Chinese Checkers - 11 days
Kick off in Beijing, explore the Forbidden City, ride around the Hutongs and relax over a delicious Peking Duck dinner. Discover the Great Wall at both Badaling and Juyongguan before taking a high speed train to Luoyang - home to the Longman's Caves and the Shaolin Kung Fu Temple. Continue to Xi'an - home to the Terracotta Warriors before ending in futuristic Shanghai.
Trip Highlights
Included
Not Included
Itinerary
BeijingForbidden 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. This evening, we enjoy an eye boggling Chinese acrobatic performance. Swinging ropes, juggling hoops, spinning plates and human pyramids are just a few tricks these show stoppers pull out followed by a Welcome Dinner of Peking Duck.
Overnight: Beijing | Breakfast, Dinner
The Great Wall
After a free morning to further explore the city, we drive beyond Beijing to Badaling, to walk a section of the famous Great Wall. Built in the Ming Dynasty, a 6m wide pathway makes a formidable defence, following the highest contours of a steep range of hills. We also visit a Jade Carving Centre before heading to our quaint hotel near Juyongguan Pass, which offers views of the Great Wall.
Overnight: Great Wall | Breakfast, Lunch
Morning at the Great Wall
Beijing - Luoyang. We rise early this morning and head (5 min bus drive) to the Great Wall at Juyongguan Pass when it opens to beat the crowds. Later we return to Beijing to explore the famous Pearl Market - an Aladdin's Cave of clothing, jewellery and electronic gadgets before taking an afternoon bullet train to Luoyang. Reaching speeds of up to 305km per hour the journey is an experience in itself! Check in to hotel in Luoyang, late evening.
Overnight: Luoyang | Breakfast
Shaolin Kung Fu Temple
First thing today we drive to the Shaolin Kung Fu Temple (approx 2 hours), set on the foothills of the Songshan Mountain. Here generation after generation of Shaolin monks have devoted themselves to practising Chan Buddhism and a martial art widely recognised as the origins of kung fu. Over the years hundreds, if not thousands, of people have flocked to this very site to learn this ancient discipline and we'll have the opportunity to watch a performance of kung fu during our visit. Returning to Luoyang you’ll have some free time before we join together in the evening for a visit to Peony Square where ball room dancing, tai chi, aerobics and badminton lessons take place every evening.
Overnight: Luoyang | Breakfast, Dinner
Longman Caves & Xi'an city wall
Luoyang - Xi’an. Today we explore the UNESCO-listed 6th Century Longman Caves etched into the cliffs ofthe Yi River. The 1300 caves (grottoes) are adorned with 100,000 statues and images of Buddha carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty. This afternoon we board the high speed train to Xi’an (journey time approx 2hrs). After hotel check-in and some time to fresh up we’ll embark on a casual bike ride around the Xi’an City Wall. Looking down as you peddle offers delightful views of the city hubbub and daily life with the Old City in the centre of the walls and the modern city on the outside.
Overnight: 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 | Breakfast, Lunch
Wild Goose Pagoda & lively Muslim Quarter
Xi’an - Shanghai. First up this morning, we tour the lofty Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The complex of temples, pagodas and expansive gardens, constructed during the 7th century offered refuge and a store house for Chinese Buddhists translating the very important Buddhist sutras from India. After we visit the Muslim Quarter and enjoy some
free time to explore the backstreets of this ever lively area. Later tonight we board our overnight train to Shanghai.
Overnight: Sleeper Train | Breakfast, Lunch
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 Shanghai Plaza Tower and take a cruise along the Huangpu River.
Overnight: Shanghai | Breakfast
Suzhou, Grand Canal Cruise
Shanghai - Suzhou - Shanghai. Today we travel by road to ancient Suzhou. A sort of oriental Venice, ancient Suzhou is interwoven by a series of canals and pretty waterways which feed a series of classical gardens, laid out here since the Song dynasty a thousand years ago, they are justly famous across China. Suzhou sits very close to the Grand Canal, we enjoy a cruise on the Grand Canal before exploring the Lingering Garden - a beautiful classical Chinese garden dating back from the Ming Dynasty. Today’s final visit is a silk workshop before returning to Shanghai.
Overnight: Shanghai | Breakfast, Lunch
Shanghai
Tuesday. Our tour ends after breakfast and onward departure transfer to airport.
Breakfast
Prices & Dates
Departure dates noted with a 'G' are guaranteed to operate. All other departure dates are guaranteed with a minimum of 2 persons. Prices shown are per person travelling. 'Twin/Double' prices per person apply when there are 2 people travelling, sharing a room. The 'Single supplement' applies for single travellers who require their own room and needs to be added to the 'Twin/Double' price.
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Hotels
The hotels listed below are ones which we frequently use on this tour. We reserve the right to substitute these hotels to ones of a similar standard when necessary.
Yong An Hotel, Beijing
Just a 5 minute walk from the Agricultural Exhibition Centre, the Yong An hotel is a modern hotel with great amenities. Guest rooms are classically decorated with large windows allowing lots of natural light. The hotel has a restaurant that serves up both Chinese and western dishes. Complimentary wi-fi is available and the popular buzzing bar street is just a 15 minute taxi ride away.
Changjuyuan Hotel, Great Wall
Just a 15 minute walk to the Great Wall, Changjuyuan Hotel is a quaint property with some lovely views of the surrounding area. Guest rooms are basic but clean and comfortable with air conditioning and en suite facilities. The hotel has a number of facilities including a karaoke room and picking garden.
New Friendship Hotel, Luoyang
The New Friendship is a modern hotel with a beautiful garden of bridges, brooks and peonies. The practical rooms are cosy and comfortable with modern amenities including internet access. The hotel also boasts a sauna and spa. When hunger strikes, guests can feast on a range of Chinese delicacies from the generous buffet before heading to the night club for some karaoke. The hotel is on Xiyuan Road, a few blocks from Wancheng Park and the museum. It is 15km from the airport and 7km from the railway station.
Wan Nian Grand Hotel, Xi'an
The Wan Nian Grand is a comfortable, friendly hotel with light, good sized rooms. Elegantly decorated, the rooms also boast modern amenities and the hotel has a wealth of facilities including an indoor pool and sauna house, a cafe and bar, and well-equipped business centre.
Ramada Wujiaochang Shanghai , Shanghai
Located within the Wujiaochang business district, this modern high-rise hotel boasts comfortable living. Guests can grab a drink at the lobby bar and dine in the on-site restaurant, or alternatively venture out into the city to find somewhere to local to eat. Guest rooms benefit from high-speed internet access and LCD TVs. There's also a gym, sauna, spa, shop and concierge for additional convenience. The Bund and People's Square, in the heart of Shanghai are less than 10km away as is the shopping haven of Nanjing Road.
Tristan was a great guide, very helpful and made sure that we were well looked after - the local guides were also very welcoming and informative
The tour was a good mix of sightseeing and relaxation - much needed after long days and lengthy travel!”
This is my fifth OTG tour and one of the best. Feng was absolutely amazing!!! She was informative, professional, and attentive. I really feel like she was our "mom" while in China; even going as far as to show me what street food to try; and which to avoid. There was plenty of guided time and free time; a perfect balance. The local guides in each city were great too! Benny was hilarious, telling us to stay together "like sticky rice"...
I'm already looking for my next tour because OTG has not disappointed me yet. Amazing how much you get for the price. I love how much you see in a limited time! Five star trip for a three star price. Can't go wrong with OTG!!!!!”
The tour far exceeded my expectations. Everything was very well organised such as timings and train tickets etc. The hotels were very good quality and room facilities were excellent. Meals that were included in the tour were delicious and far better than the meals in tours I have done with other companies. Lily was friendly and approachable and kept everyone on the tour happy. She organised the group very well and made sure that we were never late which allowed us to see some of the sites before other tour groups arrived. All in all, I had a fabulous time and would recommend the tour to anyone. My least favourite part of the tour was the overnight sleeper train to shanghai, although it was an authentic experience, the toilets were very dirty. ”
Loved every minute of our holiday. Our tour leader was outstanding, words cannot describe how awesome she was.
Would love to recommend On the Go Tours to family and friends”
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. This trip was perfect from the minute we landed to the minute we left and some! The tour was absolutely perfectly organised and all the tiny details were sorted out for us prior to our visit. So the trip was as wonderful as a trip like this should be. The tour guide met us immediately we landed and then accommodation throughout was really good, guides were really knowledgeable, places we went to were amazing. We had hoped this would be the trip of a life time and it really was. We are already trying to decide on another tour, the choice is so vast, and we will absolutely be using On The Go again! Thank you so much!”
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. This trip was perfect from the minute we landed to the minute we left and some! The tour was absolutely perfectly organised and all the tiny details were sorted out for us prior to our visit. So the trip was as wonderful as a trip like this should be. The tour guide met us immediately when we landed and then accommodation throughout was really good, guides were really knowledgeable, places we went to were amazing. We had hoped this would be the trip of a life time and it really was. We are already trying to decide on another tour, the choice is so vast, and we will absolutely be using On The Go again! Thank you so much! ”
The tour was as I expected, full on, with loads of activities and varied experiences.
Our guide Sabrena, couldn't have been more helpful. She went out of her way to make sure we had all the information we needed before the start of the tour and was very attentive throughout. ”
The guide Sabrena was very knowledgable, thoughtful and caring for the whole trip.
A very genuine person, could not have had a better guide! And the Drivers and van excellent. I was surprised to have such good accommodation no complaints there.
Too many gardens to visit, although beautiful but instead would have preferred to have visited the best historical museum in Beijing to help understand the depth & richness of Chinese culture. I'm sure our friendly savvy group who were all well over 30yrs (we all gelled as a group and eight perfect number sure they would have appreciated it too! And a modern art Gallery say in Shanghai. These two things would give more depth to the tour. (Not the traditional art which everyone knows in west so well). Acrobatic performance was brilliant.
Benny the guide in Xian was good and fun too. He obviously loves his city. I loved the bike ride around the city wall best way to view the it. Ramps and all. Amazing markets there.
The whole tour for me was so enjoyable, China"s exciting, vibrant and spectacular sites The Great Wall (so good to have two days walking it.) Terracotta (Bike ride, the cruises, towers...all good) So glad to have travelled by trains than go through domestic airports!
Longman Caves( here would have been good to have connected us with the little ferries that plied the river we tried but language a barrier would have been a highlight of our stay there viewing the caves sailing along instead we walked.
Shanghai"s Cruise was stunning, loved it the best and great way to finish our tour, especially and special thanks to Megan our FlightCentre agent in Adelaide for working so hard to arrange the best, for our trip, very thorough and helpful a job well done.”
Lisa was excellent, she spoke with enthusiasm and captured the interest from the youngest (21 years) to the oldest (60+) people of our Chinese Checkers tour. She went out of her way to make sure we all enjoyed the experience and we would highly recommend her to receive recognition of all of her hard work!”
Excellent trip from start to finish, well organised with the needs of the travellers given high priority. Stefanie our guide, is a credit to your company, she is professional at all times, well informed and knowledgeable about her country but also cares about the well being of her "charges".
Special thanks to "Jay" whose job was to just see us to the airport - but due to all Beijing flights being delayed/cancelled his task became considerably harder!!!! Would be nice to get a message to him that we made our connection in Beijing, by minutes only!”
In Brief
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Tristan was a great guide, very helpful and made sure that we were well looked after - the local guides were also very welcoming and informative
The tour was a good mix of sightseeing and relaxation - much needed after long days and lengthy travel!”
