Pacific Delight Tours is offering a special promotion for a nine-night trip through China starting at $1,699, with limited departures in September and October 2012. The Journey to China program allows travelers to experience the greatest wonders of the country in deluxe accommodations, including a five-star Yangzte River cruise with Victoria Cruises.

The nine-night Journey to China program begins in Shanghai, where visitors will experience the classical Yu Gardens and The Bund – Shanghai’s colonial waterfront promenade. They also go beyond the basics with an introspective look at the city’s culture, including visits to a renowned Shanghai Silk Carpet Factory, the Shanghai Museum and the modern Xintiandi entertainment complex, which provide travelers with an equal appreciation for the city’s past and present.

After a flight to Yichang, vacationers will board a five-star Victoria Cruises ship, where they will spend four nights sailing the Yangzte River in a Superior Stateroom with a private balcony from which to view the mist-shrouded Three Gorges. Excursions along the Yangzte River include the scenic Daning River and tranquil Ma Du River tributaries (the Ma Du segment utilizes a traditional sampan), the Three Gorges Dam Site and the impressive “Ghost City” of Fengdu, lined with statues of ghosts and demons.

The Journey to China program continues with a brief stop at the Chongqing zoo to visit China’s national animal, the Giant Panda. After, vacationers will fly to Beijing, where they will visit the compulsory Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and Imperial Palace, as well as the elegant Summer Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the world’s largest imperial garden. Weather permitting, travelers will enjoy a boat ride on Lake Kunming.

Pricing for this land-only itinerary starts at $1,699 per person, based on double occupancy, and includes: all intra-China airfare; accommodations in deluxe hotels and a Superior Stateroom on a five-star Victoria Cruises ship; shore excursions; UNESCO World Heritage sites; entrance fees; and meals. Available departure dates are September 8, 15, and 22, 2012, as well as October 13, 20 and 27, 2012.

Pacific Delight Tours, www.PacificDelightTours.com