Chinese Checkers - 11 days

FROM USD $1,799

A complete checker board of history, culture, sights & experiences. Jump from old Beijing and the expansive Great Wall to the mammoth carved statues at Longman's Caves, Suzhou - known as little Venice and 21st century Shanghai

Day 1: Beijing
Saturday. Huan ying, welcome to China and the start of your holiday! Airport arrival transfer and hotel check in. The remainder of the day offers free time. Overnight - Beijing
Guardian lion statue at the Forbidden City in Beijing
Day 2: Forbidden City
Today, we embark on a guided tour of the nation’s capital. Tiananmen Square, a patriotic vision of grandeur and the Forbidden city, the walled city of the former Chinese emperors boasting stunning temples, courtyards and reception halls. We take an afternoon rickshaw ride navigating the old back lanes and courtyards of Beijing’s Hutongs and tonight we enjoy a traditional Peking Duck Welcome Dinner at a city restaurant. Overnight - Beijing (B, D)
Chinese Checkers - 11 days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
The UNESCO-Listed Great Wall of China in Badaling - seen on all our China Group Tours
Day 3: The Great Wall
Today we walk the famous Great Wall of China. Said to be seen from space, the enduring symbol of Chinese civilisation and genius is a prize national treasure. The UNESCO protected Great Wall of China was built as a defensive structure to protect China against marauding invaders from the north. Although the present wall dates mainly from the Ming dynasty, some 20 states and dynasties were involved in its immense construction over a period of 2,000 years and followed different routes and building extensions as required. At one time perhaps nearly 9700km long, the wall was garrisoned by nearly 1 million soldiers and featured over 1,000 fortified passes and 10,000 beacon towers. Today, the now partially ruinous Great Wall stretches some 6700 kms across barren hills, deserts, mountains and plateaus. Today’s visit offers a healthy, if steep and vertiginous walk with breathtaking views of the Chinese countryside.

After taking time to catch our breathe we tour a nearby cloisonne workshop demonstrating the ancient Chinese art of combining copper and enamel to make decorative pieces. Tonight, a death defying Chinese acrobatic performance entertains us. Overnight - Beijing (B, L)
The Summer Palace set on Kunming Lake on the outskirts of Beijing - a highlight on our China Tours
Day 4: Summer Palace
Beijing - Luoyang. Spend the morning at leisure before touring the Summer Palace. This vast complex is replete with lavishly decorated temples, halls and courts, reconstructed in 1902 at the whim of the extravagant Dowager Empress Cixi. We visit the famed Silk Alley markets and drive past the Beijing 2008 Olympic Stadium en route to the train station. Overnight - Sleeper Train (B)
Days 5 - 6: Luoyang - Longman Caves
Luoyang - Xi’an. Today we explore the UNESCO - listed 6th Century Longman Caves etched into the cliffs of the Yi River. The 1300 caves (grottoes) are adorned with 100,000 statues and images of Buddha and his disciples, carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Later on we tour the White Horse Temple, the first Buddhist temple in China. On day 6, we visit the Peony Square to watch ballroom dancing, tai chi and sword fighting. After some free time we board the new high speed train to Xi'an (journey time approximately 2 hours). In Xi'an we have a delicious local dinner and spend the evening at leisure. Overnight - Luoyang (1), Xi'an (1) (B:2, D:1)
A few of the army of Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors
Day 7: Xi'an Terracotta Warriors
Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Warriors are reputed to be the greatest discovery of the 20th century - 7,000 life-sized clay soldiers stand ready for battle. We visit the archaeological site and the workshop where the replica warriors are crafted. Tonight, optional Tang Dynasty Bolt-on, with dinner and performance. Overnight - Xi'an (B, L)
Bikes and bright red lanterns on a Beijing street
Day 8: Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Xi’an - Shanghai. First up this morning, we tour the lofty Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The complex of temples, pagoda’s and expansive gardens, constructed during the 7th century offered refuge and a store house for Chinese Buddhists to translate the very important Buddhist sutras from India.

The fun starts now as we take a leisurely bicycle ride (solo or tandem) atop the well-preserved Xi’an city wall. At a minimum of 6 metres in width, 9 miles in length - with no steep inclines the wall offers a great vantage point for peeping down upon the city hubbub below. After we visit the Great Mosque, Muslim Quarter and enjoy some free time in the city centre before boarding our train destined for sizzling Shanghai. Overnight - Sleeper Train (B, L)
The skyline and Huangpu River in Shanghai - the end point on some of our China Tours
Day 9: Shanghai
Good morning Shanghai! Just the mere mention of ‘Shanghai’ conjures up mystery, romance and general decadence. Pre – 1949, cosmopolitan Shanghai was a magnet for seekers of wealth, idle colonialists, explorers and the dispossessed. Everything went belly up in 1949, when Mao and the communists took to power and swept the good times and rock and roll away. A legacy of these heady times is Shanghai’s Bund where on and around this waterfront promenade are a vast series of grandiose pre-1949 buildings. Just across the Huangpu River is the new Shanghai, a high-tech development of gravity defying skyscrapers.

Today we tour many of the city’s top spots - Yu Gardens and Bazaar- Shanghai’s finest traditional garden, the Bund, Pudong and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Jade Buddha Temple and take a cruise including a cruise along the Huangpu River. Overnight - Shanghai (B)
Boats in the Vneice of the East - Suzhou
Day 10: Suzhou, Grand Canal Cruise
Shanghai - Suzhou - Shanghai. Today, we journey to an oriental Venice via high speed train - ancient Suzhou interwoven by a series of canals and pretty waterways. We cruise on the Grand Canal at 1800km in length it's the longest canal on earth and ranks alongside the Great Wall as China’s greatest engineering achievement, and visit a silk workshop Overnight - Shanghai (B, L)
Day 11: Shanghai
Tuesday. Our tour ends after breakfast and onward departure transfer to airport. (B)


Tour Details
  • Starts in: Beijing / Ends in: Shanghai
  • Departs: Saturdays - March to October
  • No local payment required
  • Breakfast:10, Lunch: 4, Dinner: 2
  • Hotel Rating: 3 - 4 star
  • Tour Guide: Yes (for groups of 6 or more)
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