enjoy a boat trip on the world-famous Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which is the earliest and longest man-made watercourse in the world. In its long history, it has made enormous contributions to economic and cultural exchange between northern and southern China.

Today we will visit the Lingering Garden (#2 of 353 things to do in Suzhou), a renowned classical Chinese garden which is recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

China is famous for its silk, so we will take you to the Silk Spinning Factory. Then we will drive to Shanghai.

Shanghai is divided by the Huang Pu River into eastern and western sections. Modern high-rises are seen on the eastern side while traditional European-style architecture may be seen on the western side.

The Bund is a five-block riverfront promenade with many of Shanghai’s banks and trading houses.

Optional Program: Shanghai Lujiazui FTDZ & Huang Pu River Cruise
Located on the east bank of the Huang Pu River in Pudong, across from the Bund, Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone is the key financial center of Shanghai. It is surrounded by the Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and a large number of business buildings.

The Huang Pu River is the city’s shipping artery both to the East China Sea and the mouth of the Yangtze River. The Huang Pu River Cruise is just one of the best ways to have a look both old and new Shanghai.

You’ll see the magnificent skylines on both the historic west side (the Bund), and the modern east side (Pudong). A spectacular view can be seen from the two suspension bridges, Nanpu Bridge and Yangpu Bridge.

Check out some of Shanghai’s highlights, like the Local Souvenir & Gifts Bazaar where you can do some last minute shopping.

Continue to modern Xintiandi. Also, we will experience the first commercial maglev (magnetic-levitation) train in the world, which was developed by China and Germany, completed in 2002 after over a year of construction and began its commercial operation in 2003. The train’s maximum speed is 380 km per hour, covering 300 kilometers in just an 8-minute trip!

Do your last-minute shopping before you leave this lovely city.

Explore Shanghai on your own. Then we will enjoy the “ERA” – The Permanent Show. The show “ERA” in Shanghai has become one of the most popular forms of evening entertainment for tourists in the city, which integrates a traditional love story with modern performing art. ERA consists of many exciting elements, including acrobatics, dances, drama, music, martial arts, etc.

In the morning we will fly to Shenzhen, a modern metropolis that links Hong Kong to China’s mainland.

After lunch and take a break before boarding our Costa Atlantica Cruise. The minute you walk into Costa Atlantica, with its eye-popping colors and Murano glass decors with flashing lights you will be greeted by its large deck area, home to everything from a basketball court to a jogging track, and plenty of small nooks to escape the hustle and bustle.

Enjoy your day aboard the Costa Atlantica Cruise, complete with delicious food, spas, shopping, fitness center, casino and movie theater.

Arrive in Danang and explore the city on your own.

Da Nang is known as the tourist capital of South Central Vietnam, with a coastal location that makes for beautiful sunsets against an impressive backdrop of lush mountains.The best attractions in Da Nang are a mix of centuries-old pagodas, French colonial buildings, as well as tranquil beaches with clear blue waters, and verdant national parks.

In the evening, head back to the cruise and say goodbye to beautiful Danang.

Enjoy yourself on the cruise.

Back to Shenzhen. Your amazing tour ends today.

Our tour guide will say goodbye to you at the airport as you depart for home
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Or you can join our optional tour extension to Hong Kong for and additional 3 nights which includes train tickets between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, airport shuttle to the hotel in Hong Kong, 3 breakfasts, and a half day city tour for $599.