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Discover Mighty China
Discover Mighty China on this China holiday itinerary that will take you to all the important Chinese cities, cultural and natural attractions. During your China holiday you'll walk over a picturesque part of the Great Wall of China, visit the Terracotta Army, and also get up close to pandas at the research centre in Chengdu. |
| Duration: | 18 days/ 17 nights | Departure: |
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| Comfort level (1-5): | 3 (see accommodation) | Accommodation: | Comfortable and characteristic hotels and 1 night in a sleeper train |
| Price: |
£1665 per person - based on 2 people sharing (including 3 domestic flights) * A surcharge can apply for travel in May/April and Oct/Nov in Hong Kong |
Included: | Transport, accommodation, trains, domestic flights, transfers and excursions as described below |
| Transport: | All arrival transfers, transfers between cities and towns (see below) | Excluded: | International flights, (airport) taxes, meals and drinks, entrance fees |
Day 1: Arrival in ShanghaiWhen you land on the first day of your China holiday, one of our local representatives will be waiting for you in the arrival hall, and will take you to your hotel. You'll stay in a centrally located colonial hotel in the heart of Shanghai. Your accommodation is truly located at the best possible spot. In the evening you can simply exit the hotel and walk onto the Shanghai river boulevard; The Bund.While strolling along the Bund past the large classic colonial buildings you'll feel like you're walking through ancient 18th and 19th century China. On the other side of the Bund however you'll see Pudong's skyscrapers shooting into the sky like a brand new Shanghai. |
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Day 2: ShanghaiToday is free for you to explore Shanghai under your own steam. If you only want to visit one museum during your China holiday here, we recommend visiting the Shanghai museum with its incredible collection of everything in China that was worth saving.If you just feel like relaxing and unwinding during this part of your trip in China, you may want to visit the famous Yu-garden, not far from the Bund. Try to visit the garden close to closing time, the quietest time of the day. If you plan on going out in the evening, you'll want to visit Xintiandee, a district made up of pedestrian walkways, tea houses, restaurants and renovated Shikumen houses, and even a French district. Staying 'in' for the evening in your hotel is not an option; a night on the town is part of the Shanghai experience! |
Day 3: Shanghai - Beijing - Bullet TrainToday you'll travel from Shanghai to Beijing on the high speed 'bullet train' making the journey in a mere 5 hours. China is one of the few countries to have such a modern railway and it's a fantastic way to travel.When you arrive in Beijing you'll be met by one of our representatives at the train station, and transfered to your hotel in the centre of the city. In keeping with local style, you'll stay in a traditional courtyard hotel with fruit trees, magnolias and flowers. The small scale architecture of these hotels is quite charming. The staff at the reception area are quite well versed in English, very helpful and very friendly. The rest of the day of your China holiday is yours to spend as you wish. |
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Day 4: Tour of BeijingDay four of your China holiday starts by touring Beijing with your driver and English speaking guide. You'll be picked up at 8:30 in the morning. Your first stop is the famous Tian'anmen Square: Gate of Heavenly Peace. After a rest stop you'll visit the Temple of Heavenly Peace and the colourful Lama Temple. Since you will have a guide accompanying you, you can ask them any practical questions you may have, such as where to go for lunch when you stop at around 12:30.During the afternoon you'll walk along with your guide into the Forbidden City. Once you've seen all you wish to see, your guide will help you find a taxi back to your hotel. While travelling in China, be sure to always bring along a business card from the hotel you're stay at; taxi drivers may not always understand you and a business card can make a world of difference in getting you back to your hotel. |
Day 5: Beijing - Great Wall of China tourMost travellers will agree that the Great Wall of China is one of the highlights of any China holiday. You'll leave Beijing early in the morning and head towards a quiet part of the wall, about three hours from Beijing. Here you'll walk over the wall for about 10km; it's quite a vigorous walk and not appropriate for people with a fear of heights! It should take you about four hours to complete the entire course. Many parts of the wall are still the original wall segments, completely unrestored and dating back to around 1570. At the end of the route you'll encounter the busy Beijing streets once again; arriving back at 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 this is the best way to experience the stunning landscapes in the mountainous area of the Luanping County. |
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Day 6: Beijing - Xi'anOn day six of your China holiday you'll have another day off to explore Beijing at your own pace. 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 head a little further out and visit the Summer Palace. This estate is located about 40 minutes from Beijing and was once the Emperor's Family getaway.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 soft 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 7: Arrival in Xi'anYou'll be awakened from your slumber on day seven of your China holiday before arriving in Xi'an (if you prefer not to travel by train, there are several daily flights to Xi'an). 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.The rest of the day on your China holiday is yours to spend as you wish. We would suggest visiting the charming Muslim neighbourhood. In the heart of the city is the large Bell Tower, right in the middle of the traffic intersection. Nearby you'll also find the Drum Tower. If you climb the tower at 5pm you'll have a wonderful view of the city, the Muslim neighbourhood and you could catch a demonstration of Chinese kettle drums - this is sure to be a real highlight of your China holiday. |
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Day 8: Xi'an - Terracotta Army excursionThis morning you'll continue your China holiday as you're picked up at 9:00 and taken to the excavation site of the Terracotta Warriors where you'll see more than 7000 amazing clay soldiers, horses and chariots. We advise you to start in hall 3, then visit hall 2 and finally hall 1, then this way you’ll save the largest and most impressive part of the excavation site for last.Your Xi'an trip to the Terracotta Army will last approximately two hours; however, if you include transit time, the excursion will take up half a day. You'll be back in Xi'an around 13:00 in the afternoon. If you're looking for more action in the afternoon, you can go for a bike ride across Xi'an's city wall. The wall runs for 12km in a square surrounding the city. If you want to avoid the busy city of Xi'an, this is quite a treat and a fun part of your China trip. |
Day 9: Xi'an - ChengduIn the morning of day nine of your China holiday you'll arrange your own transport to the airport, where you'll catch a plane to Chengdu. We'll arrange a transfer to your comfortable hotel in the centre of the ancient pedestrian street, Jinli. There are several backpacker hostels nearby, offering you the chance to benefit from the know-how of the hostel's English speaking staff, as well as the affordable activities that they organise. So, you'll have the best of both worlds!The area surrounding your hotel has many fine restaurants; you may want to try this area's 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 boiling water. |
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Day 10: Chengdu - Panda Research Centre excursionIf you’d like to experience a panda encounter during your China holiday, the best place to see them is at the Panda Breeding Research Centre. The Research Centre is a large bamboo filled park where pandas can be seen in large fenced enclosures. We really enjoyed our visit here, especially because it’s the only opportunity to see these mystical creatures up close.Your panda trip is planned for early in the morning which is the best time of day to visit as this is when they are most active. This means that you’ll be picked up at your hotel around 7am. You’ll get to the park in time to see the pandas being fed. After about 3 hours in the park you’ll have seen all you’ll want to see and you’ll be back in your hotel by 11:30. |
Day 11: Chengdu - Guilin - YangshuoToday you'll fly to one of our favourite highlights on this China holiday; the karst mountains near Guilin. After a flight from Chengdu, you'll be greeted by our local representative and we'll arrange a transfer to Yangshuo, which is about two hours away.Instead of arranging accommodation in the busy city of Guilin during this part of your China travel package, we’ll arrange accommodation for you in a charming retreat located between the karst mountains. Only 20 minutes away from Yangshuo, you'll be surrounded by farmland and rice paddies. There are mountain bikes, kayaks, bamboo rafts and tubes for rent and naturally this area is great for walking. You could hike to the river and catch a glimpse of the bamboo rafts you'll be sailing on tomorrow. |
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Day 12: Yangshuo - bike, bamboo raft excursion Yulong River
You're nearly two weeks into your China holiday now and today a bike tour and bamboo raft ride are on the agenda. You'll travel in a small group today along with other Western travellers. The view from the Yulong river is every bit as beautiful as it is at the Li River and it features a dramatic array of karst mountains on the banks of the river - a truly scenic part of your China holiday. During your bike ride you'll leave the main roads and peddle over paths along the river, through farmland and rice paddies and have the karst mountains as constant companions 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. 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: YangshuoOn the thirteenth day of your China holiday 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 a Kung Fu lesson.There's quite a lot to see along the Li and Yulong Rivers in the evenings. We recommend buying tickets to the sound and light show, performed with against a backdrop of the mountains and river. As with most things in China, this show is a large production and definitely worth a visit. After the show you may want to venture out for some souvenir shopping or have a bite to eat in one of Yangshuo's busy streets. |
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Day 14: Yangshuo - Ping'anThis morning you'll continue your China holiday and head north through Guilin to the Longji rice terraces. The village of Ping'an is located in the middle of this area and is only accessible by foot. You'll be met at the end of the drive and someone will join you on the 20 minute walk to the village.You'll stay in a simple guest house in the village. The guest house has a large veranda where you can enjoy the view of the rice fields and mountains in the crisp clean air. In the afternoon you can walk through the village and visit the two view points. Along the way you're sure to encounter the Zhuang. This local minority introduced the terraced irrigation system that is used in this area about 5000 years ago. |
Day 15: Ping'anAfter breakfast on the veranda this morning, you and a guide will head out for a day of hiking through the epic rice terraces known as Dragon's Bone or Longji. The hike is possible for anyone with an average level of physical fitness. You'll mostly be walking through the rice terraces; however you'll also walk through forest or marshes. You'll see the Zhuang hard at work in their paddy-fields pushing their oxen through the mud. |
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Day 16: Ping'an - Guilin - Canton - Hong KongStart off the day by enjoying the sunrise and the silence of a morning in the rice terraces. After breakfast on the veranda of your guest house you'll take your luggage to the car park where a transfer will be waiting to take you to Guilin airport (a 1.5 hour drive).You'll continue your China holiday as you fly to the city of Canton, which lies near Hong Kong. This flight is much less expensive than flying directly into Hong Kong. A transfer will be waiting to take you to the Guangzhou (Canton) train station. Your train ride to Hong Kong will take another 2 hours and on arrival you'll make your own way to your comfortable hotel in the popular Kowloon area of Hong Kong |
Day 17: Hong KongToday is yours to explore Hong Kong. We recommend heading to Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island, where you ’ll be able to enjoy the famous view of the Hong Kong skyline. There are also various markets in the city such as Temple Street Market, Ladies Market and the Bird Market. At 8pm watch the Symphony of Lights, a laser-light show that casts a rainbow of colours on all of the buildings along the dock. It is regonised as the 'World's Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show' by the Guinness book of World Records.After a long day of sightseeing you will probably be starving, and no trip to Hong Kong is complete without trying dim sum! If you want an authentic experience then we would recommend heading to one of the local markets to try this delicious dish. |
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Day 18: Hong KongUnfortunately all good things must come to an end and today your China holiday must draw to a close. You'll return to the airport (you can arrange a transfer at your hotel reception for just a few pounds) and catch your flight back to the UK. If this China holiday sounds like the trip for you, just click the quote request form link below and select it. Send us the form and we'll send you a detailed, no-obligation China travel plan quote. |
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