Imperial China & Yangtze River Cruise

The exploration of Beijing today will include the Forbidden City, with its innumerable courtyards and temples, as well as Tiananmen Square, the largest square in the world and able to hold more than 1m people. We take a walking tour of the hutongs (narrow alleys) to s...

We leave the capital and head into the countryside to the Great Wall, around a two-hour journey to the north of the city. We go to one of the best-preserved parts: Mutianyu, an impressive sight as it snakes into the distance across mountains and valleys. The wall her...

This morning, we visit the Temple of Heaven, followed by the Summer Palace where you can witness how vast the exclusive playground of China's emperors and their concubines once was. In the evening, we board an overnight train (approximately 12 hours) to the ancient c...

Xi'an is a former capital and one of the few cities in China to have retained its city walls, probably because they are so massive that no revolutionary was willing to tackle the huge task of removing them. Today, after a Chinese breakfast, we embark on a walking tou...

Today we visit the Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin. Originally four life-size and life-like armies were planned, marking each point of the compass. Three have been found and it is assumed the emperor's successors decided enough was enough before the fourth was begu...

We transfer to the train station and catch a morning bullet train (approximately 4hr 15 min) to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, arriving around lunch/early afternoon. This area is recognised throughout China as being the spicy province, and it certainly live...

With an early start, we visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. Hopefully, these intriguing and rare animals will be feeding, as this is when they're most active; otherwise, we can watch them indulge in their most common form of entertainment: sleeping! Today, ...

We spend two days cruising one of the great rivers, as we head up the Yangtze, passing towering cliffs and gorges. To limit the impact of flooding, the Chinese government built a massive dam. This flooded the Three Gorges of Qutang, Wu and Xiling and a journey among t...

We complete our cruise this morning and disembark in Chongqing. We travel by train from Chongqing to Guilin (approximately four hours) and than drive through towering limestone scenery to Yangshuo and have an afternoon walking tour. The surrounding region is famous fo...

This morning gives us the opportunity to appreciate the spectacular landscape on two wheels; as we take a bike and ride towards Moon Hill, one of the most famous in the area. The biking is at a moderate pace, and there are plenty of stops to hydrate and appreciate the...

This morning is free to relax and enjoy the scenery and laid-back atmosphere of Yangshuo. There are many optional activities available: cruise on the Li River, visit the Black Buddha caves, enjoy a Chinese massage or kung fu class, or watch the Liu Sanjie Show, an out...

In the morning, we transfer to the airport at Guilin to fly to Shanghai, a city with an international feel. In the evening, we take a walking tour of the Bund area, to see the illuminated buildings along the riverside. We can visit the Jin Mao Tower (optional), one of...

We have an early start (around 7am) to avoid the crowds at the ancient water town of Xitang; famous for its cobbled streets and bridges arching over the many canals. There are several well-preserved buildings from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, a...

We visit the Shanghai Museum this morning, followed by the Yu Yuan garden; the rest of the day is free to explore. Though it no longer warrants the title Paris of the East, many of the vestiges of its colonial past are still apparent. It is worth strolling along Nanji...