On this overland program you will gain great insight into Chinese history with visits to Confucius’ home town, the Great Wall of China, Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. Travel between cities on the speedy Chinese Bullet Train.
Special Note: Any guests travelling with Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POC) or CPAP breathing machines should read further below for airline stipulations with regards to bringing this equipment on tour.
Day 1 - June 7, 2023
Following lunch onboard, disembark, in Shanghai, meet your guide and transfer to the Hongqiao Railway Station for a ride on the bullet train to Qufu, the hometown of the Confucius. A ride on the bullet train is an adventure in itself as you reach speeds from 200–350 km/h (120–220 mph).
Upon arrival in Qufu, transfer to your hotel for check-in. The remainder of the day is at your leisure, and dinner is on your own.
Day 2 - June 8, 2023
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will visit the temple, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius, which are collectively listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Confucian temples were once widely built throughout East Asia to commemorate Confucius, the great philosopher, politician and educator who lived in the 6th to 5th centuries BC. The Confucian Temple in Qufu is the largest and the most renowned of its kind. The nearby Kong Family Mansion is the historical residence of the direct descendants of Confucius.
Due to the devotion of successive Chinese emperors over more than 2,000 years, the residence developed from a small family house linked to the temple into a gigantic aristocratic mansion with more than 150 buildings. Confucius, some of his disciples and thousands of his descendants are buried at the Confucius Cemetery.
After lunch, you will be transferred to the railway station for a bullet train ride to Beijing. Upon arrival there, you will be transferred to the hotel for check-in. The remainder of the day will be at your leisure with dinner on your own.
Day 3 – June 9, 2023
After breakfast at the hotel, you will enjoy a scenic drive to the section of the Great Wall at Juyongguan Pass. The Great Wall is actually a series of walls first constructed more than 2000 years ago in an attempt to ward off northern nomads. NOTE: There are steps of varying heights to access the wall.
After a traditional Chinese-style lunch at a restaurant, you will continue to the Summer Palace, which is on the northwestern outskirts of Beijing. The Summer Palace is the best preserved and largest imperial garden in China. Its main features include Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill.
Like most imperial palaces in China, this palace is divided into three parts: the hall of benevolence and longevity for political affairs, the hall of joyful longevity for residents and the Tower of Buddhist Incense for religious use. UNESCO has listed the Summer Palace on its World Heritage list, regarding it as “a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value.”
Return to your hotel to freshen up before dinner at a local restaurant where you will savor a traditional Beijing Roast Duck meal.
Day 4 – June 10, 2023
After breakfast at the hotel, pay a visit to the impressive Tian’anmen Square, the largest public square in the world and site of many important events in Chinese history. Next you will visit the Forbidden City, home to the emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The sprawling complex includes pavilions, halls, courtyards and gates showcasing some of the most important treasures of China’s imperial past.
Continue with a visit to Jingshan Park, which was part of the Forbidden City until the 1900s. From the Pavilion of Everlasting Spring, which perches atop Coal Hill, you will be rewarded with one of the best views of Beijing.
After lunch, sit back and relax and enjoy the drive to the Port of Tianjin where you will re-board the ship.
Land Program Step by Step
The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. All program details and the timings indicated below are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change. Final itineraries with up-to-date details will be provided by the Destination Services Team once you board the ship. Please review your final itinerary carefully for any amendments.
Day 1
1:00pm Depart from the port of Shanghai
2:00pm Arrive at the railway station
3:05pm Bullet train from Shanghai to Qufu (Timings subject to change)
6:31pm Arrive in Qufu
7:15pm Check in at your hotel
Evening at leisure and dinner on your own
Overnight at Shangri-La Hotel Qufu or similar hotel
Day 2
AM Breakfast at your hotel
8:30am Drive to the Confucius Temple
9:00am Visit to the Confucius Temple, Kong Family Mansion & Confucius Cemetery
12:30pm Lunch at a local restaurant
1:50pm Transfer to the railway station
2:20pm Arrive at railway station
3:06pm Bullet train from Qufu to Beijing (Timings subject to change)
5:29pm Arrive in Beijing
6:45pm Check in at your hotel
Evening at leisure and dinner on your own
Overnight at the Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel or similar hotel
Day 3
AM Breakfast at your hotel
8:00am Depart from the hotel
9:30am Visit to the Great Wall at Juyongguan Section
12:00pm Lunch at a local restaurant
2:30pm Visit the Summer Palace
5:00pm Return to your hotel
6:30pm Depart for dinner
7:00pm Peking Duck Dinner at local renowned restaurant
9:00pm Return to your hotel
Overnight at the Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel or similar hotel
Day 4
AM Breakfast at your hotel
8:00am Depart from the hotel
8:30am Visit Tian’anmen Square
9:45am Visit Forbidden City
11:45am Visit Jinshan Park
1:15pm Lunch at a local restaurant
2:15pm Drive to the pier in Tianjin – restroom stop made en-route
5:00pm Arrive at the pier and re-board the ship
Expected Weather
Qufu: This is the beginning of summer, with comfortable temperatures. The average daytime temperature in Qufu in June is around 24°C (75°F) and the average night-time temperature is around 11°C (52°F).
Beijing: Days are clear in general but there is still big temperature difference between day and night, with temperatures ranging from 87° Fahrenheit (30° Celsius) to 65° Fahrenheit (18° Celsius).
What to Bring:
Warm comfortable clothing including a jacket, an umbrella and comfortable walking shoes. The attire is casual for the entire program.
Restrooms:
Restrooms in China vary from having toilets to holes in the floor. The cleanliness standards are not always equal to those of the western world. You will encounter both types of restroom facilities on your travels in China. It is advisable to bring hand sanitizer and extra tissues and toilet paper at all times.
Local Currency:
The Chinese Yuan, denoted by CNY, is the official currency in China. You can use U.S. dollars, Euros and English pounds in hotels, in friendship stores, to buy items from vendors in scenic spots, for optional tours and to tip hotel porters, tour guides and drivers and whomever else you want to tip.
You cannot use U.S. dollars or other foreign currencies in department stores or small convenience stores, local restaurants or for some street vendors.
Electricity:
The electricity in China is generally 220V, 50HZ, AC. A transformer is necessary. Most hotels in China have both 110V and 220V electrical outlets in the bathrooms, although in the guest rooms usually only 220V sockets are available. We recommend bringing a travel adaptor for electric devices.
Luggage allowance for China bullet trains:
Each passenger may enjoy free baggage allowance of one piece of luggage not exceeding 130cm (51 inches) by length + width + height in size and 20 kg (44 pounds) in weight. In seat class carriages, passengers can put their carry-on baggage on the racks above the seats.
Items not allowed on China trains:
1. Sharp and dangerous objects such as knives including kitchen knives, table knives and fruit knives, scissors, daggers and axe hammers.
2. Explosives and combustibles, including fireworks, medical and industrial alcohol, drinking alcohol in loose packing, decoration paint, gasoline, kerosene and diesel oil.
3. Weaponry and police arms including guns, toy guns, tear-gas guns, fire-fighting guns and nail guns along with bullets, gunpowder, bombs, grenades, signal flares, police batons and bows and arrows.
4. Defibrillators
5. Magnetic material that may influence the running signal
Items restricted as carry-on on China trains:
1. Lighters: at most 2
2. Matches: at most 2 small boxes
3. Drinking alcohol: at most 6 bottles (500 ml or 17.6 fl oz in each bottle) with 50% or less volume and up to 2 bottles if over 50% volume. The bottles must be unpacked.
4. Cigarettes: at most 50 cartons
5. Nail polisher, hair dye: at most 20ml (0.7 fl oz)
6. Aerosol spray cans containing hairspray, hair gel, styling mousse, insecticide and air freshener: at most 120 ml (4.2 fl oz)
Documents and visa requirements:
A Chinese visa is required for this overland program as well as a valid passport.
Please consult with your local Chinese Embassy for visa regulations for your nationality.
Hotel addresses:
Qufu:
Shangri-La Hotel Qufu or similar hotel
3 Chunqiu Road, Qufu, Shandong, 273100 China
Phone: +86 537 505 8888
Beijing
Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel or similar
36 Bei San Huan Dong Lu, , Beijing 100013, China
Phone: +86 10 5798 8888
*We will only source different hotels in unforeseen situations. If similar hotels are required, they will be of equal ratings and standards and you will be notified of the change. If you are not notified of changes before your departure, then you will be staying at the hotels listed in this program.
Program Includes:
•First-class bullet train tickets Shanghai – Qufu - Beijing
•1 night at the Shangri-La Hotel in Qufu or similar - deluxe room
•2 nights at the Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel or similar - deluxe room
•3 breakfasts, 3 lunches in restaurants (lunch includes a soft drink, local beer or mineral water), and 1 Beijing Roast Duck dinner
•All transfers, sightseeing and entrance fees as per program
Program Excludes:
•Any meals and drinks not specified above
•Gratuities to drivers and tour guides
•Hotel incidentals and other personal items
•Chinese visa
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, gravel and natural paths. There may also be steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation.
All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations.
Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Mid-cruise overland programs must be purchased no later than 60 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 60 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty.
