Oriental Elites Appreciation

As the biggest city in Canada, Toronto is one of the most important gateways to China and to the rest of the world. Excellent transport links make it very convenient for travelers to plan China tours from Toronto, Canada. A very popular choice is to take the Air Canada flight AC031 1455/1605+1 or Hainan Airlines flight HU7976 1720/1900+1 from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport. Most often the two flights are available every day, and their flying times are 13h10m and 13h40m. Beijing time is 12 hours ahead of Toronto time, so you will arrive in Beijing on the next day. Travelers from cities like Ottawa, Hamilton, Mississauga, Halifax, Windsor, Charlottetown or St. John's can also make flight connections via Toronto to Beijing. For transit passengers, the check-in baggage will be transported to Beijing directly. You do not need to retrieve your baggage at Toronto Airport and check in for the second time. 

Useful tip: It is necessary to know the electricity supply voltage in China beforehand, as it varies between countries. Generally, the electricity in China is 220V, 50HZ, AC. Since the supply voltage of Canada is 120V/60 HZ, you may need to bring a transformer in order to use some of your electric devices during the trip. The shape of a socket is also different, so it is better for you to bring a portable plug adaptor. Most of the hotels in China have both 110V and 220V electrical outlets in the bathrooms, though in guest rooms usually only 220V sockets are available.

Upon arrival at the Beijing Airport, please find the way to your own booked hotel. Our suggestion is the 3-star Days Inn Forbidden City Hotel, located within 10 minutes' walking distance from Tiananmen Square and Wangfujing Street. About 600 yards from the Tian'anmen East station on subway line 1, the hotel has easy access to the major spots in the downtown area. Considering you travel with big luggage, so we suggest you take a taxi to the hotel, and the approximate cost should be around CNY 120 per cab. After checking into the hotel, you can have a good rest to save the energy for the next day's self-guided exploration, or you can just go out for a walk to get familiar with the nearby environment, such as roads, avenues, bus stops, subway stations and restaurants. 

Accommodation Suggestion: Days Inn Forbidden City Hotel

Your independent Beijing tour from Canada starts today! We suggest that you visit the Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in the morning, while Yonghe Lamasery, Drum Tower, and the old Hutongs in the afternoon. After breakfast in the hotel, please walk southward along the Nanheyan Street beside the hotel to East Chang'an Avenue, turn right and go along the street for about 650 yards, you will reach the Tiananmen Square. Just cross the Tiananmen Tower to the north, you will reach Meridian Gate, the entrance of Forbidden City. Recommended visiting time is 30 minutes on the square and 3 hours in the Forbidden City. As the Forbidden City is very large, we suggest that you rent an audio guide at the entrance and follow the guidance to visit the major attractions along the central axis and exit from the Gate of Divine Prowess.

There are not many restaurants near the Forbidden City, so you can have lunch near the Yonghe Lamasery. Walk across the street in front of the Gate of Divine Prowess and take a bus No. 124 to Fangjia Hutong. After getting off, walk backwards to enter Fangjia Hutong for 700 yards walking to its east end, and then turn north to Yonghegong Street for another 150 yards, you will reach the lamasery. Two hours is enough for you to take a meticulous tour inside. 

After visiting the temple, you can take the subway line 2 from the Yonghegong station to Gulou Dajie station. Exit from G and stroll south along the Old Drum Tower Street to the end, you will see the Drum Tower at your left side. The famous South Gong and Drum Lane (Nanluogu Xiang) is on the East Drum Tower Street about 550 yards east of the tower. When you are wandering along the old lanes, you can also enjoy the local snacks in the featured restaurants and bars. For the way back, you can walk to the south end of the South Gong and Drum Lane to find Luoguxiang bus stop on the Di'anmen East Street, take a bus No. 60 to Nanyanhe stop and walk to your hotel. Alternatively, take a taxi back to the hotel with a fare of CNY 15.

To avoid the crowded visitors in Badaling, we suggest that you visit the Mutianyu Great Wall instead. You can have a big breakfast and buy some snacks before departure, as the Great Wall is a little bit far from the downtown and restaurants are quite limited there. Take a taxi to Dongzhimen Bus Station at a cost of CNY25, and then you can connect the bus 916 from Dongzhimen to the North Street in Huairou, and then hire a car to the Great Wall directly, which would cost you about CNY50. If you carpool with other visitors, it will be much cheaper, about CNY10 – 15 per person. For today's lunch, we recommend the SUBWAY at the parking lot of the Mutianyu Great Wall. Many foreign visitors go there and the waiters and waitresses can speak some English. 

When getting back to the city, you can pay a visit to the Temple of Heaven if time permits. Please note that the attractions in the Temple of Heaven are closed around 17:00. Take subway line 2 from Dongzhimen to Chongwenmen and connect line 5 to Tiantan Dongmen, the East Gate of Temple of Heaven. Finishing the whole day's trip, you can take subway line 5 from Tiantan Dongmen to Dongdan and then transfer to line 2 to Wangfujing and walk to the hotel.

You are suggested to take the overnight train to Shanghai this evening, and you should book the train tickets in advance. As the check-out time of most hotels is before 12:00, we suggest that you check out of the hotel after breakfast, leave your heavy baggage at the front desk, and visit more attractions in Beijing. Here is our recommended itinerary: Summer Palace - Olympic Green - Bird's Nest - Water Cube. 

You can walk to Wangfujing subway station, take line 1 to Xidan and change to line 4 to Beigongmen and exit from Exit D. Enter the Summer Palace from the North Gate and leave from the east gate. The visiting time is about 3 hours. After lunch in a nearby restaurant, walk back to Beigongmen station to take the subway line 4 to Haidian Huangzhuang, and change to line 10 to Beitucheng, where you can connect to line 8 to Olympic Green directly. Enter from the South Gate to get a close touch with the nature in this green park, and then walk south to the Olympic Center to visit the 2008 Olympic sites, Bird's Nest and Water Cube. 

For the way back, please take a taxi to the hotel directly, and the fare is about CNY35. Retrieve your luggage and take a taxi to Beijing Railway Station at a cost of CNY15. Please note that you need to arrive at the railway station at least 1 hour prior to the train's departure time. There are many western and Chinese fast-food chains in the station hall, so we suggest that you have a simple supper there before boarding the train. We recommend you take the train leaving around 19:00 so that you will arrive in Shanghai in the next morning. The travel time is about 15 hours. 

Accommodation: Overnight soft sleeper train

Upon arrival at the Shanghai Railway Station, please follow the sign posts to leave the station from the north square. You need to find a hotel to rest and store your heavy luggage. The 3-star hotel Holiday Inn Express Zhabei is highly recommended, for it's near the Shanghai Railway Station. Walk westward along the Zhongxing Road for about 300 yards, next to the Shanghai Long-distance Bus Station, you will find the hotel. Take a short rest and begin your self-guided Shanghai tours from Canada! 

You can take the subway line 1 from the Railway Station to the People's Square station and exit from Exit 3. Many Chinese and western restaurants are nearby, so you can have lunch there, and then visit the Shanghai Museum near the Exit 1 across the way. After getting a better understanding about the past of Shanghai, you can take a subway line 2 from the People's Square to Lujiazui and exit from Exit 1 to visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, enjoying the modern and fashion side of this city. If you are interested, we strongly recommend taking the sightseeing elevator to the top of the tower and overlook the beautiful Huangpu River. Then, you can either travel through the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel to the west side of the river at a cost of CNY50 per person, or take the subway line 2 to Nanjing East Road, exit from Exit 7 and walk to the Bund. You can find some local food on the Nanjing East Road for today's dinner. Take subway line 2 to People's Square and line 1 to the Railway Station, and walk back to your hotel.

Accommodation Suggestion: Holiday Inn Express Zhabei

Our suggestion for today is Yuyuan Garden - Qibao Old Town - Overnight train to Xian. 

After breakfast in the hotel, we suggest that you check out and the leave your baggage at the Shanghai Railway Station. Take the subway line 4 to Hailun Road, and then change to line 10 to Yuyuan Garden. The recommended visiting time in the garden is two hours. If you are interested in the old Shanghai and the local people's life, you can pay a visit the Qibao Old Town, which is about 1 hour from Yuyuan Garden by subway. Please take the subway line 10 to Laoximen, then change to line 8 to Lujiabang, and line 9 to Qibao station. Beside the old houses, roads, and bridges, you can also enjoy delicious local snacks there. Take subway line 8 to Xujiahui and change to line 1 to Shanghai Railway Station for the overnight train to Xian. You need to book the tickets in advance and collect it in the previous morning upon your arrival at the train station. Please note that you need to take the subway at least 2 hours before the train's departure time. 

Accommodation: Overnight soft sleeper train

You will arrive in Xian in the morning. We suggest that you deposit your luggage at the left luggage center near the ticket office of Xian Railway Station, and take the tourist bus No. 5 on the east square. Get off at the Huaqingchi stop to visit the 1,000-year-old Huaqing Hot Spring. You can finish visiting the attraction in about 2 hours, and then take the tourist bus No. 5 to the world eighth wonder, Terracotta Army Museum. Before entering the museum, you can have lunch in nearby fast-food restaurants, such as KFC and SUBWAY. The recommended visiting time in the museum is 3 hours.

Take the tourist bus No. 5 back to Xian Railway Station. Please note that the last bus leaves the museum at 19:00. You will face the City Wall when getting off the bus at the railway station. After getting back your luggage, please find the way to your own booked hotel. The 3-star City Hotel is a fine choice, which is near the Bell Tower subway station, the West and South Streets. If you are lucky to get a taxi at the railway station, CNY10 is enough to transfer to the hotel. As a matter of fact that taxi is usually hardly available, so you are advised to take bus instead. Stroll about 500 yards to the west of the railway station, and there you can take the bus No. 229, 608 or 616 to Bell Tower station. Getting off the bus, walk backwards for 50 yards, you will find the hotel on the west. Check in and have a good rest.

Accommodation Suggestion: City Hotel

Today, you are advised to take a plane from Xian to Guilin, and you'd better book the air tickets in advance so that you can get a good price. If your flight is an afternoon one, you could check out in the morning and store the luggage in the hotel. Then you get the chance to spend the entire morning visiting the nearby attractions. After breakfast, please walk south along the South Street for about 500 yards, you will see a small earth tower and an old style commercial street across the way near the City Wall, which are the Tower of Baoqing Temple and Ancient Cultural Street of Shuyuanmen. There are many very “Chinese” items, such as Chinese knots, fans, bamboo brushes, seals, jade ware and shadow puppets. If time permits, walk back to the entrance of the Shuyuanmen Street and ascend the City Wall through the South Gate. You can either take a leisure wandering or cycling on the wall.

Return to the hotel to retrieve the luggage and then take a taxi to the Xian Airport with CNY 120. After two hours' flying, you will land at Guilin Airport. Please check into a local hotel you prefer. We recommend the 3-star Eva Inn Hotel located at the bund of the Lijiang River. Living there, you can enjoy an amazing view of the river. You can take a taxi to the hotel at a cost of about CNY120.

Accommodation Suggestion: Eva Inn Hotel

Today, you are going to extend your tour to Yangshuo by cruise, which is quite popular among foreign backpacking travelers. After breakfast, please check out of the hotel and take a taxi with a fare of approximately CNY70 to the Mopanshan Dock for the cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo along the Li River. Please note that the ship leaves the port at around 9:00 and the whole cruise trip lasts 4 - 5 hours. Upon arrival, you can take a taxi to the hotel you booked before. We recommend you New Century Hotel, adjacent to Yangshuo Park and near the port within walking distance. You can stroll along the Pantao Road in front of the hotel for 650 yards, you will reach the bustling West Street. The street is clustered with bars, restaurants and shops, and you can have your dinner in one of them and enjoy a drink in a night bar.

Accommodation: New Century Hotel

You can take the whole morning to explore Yangshuo and its surrounding countryside. In the afternoon, take a bus from Yangshuo North Bus Station to Guilin. The bus leaves every 15 - 20 minutes and arrives in Guilin General Bus Station. Upon arrival, take a taxi to Eva Inn Hotel at a cost of CNY10 and check in for a rest.

Or you can go back to Guilin in the morning. After leaving the heavy luggage at the hotel, you may visit Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, and Seven-Star Park. To reach Elephant Trunk Hill from your hotel, you can stroll south along the Binjiang Road for 15-20 minutes, you will see it. After appreciating the unique hill, take a taxi to Reed Flute Cave at a cost of CNY25, and there you can view the wonderful karst stalactites. Afterwards, take a taxi at a cost of about CNY25 to Seven-Star Park where you can enjoy the miniature of the local landscape. At the end of the visit, you are suggested to exit from the West Gate, and walk across the Jiefang Bridge and turn left to enter the Binjiang Road. Stroll south along the road for another 500 yards; you will get to the hotel.

In the morning, take a taxi with a fare of CNY25 to Guilin North Railway Station, and then take a high speed train to Guangzhou. After three hours' train ride, you will reach Guangzhou South Railway Station. Upon arrival, follow the English direction boards to take subway line 2 to Gongyuanqian, and then change to line 1 to Guangzhou East Railway Station. Deposit your luggage at the Baggage Center and buy the train ticket to Hong Kong on your own. There are more than 10 trains from Guangzhou East to Hong Kong daily, and the last train departs at around 21:32. A single trip takes about 2 hours.

The rest of the day is for you to explore the city on your own, and we recommend that you visit the Yuexiu Park and Ancestral Temple of Chen Family. Please take subway line 1 from Guangzhou East Railway Station to Gongyuanqian station, and change to line 2 to Yuexiu Park. You can have lunch before visiting the park. There are some nice restaurants featuring Guangdong dishes on the Jiefang North Road, about 200 yards south of the Exit E of the subway station. As for the transportation to the Ancestral Temple of Chen Family, please take the subway line 2 to Gongyuanqian Station and then line 1 to Chenjiaci, and exit from Exit D. After sightseeing, take subway line 1 back to Guangzhou East Railway Station for the train to Hong Kong. After arriving at the Hong Kong Hung Hom Station, you need to find a hotel to rest. You are suggested to live in the 3-star BP International House, close to the Austin MTR Station on West Rail Line and the Jordan Station on Tsuen Wan Line. From Hung Hom Station, the bus No. 6A can lead to the hotel. Alternatively, take the MTR west rail line and get off at Austin Station. Then you reach the hotel on foot with a few minutes' walking.

Accommodation Suggestion: BP International House

As the public transportation of Hong Kong is quite developed and all the sign posts are both in Chinese and English, we suggest that you buy a transportation / tourist map and follow the map to the attractions. In the morning, you can take the bus No. 973 to the Aberdeen or Repulse Bay, and visit the Victoria Peak or the Wong Tai Sin Temple in the afternoon. For the shopping lovers, we recommend the Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok regions.

Your 2 weeks China tour itinerary from Canada to Hong Kong ends today. Check out the hotel before 12:00. The hotel operates direct shuttle bus to the airport, which runs hourly from 5:40 to 21:40. If you do not want to wait long, you can also walk to the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station to take the frequent bus A21 to the airport with duration of 60 minutes. Alternatively, you can take the free shuttle bus from your hotel to Kowloon MTR Station, and then connect the Airport Express Line to the airport directly for the flight back home.

Hong Kong Airport is one of busiest airport in the world, and the air routes operated by it connect over 150 international destinations, so we make Hong Kong the last stop to provide you an easy access to your home-bound flights. The direct flights AC016 1510/1810 from Air Canada and CX826 1710/2025 from Cathay Pacific are scheduled every day from Hong Kong to Toronto. Cathay Pacific has a morning flight CX824 1035/1355 or CX828 1045/1355 available four or five days a week. The duration for these flights is all around 15 hours 10 minutes, so you will fly back to home the same day. Wish you a nice journey!