➤ 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 Days Inn Forbidden City 3*. A good standard modern hotel with some character and an unbeatable location close to Tiananmen Square and 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 the wall 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 of 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 Days Inn Forbidden City 3*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch.

➤ Beijing - Free day to explore the city:

➤ Itinerary: Today is a free day to further explore the wealth of sights Beijing offers. Aside from the main must sees such as the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Summer Palace the city also offers ample opportunity to shop in markets such as Hongqiao, the Silk Market or our favourite, the vast Panjiayuan antique market (open all week but best at weekends). For those looking for something a bit more sedate we would highly recommend Ho Hai lake for a wander through this area’s ancient residential Hutongs which offer a great opportunity to absorb local culture combined with rest stops with a wide range of small cafes, bars and restaurants nestled amongst the hutong residences. For a more cutting edge experience and perfect for art lovers the 798 district to the east of the city offers an impressive array of galleries, cafes and restaurants.

Late afternoon make your own way to the station for an overnight train onto your next destination of Xian.

➤ Overnight on board a sleeper train to Xian.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Arrival Xian - Transfer to your hotel - 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 Citadines Central Apart Hotel 3*. A good location and clean modern rooms as well a large roof terrace make this a great value option in Xian.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch.

➤ Xian - Free time to explore Xian before departure to Chengdu on the overnight train:

➤ Itinerary: Free time today to further explore the wealth of sights this ancient capital of the Tang Dynasty has on offer. The Drum and Bell Towers located in the centre of the city are particularly easy to visit independently. The Shaanxi Historical Museum, Forest of Steles and the Great Mosque are all worth a visit as well and if you enjoyed yesterday’s visit to the City Walls a great way to get above the busy streets of downtown Xian is to hire a bike to cycle along the wall top. Your personalised Trip guidebook we give you is full of ideas as to how to make the most out of your time here.

Mid-afternoon make your own way to the station for an overnight train onto your next destination of Chengdu.

➤ Overnight on board a sleeper train to Chengdu.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Arrival Chengdu - transfer to your hotel and free time:

➤ Itinerary: Late morning arrival in Chengdu with a transfer to your hotel. With a population topping 13 million and growing (the fifth most populous city in China) Chengdu is the capital of mountainous Sichuan province and the place to come and see Giant Pandas. The city does have charm beyond Pandas though. The people are friendly and the food excellent making Chengdu an easy place to spend a few days. Free time this afternoon to explore the area around your hotel, a fascinating district of temples and small shops. We recommend visiting the Wenshu temple which is also a good place to get a nice cup of Chinese tea!

➤ Overnight at the BuddhaZen hotel 3*. One of our favourite in China this beautiful hotel is built in the Chinese traditional style and has a great location and comfortable rooms.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Chengdu to Lijiang - Half day tour of the Giant Pandas before flying onto Lijiang:

➤ Itinerary: This morning we will be visiting the Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding while the pandas are active (which is usually only in the morning). Opened in 1987 the base now has over 60 pandas and is considered the best place in the world to see these endangered icons of China. As well as learning about the pandas themselves and watching such activities as feeding there is also an opportunity to hold a panda cub although note that this is not guaranteed and requires a local payment of approximately RMB 1,000. Free time in the afternoon before making your own way to the airport for a flight onto Lijiang.

Evening arrival in Lijiang, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage recognised city of cobbled streets and tiled roofs set against the magnificent backdrop of the 5,596m thirteen peaked Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Yunnan province’s top destination. A guide and driver will be meeting you at the airport and transferring you to your hotel set in the heart of the old town.

➤ Overnight at the Sanhe Hotel 3*. Located in the wonderful old town of Lijiang this traditionally designed hotel will help immerse you in this fascinating city, a highlight of South West China.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Lijiang - Half day orientation tour of the Old City:

➤ Itinerary: After breakfast start a half day orientation tour of the Old City including the fabulous palace of the Mu Clan who ruled over this area for 400 years during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This large complex is a superb example of local Naxi architecture. You will also visit the Black Dragon Pool, a beautiful park containing some traditional buildings and one of the most famous views in China of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain - stunning if the weather cooperates! Your guide will return you to your hotel after which you have free time for the rest of the day to further explore the narrow streets of the Old City or relax in the many cafes and restaurants.

➤ Overnight at the Sanhe Hotel 3*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Lijiang - Free day to further explore the city and surrounding countryside:

➤ Itinerary: Today is a free day to continue to explore the labyrinth of the Old City which throws up surprises at almost every turn. It can also be an opportunity to get into the countryside, perhaps to visit the looming Jade Dragon snow Mountain 15km from the city or make a day trip to stunning Tiger Leaping Gorge 60km outside of Lijiang. Renting bicycles and exploring the surrounding countryside is another option perhaps making the ride to Baisha Village about 40 minutes from Lijiang. There is plenty to do around Lijiang including settling in one of the numerous cafes and watching the world go by.

Early evening make your own way to the station for an overnight sleeper train onto your next destination of Kunming.

➤ Overnight on board a sleeper train to Kunming.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Arrival Kunming - Transfer to your hotel - Full day Tour to the Stone Forest:

➤ Itinerary: You arrive early in the morning on the overnight train from Lijiang. 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.

After breakfast start a full day tour driving 85km out of the city to the extraordinary Stone Forest. This area of unusual Karst formations covers 2,670 square km and is believed to be 270 million years old. You will see some of the Greater Stone Forest, Lesser Stone forest, Outer Stone Forest, Underground Stone Forest, Stone Forest Lake, and Da Dieshui Falls. Return back to Kunming with a free evening.

➤ Overnight at the New Era Hotel 4*: Modern Hotel well located in the heart of Kunming making it an ideal option in this pleasant city and a good base from which to explore Yunnan province.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

➤ Kunming to Guilin - A free day to explore the city before the overnight train to Guilin:

➤ Itinerary: A free day to explore the city itself. At 1,890m, Kunming is one of those rare Chinese cities that is good to visit all year round. Renown for its greenery there are many parks to visit as well as several historic buildings including Yuantong and Tanhua temples, the famous flower and bird market and several museums. Late afternoon make your own way to the station for an overnight train to Guilin.

➤ Overnight on board a sleeper train to Guilin.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Guilin - Transfer on arrival to your hotel - free time:

➤ Itinerary: This morning is spent on the train to Guilin passing through the traditional scenery of south central China, a lush land of villages and farms. Early afternoon arrival in Guilin with a transfer on to your hotel. Guilin is one of China's more pleasant cities and although it has undergone rapid growth in recent years 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: None

➤ 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 be 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 making your own way to your hotel. Free time to settle in and explore this wonderfully laid back town and its beautiful surrounding countryside.

➤ Overnight at the Hong Fu Palace Hotel 3*. Located in the heart of Yangshuo’s famous West Street this is an ideal base to explore the surrounding area.

➤ 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 Hong Fu Palace Hotel 3*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Yangshuo to Shanghai - Continue your journey to Shanghai by train:

➤ Itinerary: A free day in Yangshuo before making your own way to Guilin station late afternoon to catch a train onto Shanghai (your hotel will be able to arrange a taxi to take you to the station and in almost all cases the guide who initially met you in Guilin will have given you the tickets on your arrival in Guilin).

➤ Overnight on board the train to Shanghai.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Arrival Shanghai - Transfer to your hotel and free time:

➤ Itinerary: Much of the day is spent travelling through Eastern China on the train crossing Hunan, Anhui and Zhejiang provinces. Mid-Afternoon arrival in Shanghai. There are few cities in China that are such a testament to China's phenomenal growth of the last few decades and what it perhaps lacks in historical sites it more than makes up with its sheer energy and dynamism giving you a taste of the New China that is making it's mark on the world stage. Your guide will transfer you from the station to your hotel. Free time for the rest of the afternoon and evening when the bright lights and neon of really bring Shanghai into its own.

➤ 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: None.

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

➤ Itinerary: This morning you will have a half day private tour 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. Your 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 when the bright lights and neon of really bring Shanghai into its own.

➤ Overnight at the Astor House Hotel 3*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Shanghai - final free day to explore:

➤ Itinerary: Today will be a final free day to further explore Shanghai. The city is China’s shopping capital and good place to stock up on souvenirs or you can wander the French Concession stopping at cafes or restaurants - another favourite activity! Alternatively we can arrange a trip out to one of the nearby water towns such as Suzhou, Hangzhou or Zhouzhuang all offering a more laid back experience from China’s past.

➤ Overnight at the Astor House Hotel 3*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Departure from Shanghai and China:

➤ Itinerary: Free time until making your own way to the airport for your departure from Shanghai and the end of this China adventure. We hope and expect that this introduction to the Middle Kingdom has wetted your appetite for further Chinese travel!

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

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

 ✔ Chengdu to Lijiang economy class

 ✔ Beijing to Xian soft sleeper class (12 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a 4 berth cabin
 ✔ Xian to Chengdu soft sleeper class (17 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a 4 berth cabin
 ✔ Lijiang to Kunming soft sleeper class (9 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a 4 berth cabin
 ✔ Kunming to Guilin soft sleeper class (17 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a 4 berth cabin
 ✔ Guilin to Shanghai soft sleeper class (20 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a 4 berth cabin

 ✔ Li River Cruise Guilin to Yangshuo (group tour)

 ✔ 2 nights Beijing - Days Inn Forbidden City 3* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night overnight sleeper train Beijing to Xian (shared soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 1 night Xian - Citadines Central Apart Hotel 3* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night overnight sleeper train Xian to Chengdu (shared soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 1 night Chengdu - BuddhaZen Hotel 3* (deluxe room with breakfast)
 ✔ 2 nights Lijiang - Sanhe Hotel 3* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night overnight sleeper train Lijiang to Kunming (shared soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 1 night Kunming - New Era Hotel 4* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night overnight sleeper train Kunming to Guilin (shared soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 1 night Guilin - Bravo Hotel 4* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 2 nights Yangshuo - Hong Fu Palace Hotel 3* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night overnight sleeper train Guilin to Shanghai (shared soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 3 nights Shanghai - Astor House Hotel 3* (deluxe room with breakfast)

 ✔ Beijing - Airport to Hotel
 ✔ Xian - Train Station to Hotel
 ✔ Chengdu - Train Station to Hotel
 ✔ Lijiang - Airport to Hotel
 ✔ Kunming - Train Station to Hotel
 ✔ Guilin - Train Station to Hotel / Hotel to Li River cruise boat
 ✔ Shanghai - Train Station to Hotel

 ✔ Beijing - Full day private tour to the Great Wall at Mutianyu and the Ming Tombs.
 ✔ Xian - Full day private tour to the Terra cotta Warriors, Wild Goose Pagoda and the City Walls.
 ✔ Chengdu - Half day private tour to the Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding.
 ✔ Lijiang - Half day private tour including the Old City, Mu Fu Family Palace and Black Dragon Pool.
 ✔ Kunming - Full day private tour to the Stone Forest.
 ✔ Guilin - Li River Cruise Guilin to Yangshuo (group tour).
 ✔ Shanghai - Half day private tour to the Yuyuan gardens, Old City 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.