Updated Costs for tour

 
QANTAS02OCT Melbourne - Hong Kong 0935 1710 02OCT05OCT Hong Kong - Beijing 0900 1215 05OCT12OCT Shanghai - Sydney 1955 0935 13OCT13OCT Sydney - Melbourne 1200 1335 13OCT= $2555 with flights, Insurance and Volunteer option China Tour.

*These prices do not include costs of lunch and dinner, but will be included in the overall costs.

This post intends to provide students and parents with a more detailed overview of the Year 10 Asia Experience 2013.

(B)= Breakfast included

DAY 1/OCT 2 Hong Kong

Arrive in Hong Kong Intl Airport on flight with Qantas (yet to be identified). Meet & greet by the tour leader and private transfer to hotel. Afternoon exploration of the Mongkok District with the resident markets, temples and market alleys. Optional dinner at local Dim Sum Restaurant.

Overnight: Bianchi Lodge Hong Kong (http://www.caritas-chs.org.hk/eng/bianchi_lodge.asp)

DAY 2/OCT 3 Hong Kong (B)

Today you will be transferred by private couch up to Victoria Peak & Tram for a visit to Madame Tussauds and the Science Museum. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to Repulse Bay and the Stanley Market, followed by a trip on a Star Ferry to Kowloon and light show in the evening.

Overnight: Bianchi Lodge Hong Kong (http://www.caritas-chs.org.hk/eng/bianchi_lodge.asp)

DAY 3/OCT 4 Hong Kong (B)

Morning at leisure with guide for further exploration and/or shopping. Private transfer to airport at any time (to be decided once flights are booked)

Day 4/OCT 5 Beijing

 

Arrive at any time (also to be decided when flights are booked). Time at leisure followed by a 6:00pm briefing with your CEO and group dinner. Upon arrival we will check the notice board in the hotel reception for details of the time and place of the meeting for the following day.

Overnight: Far East International Hotel (http://www.hotelscombined.com.au/Hotel/Far_East_International_Hotel_Beijing.htm)

 

 

Day 5/OCT 6 Beijing/Volunteering (B)

 

Today we will visit the Great Wall in the morning. In the early afternoon we’ll continue on from the Great Wall to a Special Commune, a unique rural community set up to advocate and empower intellectually challenged individuals to be part of their community and support them through work and continual learning. After a long day at the wall we’ll take time to relax and get to know the area before enjoying a welcome dinner with a Chinese song and dance performance by some of the students who live at the facility, one of the ongoing projects designed to provide meaningful employment opportunities.

Overnight: Village home stay with en suite.

 

Day 6/OCT 7 Beijing (B)

 

This morning, we’ll help with the planting and harvesting of crops, participate in cultural activities or pay a visit to a nearby orphanage/school for migrant children.

Return to Beijing in the afternoon. Then depart on a guided tour to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square with our CEO.

Overnight: Far East International Hotel (http://www.hotelscombined.com.au/Hotel/Far_East_International_Hotel_Beijing.htm)

 

 

Days 7-8/OCT 8-9 Xi'an (B)

 

In the morning, transfer to the airport to board a short flight to Xi'an (2 hour flight). Transfer to hotel upon arrival. Our CEO will take us on an orientation walk through one of Xi’an’s most fascinating areas — the Muslim Quarter. Tour the lovely and unusual Great Mosque (a wonderfully serene place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city), great souvenir stalls and some of the best street food in China. The remaining city walls are a great place to watch the sunset and join the locals for ballroom dancing or tai chi in the early morning. We’ll also be going on a trip to the Terracotta Warriors, situated a short drive out of town (approximately 1 hour). In the evening of Day 7, we board an overnight sleeper train that will ease us into Suzhou early the following morning. (Approx. 12 hrs)

Overnight: City Hotel Xi'an

 

Day 9/OCT 10 Suzhou

 

We will visit one of China's most exquisite gardens, Master of the Nets, and take in a traditional Chinese performance, complete with ancient costumes, folk singing and dancing, and traditional instruments. The Garden of Master of the Nets includes both a residential quarter and a delicately landscaped garden, both of which are illuminated at night by lanterns. The afternoon for leisure to shop/relax and explore the surroundings.

Overnight: Liu Yuan Hotel (http://www.hotels.com/ho362643/greentree-alliance-suzhou-liuyuan-hotel-suzhou-jiangsu-china/)

 

Day 10/OCT 11 Shanghai (B)

 

Arrive in Shanghai and enjoy an orientation walk to help us get our bearings. In the evening, we’ll be letting loose like the locals with a karaoke session in a private room for the group. This will definitely be a night to remember! In the afternoon, it’s time for shopping on the famous Nanjing Road or stroll along the Bund district, with its many riverside historical buildings.

Overnight: Jinjiang Inn the Bund (http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g308272-d1050793-Reviews-Jinjiang_Inn_Shanghai_The_Bund-Shanghai.html)

 

Day 11/OCT 12 Shanghai (B)

Depart at any time (times to be decided once flights are booked).