China by train

This itinerary will take you on a unique journey through China... by train! Travel large distances by overnight sleeper train and learn your first Chinese words from fellow passengers. 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.

As you travel further into the Chinese countryside you'll start to see the karst mountains growing larger and larger. Experience peace, tranquility and a feeling of 'Zen' in Yangshuo as you float around on a bamboo raft and bike through farmland. Then travel to the world's highest altitude rice paddies for memorable hikes and quiet moments of gazing into emerald green paddies from your hotel room balcony.

Duration:	18 days/ 17 nights	Accommodation:	Comfortable, characteristic area hotels & a night train hard sleeper for 4 nights, comfort level 3
Price:	From £1290 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 Beijing

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. There are several store-lined streets near the hotel. 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.

China by train - Forbidden City, Beijing

Day 2: Beijing

Today you'll explore Beijing by car with a driver and an English speaking guide. After an 8:30 morning pick-up, 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). These are Beijing's most important temples. 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 Tiananmen Square: the Square of Heavenly Peace. This famous square lined by buildings of parliament and the entrance to the Forbidden City and Mao Zhedong's mausoleum is a must-see. 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 (about £1.50).

Day 3: Beijing - Great Wall of China walking tour

The Great Wall of China is the highlight of most China itineraries; however many parts of the wall crowded with tourists. 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.

If 10km is a bit too much, we can make reservations for you to visit a part of the wall where you'll begin and end at the same part of the wall (Mutianyu). This way you can walk as little or as much as you would like to. This part is a little more crowded than the where 10km walk will take place. There are more souvenir stores and more Chinese tourists; however it’s more comfortable walking on this restored part of the wall. This tour also includes a visit to the Ming tombs, the Sacred Way and a short visit to the Olympic Stadium.

A snack-break on the Great Wall of China

Day 4: Beijing - Xi'an

Today 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 cab 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 cab for a 20-minute ride to the Olympic Stadium.

Head back to your hotel around 15:00, where you'll be picked up at around 17:00 and taken to the train station. 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'an

You'll be awakened before arriving in Xi'an at around 7:30. We'll make reservations for you in a centrally located, comfortable hotel. 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 the day 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 17:00 you'll have a wonderful view of the city, the Muslim neighbourhood and you'll catch a demonstration of Chinese kettle drums. The area around the Drum Tower is quite lively in the evening; it's filled with carefully flirting and heavily telephoning young people. A taxi cab back to your hotel will cost you about £1 - £2.

China by train - Terracotta Army in Xian

Day 6: Xi'an - Terracotta Army

This morning 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 transport to and from the site will cause you to spend about half a day on this excursion. You'll be back in Xi'an around 13:00 in the afternoon.

Day 7: Xi'an - Chengdu

This 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.

You'll arrange your own transfer to the nearby train station today; your train leaves at around 13:30. Be on time so that you can look around for the right track and so that you can buy some snacks and drinks for the train trip. The trip will take about 17 hours, so you'll enjoy having something to snack on with you.

China by train - Biking on the Xi'an city wall

China by train - Courtyard hotel in Chengdu

Day 8: Arrival in Chengdu

Your train will arrive early in Chengdu, around 5:30. You'll be awaited by one of our representatives who will take you to our characteristic, comfortable hotel in the centre of town, within walking distance from several backpacker hostels. This offers you the chance to profit from the know how of the hostels English speaking staff as well as the affordable activities and excursions that they organize. You'll have the best of both worlds. The area surrounding your hotel has many fine restaurants; you may 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 encounter

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. The Panda Research Centre may be a type of zoo; however it is 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.

We weren't a big fan of the optional 'red miniature panda hugging' which can be done for a surcharge. It seemed very unnatural and unpleasant for the pandas. After an hour or two you'll have seen all there is to see at the panda research centre and the sight of these giant teddy bears forever engrained in your memory, you'll be back at your hotel around 11:30.

Day 10: Chengdu - Guilin - Yangshuo

Today 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.

At around 20:00 your train will depart from the Chengdu train station. You can easily arrange to have a taxi cab take you to the station with the help of your hotel's reception desk. The train trip ahead 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 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 Yangshuo

At the end of the day you'll arrive in the wonderland of karst mountains near Guilin. Our representative will be waiting to greet you in the arrivals hall and he/ she will arrange your transfer 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. Your room will have air-conditioning and a balcony with a view out across the spectacular yet unusual karst mountains. The cities centre, with its handful of bars and (even) western restaurants is only 20 minutes away by taxi. Yangshuo is the ideal place to buy a few typical Chinese souvenirs at a good price. Start off with a reasonably low price in mind and you'll end up paying less than half of the store price. You could hike to the river and catch a glimpse of the bamboo boats you'll be sailing in tomorrow. 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.

China by train - Karst mountain bike ride

Day 12: Yangshuo - Yulong River bike & bamboo boat excursion

You'll start off the day with a bike ride along the Yulong River. You'll travel in a small group today along with other international travellers.

The scenery here is every bit as beautiful as it is at the Li River and it features a dramatic array of Yangshuo's karst mountains on the banks of the river. During your bike ride you'll leave the main roads and peddle over paths along the river, through farmland and rice paddies and you'll have the karst mountains as constant companions during your ride. You'll be able to stop for drinks or snacks in the small villages that you'll pass during your ride. After biking for a while, the bamboo raft will be waiting to take you down the river. You, your guide and other boats will sail through the peaks of the karst mountains. After a few kilometres you'll get back on your bike and peddle towards the 'highlight' of this trek, Moon Hill (entrance fee 20Y). You can choose to climb the hill if you wish. In warm temperatures, this could be quite a strenuous climb. However the view from the top will make up for any inconvenience of getting there. Eventually when you return to your hotel you can unwind with a beer or glass of wine on the terrace.

Day 13: Yangshuo

Today you’ll have the entire day to spend as you please. If you would like to buy a few souvenirs, take a taxi cab to the city of Yangshuo. There are plenty of small shops filled with interesting souvenirs such as statues, jewellery and clothing. In the evening you'll be able to meet up with other western tourists and share 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).

Day 14: Yangshuo - Ping'an

Today you'll be picked up around 9:00 for a transfer by car via Guilin north towards 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 a mere 800 inhabitants, 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. Your room has its own bathroom and the guest house has a large veranda with a lovely view of the rice terraces and the mountains. In the afternoon you could go for a walk for a walk through the village to the two view points. Along the way you'll probably run into to the Zhuang. This local minority introduced the terrace irrigation system for rice cultivation shown on the picture below more than 5000 years ago.

Day 15: Ping'an

Enjoy breakfast on the veranda; you'll see the mist pull up through mountains right in front of you. At around 9:00 you’ll take off with your guide on a walk through the world’s largest rice terraces, The Dragon's Bone or Long Ji. 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. You'll see the Zhuang working in the rice paddies. They push their oxen through the blubber. 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. After the hike your guide will arrange a transfer back to the village; the costs of this transfer must be paid to the driver (150Y or about £15). 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 China trip.

Day 16: Ping'an - Guilin - Guangzhou

You'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 and the rice terraces.

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). Your last night train will leave this evening around 21:30 and will take you to Guangzhou (also known as Canton).

Day 17: Arrival in Guangzhou

This morning at around 8:30 you'll arrive at the train station in Guangzhou. 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 itinerary. 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.

Day 18: Guangzhou - UK

Your 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. Since you'll be travelling along with time, you'll arrive back in the UK on this same day.

If you would like to spend time in Hong Kong at the end of this trip, extend your stay with a night or more to see this futuristic city. In less than two hours you can travel to Hong Kong by train where you'll arrive in the centre of Kowloon.

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