➤ 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 trek from Jingshanling to near Simitai:

➤ Itinerary: For the active and energetic one of the best way to see the Great Wall is to walk it and with nearly 4,000 miles of actual wall we need to be selective! The most scenic section to trek within reach of Beijing is from Jingshanling to an exit point near Simitai. The trek involves about 6km or walking along the wall itself which averages 4 hours. This is the best way to see and absorb yourself in the Wall as well as get far from the tourist crowds. Your driver will be waiting for you at the exit point from where you will drive back to Beijing for a free evening.

➤ 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 Luoyang.

➤ Overnight on board a sleeper train to Luoyang.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Arrival in Luoyang - Transfer to your hotel - full day tour to the Shaolin Monastery:

➤ Itinerary: Early morning arrival in Luoyang where you guide will be waiting for you at the station. You’ll be taken to your hotel with time to have some breakfast and check-in if a room is available.

After breakfast you leave the city for a full day tour up into the Song Mountains to the Shaolin Monastery Temple complex, famous the world over for the practice and teaching of martial arts. The Monastery was founded in AD 497 to teach the Mahayana branch of Buddhism. Since then the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. You are likely to see many pupils under martial arts instruction and the area around the monastery has many such schools. You are likely to see a short martial arts show and will visit the extensive main temple complex. One of the highlights is the recent UNESCO recognised Pagoda Forest, a cemetery of 246 pagodas which contain the ashes of prominent monks. You will have plenty of time to wander around with your guide before the two hour trip back to Luoyang to overnight.

➤ Overnight at the Peony Plaza Hotel 4*. Large modern hotel with good standard rooms and a revolving restaurant on the roof.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch.

➤ Luoyang - a visit to the Longmen Grottoes and bullet train to Xian:

➤ Itinerary: This morning you will visit the world famous Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO recognised masterpiece of Buddhist rock carving 13 km south of the city of Luoyang. The first carvings were made during the Northern Wei Dynasty around AD500 when Luoyang was the capital. Over a period of 200 years over 100,000 carvings were made from tiny buddhist statues just centimeters high to the 17m high statue of Buddha in the Ancestor Worshipping Temple, the face of which was supposedly modeled on that of Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty (who happened to pay for this temple!)

After lunch you will be transferred to the new train station for the bullet train that whisks you in 21st Century style through an ancient agricultural landscape of small villages and fields to China’s Tang Dynasty capital and start of the Silk Road, Xian. This city was the fabled Chang An - a thriving city of Emperors, soldiers, arts, culture and capital of the Tang Dynasty, an era considered a golden period of Chinese history. For a time it was the largest city in the world and one of the world's great trading and meeting points being the beginning and end of the fabled Silk Road routes to Europe. Transfer on arrival to your hotel with a free evening to relax or start to explore this vibrant city.

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

➤ Itinerary: 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*.

➤ 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 Huangshan - 3 hour bus journey from lake side to mountain summit:

➤ Itinerary: After breakfast a transfer to the bus station in Hangzhou for the 3 hour journey to Huangshan, the legendary Yellow Mountain. The bus will drop you in Huangshan city where a guide and driver will be waiting to take you to the mountain itself. The transfer includes both the entrance fee to Huangshan as well as the cable car up to the top. Note that there is about a 30 minute walk from the top of the cable car to the hotel. You will be able to leave any luggage you feel you won’t need while up on the mountain at a hotel at the bottom of the cable car and your guide will help you to do this. It will be late afternoon by the time you have checked-in to your hotel but this is an excellent time to take a short walk in the area around the hotel itself.

➤ Overnight at the Beihai Hotel 3*. Not surprisingly there are only a few options at the top of Huangshan and this venerable institution is the best of the lot but then you come here for the views!

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Huangshan - Free day to enjoy the mountain starting with the famous sunrise!

➤ Itinerary: You should be up very early this morning to see the sunrise Huangshan is famous for. One of the best view points is only a few hundred meters from your hotel. A lot of the year it can be very cold at dawn but you should find down jackets in your hotel room’s wardrobe. If the weather Gods are on your side the sunrise is spectacular and the “cloud sea” often plays a part in this with a layer of cloud well below your view point.

Most people return to the hotel for breakfast before heading out again for a full day exploring the multitude of well signed and maintained paths that stretch out across the mountains. There is plenty to see with many of the rock formations given names such as “Flower Grown out of a Writing Brush Rock”, “Lion Peak”, “Flying over Rock” , “Bright Top Peak”, “Continue to Believe Peak”, “Refreshing Terrace”, “Cloud Dispelling Pavilion” and the “Big Valley of Xihai.” There is no set itinerary to follow but the time you have on Huangshan is long enough to see the highlights.

➤ Overnight at the Beihai Hotel 3*.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Huangshan to Shanghai - Another chance to see the sunrise before returning to Huangshan City for your onward travel to Shanghai by overnight train:

➤ Itinerary: Another chance to see the sunrise (and they can be very different from day to day so don’t resist the temptation to stay in bed!) After breakfast you will have much of the day to explore further before heading back down the mountain by cable car where a guide will meet you and help you collect your luggage before the drive back to Huangshan City. Transfer to the station for the overnight sleeper train to Shanghai.

➤ Overnight on board the sleeper train to Shanghai.

➤ Meals included: Breakfast.

➤ Arrival Shanghai - Transfer to your hotel - half day tour of the Yuyuan Garden, Old Shanghai and The Bund:

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

➤ 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 Luoyang soft sleeper class (12 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a 4 berth cabin
 ✔ Luoyang to Xian second class (3 hour bullet train)
 ✔ Xian to Hangzhou soft sleeper class (22 hour overnight trip) 1 berth each in a 4 berth cabin
 ✔ Huangshan to Shanghai soft sleeper class (12 hour overnight trip)

 ✔ Hangzhou to Huangshan by bus (3 hours)

 ✔ 2 nights Beijing - Days Inn Forbidden City 3* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night overnight sleeper train Beijing to Luoyang (shared 4 berth soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 1 night Luoyang - Peony Plaza Hotel 4* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 2 nights 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 Huangshan Mountain Summit - Beihai Hotel 3* (standard room with breakfast)
 ✔ 1 night overnight sleeper train Huangshan to Shanghai (shared 4 berth soft sleeper cabin)
 ✔ 1 night Shanghai - Astor House Hotel 3* (deluxe room with breakfast)

 ✔ Beijing - Airport to Hotel
 ✔ Luoyang - Train Station to Hotel / Hotel to Train Station
 ✔ Xian - Train Station to Hotel
 ✔ Hangzhou - Train Station to Hotel / Hotel to Bus Station
 ✔ Huangshan City - Bus Station to Cable car for Mount Huangshan (includes entrance and cable car fee)
 ✔ Huangshan Mountain - Bottom of the cable car to Huangshan City Train Station
 ✔ Shanghai - Train Station to Hotel

 ✔ Beijing - Full day private tour trekking the Great Wall from Jingshanling to near Simitai.
 ✔ Luoyang - Full day private tour to Shaolin Temple complex.
 ✔ Luoyang - Half day private tour to the Longmen Grottoes.
 ✔ 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.