Oriental Discovery - 11 Days

Your guide will meet you as you pass through the customs upon your arrival at Beijing Airport, and help you check in at the hotel. You can have a good rest to prepare for the exploration next day or to orient yourself to the city on your own. Accommodation: Beijing New World Centre Tongpai Hotel  (4 stars) 

After breakfast, you will start the day with a visit to Tiananmen Square. Following our guide across the square, you reach the entrance of the imperial palace - the Forbidden City. This Chinese imperial palace was home to emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, so you will see symbols of the royal family everywhere in the buildings, such as carved dragons, statues of lions and divine creatures, red walls and golden roofs. Around noon, we will treat you to an a la carte welcome lunch at an elegant Chinese restaurant off the regular tourist beat.  After lunch, you will visit the imperial altar of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Temple of Heaven, where emperors renewed their divine rights to rule through sacrificial offers to the gods.  Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

Today's highlight is to visit Mutianyu Great Wall. The round-trip cable car is included. The restaurants nearby the site are of low standard, so we do not arrange the lunch today. It may be the best that you have a big breakfast at the hotel and have some fast food for lunch by yourself. Your guide will show you some restaurants. In the afternoon, we will drive you back to downtown and have a photo stop at the Olympic National Stadium (Bird's Nest). You will see its splendid appearance at a distance.  At last, you will enjoy some free time at a local market.  Meals: Western buffet breakfast