DAY 1
Depart on your scheduled flight to Beijing.
DAY 2
Arrival in Beijing, where you will be met by our Tour Manager and your Chinese guide and transferred to your hotel for a three night stay. Afternoon and evening free to relax.
DAY 3
Beijing is an extraordinary city. Ancient temples and palaces, with golden curved roofs and exquisite marble and jade, stand proudly beside the vast 20th century civic buildings created by Chairman Mao and his people. The most modern architecture can be seen with the iconic Olympic buildings. These include the National Aquatics Centre, better known as the Water Cube and the National Stadium, better known as the Bird’s Nest.
This morning you will be taken on an introductory city tour. You will see Chang An Avenue and the strikingly beautiful Temple of Heaven. This ornate structure, made entirely of wood, was built in 1420 and is still used as a hall of prayer for good harvests. You will then visit the heart of Beijing – Tian an Men Square. It is the largest public square in the world, bordered by the Qianmen Gate, the Great Hall of the People and the Gate of Heavenly Peace. After lunch you go through the gate, which forms the entrance to the incredible Forbidden City, to marvel at the magnificent buildings that house the Imperial Palace from which China was ruled by the imperial dynasties for hundreds of years. During your guided tour you will see magnificent collections of Chinese bronzes, porcelain, paintings, jade and other treasures.
DAY 4
This morning we include a visit to the Great Wall. For gen er a tions, people from all over the world have heard of it and wanted to see it. It is some 3,800 miles long and at least 2,600 years old. The Great Wall winds like an immense dragon through the hills of northern China and passes within 40 miles of Beijing at Badaling, where it is wide enough to allow five horsemen to ride abreast. Here you will have plenty of time to walk along the historic ramparts and marvel at its size and grandeur. Lunch is followed by a visit to the remarkable Ming Tombs Museum where thirteen em per ors are buried. During the evening there will be a Peking Duck Dinner.
DAY 5
A short visit will be made to the worldfamous Beijing Zoo to see the pandas, before continuing to the outskirts of Beijing to visit the magnificent 800-year-old Summer Palace, the largest and best preserved of all imperial palace gardens. Afternoon transfer to the airport for the flight to Nanjing. Transfer to your hotel where two nights' accommodation has been arranged. Dinner on arrival.
DAY 6
Nanjing, which has been the national capital several times during the history of China, is situated on the River Yangtze. It is a delightful city of tree-lined boulevards, lively markets and ancient fortifications. A full day sightseeing tour is included, during which you will see the magnificent Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum with its remarkable stairway, the Confucius Temple area and the amazing Yangtze River Bridge. A visit will also be made to the Gates and City Walls of Nanjing, which were constructed in their present form some 600 years ago during the Ming Dynasty, each brick engraved with the workman’s name.
DAY 7
This morning, you will take the train to Wuxi. From here, transfer to Suzhou, which is situated on China’s historic Grand Canal, built in the 6th century to connect Beijing with the east coast. The busy water traffic of barges, sampans and sailing boats is a fascinating and absorbing sight. Two nights’ accommodation has been arranged in Suzhou.
DAYS 8 & 9
Suzhou is beautiful. It is famous for its landscaped gardens, narrow canals and traditional Chinese architecture. Many of the sites of the famous gardens of Suzhou, known as far back as the 10th century, are still intact, and some have been restored to their former glory. A visit to these gardens will be one of the highlights of your time in China.
A full programme of sightseeing will include the Lingering Garden, Humble Administrators Garden, and also visits to a silk and embroidery factory (Suzhou has been famous for its silk products since the days of Marco Polo). There will also be time to see the local markets and stroll through the quaint, narrow streets – a must in Suzhou. Transfer by train in the late afternoon of Day 9 to Shanghai. Transfer on arrival to your hotel for a two night stay.
DAY 10
Shanghai has to be seen to be believed! As the fastest developing city in China, if not the world, this vibrant and exciting seaport is rapidly recovering its entrepreneurial prominence. Shanghai’s colourful history is embedded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and today this combines with exciting modernity and a glimpse into China’s future.
At its heart is the Huangpu River, with its constant and extraordinary stream of water traffic. The Bund, the city’s famous riverside boulevard, is lined with magnificent former colonial buildings which now stand as monuments to Shanghai’s one-time notoriety. Across the river in Pudong District, a new ‘Manhattan’ is rising from the former marshlands.
The labyrinth of streets in the old town form a stark contrast with modern Nanjing Road – Shanghai truly is a shopper’s Mecca. By night, the city is a culinary delight – with all sorts of local and international foods and entertainment that just goes on and on!
Our included sightseeing programme offers the best of Shanghai. Highlights include the thronging shopping thoroughfare of Nanjing Road, the traditional Old Town, with its ancient Wu Xing Ting Teahouse, and the Yu Yuan Gardens, a classic Chinese garden. You will also visit the beautiful Jade Buddha Temple and have time to stroll along the Bund. This evening there is an included visit to an Acrobatic Show.
DAY 11
Morning free in Shanghai. Afternoon transfer to the airport for the flight to Xian. Transfer on arrival to your hotel for a two night stay.
DAY 12
Xian, the ‘City of Eternal Peace’, was once the flourishing capital of China and the most important city in Asia. It is here that the first Qin emperor was interred in 200BC with at least 6,000 life-size terracotta figures representing the individuals of the Imperial Guard. They are grouped in battle order, rank by rank, some mounted on horse-drawn chariots, others armed with spears, swords and crossbows. We include a visit to the site of this Terracotta Army at Li Shan Mountain. During the day you will also visit the Han Tombs. In the evening, there will be the opportunity to attend a Tang Dynasty Folklore Show.
DAY 13
Morning tour of Xian itself, including the Goose Pagodas. You will also see the city wall. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Guilin where upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel where two nights’ accommodation has been arranged.
DAY 14
A full day tour, including a boat cruise on the majestic Li River. Marvel at the unique rock formations that rise up from the river banks. You will doubtless also spot the Li Jiang cormorant fishermen with their wide-brimmed hats and narrow bamboo rafts. The cruise ends in the small up-country township of Yangshuo, and the return drive to Guilin passes through rice paddies and traditional Chinese farmland where sugar cane, bamboo and tropical fruit are cultivated.
DAY 15
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Hong Kong. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel where two nights’ accommodation has been arranged.
DAY 16
An included morning sightseeing tour of Hong Kong Island. You will cross from the mainland (Kowloon) to Hong Kong Island and proceed to the top of Victoria Peak for the best view in town! The tour then includes such attractive sights as Repulse Bay, and the fishing village of Aberdeen, famous for its floating community of 30,000 people.
DAY 17
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK, arriving later the same day.