|
Day
1
Depart from Heathrow or your preferred airport for a scheduled flight to Beijing.
Meals on board. Day
2 Beijing
Upon arrival in Beijing, you are greeted at the airport by our English speaking
guide and transferred to your hotel by private transport. The rest of the day
is at your leisure to recover from jetlag and get ready for the adventure to come!
(China is 8 hours ahead of UK) Day
3 Beijing
A full day city tour to soak up the atmosphere of Beijing. This includes visiting
historical sites such as Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and the
Forbidden City. Then we will go to watch an entertaining acrobat show.
(includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Our
welcome dinner in the evening provides an opportunity to sample special
Chinese cuisine combined with live music, singing and dance entertainment.
Day
4 Beijing
The highlights of today's tour include a visit to the Great Wall, the only
man-made wonder on earth visible from the moon. We travel to the Ming Tombs
and walk on the Sacred Way to see the resting place of thirteen Chinese
Emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Enjoy the famous Peking Roasted Duck dinner upon
your return. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) We
will visit Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, which was originally constructed
in the 5th century and is regarded as the most strategic section of the Wall.
The section is quieter and less commercial than some other areas and it provides
the opportunity to visit the Sacred Way, another highlight of the Great
Wall heritage. Day
5 Beijing
to Xian
Today, our tours includes a visit to the Summer
Palace (Yiheyuan), which dates back to the 12th century when the Jin ruler
built his Gold Mountain Travelling Palace. We walk along the Long Corridor beside
Kunming Lake and take a detour to the Garden of Harmony before taking the ferry
next to the Marble Boat. In the next part of our tour we take a fascinating
Rickshaw ride and visit an old residential area and see how local people
live. Our guide will then escort you to Houhai, a popular relaxing and
eating out place for both Western and Chinese tourists. For travellers who would
like to experience shopping in China, we can take you to the popular shopping
street - Xiushui Silk Market. In the evening, we take a flight to Xian,
the former capital of China and starting point of the ancient Silk Road.
(Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch) Day
6 Xian
As
the ancient capital of China for many dynasties, Xian has a lot of historical
sites to offer. We will take a city tour which includes visiting Xian's well preserved
Ancient City Walls, built in the early Ming Dynasty (about 600 years ago)
and the historic Bell Tower where you can overlook the entire city.
Our tour guide will also escort you to Fanggu Street in the city centre,
where the shops have all been reconstructed to resemble ancient China. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch).
Day
7 Xian
Today, the highlights include Terra-cotta Warriors. You will visit
the luxury underground palace of Emperor Qinshihuang, The Archaeological Museum
of 6,000 life-size Terracotta Warriors and their horses. The warriors were the
after life protectors of the first emperor who united China (221BC-206BC). Following
this we will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built as a Buddhist Monastery
during the Tang Dynasty. In the evening we attend a re-enactment of the royal
arts performance of a 7th century Tang Dynasty Show, with a special Dinner
of dumplings included. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Day
8 Xian
to
Wuhan
We
take a flight to Wuhan, a city in South China that is regarded as the major
connection point for railways and airlines. Now we are in the 'middle' of the
country, and the city provides an opportunity to discover the real China. Our
tour will take you to Hubei Provincial Museum which houses a vast and precious
display of ancient Chinese items, many of them over 3000 years old. We
will also take you to a traditional shopping street where locals have their Chinese
traditional silk dress such as Qipao and Changshan made. The tailors can provide
tailor-made
next
day ordering service and the price is a real bargain! (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Day
9 Wuhan
to Yichang
In the morning, we visit the famous Chinese landmark
of Huanghelou pagoda, which is the inspiration behind numerous Chinese
poems. Later we drive to Yichang for the start of your river cruise (approx. 2.5
hrs). Board the cruise in the evening. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Day
10 Yangtze River
Shore excursion to see the Three Gorges Dam project in the morning.
Later we sail through the magnificent Xiling Gorge. Entertainment
and organised activities are available on board ship. In the evening you will
be invited to attend the Captain's welcome dinner. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch,
Dinner) Day
11 Yangtze
River
Today we take a shore excursion to see Shennong Stream
or Lesser 3 Gorges (depending on the sailing schedule). Your cruise
sails through the impressive Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge. Entertainment
and organised activities are also available on board. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Day
12 Yangtze
River
Shore excursion to Shibaozhai or Fengdu (depends
on sailing schedule). Entertainment
and organised activities are
also available on board,
with your farewell dinner party in the evening. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Day
13 Yangtze
River / Chongqing to Guilin
Arrive at Chongqing, the city with the highest population in China. Today we will
go to the People's Square
before visiting the pandas in the City Zoo. If time allows, we will
also visit the Yangtze River Museum. The museum displays many interesting
and historic features and artifacts that were found in and along the river, prior
to the three gorges project commencing. Later you take a flight to Guilin
and are transferred to your hotel. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) *highly
recommended optional tour*
For
travellers who want to see the Giant Pandas in their own habitat, we recommend
our optional tour
to see the Giant
Panda Breeding Research Base, in
Chengdu
city. It is the best place to see Chengdu's most famous residents. Day
14 Guilin
Guilin
is a beautiful city set among picturesque mountains alongside the majestic Li
River. Many of our travellers loved Guilin and Yangshuo very much.
Li' River Cruise. Depart from your hotel in the morning for the hour drive
to Zhujiang Dock, where we will board your boat for a cruise down the picturesque
Li River with lime stone pinnacles, water buffalos and tranquil rice paddies alongside
the river banks. Lunch will be served on board and we will disembark upon arrival
at Yangshuo. Yangshou is an charming ancient small town that is famous
for its beautiful scenery. After our tour we
take a coach journey back to the city. (Includes:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Day
15 Guilin
to Yangshuo
Todays
tour is to the delightful Fubo Hill or Elephant Trunk Hill (depends
on local situations), and a visit to Reed Flute Cave, an underground cavern
of exotic rock formations. Later we fly back to Beijing.
(Includes: Breakfast, Lunch) Day
16 Beijing
to home
Be transferred to Beijing Airport for schedule flight
for your return home. (Includes:
Breakfast) Hong
Kong extension (£350 per person) Day
15 Guilin
to Hong Kong
After the
tour you are transferred to airport for flight to Hong Kong. Upon arrival, transfer
to your hotel (superior/moderate deluxe standard). The rest of day is free at
leisure. (Includes:
Breakfast) Day
16
Hong Kong
Half day
morning tour to the Victoria Peak, Stanley Market, Aberdeen Fishing Village. Rest
of the day is free at your leisure. (Includes:
Breakfast) Day
17
Hong Kong
You are
transferred to airport for flight home. (Includes:
Breakfast) Or,
for the same price, you may choose the option of 3 nights/4 days in Hong Kong
incl a flight to Hong Kong. (flight & accommodation only) Group
Departure Dates & Price 2008 (£)
| Ref |
Dates |
Twin
share | Upgrade
to 5* cruise | Single
supp | |
CEYC1 |
March 9 | 2080 |
2240 |
420 |
| CEYC2 |
March
30 | 2120 |
2280 |
420 |
| CEYC2 |
April
13 | 2120 |
2280 |
420 |
| CEYC2 |
May
11, 25 | 2120 |
2280 |
420 |
| CEYC2 |
June
8, 22 | 2120 |
2280 |
420 |
| CEYC3 |
July 6, 13 | 2195 |
2360 |
420 |
| CEYC3 |
September 14 | 2195 |
2360 |
420 |
| CEYC3 |
October
5, 19 | 2180 |
2340 |
420 |
| CEYC2 |
November 2, 9 | 2120 |
2280 |
420 |
We
also arrange private tour or tailor made departure according to this itinerary,
please contact us to discuss your requirement. Price
Includes (The
prices shown above are 'per person', in Mainland China) - All
flights including
airport tax. We can also arrange your local airport departure and return from
£60. Please enquire at the time of your booking.
- All
train tickets soft sleeper.
- All
airport/hotel transfers.
- Sightseeing
tours (including entrance fee) by professional English-speaking tour guide.
- Selections
of deluxe hotel accommodation in well furnished rooms with private facilities.
(minimum 4 star, often with opportunity to free upgrade to 5 star)
- Meals
as specified in the itinerary.
Price
Does Not Include Your
Accommodation for this tour Excellent
4 and 5 star hotels and cruises with the same standard. In some remote areas,
the hotel standard can be lower but we will provide you with one of the best available
in the area. Please visit Accommodation
for details.
Fact
of our tour arrangement Our itineraries
are designed at a sensible pace to provide you with a real opportunity to enjoy
touring the country, with a combination of escorted sightseeing, and some free
time. China is huge, please take into account flight time required when considering
a tour suggestion. Guaranteed
departure from 2 people. Small group travel with like minded people and flexibility
on tour. Normal group size 16 people. Suitable for all age travellers. Add on
tours and city extension available, for details visit Optional
tours
page. Our
itineraries are regularly checked and updated to provide ideal and latest sightseeing
spots for our travellers. We organise our own special activities to introduce
the real China to our travellers, and connect you closer to the local people. Your
Meals We include all breakfast (mixture of western & Chinese) at
your hotel and most Chinese lunches and dinners on tour. Each lunch and dinner
is selected to ensure you can try a wide variety of tasty dishes. All meals included
in the itinerary are pre-booked. We think it is part of the experience of trying
out a few meals by yourself while you in China. Therefore the hotels we select
provide a good choices of cuisine with English menu. Alternatively there are plenty
of restaurants to choose from in the main sightseeing area in Chinese cities.
A good meal (dinner) in a restaurant should cost about £5 per person. Flights
As agent
of many airline consolidators, we can obtain flights in various class, with reputable
airlines such as BA, Air China, Virgin, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Finnair etc.
Depends on the availability we will choose airline for you and will try to arrange
direct flight when possible. We can also provide land-only tours if you prefer
to organise your own flights and save airmiles. The
itinerary is designed according to the most updated information of flights and
cruises sailing schedules available, although occasionally the sequence in which
cities are visited and duration of time spent in each city can change due to local
conditions which are out of our control. The above itinerary highlights the main
attractions that are to be visited each day. Further places of interest may be
visited during your stay, which will provide unique ethnic and cultural handcraft
shopping opportunities. We reserve the right to change, amend or alter the itinerary,
although we will act in your best interests to handle any amendments. Please refer
to the booking form for detailed terms & conditions. | 
Download Booking Form
