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Great Wall China Tour
Beijing 7N Itinerary
Beijing Program - 7 nights
Monday 10 May - Tuesday 18 May
Early morning flight on United Airlines or United Express from your hometown to one of the following gateway cities. Change planes.
Mon 10May 1114 Leave San Francisco SFO
on UNITED AIRLINES UA/889, Boeing 747-400, non-stop! Lunch and dinner served aloft. En route over Alaska, crossing the International Dateline.
Tue 11May 1425 Arrive BEIJING, China
OR:
Mon 10May 1246 Leave Chicago ORD
on UNITED AIRLINES UA/851, Boeing 777, non-stop. Lunch and dinner served aloft. En route over Alaska, crossing the International Dateline.
Tue 11May 1500 Arrive BEIJING, China
Beijing
On arrival in Beijing
Meet&Greet by our Chinese local hosts and transfer to your
a fine 5-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.
Imperial Palace
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Wed 12May In Beijing
Early risers get the "kinks" out with an optional early morning guided run, watching the traditional daily flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square
Breakfast at the hotel.
0830 Morning Forbidden City Tour visiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City's Imperial Palace. 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.
Dinner on own. Optional dinner outing to one of the leading Sichuan restaurants in the Hutong area, or optional Peking Duck Dinner outing to the Bianyi Fang Roast Duck Restaurant.
Thu 13May 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 15May. This visit is mandatory for all runners 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 Great 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 14May In Beijing
Breakfast at the hotel.
0830 Morning Old Beijing "Hutong" Tour by coach and pedicab with lunch at a local family home. Visit a kindergarten and meet a neighborhood committee to learn the way of life in a Hutong. Enjoy being involved in preparing your own lunch family style with courtyard families.
Afternoon at leisure.
Free shuttle service available this afternoon to/from Silk Exhibition Hall, with a stop at the "Bird's Nest".
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!
Race day
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Sat 15May RACE DAY!
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 2-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 eight 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 16May 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 17May In Beijing
Breakfast at hotel.
Day at leisure. Time for last minute shopping. Visit the Museum of History (open 9AM to 4PM), and/or the Chairman Mao's Mausoleum (open 8.30AM to 11AM), both located at the nearby Tiananmen Square.
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.
Eve: Acrobatic Show at the famous Chao Yang Theatre. Includes transfers.
Dinner on own.
Tue 18May Beijing - USA
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport for one of the following flights home:
Tue 19May 1205 Leave Beijing on UNITED AIRLINES UA/888, Boeing 747-400, non-stop!. Dinner and breakfast served aloft. Cross the International Dateline, gain one day.
Tue 18May 0822 Arrive San Francisco SFO
OR:
Tue 18May 1610 Leave Beijing on UNITED AIRLINES UA/850, Boeing 777, non-stop. Dinner and breakfast served aloft. Cross the International Dateline, gain one day.
Tue 18May 1617 Arrive Chicago ORD
On arrival at your above US gateway city, clear Immigration & customs.
Connect to your hometown on United Airlines or United Express.
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