China Sampler

10 days
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4.9/5 Excellent
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Group Tour
China Sampler tour features some of Asia’s most dynamic cities: Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai, with guided sightseeing tours included in each of them as well as free time to explore at your own pace. Take in China’s deep history by visiting Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Soldiers, and the Bund!

Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Visit the Tiananmen Square (Beijing)
    • Explore the Great Wall (Beijing)
    • See the Terra Cotta Soldiers (Xian)
    • Embark on a guided orientation drive and stroll down the Bund (Shanghai)
    • Enjoy Suzhou Excursion (Shanghai)

What's this trip about?

    China Sampler tour features some of Asia’s most dynamic cities: Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai, with guided sightseeing tours included in each of them as well as free time to explore at your own pace. Take in China’s deep history by visiting Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Soldiers, and the Bund!

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityBeijing
End CityShanghai

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Cultural

Destinations

Attractions

  • Beijing
  • Shanghai
  • Suzhou
  • Terra Cotta Warriors
  • The Forbidden City
  • Tiananmen Square
  • Xian

Activities

  • Caving
  • Culture
  • Historic sightseeing
  • History
  • Nature
  • River cruise
  • Ruins & Archaeology

Trip includes

    • Round-trip airfare from San Francisco via Air China (Add $129 if departing from NYC, JFK)
    • Airfare taxes, fees & fuel surcharges
    • All intra-China flights and ground transportation
    • Accommodation at deluxe and first class hotels
    • 12 meals: 8 buffet breakfasts (B), 2 lunches (L), 2 dinners (D)
    • Sightseeing tours as described in itinerary
    • English-speaking Tour Director and local guides

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Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA.
Your magical journey with our China tour packages begin this afternoon as you depart on your wide-body jet flight bound for Beijing.

Day 2: Arrive Beijing.
Accommodation: Penta Hotel After crossing the International Date Line you arrive late this afternoon in Beijing, China’s lively capital and recent host to Summer Olympics. You’ll be greeted at the airport and travel to your upscale hotel centrally located in downtown B...
Day 3:
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner A day at leisure to explore at your own pace. Your hotel is ideally located for independent exploration. We suggest an optional ($65) full day excursion with lunch to the Forbidden City, the former seat of the emperors throughout the Ming an...
Day 4:
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch On today’s exhilarating included excursion venture outside the city to the legendary Great Wall, which extends nearly 4,000 miles. Time to view and mount the well-preserved ramparts of this ancient wonder before proceeding to the Ming Tombs, ...
Day 5: Beijing/Xian.
Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Golden Flower Hotel Morning at leisure. You may join an optional excursion ($65) to Beijing’s ancient back alleys (Hutong) by rickshaw and witness the way the Chinese have lived for centuries, and then proceed to the Temple of Heaven. Later today, fly to Xian, ancient capital of China for eleven dynasties and historic gateway to the old silk trading route.

Day 6:
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch On a guided morning excursion visit one of the world’s most amazing archaeological discoveries: a life-size Terra Cotta Army of soldiers and horses guarding the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi. It was unearthed in 1974 after being buried with the fir...
Day 7: Xian/Shanghai.
Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Fudan Hotel or Equatorial Hotel Today, fly to Shanghai, often described as “Paris of the East”. An intriguing, dynamic city, today’s Shanghai weaves the seaport legacy of its past with impressive new 21st century architect...
Day 8:
Meals: Breakfast Start your day with a guided walk amidst the scenic ponds, colorful pavilions and walkways of the 16th century Yu Yuan Garden, a delightful reminder of old Shanghai. The balance of the day is at leisure to explore at your own pace. You may join an opti...
Day 9: Optional Suzhou Excursion.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner A full day at leisure to explore Shanghai as you wish. We recommend an exciting optional ($65) excursion with lunch to the charming, canal laced Suzhou, often called “Paradise on Earth”. Here you embark on a boat ride on the ancient “Grand C...
Day 10: Shanghai/USA.
Meals: Breakfast Today, transfer to the airport for your return flight to the USA. Your memorable journey of your China Tours come to an end as you arrive back in the U.S. later today.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $1,499
Price per day$150
Single supplement (single occupancy)$299
Last Updated: 9/26/2018

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with SmarTours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

SmarTours Reviews & Ratings

4.9/5  Excellent
Excellent
996
Great
111
Average
1
Disappointing
2
Terrible
5
E

Ed Leufgen

Nov 2016

Written on

The China sampler tour

The China sampler was a wonderful trip. We had never ventured to the orient and the China Sampler was a good introduction to Chinese culture. We liked all the places...

P

P. Wu

Nov 2016

Written on

Amazing Tour of China

I have just returned from the China Sampler tour jet-lagged and happy, and I can’t stop talking about how incredible it was. Thanks to tour guide Michael (and a numb...

C

Charmaine Brown

Aug 2016

Written on

China Sampler

This is my 2nd trip with Smartours. I went with eight of my friends and family and we truly enjoyed our trip. Oscar our tour guide was the best. He was patient and e...

L

Lori Holdeman

Jul 2016

Written on

Wonderful Trip to China

I recently returned from the China Sampler and had a great trip. From the beginning of planning my trip to the end, the staff was helpful. Veronica helped a great de...

D

Diane Czerniak

May 2016

Written on

Almost Perfect

We enjoyed the trip. We were in a group that had used SmarTours several times and were happy with the results. We were made aware before the trip of all that needed ...

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smarTours was founded in 1996 with one goal in mind: to provide high quality, exciting group tour packages to some of the most fascinating countries in the world at the lowest possible price.  The team at smarTours believes deeply that high quality international travel should be affordable, and we work tirelessly to deliver affordability.

At smarTours, most of our travelers in any given year are repeat customers – they had such great experiences with us before that they decided to travel with us again.  And many of our customers are so happy with smarTours that they have made traveling with us an annual tradition, reaching 5, 10, even 15 trips with smarTours!  In other words, we must be doing at least a few things right.

Unbeatable Value: We provide exceptional value for your money, and it does not take that much time visiting our website to figure that out.  However, it can be difficult to compare the value provided by different tour operators because the tours are so intricate and multifaceted.  If you take the time to really peel back onion and evaluate the tours offered by smarTours, we are confident that you would come to the conclusion that our loyal customers have – that smarTours provides unbeatable value.

Phenomenal Tour Guides: If you ask anyone who has been on an escorted tour, they will tell you that the tour guides are an essential ingredient to making the trip a success.  The importance of tour guides is not lost on us at smarTours, which is why we are relentless in our pursuit and retention of the very best tour guides.  We are proud to say with confidence that our tour guides are phenomenal, and many of them have become celebrity-like figures within the smarTours community.

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Focus: Unlike most of our competitors, we focus exclusively on providing affordable group tours to foreign, largely exotic destinations.  In the travel business, it is particularly easy to get distracted by new trends and themes, but we have chosen to focus on what we do best.  We are extremely deliberate in introducing new tours because we have set a standard that our loyal customers have come to rely on, and we are committed to meeting and exceeding your expectations.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • Baggage and personal insurance
    • Passport and visa fees
    • Gratuities and optional tours
    • Expenses of personal nature
    • Any items not specifically mentioned in the itinerary
    • Beverages
    • Meals other than specified in the trip itinerary
    • Items of a personal nature

Accommodation

Night 1: International Flight: Air China Nights 2-4: Beijing: Penta Hotel Nights 5-6: Xian: Golden Flower Hotel Nights 7-9: Shanghai: Crowne Plaza Shanghai Fudan OR Shanghai: Hotel Equatorial Shanghai
Cancellation policy
Full Payment due 75 days before departure. Failure to make final payment on time may result in automatic cancellation of reservation and loss of deposit. Changes to the original reservation will result in a $150 change fee per person per change. No changes allowed within 75 days of departure. Cancellation charges per person are: Up to 75 days before departure: $300 74-45 days before departure: $600 44-30 days before departure: $1000 29-10 days before departure: $1500 9 days or less before departure: No refund. All cancellations must be received in writing.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included
8 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches and 2 Dinners
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Optional Activities
Full Day Forbidden City/Summer Palace with Lunch ($65 per person) Evening Kung Fu Performance and Peking Duck Dinner Banquet ($50 per person) Full-Day Hutong (Old Beijing) & Temple of Heaven Tour with Lunch ($65 per person) Tang Dynasty Show and Special Dumpling Dinner ($45 per person) Afternoon Shanghai Museum and Jade Buddha Temple Tour with Lunch ($38 per person) Shanghai Acrobats Performance and Dinner ($45 per person) Full Day Suzhou Excursion with Lunch ($65 per person)
Additional Information
Trip ID
smartours-ChiSamSam

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