China in style

Today you'll have a chance to discover Beijing with your driver and English-speaking guide. You'll be picked up at your hotel around 8:30 in the morning. The first stop is Tian'anmen Square: the gateway to heavenly peace. This famous square is home to the buildings of parliament as well as the entrance to the Forbidden City and Mao Zhedong's Mausoleum and is most likely top of your list of must-see's on your China holiday package. After a stop you'll visit the Temple of Heavenly Peace (entrance fee 35 Yuan, approximately £3.50) and the colourful Lama Temple (entrance fee approximately £2.50).

These are Beijing's most important temples. You'll walk among red pagodas, monks and prayer houses with the scent of incense and sandalwood all around you. As you have a guide with you, you can not only can ask him anything you want to know about Beijing, but you can also ask him any practical questions you may have.

The Great Wall should be a part of every China holiday package. A hike over the wall from Jinshanling is the most enjoyable way to get a sense of the vastness of the Great Wall of China. The 10km hike is quite strenuous; you'll be climbing and descending for about 4 hours over restored and original wall segments. Another less demanding alternative would be an excursion to the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu, where you can take a cable car up to the top and toboggan ride back down - lots of fun, especially if travelling with children.

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.

You'll be picked up at 9am this morning for a visit to one of the most popular attractions on this China holiday package; The Terracotta Army. The excavation site is located in a park about 40 minutes from the city of Xi'an and was discovered in 1974 by farmers. They found approximately 7000 clay soldiers, clay horses and clay chariots, which were commissioned by the then 14 year old king Zheng for his future royal tomb.

The best way to view the site is to start in hall 3, then to continue on to hall 2 and finally 1. This way you'll save the largest and most impressive part of the site for last. A visit to the Warriors will take up approximately 2 hours, however including transport, you'll probably be out half a day. At around 1pm you'll be back in Xi'an.

If you're looking for a bit of exercise during your China holiday package trip, today you can take a bike ride over the approximately 10m wide city wall. The wall is 12km long and is built in a square around the city. If you’re looking to avoid the crowds in the city, this is your best bet. There is a 40 Yuan fee to gain access to the wall, you'll pay 15 Yuan for 1.5 hour bike rental (long enough to circle the wall) and you'll pay a 200 Yuan deposit.

The South Gate is the best place to start your bike ride and your bike will be waiting for you on the wall, so you won't have to carry it up the stairs to the wall. There are several cafés at the various city wall towers that you can stop at for a drink. Bike riding is possible from 8:00 - 22:00. 

This morning, you'll be taken to Xi'an airport where you'll continue your China holiday package by plane to Chengdu. From here you'll be met by one of our representatives who will take you to a comfortable hotel in the centre of town, within walking distance from several backpacker hostels, perfect if you want to arrange more activities during your time in the city.
 
You may want to try the areas most popular dish during your China trip here; 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.  

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. It may be a 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.

After an hour or two you'll have seen all there is to see at the panda research centre and you'll then head back to your hotel and arrive at around 11:30.  

On day nine of your China holiday package, you'll go on a bicycle ride in the morning through the area surrounding Lijiang. You'll visit the traditional Naxi village Baisha, where you'll park your bike and visit the legendary herbal practitioner Dr. Ho. He's over 80 years old, however when you enter his home he greets you with warmth, friendliness and cup of herbal tea. You'll return to Lijiang around noon where you'll say goodbye to your guide.

After lunch you can visit another great spot on your China travels, the Black Dragon Pool Park (entrance fee 40 Yuan). This park is home to some of the most often photographed areas in China, such as the lake featured in the picture, which when the sun shines reflects the temple and tops of the surrounding mountains beautifully.  

You'll start off day eleven of this China holiday package with a bike ride along the Yulong River. You'll travel in a small group today along with other Western travellers. During your bike ride you'll leave the main roads and peddle over paths along the Li river, through farmland and rice paddies and you'll have the karst mountains as constant companions during your ride- a scenic highlight of your China trip. 

After a while, the bamboo raft will be waiting to take you down the river. You will sail through the peaks of the karst mountains. After a few kilometres you'll get back on your bike and peddle towards Moon Hill. 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. A blissful way to end the eleventh day of your trip in China. 

Today you’ll have the entire day to spend as you please. There's plenty to do in this area; you can rent a kayak from the hotel, spend another day on a bicycle to explore the area on your own or you can even take Kung Fu lesson for an hour- our friendly China travel specialists will gladly give you more options.

There's quite a show to see on and along the Li and Yulong Rivers in the evenings. The name Zhang Yimao may not ring a bell, however he is the most well known movie director in China and was also responsible for directing the opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for instance. He’s created a show here in the outdoors with a backdrop of mountains and the river that attracts about 1000 visitors each and every night. As with most things in China, this show is a large production, and well worth a visit. The show can be viewed daily from 20:00 - 21:00. Tickets are on sale on location from £15.  

Today you'll journey on to the next destination on your China holiday package. So have a bite to eat in the restaurant before your transfer picks you up for the two hour drive to Guilin airport. In just an hour you'll fly to the cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong. 

On arrival you'll be awaited in the arrival hall by one of our local representatives and you'll be taken to your accommodation in Kowloon. You'll stay in a 'harbour view' room with a view of the impressive Hong Kong skyline in the luxurious Harbour Plaza Hotel. The hotel is located by the water's edge and you can also enjoy the view from the roof of the hotel where you'll find an open air swimming pool with deck chairs and a Jacuzzi. 

There's an abundance of taxis in Hong Kong and they offer excellent service. 

Hong Kong Top 5 Attractions

1. Head to Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island. This is where you'll be able to enjoy the magnificent view of the Hong Kong skyline. 
2. Visit the various stands at the Temple Street Market.
3. Spend an evening in Lan Kwai Fong, the hip and happening street to go out in with a mix of Chinese and expat visitors.
4. Visit the beach at the Sai Kung peninsula.
5. Watch the Symphony of Lights, a laser-light show which illuminates all of the buildings along the dock in a multitude of colours.