18 night tour of China including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Giant Pandas
While China has been a trade partner for many centuries there is still something incredibly alien about this country which, even in the grip of huge economic growth and a swing towards a more capitalist society, maintains traditions and culture that go back thousands of years.
China’s main cities continue to grow and re-build at pace, but hidden within the new bastions of modernisation and commerce are small oases of the ancient such as Yu Gardens in the centre of Shanghai. There are many examples of traditional Chinese buildings, monuments and temples all over the country, showing their pagoda-esque style on a grandiose scale. There are no finer examples of this than the Forbidden City and Summer Palace in Beijing.
Outside of the two main metropolises there are many other interesting smaller cities and towns with much to offer, as well as the most obvious attraction, the Great Wall of China. The sheer scale of this wall, which stretches (in generally good condition) for around 6,000km, is mind boggling when you consider that construction started in 7,000 BC. Aside to the number one attraction, there are other amazing must see sights such as the Terracotta Warriors and the Li River.
Further afield in China’s central and south western provinces, the landscapes start to change, as do the people and the culture. In our opinion, rural China is where the country becomes really interesting and you will see no better example of that than in the south west in Yunnan province, home of the minorities. Close to the border with north Vietnam, there is a true melting pot of cultures here and an array of ethnic minorities, including the famous Naxi minority and their Dongba culture. From Dali’s pagodas and beautiful Erhai Lake to Lijiang’s charming old town in the shadow of Jade Snow Dragon Mountain, the area shows a really different side to China, with subsistence farming prevalent in the outlying countryside and some amazing scenery.
Further north, you enter Zhongdian County, thought by many to be the home of ‘Shangri-La’ (paradise) which inspired James Hilton’s 1933 novel, Lost Horizon. Whether this was the valley he stumbled upon or not, there is no doubting its beauty. Further north again, Chengdu, famous for its panda conservation, offers an insight into a different kind of city, as well as a visit to the rural outpost of Leshan and its famously enormous Giant Buddha.
A great way to enter China is to enter via the Trans-Siberian/Mongolian rail route which you can take from Moscow to Beijing. There is also a new rail route from Beijing to Tibet (Lhasa) where more fascinating sights can be seen.
Whilst the Li River provides an interesting day trip, the Yangtze River surely has to be one of the most revered river trips in the world. With some great quality cruise ships now plying the way (typically) between Yichang and Chongqing, a 3-7 night cruise on this stunning waterway is a great way to cap off an amazing trip to China.
Hong Kong is a vibrant, densely populated city and former British colony. As a major financial and trading hub, it continues to grow and is renowned for its food, shopping (Temple Street Night Market) and modern architecture (I.M.Pei’s Bank of China). October to early December is a brilliant time to visit whilst June to August can be hot and wet.
Kunming is known as the ‘Spring City’ for its lovely climate and is perfect to spend a few days exploring. The city itself is home to the Bamboo Temple where master Sichuanese sculptor Li Guangxiu and his apprentices fashioned 500 sculptures in a mishmash of styles over an eight-year period. The trick is to count the sculptures one by one until you reach your age, and apparently that is the one that best details your inner self!
Dali is sandwiched between mountains and Erhai Lake. It used to be a well established pit stop on the backpacker route but now it’s gone mainstream and has changed accordingly. Lijiang is a maze of cobbled streets, very old wooden buildings and canals. It can get very busy at times but when it does, hop on a bike and cycle out to one of the surrounding villages for some space.
Shangri-La offers a glimpse into the Tibetan world. At 3,200m, it’s surrounded by mountains, lakes and grassland and home to one of the region’s most rewarding monasteries. Much of the old town was destroyed by a fire in 2014 but has now been rebuilt. Winters here are bitterly cold although the mountain views are incredible.
Beijing is not only China’s capital but also one of the largest cities on earth. If you can’t find what you are looking for in Beijing, then it probably doesn’t exist. Whilst it is not China’s largest city (whose honour goes to Shanghai), Beijing still houses well over 20 million people. Founded more than 3,000 years ago, the city has long since been a site of strategic importance and as such is packed full of wonderful cultural and historical sites.
It can be tricky to choose what to do in Beijing but there are without doubt two stand-out attractions. The first is the Forbidden City, one of the best preserved examples of Chinese culture and architecture. The other is Tiananmen Square, infamous as the site of the student massacre in 1989, and renowned as one of the world’s largest and most impressive squares with the mausoleum of Mao Zedong at its centre.
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province and home to more than 14 million people. It often carries the nickname the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’, or ‘Land of Abundance’ because of its reputation as a highly productive agricultural area. Chengdu is also home to the Panda Breeding Research Base, perhaps the world’s premier research centre when it comes to the behaviour and breeding of pandas. The base plays a vital role in securing the giant panda’s survival in the wild. The aim of the breeding program is to simulate the panda’s natural bamboo forest environment whilst removing human contact so that pandas can be eventually released into the wild.
TOUR DETAILS
- 18 nights
- £POA
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- Chengdu panda breeding centre
- Kunming Stone Forest
- Dianchi Lake
- Shangri-La
- Tiananmen Square
- Forbidden City
ITINERARY IN BRIEF
- Hong Kong x 3 nights
- Kunming x 2 nights
- Dali x 2 nights
- Lijiang x 3 nights
- Shangri-La x 2 nights
- Chengdu x 3 nights
- Beijing x 3 nights
day one
Depart UK for flight to Hong Kong
Depart UK for flight to Hong Kong.day TWO
Hong Kong
A warm welcome awaits on your arrival. Transfer to your hotel and enjoy the rest of today at leisure. Overnight Hong Kong.day THREE
Hong Kong
This morning start with a guided tour of Hong Kong including Wong Tai Sin Temple, Birds’ Garden, Avenue of Stars, Aberdeen, Stanley Market and Victoria Peak. Afterwards transfer back to your hotel. Overnight Hong Kong.day FOUR
Hong Kong
Enjoy a day at leisure today to explore as you wish. We can give you shopping recommendations or suggest additional excursions (with or without a private guide). Overnight Hong Kong.day FiVE
Kunming
After breakfast, transfer to Hong Kong airport and fly to Kunming. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel where the remainder of your day is at leisure. Stroll around the East Pagoda, Yunnan Provincial Museum or the Bamboo Temple to get a flavour of this region. Overnight Kunming.day SIX
Kunming
After breakfast start your trip to the Stone Forest, located about 80km away from Kunming. As the most typical karst landform in the world, the area is known as the ‘first mysterious scene in the world’ and being the hometown of Yi ethnic people, it has a strong flavor of Yi culture. Overnight Kunming.day SEVEN
Kunming and Dali
This morning you visit Yuantong Temple and West Hill. Yuantong Temple, one of the oldest temples in Yunnan Province, is a mixture of three major sects of Chinese Buddhism and West Hill lies on the west bank of Dianchi Lake. Viewed from a distance, it looks like a tremendous sleeping Buddha. Ascend to the top and looking down and you can see overhanging rocks, steep cliffs and Dianchi Lake merging into the sky. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to Dali by private vehicle. Overnight Dali.day EIGHT
Dali
After breakfast, you will start your visit with the famous Erhai Lake Park, Three Pagoda Temple and Dali Old Town. You will take a cruise over Erhai Lake and enjoy a Three-Course-Tea ceremony which is a traditional ceremony of the Bai minority. Afterwards return to your hotel. Overnight Dali.day NINE
Dali and Lijiang
After breakfast, leave Dali and head to Lijiang, 3 hours away by private car. On the way you will stop at Xizhou to have a look at the typical folk dwellings of Bai minority and also stop at Zhoucheng which is famous for tie dyeing. After that you will visit Shaxi, an old town located in Jianchuan County in between Dali and Lijiang. Then you will continue your journey to Lijiang and check in to your hotel. Overnight Lijiangday TEN
Lijiang
Today you will start your tour with Jade Snow Dragon Mountain. You will take a cable car to the mountain top and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the surrounding areas. Then take the cable car down and visit Baisha Village to check out the murals there. After that you will stop at Yuhu, a Naxi minority village at the foot of Jade Snow Mountain before being transferred back to your hotel in Lijiang. Overnight Lijiangday ELEVEN
Lijiang
Enjoy a day at leisure today to explore the old town at your own pace. Overnight Lijiangday TWELVE
Lijiang and Shangri-La
Today you will be transferred to Shangri-La which is a 4 hour drive by private vehicle. On the way you will visit the emphatic Tiger Leaping Gorge (one of the deepest and most marvelous gorges on the planet) and Baishuitai Terrace (birthplace of the Naxi ethnic minority Dongba culture). Amid the mountains is the largest area of sinter crystal terrace in China. Spring water flows down from the mountain, leaving crystallized sodium carbonate along its slopes, giving the impression of a marble sculpture. Overnight Shangri-Laday THIRTEEN
Shangri-La
After breakfast you start your visit to the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, which is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery situated 5km from Zhongdian. It is considered the little Potala Palace and was built in 1679. It currently accommodates 700 monks in 200 associated houses. Then pay a visit to the Napa Sea. Napa Sea, which means the ‘Lake behind the Forest’ in Tibetan language, is a typical seasonal lake, presenting different scenes in different seasons. The most beautiful seasons are spring and autumn. In the evening, visit a local Tibetan family and chat with the host and hostess with the help of the guide.
Overnight in Shangri-La
day FOURTEEN
Shangri-La and Chengdu
This morning, you will visit the old town of Shangri-La with your private guide and driver, which is also known as Dukezong. In the afternoon, drive back to Lijiang and board your flight to Chengdu. When you arrive in Chengdu, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Overnight Chengduday FIFTEEN
Chengdu
This morning your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and then you will be transferred to Leshan which takes about 2 hours. When you arrive in Leshan, have lunch in a local restaurant and then see the Giant Buddha, which was accepted as a World Heritage site in 1996. You will take a short boat ride on Min River to have a distant view of the Buddha and take some photos. In the evening, you will watch a Sichuan (face changing) Opera. Overnight Chengduday SIXTEEN
Chengdu
Today you will visit the Giant Panda Breeding and Researching Center to see the pandas. You will participate in the volunteer program for the day, during which you will be able to take care of the Giant Pandas with the help of the researchers there. Then you will take a wander along Chunxi Road which is a famous pedestrian street in Chengdu.
Overnight in Chengdu
day SEVENTEEN
Chengdu and Beijing
Leave Chengdu this morning and fly to Beijing. In the afternoon, you will pay a visit to the Temple of Heaven, where Qing emperors used to hold ceremonies and offer sacrifice to Heaven to pay respect, pray for social stability and good harvest. Your afternoon is at leisure.
Overnight Beijing
day EIGHTEEN
Beijing
After breakfast you will visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City and you will also see the halls of clocks and treasure, which are not included in normal tours. In the afternoon, you will take two cultural lessons to try Chinese paper cutting and Chinese calligraphy respectively. Then taste some amazing Beijing Roast Duck for dinner.
Overnight Beijing
day NINETEEN
Beijing
Today you will travel to the Summer Palace which used to be a summer resort for Empress Dowager Cixi to beat the heat. You will also be able to learn or practice Tai’chi for 1 hour there and a private tutor will be provided. Your afternoon is free to explore as you wish. Overnight Beijingday TWENTY
Leave Beijing and fly back to UK
After breakfast, leave the hotel and transfer to Beijing airport for your return flight to the UK.
Itinerary
Flight information
Direct outward flight from the UK to Hong Kong in under 12 hours. Direct return flight from Beijing to the UK in around 11 hours. Private transfers to and from the airports are included.