➤ 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 say 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 Pingyao.

➤ Overnight on board a sleeper train to Pingyao.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Arrival Pingyao - Transfer to your hotel - Free day to explore the city:

➤ Itinerary: Early morning arrival by train from Beijing. You will be transferred from the station to the hotel with time for breakfast and if a room is available you will be able to check-in.

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. You will be free today to explore the ancient streets of the city which is easy to navigate. If you wish to enter any of the old banking houses or temples you will need to buy a ticket which covers all the sights within the city walls. Your hotel will be able to assist with the purchase of this. A free evening to continue to explore the city, the centre of which is beautifully lit by traditional Chinese lanterns.

➤ Overnight at the De Ju Yuan Hotel 2*. Chinese Traditional style ex-Ming Dynasty banking house and well located in the centre of the Old City.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Pingyao to Xian - Free day before a transfer to the station for the train on to Xian:

➤ Itinerary: A final free day to explore the city of some of the temples just outside of Pingyao. Late afternoon transfer to Pingyao station for an overnight train to Xian, the Tang Dynasty capital at the Eastern end of the Silk Road. Note that your train ticket is issued in Taiyuan and given to the train conductor. Your transfer guide in Pingyao will make sure you connect with the conductor and ticket when you get on the train in Pingyao.

➤ Overnight on board the 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 Pingyao. 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 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 to Hangzhou - Free time to explore Xian before departure to Hangzhou on the overnight train:

➤ Itinerary: Free time this morning 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.

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

➤ Overnight on board a sleeper train to Hangzhou.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Arrival Hangzhou early afternoon and free time to start to explore the West Lake:

➤ Itinerary: Early afternoon arrival in Hangzhou. At first glance Hangzhou looks like a huge modern urban expanse like so many east coast Chinese cities but it has one trump card, the stunning West Lake, the legendary beauty of which has been praised written and painted by the Chinese for centuries. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel. Free time for the rest of the day to start to explore the West lake. The lake has been one of China’s most important cultural areas through the dynasties of the last 1,000 years and represents the Chinese idea of man in perfection with nature. The many temples and gardens surrounding the West lake are designed to personify this relationship and over time became an Asian ideal exported to Japan and Korea.

➤ Overnight at the Lily Hotel 3*. A good value choice for Hangzhou with bright, clean rooms and friendly staff located just 10 minutes walk from the famous West Lake.

➤ Meals included: None.

➤ Hangzhou - Free day to relax and explore the beautiful West lake area:

➤ Itinerary: Today is a free day to explore Hangzhou’s sublimely beautiful West Lake with it multitude of temples and gardens. This area can be explored on foot or bicycle is a popular option. It is difficult to get lost as you can just follow the lake around and there are plenty of options to stop for food or a drink perhaps sampling some of the tea this area of China is so famous for.

➤ Overnight at the Lily Hotel 3*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Hangzhou to Shanghai - and a half day tour of the Yu Yuan Garden, Old Shanghai and Bund:

➤ Itinerary: After breakfast make your own way to the station for the bullet train on to Shanghai. The distance is covered in just 1 hour. Late morning arrival in Shanghai with a transfer to your hotel and free time to check-in and have some lunch.

This afternoon 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 afternoon 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 evening when the bright lights and neon 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: Breakfast.

➤ Shanghai - final free day to explore this exciting city.

➤ 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.

 ✔ Beijing to Pingyao soft sleeper class (10 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a shared 4 berth cabin
 ✔ Pingyao to Xian soft sleeper class (10 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a shared 4 berth cabin
 ✔ Xian to Hangzhou soft sleeper class (22 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a shared 4 berth cabin
 ✔ Hangzhou to Shanghai second class (1 hour bullet train)

 ✔ 2 nights Beijing - Days Inn Forbidden City 3* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night overnight sleeper train Beijing to Pingyao (shared 4 berth soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 1 night Pingyao - De Ju Yuan Hotel 2* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ night overnight sleeper train Pingyao to Xian (shared 4 berth soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 1 night Xian - Citadines Central Apart Hotel 3* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night overnight sleeper train Xian to Hangzhou (shared 4 berth soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 2 nights Hangzhou - Lily Hotel 3* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 2 nights Shanghai - Astor House Hotel 3* (deluxe room with breakfast)

 ✔ Beijing - Airport to Hotel
 ✔ Pingyao - Train Station to Hotel / Hotel to Train Station
 ✔ Xian - Train Station to Hotel
 ✔ Hangzhou - Train Station to Hotel
 ✔ 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, City Walls.
 ✔ Shanghai - Half day private tour to the Yuyuan gardens, Old City and 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.