Qufu Holidays

Sample Itinerary - REF CHINA 1311

If you like the itinerary below please quote REF CHINA 1311 when enquiring for further details.

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Day 1: Beijing

Welcome to China and the start of your holiday! Enjoy an arrival transfer to our hotel, where you sit back and relax after your long flight.

Today we explore the heart of Beijing including the vast Tiananmen Square where Chairman Mao’s tomb is located. Dominating the city’s heart is the Forbidden City, a centre of power for five centuries and seat of the emperors. Entering through the Gate of Heavenly Peace, we enjoy a guided walk of this old city within a city.

Day 3: Beijing

Today we drive out of the city to Badaling, where we can walk a section of the Great Wall. Some sections are fairly steep, but the walk on the vast wall is one of those ‘must do’ experiences! We visit a cloisonne workshop, where we’ll see firsthand the unique Chinese art of combining copper and enamel to make decorative pieces.

Day 4: Beijing - Jinan

We have free time until the afternoon train from Beijing to Jinan. Located south of the Yellow River as it makes its final thrust to the sea, Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province is famous for its springs. Shandong also produces the famous brew - Tsingtao beer at the former German colony of Qingdao.

Day 5: Jinan - Qufu

Enjoy a visit to the UNESCO listed Tai Shan (Peaceful Mountain), perhaps the holiest of the five Chinese holy mountains devoted to Taoism. The upper reaches are approached by cable-car. We visit Bu Yang Village on the way to Qufu, birthplace of the sage - Confucius.

Day 6: Qufu - Shanghai

Although Confucius lived in relative obscurity, his descendents dwelt in the grand Confucius Mansion (Kong Fu). Wielding immense power and wealth, the Kong family, built a palatial mansion, next to which is the Confucius Temple (Kong Miao). We enjoy a rickshaw tour around the Old City and take the overnight train to Shanghai.

Day 7: Shanghai

Once known for its decadent magnetism that attracted fortune-seekers and adventurers, Shanghai looks like a European city in a Chinese setting. Enjoy a big day out touring the Oriental Pearl TV tower, Jade Buddha Temple, charming Yuyuan Gardens, and the Old City. This evening, witness Shanghai’s illuminated skyline on a Huangpu River cruise.

Day 8: Shanghai

Today take a day trip by high speed train to ancient Suzhou, a Venetian-like town with its UNESCO-listed gardens and many waterways and bridges. Here you can take a cruise on the Grand Canal, which stretches over 1,000 miles from Beijing to Hangzhou and crosses the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, constructed more than 2,000 years ago. The hive of activity comprising of boats and people both on and along the Canal offers an amazing sight and later visit a silk textile factory. Or choose to visit the Fish-Net Master’s Garden and Tiger Hill, before returning to Shanghai.