Essential China tour 11 days

*Guaranteed departure from 2 people *Well paced itinerary * hand-picked deluxe hotels & cruise *special banquets and shows *fun activities *Rickshaw ride *small group

• Beijing: Forbidden City & Great Wall (3 nights)
• Xian: City tour & Terracotta Warriors (2 nights)
• Chengdu: Giant Panda Reserve, City tour & Leshan Giant Buddha Statu (2 nights)
• Shanghai: City tour (2 nights)

View details below...

Panda Natural Reserve

Tian-an-men Square

Forbidden City

Terra-cotta Warriors

Bell Tower Xian

Shanghai

Day 1
Depart from Heathrow or your preferred airport for 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 jetleg 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 dancing 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. Our memorable date continues with a trip to the Beijing Olympics Stadia (Bird's Nest & Water Cube)(exterior) for picture opportunities. 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 travelers 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
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 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. 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. 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 7 Xian to Chengdu
Flight to Chengdu, you are transferred to Leshan mountain to visit the Giant Buddha Statue, Lingyun Temple, Haishi Cave. Transferred back to Chengdu. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 8 Chengdu
After breakfast we will visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. It is the best place to see Chengdu's most famous residents. The evening meal is served with traditional delicious Sichuan dishes. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 9 Chengdu to Shanghai
We take a flight to Shanghai. Today our visit includes Yu Garden, famous for its rock gardens, pavilions, halls and ponds. Sightseeing on the famous promenade along the Huangpu River, the Bund, Nanjing Road. Then we will go to Xin Tian DI (Heaven on Earth), a conservation area of traditional low-rise homes, formerly the French quarter. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 10 Shanghai
We leave today free for you to explore the cosmopolitan city. (Includes: Breakfast)

Day 11 Shanghai to UK
Our Guide will meet you at the hotel and see you depart at the airport. For travellers who booked Hong Kong extension, we leave Mainland China today. (Includes: Breakfast)

Hong Kong extension (£399 per person)

Day 11 Shanghai to Hong Kong
You are transferred to the airport for your 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 12 Hong Kong
Half day morning tour to the Victoria Peak, Stanley Market, Aberdeen Fishing Village. Rest of the day is free. (Includes: Breakfast)

Day 13 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)

Departure Dates & Price 2008 (£)

Departure Dates & Price 2009 (£)

Ref	Every Sunday	Twin share (including international flights)	Twin share (Land only)	Deluxe upgrade	Single supp
EC1	March	1590	1420	330	300
EC2	March	1660	1460	330	300
EC2	April	1660	1460	330	300
EC2	May	1660	1460	330	300
EC3	June	1690	1460	330	350
EC3	July	1730	1520	330	350
EC3	September	1730	1520	330	350
EC3	October	1690	1490	330	350
EC2	November	1660	1460	330	350

* Special offer - based upon a minimum of 6 people on the tour.

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 from £50. Please enquire at the time of your booking.
• 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

• Visa fee (please go to Our Visa Service for details).
• Travel Insurance.

Your Accommodation for this tour Excellent 4 and 5 star hotels among 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 of 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, duration of time spent and upstream/downstream cruise route 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.