Beijing is an enormous city of nearly 15 million people, with one of the oldest cultures on Earth. So it's no wonder this Beijing operator has divided the city's vast history into two tours.

This tour is the Historic Beijing II (Tour Two)

Tour Two of Historic Beijing begins at the Yonghe Lamasery and one of the best examples of the region's many sacred temples. Lama Temple reveals diverse architectural styles from Han, Mongolia, Manchuria and Tibet, and the impressive 60-foot Maitreya Buddha, carved form a single sandalwood tree.

Then it's on to one of the highpoints of anyone visiting Beijing, a trip to the zoo to see the frolicking Pandas, a living Chinese treasure. After a stop for lunch, you'll then visit the emperor's retreat, the historic Summer Palace. Used for eight centuries, the Empress Dowager Cixi had the estate renovated in the 19th century, including the manmade lake we see today.

Besides touring the ornate palace, you'll stroll through one of Beijing's favorite parks. During the day, we will also go on a shopping excursion to the White Peacock Silk Carpet Factory.

Historic Beijing II Tour Highlights:

• Lama Temple
• White Peacock Silk Carpet Factory
• Panda Garden at Beijing Zoo
• Lunch
• Summer Palace

The great Wall from a different view! This is a great tour to compare the Mutianyu section of the great wall to the Badaling section featured in most other Great Wall tours.

This portion of China's ancient engineering marvel features an optional cable car ride, or an opportunity to climb more than 1,400 steps to the top.

Mutianyu Great Wall is much steeper than Badaling Great Wall, and a more challenging climb. This section is older than Badaling, and features outer and inner parapets and three watch towers.

A visit to a nearby Cloisonne Factory is also included in this half day tour.

• Mutianyu Great Wall
• Beijing Cloisonne Factory

You will experience two picturesque towns, Suzhou and Zhouzhuang, each unique in the splendors they reveal. Suzhou is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze basin, founded in about 600 BC. With its interconnected waterways and beautiful environment, the city is often referred as ?The Venice of the East?. Suzhou was one of the few city's in China to escape the ravages of the cultural revolution and its famous gardens survived almost intact. It is the gardens here, which are the most famous attraction in the city. The gardens embody the harmonious principles of Chinese garden construction which dictate that gardens should attempt to create a microcosm of the universe in a confined space.

Upon arrival in Suzhou, the first stop is Net Master Garden, one of the best preserved Ming Dynasty Gardens in all of China. Then it's on to Silk Embroidery Research Institute, famous for its traditional techniques of double-sided and double-faced embroidery. The Institute is world renowned for its stunning animals, birds, butterflies and flower embroidery. No visit to Suzhou would be complete with a visit to the Ancient City Wall and Grand Canal.

After lunch, it's on to the water town of Zhouzhuang where you'll board a Chinese-style gondola to cruise on the waterways of the city. Zhouzhuang is well known for its beautiful environment and simple architecture, well preserved for over 900 years. The majority of the town's residences were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and nearly 100 classic courtyards and 60 carved-brick archways are still in use. In this water village, locals live life on waterways, still doing everyday activities from washing clothes to shopping from vendors in boats.

Suzhou highlights include:

• Net Master Garden
• Ancient City Wall
• Grand Canal

• Water Village
• Boating on water ways