iExplore Hong Kong Extension(Trip #46338)

Tour Overview

Hong Kong’s magnificent natural setting on the tip of the Chinese mainland is a natural gateway to the Orient. It is an intense, vibrant and colorful city of dramatic contrasts. Towering skyscrapers, monuments to Hong Kong’s development as a world financial centre, form the backdrop to the busy harbour, with its constant traffic of ferries, junks, sampans and ocean-going liners. Yet in the teeming alleys, festooned with red and gold signs, street markets remain untouched by western influences, and still provide an intoxicating taste of mystique and intrigue. At night the city is ablaze with neon signs, their reflections shimmering in the harbour.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 01: Hong Kong, China
Upon clearing Customs and Immigration, you are met by an iExplore Representative who will present you with a welcome packet including all necessary documentation.

Transfer by private car to your hotel.
Overnight: Hong Kong

Day 02: Hong Kong
This morning your guide will meet you at your hotel to begin your sightseeing introduction to Hong Kong. Travel by private car to Aberdeen Harbour, home to hundreds of people living on fishing junks. Their traditional lifestyle is dramatically juxtaposed against a modern high-rise community that spreads up the nearby hillsides. In the evenings, the thousands of twinkling lights reflected on the water are a magical sight.

To get a close-up look at the local way of life, take a sampan ride amongst the fishing boats at Aberdeen Harbour.

Continue to Repulse Bay. The wide, wave-lapped beach is popular with locals and visitors alike and great for sandy strolls - early morning with the waking of another day, when the sun is up and the sunbathers are out in force, or at sunset when all is at peace. Primarily a well-to-do residential area, sun-drenched Repulse Bay has a relaxed resort-like atmosphere.

Stanley Market is the place to find silk garments, sportswear, art, Chinese costume jewelry, other souvenirs and a host of fantastic bargains. And when the shopping is done, you can relax at one of the area's pleasant beaches set in sheltered, sandy coves. One is a favorite destination for Hong Kong's windsurfers.

The afternoon is free for shopping or exploring the beach.
Breakfast
Overnight: Hong Kong

Day 03: Hong Kong - Lamma Island - Hong Kong
This afternoon visit several of Hong Kong’s popular open-air markets. First, visit the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden. This delightful garden is the favored gathering place of Hong Kong's songbird owners, who carry their pets around in intricately carved cages. All manner of beautiful birds can be seen here, as well as a host of traditional bird-keeping paraphernalia.

Next, enjoy a visit to the Flower Market, one of Hong Kong's most colorful street markets. The Flower Market is a jungle of exotic blossoms, luck-bringing houseplants and sweet scents.

Then make a stop at the Jade Market. Collectors and jade lovers gather at this unique market, where small stalls display everything from rare and valuable jade carvings to small and inexpensive trinkets.

This evening, travel by boat to Lamma Island, a 30-minute journey. Also known as "Po Liu Chau", Lamma Island is the third largest island in Hong Kong, only surpassed by Lantau Island and Hong Kong Island. It lies west of Hong Kong Island, just west of the town of Aberdeen. Lamma is popular for its beautiful natural scenery as well as its excellent seafood restaurants.

Enjoy a seafood dinner (dinner not included in tour price) on Lamma Island, accompanied by your guide.
Breakfast
Overnight: Hong Kong

Day 04: Hong Kog - Macau - Hong Kong
This morning travel by jetfoil to the former Portuguese enclave of Macau. A 55-minute jetfoil boat ride whisks you across the South China Sea and the Pearl River estuary to tiny Macau, a unique blend of Chinese and Portuguese culture. Under Portuguese sovereignty for four centuries, Macau contains many historical monuments, including the famous facade of St. Paul's Church, its border gate with the motherland and the 14th-century Kun Yam Temple.

Enjoy the buffet lunch at Macau Tower. There is time this afternoon for further exploration or a gambling session in one of Macau’s casinos before returning to Hong Kong.

This evening ride the Peak Tram to the top of Victoria Peak for a breathtaking view of Hong Kong Island, the harbor, Kowloon and the hills beyond.
Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hong Kong

Day 05: Depart Hong Kong
Transfer by private vehicle to the airport.
Breakfast

Departure Dates

iExplore Hong Kong may be booked as an extension to any iExplore Exclusives program... please call for details.

Prices

2008 Pricing:
$2895 per person, double occupancy, 2 persons traveling
$4295 solo traveler
$915 single supplement

2009 Pricing:
From $2895 per person, double occupancy, 2 persons traveling
From $4295 solo traveler
From $960 single supplement

Inclusions:
· Airport meet & assist
· Private airport/hotel transfers
· Deluxe hotel accommodations as indicated with daily breakfast
· Meals as indicated
· Sightseeing as indicated on a private basis with local English-speaking guide
· Entrance fees to sights as indicated

Exclusions:
· International airfare and airport taxes
· Meals, unless otherwise indicated
· Items of a personal nature
· Gratuities and porterage
· Travel insurance
· Visas (if required)
· Holiday surcharges

These trips are priced assuming two travelers. Surcharges for solo travelers and discounts for groups, if any, will be applied. Prices assume itinerary is purchased "as is". Minor changes to hotels or hotel add-ons to the beginning or the end of the existing itinerary can be made at no extra charge. Any customization requiring us to start with a new base itinerary will require a non-refundable upfront planning fee of $250 that is creditable towards the final trip price.

All prices are in US dollars and do not include international airfare, unless otherwise noted.

Prices displayed are based on the lowest season base price and assume double occupancy. Prices are shown in U.S. dollars and may or may not include administrative fees, taxes, meals, airfare (where applicable) and Single Supplements. Cancellation penalties, blackout dates and other restrictions may apply.