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The Best of China: Imperial Capitals, Tibet and the Yangtze River
After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.
A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.
This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.
China
Your passport must have 2 blank passport page(s) for entry/exit visas in this country.
A travel visa is required and it must be obtained in advance.
The cost of this visa is not included in the cost of your trip.
Due to specific visa regulations, it is mandatory that you use the services of our designated visa service provider Passport Visas Express. You can access the details and review costs by visiting the website for Road Scholar participants at Passport Visa Express.
Please note: U.S. RESIDENTS: Due to the complexities of obtaining a China visa, we require that you use Road Scholar's designated visa service: Passport Visas Express (www.passportvisasexpress.com/roadscholar) Enrolled participants will receive visa support documents after the first Information Packet approximately 3 months before the program. Apply for your China visa at least 60 days but not more than 90 days before departure. Your visa is required for us to obtain a Tibet group permit for the program.
Recommended Inoculations: Hepatitis A & B; updated tetanus; polio booster, typhoid vaccination. You should be up-to-date with your routine vaccines, such as for Covid-19, influenza, MMR, chickenpox (or varicella), polio and DPT. Please consult your physician or travel clinic about other vaccine/medication recommendations. Be sure to bring all medications that you take and know their generic names should you need further supply. Some medications may not be easily available in China so it is best to take a sufficient amount. Never pack medications in luggage which can be lost or delayed. Carry medications, eyeglasses, passports in carry-on bags. Traveler's diarrhea is not unusual for visitors to China. Consult with your physician and bring appropriate medication and instructions about when and how to use. In most cases, over the counter medicines like Pepto-bismol, solve the problem. Some also find that they are sensitive to upper-respiratory ailments. Ask your doctor about bringing antibiotics. If you feel ill in China, do not hesitate to tell your Program Leaders. They are very experienced with the problems visitors may experience and will do all they can to help you and will arrange a physician's visit should it seem necessary. CURRENT CHINA COVID POLICY: No covid testing is required for entry into China. Within China, Covid 19 is treated as a 'normal flu'. No masks are required, though recommended for those who may be vulnerable. There are no quarantine or isolation rules and any participant needing medical attention will be assisted in visiting doctors by experienced staff members. Please also observe any further guidelines required by Road Scholar. Should there be any changes to the above current policy, we will inform you.
If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.
Arrival day is on October 22, 2026
Meet the group at Qianmen Jianguo Hotel in Beijing
Start of Trip: 2:00 p.m. hotel check-in; 6:00 p.m. Orientation; 6:30 p.m. Welcome Dinner.
Getting to the site: Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare and who are arriving on the in-country commencement date will be provided with an arrival transfer from Beijing airport to the first program hotel. A representative will be waiting for you at the airport with a sign that says 'ROAD SCHOLAR'. Please be sure to wear your Road Scholar ID.. For participants who have not purchased their airfare from Road Scholar or who are arriving a day or more earlier, the easiest way from either of Beijing's airports to the first hotel is via taxi. Taking a taxi from the airport to your hotel is very easy. Your first Program Information Packet includes a sheet with taxi information and your hotel location in English and in Chinese characters. Just show it to a taxi driver who will know exactly where to go. Many participants have used this sheet with ease. Taxi cost between Beijing airport and your hotel is about $30 US (170 Chinese yuan) per car. Taxi cost from Beijing Daxing International Airport to your hotel is about $50 USD (360 Chinese yuan). Taxi cost from Shanghai airport to your hotel is about $40 US (240 yuan). Tip is not expected. Currency exchange machines and booths are available at all arrival terminal levels. Signs are in English. Take taxis at designated taxi stands only and make sure the driver turns on the meter. Time to your first hotel by taxi takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour (depending on traffic).
Getting to the site by train or bus: n/a
Your trip ends on: Tuesday, November 10, 2026 in Shanghai at Holiday Inn Shanghai Jing'an
End of Trip: 11:30 a.m. after breakfast; 12:00 Noon hotel check-out.
Getting to the airport: For Program Only Participants: your Group Leader can help you arrange a taxi or private car to the airport. Cost is about $40 USD (about 290 Chinese yuan).
Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Participants who have not purchased airfare through Road Scholar are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements to the first site at the beginning of the program, as well as from the last site at the end of the program. The Information Packet Road Scholar sends in advance of the program includes details needed to make your transfer arrangements. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404. Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.