Early morning flight on United Airlines or United Express from your hometown to one of the following gateway cities. Change planes.
Fri 8May 1114 Leave San Francisco SFO
on UNITED AIRLINES UA/889, Boeing 747-400, non-stop! Dinner served aloft. En route over Alaska, crossing the International Dateline.
Sat 9May 1425 Arrive BEIJING, China
OR:
Fri 8May 1246 Leave Chicago ORD
on UNITED AIRLINES UA/851, Boeing 777, non-stop. Lunch and dinner served aloft. En route over Alaska, then crossing the International Dateline.
Sat 9May 1500 Arrive BEIJING, China
Beijing
On arrival in Beijing
Meet&Greet by our Chinese local hosts and transfer to your
a fine 4 1/2-star hotel centrally located only 10 minutes walk from the famous Tiananmen Square. Settle in at the hotel and relax this evening from your journey.
Dinner on own.
Sun 10May In Beijing
Flag raising - Tiananmen Square
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Early risers enjoy an optional, easy jog from the hotel to the Tiananmen Square to watch the traditional flag raising ceremony at dawn, witnessed every day by several thousand local Chinese. Continue jog during sunrise around the Forbidden City complex and back to the hotel. Guided personally by Kathy and Kurt.
Forbidden City
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Breakfast at the hotel.
0800 Morning Forbidden City Tour visiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City's Imperial Palace. Lunch at a local Restaurant. Afternoon at leisure. Start exploring the city on your own for the greatest shopping opportunities you can imagine. Visit the silk alley, the pearl market, the Friendship Store, or any of the many other exciting shopping areas. Your US dollar is strong in China, making everything look like a bargain...
1700 Welcome to China "Happy Hour" at our hotel.
Eve: Acrobatic Show at the famous Chao Yang Theatre. Includes transfers.
Dinner on own.
Mon 11May In Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure.
Dinner on own.
Tue 12May In Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure for shopping, or join an optional morning tour to the Summer Palace with lunch, or a free afternoon shuttle service to/from the Beijing Silk Exhibition Hall.
Dinner on own.
Wed 13May In Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure for shopping. Join a free afternoon shuttle service to/from the Beijing Silk Exhibition Hall.
Dinner on own. Optional Dinner outing to one of the leading Sichuan Restaurants in the Hutong area, or optional Peking Duck Dinner at the Bianyi Fang Roast Duck Restaurant.
Thu 14May In Beijing
Great Wall - Inspection Day
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Early morning light breakfast at the hotel. Every traveler to China wants to climb the Great Wall, and today your dreams come true on this "mandatory" site inspection. Full day trip by motorcoach to the isolated section of the Great Wall of China where the runs will take place on 16May. This visit is mandatory for everyone in order to familiarize yourself with the Great Wall and the run route. You will be walking the actual 4-km, incredibly spectacular section of the Wall which is included on the run. Sandwich lunch is included. Return directly to your hotel in the mid-afternoon.
Eve: A special, exclusive carbo-loading Pasta Dinner is included this evening for our group at our hotel.
Fri 15May In Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel.
0830 Morning Hutong Tour A visit to the Old Beijing section where a lot of the local Beijing people still live, and are known as a window into Beijing folk life. Includes a pedicab ride, a visit to a kindergarten, and lunch with local families.
Afternoon at leisure. Optional free shuttle service to/from the Beijing Silk Exhibition Hall. Or treat yourself to a traditional Chinese massage or a foot reflexology, all available at your hotel. Or just take advantage of the hotel's indoor swimming pool (swim cap required!), the gym, the 4-lane bowling alley or the billiard room for your enjoyment.
Dinner on own. Plan to tuck in early!
Sat 16May RACE DAY!
Great Wall Marathon start
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This is surely going to be one of the most exciting and memorable days of your life...
Coffee and juices and light breakfast items at the hotel. THIS IS YOUR DAY! Very early morning wake-up call for 3-hour, 130 km drive by motorcoach (yes, you can sleep on the bus) to "our" piece of the Great Wall at Huangyaguan for THE event, the Great Wall Marathon or Half Marathon or 10k, whichever you have chosen. It takes place on a part of the 6,000 km long Great Wall which is not generally visited by tourists.
This is an official international event with chip timing, medals, and certificates for all participants. The primary objective is not time, but fun and the experience of having "done" the Great Wall Marathon or Half Marathon or 10k. What a thrill it is - just talk to Kathy Loper or Kurt Bodmer who have done it several times, or to some of the over 1400 people who went with us in the last seven years. For the accompanying "spectators", non-runners, lunch will be
provided at the Wall and the bus will take them to various places along the village route to cheer on the runners. Perfect for family members of participating runners.
All KLE participants (including spectators) will be treated to a special 20-minute cool-down massage at our own "exclusive KLE massage tent" at the finish line. Afternoon bus back to your hotel, feeling exhausted and yet, triumphant!
Dinner on own.
Sun 17May In Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel. Sleep in and recover! No particular plans today, although adventurous souls may wish to explore the city further and do some more shopping. For those interested, we will offer an optional morning tour to the Lama Temple, one of the most interesting religious buildings in Beijing, originally built in 1694. Includes a visit to a carpet factory, to see how carpet is woven by hand.
Eve: Gala Dinner for all participating runners and non-runners. A very special, elaborate Chinese Banquet to celebrate the runners' triumph over the Great Wall. A fun evening, sharing the experience with others. Includes transfers.
Mon 18May ~ Beijing - Chengdu
Early morning coffee and rolls available.
0600 Transfer to airport by Guo Feng coach and guide.
0800 Leave Beijing for Chengdu by flight via Air China CA1405
1040 Arrive Chengdu.
Upon arrival in Chengdu, visit Dufu's Cottage museum - the great Chinese poet in Tang Dynasty who wrote more than 240 poems in his cottage, you would explore the Chinese history and poetry culture from this typical cottage and its host who had been well known as "Chinese Shakespeare".
1200 Lunch at local restaurant.
Afternoon visit to the park of Wangjiang Pavilion - symbolic structure of Chengdu attract a lot of tourists to pay a look over the beautiful view of the park on the bank of the river. Afterwards you would walk through the old town and mingle yourselves with the locals, you have chance to visit the old tea house and see the local people sing the Sichuan Opera.
1800 Dinner will be at the famous Sichuan restaurant for flavor including spicy food and hot pot.
After dinner, check into ...
A 5 star Hotel located centrally in downtown.
Evening at leisure in the hotel.
Panda World
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Tue 19May ~ Chengdu / Wolong
Buffet breakfast at hotel.
0830 Full day trip to Wolong transferred by the private coach and good English speaking guide. Enjoy the green mountains with picturesque terrace along the road, and see the buffalo plowing in the paddy rice fields. After 3 hours' drive, you would arrive in Wolong - the world largest panda breeding center, you may get close-up shoot photos taking with those who are regarded as living fossil - grand panda and the their babies.
1200 Lunch at local restaurant in Wolong.
Afternoon visit to the panda museum both for grand panda and baby panda as well as other 29 kinds of national precious animals under special preservation.
Transfer back to Chengdu.
1800 Dinner at local restaurant in Chengdu.
Relax at hotel in the evening.
Wed 20 May ~ Chengdu / Leshan / Emei Mount
Leshan Stone Buddha
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Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out of the hotel.
0830 Full day trip to Emei Mount via Leshan by high way. After 2 hours' drive, you would arrive in Leshan, visit the world largest sitting Buddha statue - 71 meters in height which built in Tang Dynasty, taking the boat cruise long the Min River to see the Buddha statue is one of the highlights, you may take a hike by over hundreds steps to reach the top of hill with a bird eye view over the Buddha statue.
1230 Lunch at local restaurant in Leshan.
1530 After visit the main temples in Leshan, we would drive to Emei Mount.
1630 Arrive Emei Mount.
Upon arrival, check into...
No. 5 WING - 4 star. A typical mountain view hotel with spa pool facilities and a best location at the foot of Emei Mount.
Emei Mount
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Thu 21 May ~ Emei Mount - the World Nature and Culture Heritage
Breakfast at the hotel.
0800 Full day trip to Wannian Temple by cable car, visit the famous temple with so many treasures and history tracing back to Song Dynasty.
1200 Lunch at local restaurant on the mountain.
After lunch drive back and see the Gragon Gate at the West Hill where you may get a full screen view on Kunming Lake before the Sun set.
1400 After lunch, take the cable car to continue climb up the mount and get your another highlight - Golden Buddha on the top of the mount, up to the middle way, you could challenge yourselves to hike up over hundreds steps to the top. After the photo taking and getting a full screen view over the cloud of the sea, you would take cable car down the mountain.
1800 Dinner at the hotel.
Evening at leisure at hotel or you may take the spa on your own.
Fri 22 May ~ Emei / Chengdu / Shanghai
Breakfast at hotel.
0830 Transfer to Chengdu airport for flight to Shanghai.
1220 Depart Chengdu on Shanghai Airlines FM9542, snack served, non-stop.
1450 Arrive Shanghai Pudong Airport. Meet & Greet and transfer to ...
5-star with all suite rooms, centrally located near the famous Nanjing Road and the Bund.
Balance of afternoon with a visit to the Nanjing Road and the Bund. Dinner at local restaurant. This evening, a highlight - Huangpu River Night Cruise arranged to observe the sparkling night view along the bund as well as the splendid integration of the old and the new.
Sat 23 May ~ In Shanghai
Breakfast at hotel.
0800 Full day tour includes morning tour of the city including sit-down "tea-tasting" at the Jade Buddha Temple, YuYuan Garden and the Shanghai Museum.
1200 Lunch at local restaurant.
Afternoon at leisure for touring or shopping on your own in this exciting city.
1800 Leave hotel for Dim Sum Dinner at Lu Bo Lang Restaurant.
Sun 25 May ~ Shanghai - USA
Breakfast at hotel.
Transfer to the airport for one of the following flights home:
1225 Leave Shanghai on UNITED AIRLINES UA/858, Boeing 747-400, non-stop. Dinner and breakfast served, Cross the International Dateline, gain one calendar day.
Sun 25 May 0825 Arrive San Francisco SFO.
OR
Sun 25 May 1555 Leave Shanghai Pudong Airport on UNITED AIRLINES UA/836, Boeing 777, non-stop. dinner and breakfast served aloft.
Cross the International Dateline, gain one day.
Sun 25 May 1614 Arrive Chicago ORD.
Sun 25 May On arrival at your above US gateway city, clear Immigration and Customs.
Connect to your hometown on United Airlines or United Express.
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