Essential China Adventure

Once you have arrived at Shanghai International Airport, you will make your own way to our accommodation and check in. The afternoon is then yours to settle in or set out and start exploring the city.

Later, we meet our Tour Leader and fellow travellers for a pre-departure briefing, a chance to get to know the group before the tour gets underway.

This evening, you can join an optional night cruise on the Huangpu River and see Shanghai lit up from the water, with the Bund on one side and the futuristic Pudong skyline on the other.

Today is your first full day in Shanghai, with several ways to spend it. You can begin with an optional Mandarin lesson led by your Tour Leader, or visit Yu Gardens and wander the historic streets and former family quarters nearby.

Later, head through People’s Square and along West Nanjing Road to the Bund, ending the day with a rooftop drink and sunset views across the city.

If you still have energy, you can join an optional Shanghai pub crawl and see where the night leads.

The whole day is free for you to explore Shanghai at your own pace. You could spend the day at Disneyland, visit the Shanghai Museum, wander along Moganshan Art Street, head out to Zhujiajiao Watertown or browse the Shanghai Fake Goods Market.

Alternatively, you may prefer to set the sightseeing aside and spend the day seeking out good food, interesting neighbourhoods and whatever else catches your eye.

Today, an included walk through the former French Concession reveals another side of Shanghai, and we learn about the city’s international past along the way.

Our route takes in the Propaganda History Museum and the artisan lanes of Tianzifang, before we leave the older neighbourhoods behind for Shanghai’s futuristic financial district.

We end the day high above the city on the included indoor viewing platform at Jinmao Tower. To take the experience further, you can pre-book the optional outdoor Skywalk. The evening is free for you to find dinner, visit a bar or rest ahead of tomorrow’s early start.

Shanghai - Fujian. Early this morning, we leave Shanghai by bullet train, travelling towards Nanjing in Fujian.

On arrival, we meet our next Tour Leader and continue by minivan into the tea-growing hills, where the city soon gives way to villages, farmland and traditional Hakka roundhouses.

Tonight, we stay in a traditional Fujian mudhouse, where the evening takes on a slower pace. You can watch a film, try your hand at karaoke or practise some Mandarin with the locals.

We spend today exploring rural Fujian on foot, walking between UNESCO-listed Hakka roundhouses, traditional villages and tea fields.

Stepping inside these vast communal homes, we learn about Hakka culture before sitting down to a traditional tea ceremony and tasting.

Weather permitting, we may also climb higher into the hills for a walk through the local tea plantations, with further views across the countryside.

By bike today, we venture deeper into Fujian’s countryside, riding through villages and tea-growing landscapes with a support vehicle close by for anyone who needs a break from the saddle.

Along the way, we stop at one of the region’s largest Hakka roundhouses and head upstairs for a closer look at how these remarkable buildings are laid out. We then ride on to another local village before returning to our mudhouse.

Fujian - Hong Kong. We leave Fujian behind today, travelling from Zhangzhou Station by bullet train to Hong Kong. Our Tour Leader meets us on arrival at West Kowloon and guides us to our accommodation.

Later, we head out to see Hong Kong by evening, stopping at the Avenue of Stars before crossing the harbour on the Star Ferry and riding the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak for sunset views over the skyline.

Our final stop is Temple Street Night Market, where our Tour Leader gives an introduction before you browse the stalls, food and neon-lit streets at your own pace.

Hong Kong - Yangshuo. We depart from Hong Kong, return to West Kowloon Station and board the high-speed train to Guilin, crossing into mainland China. From Guilin, we continue by private bus to Yangshuo and check in.

The evening is yours to settle in or join the group for dinner. Alternatively, you can opt for the Liu Sanjie light show, a large outdoor performance set against Yangshuo’s river and mountain scenery.

Today offers two very different ways for you to experience Yangshuo. You can begin with an optional Chinese cooking class, learning to prepare a few traditional dishes before sitting down to enjoy what you’ve made.

Later, an optional visit to Sally’s Village offers an insight into everyday rural life, with time on a local farm and a glimpse of a much quieter side of the area, away from Yangshuo’s busier streets.

This morning, an included bike ride takes us out into Yangshuo’s countryside, past villages and mountain scenery. We then swap our bikes for a bamboo raft and drift down the Yulong River at a much gentler pace as the scenery slips by.

This afternoon, you can opt for a trip to Moon Hill and a nearby cave complex, complete with mud baths and hot springs.

Later, you have the option of KTV, a night out or a traditional treatment such as hot cupping.

Yangshuo - Zhangjiajie. Before leaving Yangshuo, you have the chance to join an optional rock-climbing session on the area’s famous cliffs.

Afterwards, we travel north by high-speed train to Zhangjiajie, arriving later in the evening. We check in to our accommodation and rest ahead of a scenic day tomorrow.

We enter Zhangjiajie National Park today, riding the cable car up Tianzi Mountain for far-reaching views across the sandstone landscape. As we head deeper into the park, we look out for famous formations including Warrior Taming Horse Rock and the Western Sea.

Later, we continue to the quieter Laowuchang viewpoints, where forest trails bring us closer to the towering pillars, before moving on to Yuanjiajie, whose landscapes helped inspire the film Avatar.

To finish, we take the elevator back down.

Our day begins at Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, where we step out onto its famous glass bridge, suspended high above the canyon floor.

You can then choose to descend on foot or by elevator, before we spend time hiking through the canyon itself. For extra adrenaline, an optional zip line can be booked on the spot.

Later, we head underground at Yellow Dragon Cave, travelling by boat through enormous chambers filled with illuminated stalactites and stalagmites.

Leaving Zhangjiajie, we board the train to Chongqing, China’s biggest city and home to more than 32 million people.

Once we’ve checked in and freshened up, we join an included cruise on the Yangtze River, seeing the city’s bridges, skyscrapers and riverside lights from the water.

We end the evening around Hongya Cave, where illuminated buildings rise in tiers above the river and there are plenty of nearby places for you to find dinner.

The day is free for you to explore more of Chongqing. On an optional trip to Liziba Station, you can watch the monorail pass straight through a residential building, then explore the city’s underground air-raid shelters and stop by the People’s Great Hall.

Later, you can visit Chaotianmen Dock, where the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers meet, before heading up to Eling Park for views across the city.

After dark, Guanyinqiao offers bars, nightlife and another side of Chongqing by night.

Chongqing - Chengdu. We travel by train to Chengdu today, trading Chongqing’s mega-city energy for a more laid-back pace. On arrival, we check in to our accommodation and settle in.

If you’d like to head straight back out, you can join our Tour Leader for an optional wander through People’s Park and Kuanzhai Alley, with plenty of opportunities to stop for food along the way.

This morning is spent with Chengdu’s most famous residents at the Giant Panda Breeding & Research Centre, where we see giant pandas of all ages, from energetic youngsters to adults perfectly content to do very little.

Later, our Tour Leader leads an included Mandarin lesson, adding a few more useful phrases to our vocabulary.

This evening, you can opt for a traditional Sichuan Opera and Culture Show.

Today is free for you to fill as you wish. You can take an optional trip to Leshan to see the world’s largest stone Buddha, carved into the cliffs above the river.

Back in Chengdu, an optional Sichuan hotpot dinner introduces another local favourite. Choose your ingredients, gather around the bubbling pot and decide how much spice you can handle.

Afterwards, you may like to head out for a night in the city.

Chengdu - Xi’an. Leaving Chengdu, we take the train to Xi’an, one of China’s most historic cities. On arrival, you can opt for a bike ride along the Ming Dynasty city walls, cycling above the old city.

Later, we explore the area around the Bell Tower, Drum Tower and Muslim Quarter, learning about Xi’an’s Silk Road history and sampling local street food before browsing the nearby market.

Today we come face-to-face with one of China’s great icons, the Terracotta Warriors. Created for Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, this vast underground army includes thousands of life-sized soldiers, horses and chariots that have been buried for more than 2,000 years.

Back in Xi’an, the rest of the day is yours. This evening, you could visit the Big Goose Pagoda area for its music and light show.

Xi’an - Dengfeng. Our journey continues from Xi’an to Dengfeng, home to some of China’s most famous martial arts traditions.

On arrival, we visit a local kung fu school run by a Shaolin master, where we learn a few moves and watch a live demonstration - one of the tour’s standout moments.

Later, we sharpen our language skills in another included Mandarin lesson, followed by a pub quiz if there are enough willing contestants.

There are a couple of ways for you to explore Dengfeng today. Visit the legendary Shaolin Temple, then either continue to Dharma Cave and ride the cable car towards Sanhuangzhai Geopark for mountain views, or combine your temple visit with a trip to the Longmen Grottoes, where thousands of Buddhist carvings and statues are cut directly into the cliffs.

The evening is free, and with an early start tomorrow, you may prefer a quieter night.

Dengfeng - Beijing - Great Wall. An early start takes us north towards Beijing, before we continue by private bus to the Great Wall. On arrival, we leave our main luggage behind and pack only what we need for the night.

We then set out along a quieter section of the Wall on a hike, with far-reaching mountain views all around.

As sunset approaches, we settle in to camp beside the Great Wall, weather permitting, and fit in a Mandarin lesson while we’re there. If conditions aren’t suitable, or on departures before the end of April or after 30 September, we stay in nearby accommodation instead.

Great Wall - Beijing. We wake for sunrise over the Great Wall before making our way back towards Beijing. If not, we enjoy a more relaxed start before continuing into the city.

Once we arrive, the rest of the day is yours. You might explore the 798 Art District, visit the Summer Palace or follow our Tour Leader’s recommendations for the afternoon.

Today is free for you to discover some of Beijing’s biggest sights. You can opt for a visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, then head up to Jingshan Park for views over the capital.

Later, you may like to catch an optional Chinese acrobatics and circus show, followed by an optional Peking roast duck dinner, one of Beijing’s best-known dishes.

Beijing - Hangzhou. Your last day in Beijing offers another choice of optional experiences. You could browse the city’s fake-goods markets and visit the Temple of Heaven, or explore Nanluo, wandering through its hutongs, traditional courtyards, cafés and small shops.

This evening, we head to the station to board the overnight train to Hangzhou. We find our bunks and settle in, letting the train cover the distance while we sleep.

Waking up in Hangzhou, we make our way to our accommodation, with time for a late breakfast before heading out. We then visit West Lake and board a boat to cruise across the water and around one of its islands.

Later, you can opt for a visit to the China National Tea Museum or Hangzhou Silk Museum before hiking up Jiuyao Mountain for sunset views over the city.

The day ends with dinner and a stroll along Hefang Road, one of Hangzhou’s best-known historic streets.

Our final morning brings one last adventure: a hike through the Nine Creeks of Misty Woods, where leafy trails wind through the heart of Hangzhou’s famous Longjing tea country. Afterwards, we freshen up, have lunch and take the train back to Shanghai.

After 29 days of mountain hikes, giant pandas, ancient warriors, a night train, kung fu, Great Wall camping and much more, your China adventure comes full circle in Shanghai. Say goodbye to your Tour Leader and fellow travellers, share your final photos and start thinking about your next adventure.

If you’d like more time in Shanghai, get in touch before your trip and we can help arrange extra nights.