Sunday, January 29 (Day 01)
HONOLULU to BEIJING
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble at the check-in lobby at the airport for baggage check-in procedures for our flight to the Beijing Capital International Airport. A meal and a snack will be served on board the flight.
Monday, January 30 (Day 02)
ARRIVE BEIJING
We’ll arrive at the Beijing Airport in the evening and after clearing immigration and customs procedures, our Grande Holiday representative will be there to escort us to the hotel to check-in for two nights.
Accommodations at Crowne Plaza Parkview Wuzhou or similar
Tuesday, January 31 (Day 03)
BEIJING (B)(L)(SD)
Complimentary winter kits consisting of a winter overcoat, hat, scarf, gloves, long winter pants and snow shoes will be distributed to each member before embarking on our tour of the city. We’ll start the day with an interesting visit to a jade workshop to learn all about the history, culture, and quality of Chinese jade. We’ll continue on to visit the fabled Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted as one of the greatest wonders of the world. The Great Wall is a massive structure of stone and earth, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intruders. The Juyongguan Pass section of the Great Wall, where we will visit and climb, was used to protect China’s capital city of Beijing. A dinner will be provided for you this evening at a local restaurant.
Accommodations at Crowne Plaza Parkview Wuzhou or similar
Wednesday, February 1 (Day 04)
BEIJING - HARBIN (B)(L)(D)
After breakfast, we’ll transfer to the airport and board our domestic flight to Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province of the People’s Republic of China - site of the spectacular Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. This festival venue is noted as one of the world’s four largest ice and snow festivals - along with Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada’s Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway’s Ski Festival. Winter swimming is a popular sport in Harbin which shows strong body and the will of the Harbin people to defy the severe cold. We’ll travel to Songhua River and witness some brave people swimming and diving in the river in sub-zero temperatures. We’ll continue on to visit Zhaolin Park where the Ice Carving Festival competition is held annually. Located on the banks of the Songhua River, participants from all over the world create spectacular ice and snow sculptures. The freezing temperatures provide perfect conditions for them to get creative as they chisel away with their blocks of ice. The competition transforms the park into a glittering wonderland of spectacular ice sculptures and lanterns. We’ll spend three exciting nights in Harbin.
Accommodations at Sofitel Wanda Harbin or similar
Thursday, February 2 (Day 05)
HARBIN (B)(L)(D)
We’ll visit Sun Island Park (Taiyang Dao), the largest recreational center in Harbin, consisting of one big island and several smaller islands located in the Songhua River. During the winter season, the island is gracefully covered in snow and used as a playground for various winter sports. The renowned annual International Snow Carving Festival is held here - where fancy sculptures are carved by participants from all over the world in the shapes of animals, notable figures, and buildings. Located at the northern bank of the Songhua River is the Siberian Tiger Park, the largest natural wild animal park in the world, protecting more than five hundred endangered purebred Siberian tigers. Witness tigers attacking live prey for their next meal. As we drive through this park on special shuttle buses, we’ll view more wild animals roaming about freely, including white tigers, lions, and leopards. This evening, enjoy a delicious dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodations at Sofitel Wanda Harbin or similar
Friday, February 3 (Day 06)
HARBIN (B)(L)(D)
In the morning, we’ll embark on a sightseeing tour through the main streets of Harbin, visiting some of the highlights of the city. In the late afternoon, we’ll visit the main attraction of our winter tour - the spectacular Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. As you stroll through this winter wonderland, marvel at the magnificent, exquisitely-detailed, gigantic ice sculptures. View creations of notable buildings and monuments of different architectural types and styles, figures of animals, people, mythical creatures, ice slides and lanterns. When evening sets in, multicolored lights illuminate the sculptures, creating a breathtaking display of these icy works of art. Dinner will be provided for you at a local restaurant.
Accommodations at Sofitel Wanda Harbin or similar
Saturday, February 4 (Day 07)
HARBIN TO BEIJING (B)(L)
This morning, we’ll transfer to the airport to check-in for our domestic flight back to the city of Beijing. Upon arrival, we’ll proceed to visit more of the highlights of this exciting city. We’ll stroll through Olympic Park, constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The Beijing National Stadium or Bird’s Nest is the centerpiece of this project which hosted the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics. Located next to the National Stadium is the Beijing National Aquatics Center or Water Cube that hosted the swimming, diving and synchronized swimming events. We’ll make a stop at a Silk Factory to learn the interesting process of producing silk from live silk worms. Enjoy the rest of the day shopping at the Silk Alley Market. An exciting indoor shopping complex, it accommodates over 1,700 vendors offering various merchandise at discounted prices. Brush-up on your bargaining skills to get the best prices for your merchandise. Dinner will be on your own this evening.
Accommodations at Crowne Plaza Parkview Wuzhou or similar
Sunday, February 5 (Day 08)
BEIJING (B)(L)
We’ll drive by Tiananmen Square, the largest and most magnificent public square in the world. The Square has great cultural significance as it was the site of several key events in Chinese history. We’ll visit the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall - a four-story building designed to introduce the transformation of Beijing from its primitive stage, to the emergence of a city, and eventually to a big metropolis and capital of a multi-nation state. Enjoy the rest of the day shopping at the Beijing Yashow Market - a paradise for bargain hunters. Surrounded by bars, restaurants, and cafes, this is a popular eating and drinking area for tourists. The general quality of the goods here are competitive to any other market in Beijing with a nice selection of merchandise. Dinner will be on your own this evening.
Accommodations at Crowne Plaza Parkview Wuzhou or similar
Monday, February 6 (Day 09)
BEIJING - CHITOSE (B)
This morning, we’ll transfer to the airport to board a flight to Chitose Airport on the island of Hokkaido. The airport is located in the city of Chitose, one of the gateways to the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. We’ll arrive in the evening, then transfer by foot to our hotel located at the airport and check-in for the night. Dinner will be on your own this evening.
Accommodations at Hotel Coms Chitose Airport or similar
Tuesday, February 7 (Day 10)
CHITOSE - SAPPORO (B)(D)
Our winter festival tour in Japan begins with a visit to the Hyoto Ice Festival - a fantastic world of ice and snow sculptures displayed at Lake Shikotsu, located in the central part of Hokkaido. Famed for the clarity of its water, this beautiful caldera lake forms a part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. We’ll continue on to Sapporo city - the capital of Hokkaido to spend the next two nights. At the Susukino Ice Festival in Sapporo’s lively entertainment and shopping district of Susukino, enjoy strolling to view hundreds of intricate ice carvings lined along the main street. For lunch, try some Sapporo ramen at the popular Ramen Yokocho, a narrow noodle alley in Susukino with many small shops serving a variety of delicious ramen. This afternoon, we’ll visit the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri, the largest winter festival in Japan centered on Odori Park, featuring spectacular snow statues and ice sculptures. Created by various artisans, each block has its own creations, turning Odori Park into a fabulous winter dreamland. In the evenings, the festival venue is a breathtaking sight to see, beautifully illuminated with colored lights. Enjoy a delicious Genghis Khan dinner at the Sapporo Beer Garden this evening.
Accommodations at SAPPORO CENTURY ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Wednesday, February 8 (Day 11)
SAPPORO (B)
We’ll travel to historical Otaru, a charming port town in western Hokkaido. The symbol of this city is Otaru Canal, lined with gaslights and stone warehouses, providing a nostalgic and romantic atmosphere. Otaru is also noted for its elegant glassware and we’ll have some time to browse through the Kitaichi Glass Shop offering a nice selection of their intricate products. We’ll visit the Okurayama Ski Jump, the main ski jump used in the 1972 Winter Olympic Games providing a spectacular view over Sapporo city. Okurayama is now used as a prime training facility for athletes at Nordic events. Hokkaido is known as the birthplace of beer in Japan. This afternoon, we’ll visit the Asahi Beer Factory to enjoy a guided tour of their facility explaining the process of beer production. At the conclusion of the tour, samples of some of their delicious products will be available in the tasting room for you to enjoy. This evening, dinner will be on your own to try some local cuisine at one of the restaurants in the underground shopping mall located near the hotel.
Accommodations at SAPPORO CENTURY ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Thursday, February 9 (Day 12)
SAPPORO TO CHITOSE TO HONOLULU
This morning, we’ll proceed to the Chitose Airport to check-in for our flight home to Honolulu. We’ll arrive in the morning on the same day due to the crossing of the International Date Line.