Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

Today you'll have a chance to discover Beijing by car with a driver and an 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 in China. 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. Since you will have a guide accompanying you, you not only can ask him everything about Beijing, you can also ask him any practical questions you may have. For instance, when you're visiting Tian'anmen around 12:30 when your driver sends you on your way you can ask your guide to give you tips on the best places to visit for lunch.

The Great Wall of China should be a part of every China holiday. A hike over the wall from Jinshanling to Simatai, 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 alternative would be an excursion to the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu. During this excursion you can walk over the wall for about 3km and simply return to the starting point at the end of the walk allowing you to make your walk as short or as long as you wish. This part of the wall is a bit more commercialized and crowded than the part visited during the 10km hike; there are more souvenir shops and such. The segment of the wall at Jinshanling is quiet and peaceful.

You'll be awakened from your slumber 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 transfer should take approximately 15 minutes.

This morning you'll visit to one of China's most popular attractions (apart from the Great Wall). The Terracotta Army excavation site is located in a park about 40 minutes from the city of Xi'an. The site 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. A visit to the Warriors will take up approximately 2 hours, however including transport you'll be out half a day. At around 13.00 you'll be back at your hotel in Xi'an and the rest of your day is free to spend as you please.

A driver will pick you up at your hotel around 7:30 in the morning. You’ll quickly leave the city and the morning rush hour behind you and the view from the car window will become greener. Around 9:30 you’ll have reached the country town of Huang Longxi, located on the banks of the Ming River which is scattered with terraces. Visit the local market, temples and picturesque streets in town. At around 11:30 you’ll continue on through the countryside. You’ll eventually stop at a farm where you’ll have lunch with a farmer’s family. After lunch you’re free to help the farmer out on the land for a little while if you like. You’ll be accompanied by an English-speaking guide the entire trip. At around 18:00 you’ll be back at your hotel in Chengdu.

Today a bike tour and bamboo boat ride are on the agenda. We'll arrange a bike, a boat and an English-speaking guide for you. He will tell you more about life in the area and will bike and sail along with you. You'll travel in a small group today along with other Western travellers.

You'll start off the day with a bike ride along the Yulong River. The scenery here 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. 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. Eventually when you return to your hotel you can unwind with a beer or glass of wine on the terrace.

Today you’ll have the entire day to spend as you please; there is 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. We'll gladly give you more options.

There's also a light show along the Li and Yulong Rivers in the evenings. The surrounding mountains are part of a magnificent light show that attracts about 1000 visitors each and every night. The show can be viewed daily from 20:00 - 21:00. Tickets are on sale on location for around £15.

At around 9:00 you'll be picked up and a transfer will take you north through Guilin to the Longji rice terraces. The village Ping'an is located in the middle of this area and is only accessible by foot. You'll be awaited at the end of the drive and someone will join you on the 20 minute walk to the village. If you prefer not to carry your suitcase/ backpack during the walk, you can have your baggage carried for 30 Yuan. By lunchtime you'll reach the village of 800 inhabitants.

You'll stay in a basic, well maintained guest house in the village. Electricity and warm water are available in the mornings and evenings. Your room will have its own private bathroom. 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.

Start off the day by enjoying the magical sunrise and the silence of the morning. The shrouds of mist surrounding the mountains will gradually pull away and while you have your breakfast on the veranda you'll see the sun climb into the sky. When time has come to move on you'll take your baggage to the parking lot where a transfer will be waiting to take you to Guilin airport (a 1.5 hour drive).

You'll 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 Kowloon will take another 2 hours.
 

Our most popular hotel lies in the central district of Tsimshatsui on the southern point of Kowloon where you'll find the famous shopping street, Nathan Road. This is our standard hotel choice in the area unless you indicate that you would like a room with a view of the impressive Hong Kong skyline from the luxurious Harbour View Hotel.You'll spend two nights in Hong Kong and you'll have the day after arrival free to spend as you wish.Taxi cabs are everywhere and they offer excellent service. A ride within the centre of town shouldn't cost you any more than £
3.

Please note: despite the large number of hotels in Hong Kong, there is a shortage of hotel rooms during the Christmas holidays and during the month of October (the month in which many conventions are held in Hong Kong). Prices for rooms are higher than normal during this period of time.