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China by train
This China holiday will take you on a unique journey through China by train! Along the way, you'll make several stops: you'll walk across the Great Wall of China and you'll visit the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square in Beijing. You'll also visit the centuries-old Terracotta Army in Xi'an and you'll have a close encounter with the pandas in Chengdu. |
| Duration: | 18 days/ 17 nights |
Accommodation: |
Comfortable, characteristic area hotels & a night train hard sleeper for 4 nights, comfort level 3 |
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| Price: | £1005 per person - based on 2 people sharing | Included: |
Transport, accommodation, train travel and all transfers and excursions as mentioned below |
| Transport: |
All arrival transfers, transfers between cities and towns (see below) |
Excluded: |
International flight, (airport) taxes, meals and entrance fees |
Day 1: Arrival in BeijingIt's the first day of your trip in China by train and one of our local representatives will meet you at the arrivals hall and take you to your hotel. The airport is about an hour away from your hotel in the centre of Beijing. You'll stay in a traditional courtyard hotel surrounded by fragrant fruit and magnolias trees. The small-scale architecture of the hotel makes it very quaint. The reception staff speaks English quite well. Be prepared for a very hard bed, they are typical in China.The rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish; to recuperate from your flight and to explore the area surrounding your hotel. |
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Day 2: BeijingOn the second day of your China holiday, you'll explore Beijing with your driver and English speaking guide. Your first stop will be the colourful Lama Temple (entrance fee about £2.50) before continuing on to the Temple of Heavenly Peace (entrance fee 35 Yuan, about £3.50). Surrounded by the sweet scent of incense and sandalwood, you'll walk through red pagodas scattered with monks and prayer houses. Then it's time to continue on to famous Tiananmen Square: the Square of Heavenly Peace. Your tour ends about 12:30. You can discuss with your guide whether you prefer having lunch before or after your visit to the Forbidden City.In the afternoon your guide will accompany you to the Forbidden City where you'll visit the 18th century emperor's residence (open till 16:00, entrance fee about £6 or 60 Yuan). Once you've seen all you wish to see, your guide will help you find a taxi cab back to your hotel. |
Day 3: Beijing - Great Wall of China tourThe Great Wall of China is the highlight of most China holidays. You'll leave Beijing early in the morning and you'll head towards a quiet part of the wall, about 3 hours from Beijing. You'll walk over the wall for about 10km from Jinshaling to Simatai; a vigorous walk and not appropriate for people with fear of heights. It should take about 4 hours to complete. It starts with a long upward climb and then it descends for quite a bit. Many parts of the wall are authentic and haven't been restored. Since this is a quieter area and since you'll be spending such a long time on the wall, you'll really get a feel for the enormity of the Great Wall. At the end of the route you'll encounter the busy Beijing streets once again; arrival will be around 18:30.Recently the Simatai section of the Great Wall has been closed for renovation and is unavailable for clients to hike. The hike that we offer will still depart from Jinshanling and continue onto the point of closure at Simatai and then continue back to Jinshanling. Even with the closure of the Simatai section we still feel that the Jinshanling segment is the best place to experience the stunning landscapes in the mountainous area of the Luanping County. |
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Day 4: Beijing - Xi'anOn day four of your trip in China by train, you'll have another day off in Beijing. After your walk on the Great Wall of China yesterday, your muscles may be a bit stiff.If you'd like to spend the day in peace and quiet, you may want to take a taxi to Beihei City Park to visit the classical Chinese gardens or you can visit the Summer Palace. This estate located about 40 minutes from Beijing (a taxi cab will cost you £4-7 depending on how much traffic is on the road) was once the Emperor's Family getaway. The entrance fee is 30 Yuan or 50 Yuan if you want to visit the Garden of Virtue and Harmony as well. If you want spend your day more actively, go for a walk or ride a bike in Beijing's old neighbourhoods, the hutongs. If you would like to visit a more modern part of Beijing, take a taxi for a 20-minute ride to the Olympic Stadium. You'll head back to your hotel around 3pm where you'll be picked up at around 5pm and taken to the train station to continue your travels in China by train. We'll make reservations for a hard sleeper in the night train to Xi'an for you. Once on board you'll find it difficult not to fall asleep to the rhythmic sound of the train rolling over the tracks. |
Day 5: Arrival in Xi'anAfter spending the night travelling in China by train, you'll be awakened before arriving in Xi'an at around 7:30. You'll be greeted in the arrival hall and taken straight to your hotel within the historic city walls of Xi'an.The rest of day five of your China holiday is yours to spend as you wish. Have a look around the large boulevards and the charming Muslim neighbourhood. The heart of the city is the large Bell Tower in the middle of the traffic intersection. Nearby you'll also find the Drum Tower. If you climb the tower around 5pm you'll have a wonderful view of the city, the Muslim neighbourhood and you'll catch a demonstration of Chinese kettle drums. |
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Day 6: Xi'an - Terracotta Army excursionOn day six of your China trip, you'll be picked up at 9:00 and taken to the excavation site where you'll see more than 7000 amazing clay soldiers, clay horses and clay chariots. This is the world famous Terracotta Army. The army was discovered in 1974 by local farmers and since then new statues are found regularly.The site is located about 40 minutes from Xi'an and was once created as the future royal tomb for the then 14 year old King Zheng. Start your visit in hall 3 and then go on to hall 2 and 1; this way you'll save the largest and most impressive section for last. After about two hours you'll have seen all there is to see; however if you include transport times to and from the site, you'll probably spend about half a day on this excursion. You'll be back in Xi'an around 1pm. |
Day 7: Xi'an - ChengduThis morning you'll have some spare time left in Xi'an. If you want to get out and about today, you could go for a bike ride on the city wall of Xi'an. This 12km square wall surrounds the city. If you want to escape the busy city streets, then this is truly a delight. You'll pay 40Y to access the city wall, 15Y to hire a bike and another 200Y (about £20) as a deposit for the bike.In the afternoon, you'll continue your journey through China by train as you arrange your own transfer to the nearby train station to catch your train which leaves at around 1.30pm. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to find your platform and buy some snacks/drinks for your trip. This particular journey through China by train will take about 17 hours, so it's a good idea to bring some snacks with you. |
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Day 8: Arrival in ChengduAfter another trip through China by train, you'll arrive early in Chengdu, around 5:30. You'll be awaited by one of our representatives who will take you to our comfortable hotel in the centre of town, within walking distance from several backpacker hostels, perfect if you want to arrange any extra activities during your stay.The area surrounding your hotel has many fine restaurants and you may, during your China trip, want to try the areas most popular dish; the Sichuan Hotpot. This is a bowl with boiling hot water that is placed on the table with raw meat, vegetables and herbs served separately for you to cook in the bowling water. Holly's hostel usually offers Sichuan cooking classes to teach you the basics of Sichuan cooking. |
Day 9: Chengdu - Panda encounterYou're halfway through your trip through China by train and today you'll be picked up at 7:30 in the morning so that you can arrive at the panda research centre when the pandas are fed. Although the Panda Research Centre is a zoo, it's a very responsible and well maintained zoo. It's endearing to watch the pandas eating, playing and sleeping and if you visit the instructional panda museum you'll understand more clearly why the panda is an endangered species.After an hour or two, you'll have seen all there is to see at the panda research centre and we'll arrange a transfer back to your hotel. You'll arrive about 11:30 an the rest of your day is free to spend as you please. |
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Day 10: Chengdu - Guilin - YangshuoOn day ten of your China holiday you'll have the entire morning and afternoon to spend in Chengdu. You may want to visit one of the many Chinese tea houses for a few hours or so. China has the best tea houses in the World and Chengdu has the best tea houses in China. Much like the British have the pubs, the Dutch and the French have their cafés…. the Chinese have their tea houses. It’s their number one place to meet with friends and acquaintances and to catch up on what’s going on in their lives. The tea house in People's Park is the most famous tea house. On the shore of a lake, amidst green swaying trees you’ll be able to enjoy a cup of tea and the liveliness all around you.Later on, you'll continue your travels in China by train as you depart from the Chengdu train station at around 8pm. You can easily arrange to have a taxi take you to the station with the help of your hotel's reception desk. This trip through China by train is a long one (25 hours), so you'll really get to know your fellow train passengers well. Trying to have a discussion using bits of English, words you've learned in Chinese and perhaps even pen and paper or hands is a fun way to pass time. This is a great way to increase your Chinese vocabulary for the rest of your China trip. You'll also have plenty of time to enjoy the Chinese landscape passing by the train. If you prefer to cross the distance by plane, we can book a flight for you for a surcharge. |
Day 11: Arrival in YangshuoAt the end of the day, you'll arrive in the next destination of your China holiday; the wonderland of karst mountains near Guilin. You'll be greeted in the arrivals hall and transferred to Yangshuo, an hour away. All in all, you'll have had a long day of travel to get here.... but when you see where you've arrived, it will all be worth it.Instead of arranging accommodation in Guilin, we’ll arrange accommodation for you in a charming retreat located between the karst mountains in Yangshuo. This is the perfect place to relax and unwind, far away from busy cities. The city centre, with its handful of bars and western restaurants is only 20 minutes away by taxi. We enjoyed spending time in Yangshuo in the evenings; there are several restaurants and bars where you can eat and have a drink either during the day or at night. |
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Day 12: Yangshuo - Yulong River bike & bamboo boat excursionYou'll start day twelve of your holiday in China with a bike ride along the Yulong River in a small group along with other international travellers. During your bike ride you'll leave the main roads and peddle through farmland and rice paddies with the karst mountains as constant companions during your ride. This is sure to be one of the most picturesque places you'll see on your travels through China by train.After biking for a while, the bamboo raft will be waiting to take you down the river. You will sail through the peaks of the karst mountains and after a few kilometres you'll get back on your bike and peddle towards Moon Hill (entrance fee 20Y). You can choose to climb the hill if you wish. Eventually, when you return to your hotel, you can unwind with a beer or glass of wine on the terrace; a blissful way to end day twelve of your China holiday. |
Day 13: YangshuoToday you’ll have the entire day to spend as you please. If you would like to buy a few souvenirs, take a taxi to the city of Yangshuo- there are plenty of small shops here. In the evening you'll be able to meet up with other western travellers and share China travel stories while sipping on a glass of wine or beer at one of the bars.The hotel offers several different excursions. You can go canoeing, hiking, biking and more. Sit back on your balcony with a good book and a cool drink or hire a bike from the hotel and explore the area surrounding the hotel. Hiring a bike will cost you 20Y (about £2). |
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Day 14: Yangshuo - Ping'anOn day fourteen of your China trip, you'll be picked up around 9:00 for a transfer to the next destination on your China holiday; the Longji rice terraces. The village of Ping'an lies in the middle of these terraces and it can only be reached by foot. Someone will be waiting to guide you during the 20 minute walk to the village. Don't feel like carrying your suitcase or backpack? For Y40 you can have a porter carry your bags for you.Around lunchtime you'll arrive at the village of Ping'an, where you'll spend the night in a wooden guest house. There is no electricity or warm water in the morning and in the evenings, however your room has its own bathroom and the guest house has a large veranda with a lovely view of the rice terraces. In the afternoon you could go for a walk through the village to the two view points. Along the way you'll probably run into to the Zhuang, a local minority introduced the terrace irrigation system for rice cultivation. |
Day 15: Ping'anAfter a breakfast on the veranda this morning you'll be met by your guide for your walk through the rice terraces, known as Dragon's Bone or Long Ji. Along the way you'll see the Zhuang working in the rice paddies.The terrain isn’t' too difficult; you'll walk in between the rice terraces, but at times you'll also walk through a forest or past scenic view points or marshes.Around lunch time you’ll have a bite to eat and you’ll rest up for a bit in the village before continuing for another 2 hours back to Ping'an. If the weather is poor or if you don't feel like walking the entire 5 hours, there are also shorter treks available. In the evening, you'll see the sun sink behind the mountains from the comfort of your veranda. Our stay here was one of the most relaxing parts of our journey through China by train. |
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Day 16: Ping'an - Guilin - GuangzhouYou'll have plenty of time today to enjoy this magnificent area. Enjoy the sunrise or sleep in and relax after yesterday's activities. Grab a good book and sit back on the veranda as you let your eyes wander across the unbelievably green rice paddies or go on one last walk through the village.After you've checked out of your hotel, you'll take your luggage to the parking lot where a transfer will be waiting to take you to the Guilin train station (about a 1.5 hour drive). You'll continue travelling in China by train this evening at around 21:30 when your train departs for the next destionation on your China holiday; Guangzhou (also known as Canton). |
Day 17: Arrival in GuangzhouAfter travelling to your next destination in China by train, you'll arrive at the train station in Guangzhou at around 8.30 in the morning. A transfer will be waiting to take you to your hotel in the city. Guangzhou is a somewhat grey trade city located on the banks of the Pearl River. Visit one of the large parks and enjoy the peace and quiet at the end of an invigorating China holiday. Here, you can let the impressions of the past weeks sink in and look back on an incredible China trip.If you would like to pick up a few souvenirs during your last night in China, check out the night market. |
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Day 18: Guangzhou - UKIt's day eighteen and after travelling in China by train, your trip has finally come to an end. The hotel reception desk can help you arrange a transfer to the international airport of Guangzhou. This is where you'll catch your flight back to the UK.If you would like to spend time on a Hong Kong trip at the end of this China holiday, you can extend your stay with a night or more to see this futuristic city. In less than two hours, you can travel through China by train towards Hong Kong where you'll arrive in the centre of Kowloon. |
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