fine china - 13 days

Tour Information
Starts in: Beijing
Ends in: Shanghai or Hong Kong
Prices and Departures: Click here
Local Payment Required: No
Breakfast: 11, Lunch: 4, Dinner: 2 
Hotel rating: 3 - 4
Tour leader: Yes (for groups of 6 or more)

Day 1: Beijing
Welcome to China and the start of your holiday! Enjoy an arrival transfer to our hotel. Overnight - Beijing

Day 2: Forbidden city
Beijing - breakfast. Today, we embark on a tour of the nation’s capital. The famous portrait of Mao Zedong, China’s communist father still looks out over gargantuan Tiananmen Square from the Gate of Heavenly Peace. On the square you can not miss Mao’s mausoleum, an austere behemoth in granite where he lies in state in his crystal coffin. We take a stroll on the square all under the watchful eye of the dutiful guards. A vision in grandeur with it’s imperial yellow roofs and vermilion walls, the Forbidden city, once forbidden to all those except on imperial business until 1911, when the last emperor, Puyi, was turfed off his throne. We enjoy a guided walk through the city’s many temples, grand halls and courtyards. The Forbidden city boasts 9999 rooms! Afternoon rickshaw ride through the Hutongs of Beijing and Peking Duck dinner at a city restaurant. Dinner and overnight - Beijing

Day 3: The Great Wall
Beijing - breakfast. Today, we travel beyond Beijing to Badaling, where we take a walk along the famed Great Wall. No matter how many pictures you’ve seen, the Great Wall of China is very impressive. Following a ridge of barren hills through northern China, it stretches as far as the eye can see - at least 6,700 kilometres. Continuing, we visit the tombs of the Ming emperors, where some 13 emperors were interred and a cloisonne workshop of decorative metal and enamel sculpture. Tonight, an eye boggling Chinese acrobatic performance. Swinging ropes, juggling hoops, spinning plates and 8 story human pyramids are just a few tricks these showstoppers pull out. Lunch and overnight - Beijing

Day 4: Summer Palace
Beijing - Luoyang - breakfast. An morning walk through the local market, then a chance to cross a few palms with silver at Silk Alley markets, where even the most hardened non-shoppers manage to walk away with something they really desire! The Summer Palace is set on picturesque Lake Kunming. Perhaps most famous of all the structures at the palace is the wonderful Long Corridor, a covered walkway 730m long extraordinarily hand-painted with scenes from Chinese history, legend and literature. Tonight, we travel to Luoyang, en route we view the massive Beijing 2008 Olympic Stadium and aquatic centre. Overnight – sleeper train

Day 5: Luoyang
Luoyang - breakfast. Today we explore the UNESCO world heritage listed 6th Century Longman Caves, etched into the cliffs along the Yi River. The 1300 caves (grottoes) were carved out by hand during the Northern Wei Dynasty and are adorned with more than 100,000 statues and images of Buddha and his disciples. Later we tour the first Buddhist temple in China - White Horse Temple. Dinner and overnight - Luoyang

Day 6: Luoyang / Xi’an
Luoyang – X’ian - breakfast. In the wee hours of the morning we set out on foot to Peony Square to watch or partake in a little exercise. Hundreds of Chinese take their daily exercise by practising ballroom dancing, performing tai chi, sword fighting and play sports like badminton and hacky sack at the break of dawn. Boarding the morning train we travel onward to Xi’an, afternoon at leisure. Overnight – Xi’an

Day 7: Xi’an / Terracotta Warriors
Xi’an - breakfast. Most famous for the Terracotta Warriors, perhaps the find of the 20th century and only just usurped by the discovery of King Tut’s gold-laden tomb in Egypt, the Terracotta Warriors comprise more than 7,000 life-sized soldiers which stand in military formation in excavated pits under the cover of a modern protective hanger. Made of local clay, no two faces are alike, each is said to be an individual portrait. We visit the Terracotta Warrior archaeological site, Huanqing Hot Springs and a workshop where warrior figurines are made. This evening, we offer a Tang Dynasty dinner and performance with Chang'an music and dance originally performed for the illustrious Tang emperors. Check out our Tang Dynasty bolt-on. Lunch and overnight - Xi'an

Day 8: Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Xi'an - Guilin - breakfast. Today, we visit Xi'an's city symbol, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, first built in AD652 to hold sutras collected in India by a wandering monk. An awesome sight, the City Wall and moat is over 15 km in perimeter and we embark on a bike ride (solo or tandem), where there is no vehicular traffic to mow us over! A legacy of the Silk Road, Xi'an's Muslim population supports an enclave including known as the Muslim Quarter, which we visit. Later, we fly south to Guilin. Lunch and overnight - Guilin

Days 9-10: Guilin / Yangshuo
Guilin - Yangshuo - breakfast. Renown for it's striking scenery: vast areas of karst limestone outcrops that rise up from flat rice paddy fields, Guilin is often the subject of Chinese painting. We undertake a relaxing day cruise down the River Li, with lunch onboard, to Yangshuo passing an endless procession of peaks and simple villages. The local fishermen use trained cormorants to catch fish and local village boys paddle out to the river boats with all manner of souvenirs. On day 9, free time allows you to explore the village laden with quirky shops, art studios, calligraphers, cafes and restaurants serving up the local specialities. Maybe, take beginners art class with a local painter or enjoy a morning class at the 'Cloud 9' cooking school. Lunch (1) and overnight (2) - Yangshuo

Day 11: Dragon's backbone
Yangshuo - Longsheng - Guangzhou - breakfast. A few hours drive takes us to Longsheng to walk the rice terraces of the Dragon's Backbone. Beginning at the base of Mt Longji the verdant green rice fields coil the steep mountain layer upon layer climbing to its summit. Where there is soil a terrace has been made! Taking a walk along the stone paths no more than a metre wide, we climb skyward to enjoy panoramic views of the ribbon like terraces with picturesque valleys and meandering streams below. Returning to Guilin, passengers can choose to travel onward to Hong Kong OR fly to Shanghai. For Shanghai option, refer to the box text itinerary below. If heading for Hong Kong, later tonight we board the express sleeper train to Guangzhou. Overnight - sleeper train

Day 12: Hong Kong
Guangzhou - Kowloon/Hong Kong. Arrive Guangzhou and transfer by Hydrofoil to Hong Kong and onward to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore, maybe head over to Victoria Peak, Stanley Markets or Aberdeen Harbour. Overnight - Hong Kong

Day 13: Hong Kong
Kowloon - breakfast. Tour ends after breakfast and hotel check out at 12noon. Hong Kong International airport is a quick 24min journey on the Airport Express train running at 12 minute intervals.

If you would like to stay longer, extend your stay a day, a week or a month, check out our post accommodation rates.

Onward to Shanghai

Day 11 - Dragon’s backbone Yangshuo – Longsheng – Shanghai - breakfast. Evening flight to Shanghai and hotel check. Overnight – Shanghai Day 12: Shanghai Shanghai - breakfast. Focus your eyes on Shanghai! The day is free day for you to explore. Perhaps visit The Bund, Jade Buddha Temple or the Old City where you can shop on Nanjing Road. Head for the Oriental Pearl TV Tower at sunset, Shanghai dazzles at dusk! Overnight – Shanghai Day 13: Shanghai Shanghai - breakfast. Hotel check-out and included onward transfer to airport