Discover China with Harbin Ice Festival add-on

You will stay at hotels such as the Friendship in Beijing, King Dynasty or similar in Xian, Mandarin Garden or similar in Nanjing, the Greenland Jiulong or similar in Shanghai and the Castle or similar in Suzhou. All rooms are well furnished and feature private facilities and air-conditioning. Hotels will be confirmed in your final documents.

For your Harbin add-on you will stay in a comfortable modern hotel such as the Friendship Palace Hotel, which has a restaurant and heated/airconditioned rooms with private facilities. Hotels will be confirmed in your final documents. Please note: This add-on is offered on a full-board basis, and is accompanied by a Tour Manager.

Day 1: UK/Beijing

Depart on your scheduled flight to Beijing.

Day 2: Beijing

Arrival in Beijing, where you will be met by your Chinese guide and transferred to your hotel. Afternoon and evening free to relax.

Meals: Dinner

Day 3: Beijing

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.

Daily life in Beijing is a truly spellbinding sight to the first-time visitor. It is a city of bustling street markets and food stalls, crowded buses and, above all, warm, dignified and friendly people, eager to welcome and please their visitors.

Today 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 then visit the heart of Beijing - Tiananmen 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. You will then 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.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 4: Beijing

This morning we include a visit to the Great Wall. It is some 3,800 miles long and at least 2,600 years old. The Great Wall winds 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 13 emperors are buried.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 5: Xian

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Xian. Experience the city wall welcoming ceremony before transferring to your hotel where two nights’ accommodation has been arranged.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 6: Xian

Xian, the ‘City of Eternal Peace’, was once the flourishing capital of China and the most important city in Asia. The recent archaeological discoveries near the city have staggered the imagination, for it is here that the first Qin emperor was interred in 200 BC 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. This dazzling display of ancient Chinese military power is quite simply one of the world’s most remarkable sights. We include a visit to the site of the Terracotta Army at Li Shan Mountain. During the day, you will also visit the nearby Small Wild Goose Pagoda. In the evening, there will be the opportunity to attend a Tang Dynasty folklore show.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 7: Shanghai

En route to the airport for the flight to Shanghai, we will visit the Han Tombs. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel for a twonight stay.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 8: Shanghai

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.

The labyrinth of streets in the Old Town form a stark contrast with modern Nanjing Road - Shanghai is a shopping 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.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 9: Suzhou

This afternoon, you will take the train to Suzhou, which is situated on China’s historic grand canal, built in the 6th century to connect Beijing with the east coast. Two nights’ accommodation has been arranged in Suzhou.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 10: Suzhou

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.

Our full programme of sightseeing includes 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.

You will come to narrow canals with cobblestone walks where rickety wooden houses lean against each other. Peek into the whitewashed cottages as you walk by and you’ll catch a glimpse of families chatting, cooking and eating.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 11: Nanjing

This morning you will have the opportunity to take an optional Tongli Water Village excursion. This afternoon transfer to Nanjing for a two night stay.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 12: Nanjing

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.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 13: Beijing

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Beijing for a two night stay.

Meals: Breakfast / dinner

Day 14: Beijing

A short visit will be made to the world-famous 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. Here you can admire the famous Marble Boat, the ornately painted ‘long corridor’, and simply gaze in awe at the traditional Chinese landscape surrounding the various towers, gardens and pavilions. Your final afternoon in Beijing is free for individual shopping and sightseeing. You can enjoy browsing amongst the shops and markets for excellent bargains in jade, porcelain, silk and cloisonné.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 15: Beijing/Harbin

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Harbin. On arrival transfer to your hotel for a three night stay.

Meals: Dinner

Day 16: Harbin

Morning visit to the frozen River Songhua to witness the ‘daily dip’ taken by hardy locals in a large hole cut in the ice. Sightseeing in Harbin including St. Sophia Cathedral and the underground shopping streets, converted from nuclear air raid tunnels. Later, visit Zhaolin Park to see the Ice Lantern Festival just as darkness is setting in.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 17: Harbin

Morning drive to nearby Sun Island to see the acres of wonderful snow carvings, followed by a visit to an exceptional collection of Manchurian tigers, sadly so close to extinction in the wild. Watch an ice carving demonstration, dinner at the Huamei restaurant and a visit to the Ice and Snow World Park.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 18: Harbin/UK

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK via Beijing arriving home later the same day.

Special Note: Winter temperatures in Harbin are constantly well below freezing, so take appropriate clothing.

Meals: Breakfast