Private transfer from the airport to your hotel. If you arrive early in the day, take a stroll in any direction and encounter a cross-section of Shanghai's history, from European-style tree-lined avenues and Russian-influenced merchant shophouse architecture, to hyper-modern shopping avenues where gray communist clothing shops are gradually giving up the ghost for Big Mac outlets. Our local guide is available to join you for dinner and introduce you to the local gay scene tonight or on another night during your stay (Friday or Saturday nights are busiest). Don't miss a chance to stroll along the spectacular Bund, China's former Wall Street in anything-goes pre-communist days, with beautiful old flapper-era banks and hotels lining the riverfront and new Shanghai rising like a futuristic space port on the opposite side of the river.

Breakfast at your leisure. At 10am your guide will collect you. Your tour is free-plan, so your guide can suggest sightseeing to match your personal interests, but we recommend that first-time visitors see the following places at some time during their stay...

Longhua Ta is the most colorful temple in Shanghai (give the Jade Buddha temple a skip) and morning, when the monks are most active, is a great time to visit. It's in the suburbs, a short ride by elevated super highway (a great way to get a sense of Shanghai's spaceage sprawl). You should also visit the beautifully maintained Ming dynasty pleasure garden at Yu Yuan and afterwards stroll around the kitschy Lao Jie shopping avenue -- a sort of Disney version of old China for the modern masses (but don't buy the overpriced souvenirs being hawked here). A better place to bargain for gifts and antiquey items is Dongtai Road, which retains its original Shanghainese ambience of crumbling merchant tenements and old curio shops (visit now before this place gets an official scrub-up like the Duolun walking avenue). Streetside noodle shops offer one of Shanghai's most delicious pleasures: fried and steamed dumplings. Careful, these pleasure bombs have a tendency to explode when bitten into (to the delight of laughing locals who know to bend low over their plates while noshing). For those shop-a-holics craving cheap faux-brand goods, we know a local market specializing in well-made knock-offs (or "copywrong" products as your guide will joke). People's Square is home to more spectacular architecture, including the fabulous Shanghai Museum with its must-see collections of superb Chinese traditional arts. Late afternoon and evenings are a good time to visit Xintiandi, a trendy complex of boutique shops and restaurants housed in restored heritage buildings. Our favorite way to cap off the day is sipping a cappuccino at Starbucks over on the Pudong side of the river while taking in the sunset over the Bund.

Free time until your private transfer to the airport to discover more delights in nearby Beijing, Xian, or Hong Kong and Macau.

PRICE PER PERSON FOR ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE in DOLLARS/EURO/POUNDS/BAHT

Value: The Metropole (Deluxe Room) All year 2008 Double 348 243 180 10,778 Single 567 396 294 17,550 Superior: The Metropole (Suite) Through December 2007 Double 394 275 204 12,197 Single 659 460 341 20,388 Deluxe: Sofitel Hyland (Superior Room) March 2008 Double 475 331 246 14,690 Single 825 575 427 25,507 April through June 2008 Double 470 328 243 14,534 Single 814 568 422 25,196 July & August 2008 Double 399 279 207 12,352 Single 673 470 349 20,831 September through November 2008 Double 470 328 243 14,534 Single 814 568 422 25,196 December 08 through February 09 Double 399 279 207 12,352 Single 673 470 349 20,831 Faaabulous: Radisson Plaza March through June 08 Double 531 371 275 16,435 Single 869 606 450 26,879 July & August 08 Double 498 348 258 15,407 Single 802 560 416 24,822 September through December 08 Double 531 371 275 16,435 Single 869 606 450 26,879 January & February 09 Double 498 348 258 15,407 Single 802 560 416 24,822 VIP: Sofitel Hyland (Club Floor Deluxe Room) March 2008 Double 517 361 268 15,999 Single 918 640 475 28,392 April through June 2008 Double 503 351 261 15,563 Single 890 621 461 27,522 July & August 2008 Double 437 305 227 13,531 Single 758 529 393 23,458 September through November 2008 Double 503 351 261 15,563 Single 890 621 461 27,522 December 08 through February 09 Double 437 305 227 13,531 Single 758 529 393 23,458 March 2009 Double 503 351 261 15,563 Single 890 621 461 27,522 Ultimate: Four Seasons Shanghai Through 2008* Double 789 551 409 24,406 Single 1,466 1,023 759 45,340 * A slightly lower rate may be available on some dates. Please contact us for details. Formula One Blackout 16-19 October

choose from these SHANGHAI HOTELS Value: The Metropole Superior: The Metropole Deluxe: Sofitel Hyland Faaabulous: Radisson Plaza VIP: Sofitel Hyland Ultimate: Four Seasons Shanghai   Where We Shine: Purple Dragon is Asia's most famous gay and lesbian information resource and we save our guests precious time by recommending the best, newest, and most popular venues in the city. Your tour is private and you have the undivided attention of our local guides. You'll never be herded around on a bus with 40 strangers. Our guests often remark that the highlight of their holiday was the charming company of our guides and their unique insights into local culture. Club Sanook Members who use our packages in China can use a Club Sanook mobile phone free during your trip if you make arrangements with me in advance. We will give you the number before you depart so you can leave it with friends and family. There are a few rules, of course, but we will send you details before your trip. Please make your arrangements in advance. All prices are based on exchange rates in effect on 01 March 2008 and are subject to change without notice.

Includes private airport transportation; accommodation with tax and service, nightlife guide on one night during stay, free plan day tour with private guide. Not included: airfare, local transportation, admissions, meals or beverages, gratuities, features not specifically mentioned in the itinerary, or items of a purely personal nature. Please buy lunch for your day guides and soft drinks for your night guide at clubs you visit.