➤ Arrival Beijing - Transfer to your hotel and meet your guide:

➤ Itinerary: We will be greeting you at the airport from where you will be transferred by private car and English speaking guide to your hotel. The approximately 1 hour journey to your hotel is a perfect opportunity to ask the guide any initial questions you might have. The guide will provide assisstance with checking in to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax from the long flight or start to explore the city with the help of your personalised Trip Guidebook we send you before the trip. The area around your hotel is perfect for an introductory walk to soak up the local atmosphere.

➤ Overnight at the Jade Garden Hotel 4*. A good standard modern hotel with some character and an unbeatable location close to the East gate of the Forbidden City.

➤ Meals included: None.

➤ Beijing - Great Wall at Mutianyu and the Ming Tombs:

➤ Itinerary: Today we will be showing you one of China’s most famous sights - the Great Wall. At over 4,000 miles long there is a lot of Wall to see but we will be taking you to one of the better and less touristed sections at Mutianyu 70km from Beijing. The drive to the wall averages 2 hours and will take you from your hotel in the centre of Beijing through the rapidly expanding suburbs and on into the beautiful mountainous countryside to the north east of the city. The Mutianyu section dates back to the 6th century but was largely rebuilt in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty. It is one of the best preserved sections of the wall largely due to the high standard of construction. The views from on top of the wall are spectacular and helped by Mutianyu having a high density of watchtowers which give a good idea of the scale of this section as it passes over the mountain ridges. Lunch will be in a restaurant close to Mutianyu village.

On the way back to Beijing we will stop at the Ming Tombs, the burial place of 13 Ming Dynasty Emperors between 1368 to 1644AD some of whom oversaw the construction the Great Wall section you saw earlier today. The tombs are approached along the Sacred Way lined with giant marble figures and animals who guard the tomb area. After you will be driven back to your hotel with the evening free.

➤ Overnight at the Jade Garden Hotel 4*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch.

➤ Beijing - Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Jingshan park and the ancient Hutongs by Rickshaw:

➤ Itinerary: Today you will see the main highlights ancient of Beijing delving deeply into the city’s imperial past. We start with the vast Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world. The square is home to the Mao Mausoleum and monument to the People’s Heroes and is flanked by the Great Hall of the People (China’s parliament building) and the National Museum of China both built in the early 1960’s with help from the Soviet Union which shows in the architecture.

To the north of the square is the equally vast palace complex of the Forbidden City reached by passing under the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen in Chinese). Built from 1406 to 1420 by up to 1 million workers it contains 980 buildings with 8,707 rooms and was the former home of the Emperors and their court. We’ll walk up the middle axis from South to North taking in the splendour of the most important central buildings before finishing in the relatively small garden by the north gate.
 
Directly north of the Forbidden city is Jingshan park where we will climb the beautifully landscaped “Coal Hill” for one of the finest views of Beijing and particularly the Forbidden City and imperial centre.

In the afternoon step back in time with a trip by rickshaw around some of Beijing’s ancient residential Hutongs - the heart and soul of the city. The term "hutongs" original meaning is "water wells", and appeared during the Yuan Dynasty when the Mongolians ran China. Later in the Ming Dynasty (early 15th century) the center of the city was the Forbidden City and this was surrounded in concentric circles by the Inner City and Outer City. Citizens of higher social status lived closer to the center and aristocrats lived to the east and west of the imperial palace. Today the Hutongs are preserved in the centre of Beijing and provide a fascinating insight into traditional Chinese city life. By far the best way to navigate the narrow lanes and alleys is by cycle rickshaw. You will also get the chance to visit a traditional courtyard building which make up the Hutongs with one or more families per courtyard.

Free time in the evening and overnight hotel.

➤ Overnight at the Jade Garden Hotel 4*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch.

➤ Beijing - Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace and then a bullet train to Taiyuan for Pingyao:

➤ Itinerary: Today we can have a later start to allow for time to pack and check out of the hotel before first visiting the small but beautiful Temple of Heaven. This is definitely a case of size not mattering as this building is considered by many (including us) to be the most beautiful building in China. Perfectly symmetrical it was constructed at the same time as the Forbidden City and its primary purpose was as a prayer hall the Emperors visited to ask for good harvests. The temple is set inside a vast park giving a wonderful feeling of space in such a packed city.

A relaxed afternoon will be spent at the vast Summer Palace to the west of Beijing built in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong. It is dominated by the Kunming lake which was hand dug. The lake is dotted with peaceful pavilions and gardens and is as popular escape from the city for todays Beijingers as it was for the Imperial court.

After the tour a transfer to the station for the bullet train to Pingyao. You will get a good feel for the more traditional China between the cities whisked along in 21st century comfort. Early afternoon arrival in Taiyuan with a transfer on to Pingyao (80km). Pingyao is a Ming Dynasty city with the only complete city wall of that era left in China. Centuries ago it was the centre of Chinese banking and this wealth has left an abundance of Ming architecture from houses to temples giving the most complete example of what a Ming city would have looked like.

A free evening to start to explore the city, the centre of which is beautifully lit by traditional Chinese lanterns.

➤ Overnight at the Hongshanyi Hotel 4*. Built in the Chinese traditional style this used to be one of Pingyao’s many Ming Dynasty banking houses.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch.

➤ Pingyao to Xian - Full day tour of Pingyao before the overnight train onto Xian:

➤ Itinerary: Today your guide will take you to some of the multitude of sights this ancient city offers including the Ming Dynasty banking houses and the impressive City Walls. Late afternoon transfer to the station for the overnight train on to Xian.

➤ Overnight on board the train to Xian.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Arrival Xian - The Terra Cotta Army, Big Wild Goose Pagoda & City Walls:

➤ Itinerary: You arrive early in the morning on the overnight train from Beijing. Your guide will take you to your hotel where you will have time to have breakfast, freshen up and, if a room is available, you can also check-in.

Today you will see one of the highlights of China - the extraordinary ranks of the Terra Cotta Army. Created by China’s first Emperor Qin Shi Huang - the fabled “Yellow Emperor” - to provide an imperial court and, of course, an army for the afterlife. Work began in 246 BC and at its height it is said that 700,000 people worked on the project. At some point however this vast undertaking became lost to time and was only rediscovered in 1974 by a farmer digging a well. Excavations have continued since and the three pits unearthed are thought to contain 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. Several thousand of the soldiers have been pieced back together and make for a uniquely impressive sight today even without their original paint. The Emperor specifically stated that no two soldiers should look alike and all are life sized.

In the afternoon we will visit a relic of the Tang Dynasty, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 AD and containing a large volume of Buddhist scriptures which were obtained from India by the eminent monk Xuanzang. After this we finish on Xian’s largest construction, the 13.7 km City Walls which are up to 18 meters thick at the base and 12 meters in height. The walls were constructed during the Ming Dynasty from 1370 AD and replaced an even larger wall. It is possible, if time, to hire bicycles and ride some sections of the wall.

Free time in the evening to explore the city perhaps eating in Xian’s vibrant Muslim quarter, a left over of the Silk Road which began or ended in Xian depending on which way you were heading!

➤ Overnight at the Grand Noble Hotel 5*. A comfortable hotel located close to Xian’s famous City Walls and considered one of the best places to stay in this city.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch.

➤ Xian - The Hanyangling Mausoleum and departure by plane to Guilin:

➤ Itinerary: On the way to the airport for your flight to Guilin we will stop at the Hanyangling Mausoleum, the burial place of the Emperor Jing of Han who ruled from 188 BC to 141 BC. The Emperor was responsible for many reforms during his rule and credited with the prosperity that followed. The Mausoleum opened to the public in 2005 and is China’s first underground museum where you can actually walk over the burial pits along glass walkways. Excavations continue and you can often see archaeologists working in the pits. Much less crowded than the Terra Cotta Army, the experience allows you to get up closer to the ancient artifacts. Continue onto the airport for your flight.

Transfer on arrival in Guilin to your hotel. Guilin is one of China's more pleasant cities although it has undergone rapid growth in recent years. However, it is still blessed with sights and stunning scenery surrounds the city. A trip down the Li River to Yangshuo is one of the main highlights which you will do tomorrow.

➤ Overnight Bravo Hotel 4*. This hotel has a good location next to Ronghu lake and within easy walking distance to downtown Guilin.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Guilin to Yangshuo - a cruise along the Li River passing through the stunning scenery this region is famed for:

➤ Itinerary: After an early breakfast a transfer from your hotel to the wharf to start your trip down the Li River to relaxed Yangshuo. You will cruise through the stunning limestone karst scenery that has made this part of China so famous while having lunch on board the boat. Depending on the river itself the trip can take from 5 to 7 hours but the time just flows by as you pass through some of China’s most iconic scenery - one section of which has even been reproduced on the RMB 20 bank note. Aside from the scenery there is plenty of life along the river to observe.

Early afternoon disembark in Yangshuo with a transfer to your hotel. Free time to settle in and explore this wonderfully laid back town and its beautiful surrounding countryside.

➤ Overnight at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat 3*. One of China’s best kept secrets this friendly hotel is the best place from which to enjoy the scenery of this area of China.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch.

➤ Yangshuo - A free day to explore the town and surrounding countryside:

➤ Itinerary: A free day in Yangshuo to continue to explore the town and it’s beautiful surrounding countryside. A wide range of local tours and activities can easily be booked locally through the hotel. Such activities include cycle tours, rafting trips, cookery, Tai Chi or calligraphy classes or you can do as so many do here - just relax and take in all the scenery from your hotel or the many cafes and restaurants in town.

➤ Overnight at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat 3*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Yangshuo to Shanghai stopping at Guilin’s Reed Flute Cave on the way to the airport:

➤ Itinerary: Today you will be traveling onto Shanghai. On the way to Guilin’s airport we will stop at the Reed Flute Cave, an extensive and colourful cave over 180 million years old and which has been a tourist attraction in Guilin for nearly 1,200 years! Not only is the cave full of stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations but there area also more than 70 inscriptions which can be dated back as far as 792 AD in the Tang Dynasty.

Continue onto Guilin Airport for the flight to Shanghai, a city which aims to be a vision of China's future and is hurtling towards it's goal of being China's financial capital and so eclipsing Hong Kong. There are few cities in China that are such a testament to China's phenomenal growth of the last few decades and what it to an extent lacks in historical sites it more than makes up with its sheer energy and dynamism providing you with a taste of the New China that is making it's mark on the world stage. Transfer to your hotel on arrival with free time for the rest of the day and evening to start to sample what the future of Chinese cities has to offer.

➤ Overnight at the Astor House Hotel 3*. Don’t be put off by the 3* rating - this gem of a hotel has a fantastic location at the end of the Bund and offers rare charm and character.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Shanghai - Half day tour of the Yuyuan Garden, Old Shanghai, The Bund - free afternoon:

➤ Itinerary: This morning you will be visiting some of Shanghai’s most famous sights. We will start with the Yuyuan Garden located in the heart of the Old City. The garden was established in 1559 by the son of a Ming Dynasty official who spent 20 years building it up in an effort to please his father. Today the garden showcases the architecture of this period with its pavilions, ponds and rock formations.

Surrounding the garden is Old Shanghai, an area that has been a vibrant commercial centre for over a century and which historically very much represented the “Chinese” part of Shanghai in comparison with the more European areas such as the Bund and the French Concession. The morning finishes with a walk down the Bund along which the Huangpu River runs and where stands some of Asia’s finest colonial European architecture. Across the river rises Shanghai’s ultra modern Pudong Financial district whose skyscrapers dwarf the once dominant buildings of the Bund. All in all a superb introduction to Shanghai.

Free time in the afternoon and evening. The city is China’s shopping capital and a good place to stock up on souvenirs. Another option is to wander the French Concession stopping at cafes and restaurants - another favourite activity!

➤ Overnight at the Astor House Hotel 3*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Shanghai - Maglev train to Pudong Airport - Departure from China:

➤ Itinerary: Your day is free until a transfer to the Maglev station for a ride on the world’s fastest train to Pudong airport to catch your flight out of China. Your transfer guide will buy a standard class Maglev ticket for you and make sure you get on the train which takes just 8 minutes to cover the 30km to the airport reaching a top speed of 430 km/hour (300km/hour before 9am). End of services on arrival at the airport.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

 ✘ International flight tickets are not included in this itinerary. We can arrange these for you if you wish.

 ✔ Xian to Guilin economy class
 ✔ Guilin to Shanghai economy class

 ✔ Beijing to Taiyuan first class (4 hour bullet train trip)
 ✔ Pingyao to Xian soft sleeper class (12 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a 4 berth cabin
 ✔ Maglev ticket to Pudong airport standard class (8 minutes reaching 430km/hour)

 ✔ Li River Cruise Guilin to Yangshuo

 ✔ 3 nights Beijing - Jade Garden Hotel 4* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night Pingyao - Hongshanyi Hotel 4* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night overnight sleeper train Pingyao to Xian (shared 4 berth soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 1 night Xian - Grand Noble Hotel 5* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night Guilin - Bravo Hotel 4* (deluxe room with breakfast)
 ✔ 2 nights Yangshuo - Yangshuo Mountain Retreat 3* (deluxe room with breakfast)
 ✔ 2 nights Shanghai - Astor House Hotel 3* (deluxe room with breakfast)

 ✔ Beijing - Airport to Hotel / Hotel to Train Station
 ✔ Taiyuan - Train Station to Hotel in Pingyao
 ✔ Pingyao - Hotel to Train Station
 ✔ Xian - Train Station to Hotel / Hotel to Airport
 ✔ Guilin - Airport to Hotel / Hotel to Li River Cruise Boat
 ✔ Yangshuo - Li River Cruise Boat to Hotel / Hotel to Guilin Airport
 ✔ Shanghai - Airport to Hotel / Hotel to Train Station for the Maglev train to Pudong Airport

 ✔ Beijing - Full day private tour to the Great Wall at Mutianyu and the Ming Tombs.
 ✔ Beijing - Full day private tour to Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and a trip deep into Beijing’s ancient Hutongs by rickshaw.
 ✔ Beijing - Half day private tour to The Temple of Heaven & Summer Palace.
 ✔ Pingyao - Full day private tour of Pingyao Old City.
 ✔ Xian - Full day private tour to the Terra cotta Warriors, Wild Goose Pagoda, City Walls.
 ✔ Xian - Half day private tour to the Hanyangling Mausoleum.
 ✔ Guilin - Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo.
 ✔ Guilin - Visit to the Reed Flute Cave on the way back from Yangshuo to Guilin.
 ✔ Shanghai - Half day private tour to the Yuyuan gardens, Old Shanghai and The Bund.

 ✔ Meals - As indicated in the itinerary.
 ✔ Support - Emergency numbers and contacts for each destination.
 ✔ Guidebook - Our exclusive Trip Guidebook personalised to your trip.
 ✔ Financial Peace of Mind - All monies paid to us are legally protected under UK law.

✘ International Airfare to and from China (we can book these flights on request).
✘ The Chinese visa (we can advise as to how best obtain this visa).
✘ Travel insurance to cover medical treatment in China.
✘ Discretionary gratuities to drivers and guides.