"Pingyao, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is an exceptionally well-preserved traditional Han Chinese city. Its city walls, old temples and courtyard houses were built in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Located on the old trade route between Beijing and Xi'an, Pingyao was one of the flourishing trade centres in northern China. It was here, where China's first banks were set up in the early 18th century which rapidly developed into a widespread network of banks all over the country. After its heyday the city fell into decline after about 1850, and its streets stayed unchanged since then because of the lack of money for maintenance work. On this 4-day trip you will not only visit the old town with its old streets and courtyard houses complexes, but also Zhengguo Temple, Shuanglin Temple and Jinci Temple.
Four-day trip to Pingyao and Datong
Day-by-day itinerary:
Day 1 Beijing/Pingyao(by train)
Take the overnight train K603 (17:07-04:32) or 1163(19:03-07:31) from Beijing to Pingyao.
Day 2 Pingyao(B)
A local tour guide will meet you at the railway station and take you to your hotel (good local court-yard hotel). The highlight of today's tour will be wandering around the old town of Pingyao, which was built according to the traditional Han Chinese town planning and architectural style. Four main streets, eight narrower ones and 72 small lanes formed a neat grid. The town's dwellings were built either in the style of courtyard houses or man-made cave-houses. Old temples and shops are still scattered all over the town which bring back to the memories of its flourishing past. At the end of the visiting, you will have some free time in the old town on you own. Overnight in the court-yard Hotel.
Day 3 Pingyao/Taiyuan/Beijing(B)
A visit to Shuanglin Temple, Zhenguo Temple and Jinci Temples. Take the night train K602 (21:30-08:05) or K610 (21:20-05:28) from Taiyuan to Beijing.
Day 4 Beijing
Arrive in Beijing in the morning. The end of the tour.
"B" for breakfast
• TOUR COST:(group tour, minimum 2 in a group)::
RMB1910/person or USD273/pax (hard sleeper)
RMB2070/person or USD296/pax (soft sleeper)
The single supplement: RMB200/pax or USD29/pax
INCLUDING:
• Entrance fees, court-yard hotel accommodation, breakfast, transportation service, English-speaking tour guide, return train ticket(hard or soft sleeper), travel service liability insurance.
EXCLUDING:
• Lunch and dinner, individual travel insurance, tips, any personal expenses such as hotel laundry service, telephone and fax charges, optional visits and entertainments.
Note:
• As the exchange rate of RMB to USD is flexible, we reserve the right to change the quote in USD according to the exchange rate on the date you pay the tour.
• If you have 6 or more signed up together, the tour cost will be RMB100/pax or USD15/pax cheaper. Meanwhile, if you sign up with less than six persons together, you are supposed to travel with other tourists departure on the same date if there are.
• The tour could be booked anytime if train ticket available.
• We reserve to right to choose the train according to the seat. We couldn¡¯t promise the soft or hard sleeper, it could be either of them.
• If you prefer to have a room individually, you are expected to pay the single supplement.
• The prices do not apply to National Holidays (Pinyao International Photography, Spring Festival, Labour Day, National Day, Around 2008 the Olympic Game, and so on).
• Reservation should be made at least 5 days before departure time.
