This itinerary encompasses the best of China’s natural and man-made wonders, from the magnificent Great Wall to the mighty Yangtze river. You will take a comprehensive journey through China’s most iconic sights, both ancient and modern, experiencing everything that the fast-paced bustling cities and the relaxing rural countryside have to offer.
- Enjoy four nights on the Yangtze for a glimpse of China past and present
- CHONGQING - Get up close and personal with the Pandas of Chongqing Zoo
- Xian - Come face to face with Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Warriors
- The Great Wall - Walk along the awe-inspiring modern wonder that is China's most famous attraction.
DAYS 1-2 FLY TO BEIJING
Fly overnight to Beijing, China's historical capital. Depending on your time of arrival, the rest of the day is yours to start soaking up the local culture.
DAY 3 IMPERIAL BEIJING
Head to Beijing's symbolic heart, Tiananmen Square, and stroll into the sprawling magnificence of the Forbidden City. Entering through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, you will find a complex full of imperial riches. Take a rickshaw ride through the narrow alleys of the warrenlike hutongs. Later, soak up the harmonious ambience of the Temple of Heaven, where you can mingle with the locals and watch or participate as they practise Tai Chi, dance or play cards. This evening, sit down to a traditional dinner of Peking duck.
DAY 4 THE GREAT WALL
This morning is dedicated to China's most iconic sight – the Great Wall. Taking a walk on this incredible structure is the best way to appreciate both the wall itself and the dramatic scenery that it crosses. You will then have an opportunity to visit the Jade Factory, where you will be able to buy a small handcrafted piece. Enjoy the afternoon strolling through the idyllic gardens of the Summer Palace and admire the traditional Chinese landscapes and exquisite architecture. This evening, enjoy an optional Kung Fu show.
DAY 5 TANG DYNASTY DANCING
Fly to Xian, the ancient former capital. Take a walking tour of the narrow and winding streets of the lively Muslim Quarter and gain an insight into the city's fascinating culture and significance as the start of the Silk Road. In the evening, enjoy a dumpling feast and Tang Dynasty dancing show.
DAY 6 TERRACOTTA WARRIORS
After their fortuitous discovery in the 1970s, the Terracotta Army of China's first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, has intrigued visitors ever since. Spend the morning viewing the enigmatic ranks of life-sized warriors and horses. Also visit the workshop to see where the warriors are intricately recreated in the style of their ancient counterparts and stroll on the beautifully preserved 14th Century city walls that enclose Xian's old town.
DAY 7 BOARD YOUR CRUISE
Fly to Wuhan and transfer to Yichang to board your Yangtze River Cruise vessel.
DAYS 8-10 YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE
A man-made marvel, the Three Gorges Dam showcases this massive feat of engineering. But as you cruise upstream nature takes over, revealing some of the world's most dramatic scenery. Over the next three days prepare for one breathtaking panorama after another, take a side trip to the attractive Shennong or Goddess Stream and enjoy a shore excursion to Shibaozhai or Fengdu.
DAY 11 CHONGQING PANDA HOUSE
Disembark from the cruise vessel and visit the Panda House at Chongqing Zoo. Later, fly to Guilin.
DAY 12 LI RIVER CRUISE
Take a relaxed cruise along the Li River to the charming town of Yangshuo. Around every river bend is a view to take your breath away as jagged karst peaks loom over rural scenes of lush greenery, grazing buffalo and local fishermen.
DAY 13 YANGSHUO
Yangshuo sits in an exquisite rural location, surrounded by landscapes of emerald-green paddy fields and dramatic limestone karsts. Spend the morning exploring the countryside before returning to Guilin by road. Explore the impressive Reed Flute Cave and visit the South China Pearl Factory before stopping for a photo opportunity on the banks of the Li River to meet a cormorant fisherman.
DAY 14 EXPLORE SHANGHAI
Take a walk around the picturesque Ronghu Lake and admire the Sun & Moon pagodas and then fly to the exuberant and cosmopolitan city of Shanghai. This evening, view the city from the Huangpu River on a panoramic cruise.
DAY 15 DISCOVER SHANGHAI
Visit the charming Yu Gardens, the old town, Silk Factory and take a stroll along the Bund. This evening, enjoy some tasty traditional Shanghainese cuisine followed by the ERA acrobatic show.
DAY 16 FLY SHANGHAI TO UK
Fly to the UK, arriving home the same or following day.
Additional Price Information
Call 01226 345381 to Book
▪ Return international economy flights, taxes and current fuel surcharges (unless a land only option is selected)
▪ All accommodation
▪ All meals
▪ All sightseeing and entrance fees
▪ All transportation and transfers
▪ English speaking National Escort (if your group is 10 or more passengers) and Local Guides
▪ Visa fees for UK passport holders
▪ Specialist advice from our experienced travel consultants
▪ Comprehensive travel guides
▪ Safe and secure with ABTA, ATOL and IATA
The only thing you may have to pay for are personal expenditure e.g. drinks, optional excursions or shows, insurance of any kind, tipping, early check in or late check out and other items not specified on the itinerary.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience of location, comfort or character, and can range from a business hotel in one city to a family run guesthouse in a smaller town. In more remote areas, accommodation may be of a lower standard and may not have all western amenities. Hotels are generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note that there is no international classification system for hotels and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and China. All group tour hotels have private western bathroom facilities, air conditioning, TV and telephone. Plumbing and electricity supplies can be erratic and quite often the power in hotel rooms is turned off while guests are out of the room. If you experience any difficulty, please speak to your National Escort/Local Guide.
Visas
A visa is required for entry into China. A standard visa processing service is included in your tour cost for UK passport holders. We will require your passport, completed visa application form, and 1 passport photo, taken within the last 6 months, to process your visa. We will require all this information 8 weeks prior to departure. As per our standard visa processing service, we will have your passport for at least 4 weeks. Any visa applications that require an express 2-week service, or that are received in our office less than 6 weeks prior to departure will incur a £60 per passport express fee. In rare cases, you may be required to provide further information or documentation to the Chinese embassy and/or be required to attend an interview at the embassy in London. If this is the case, we will notify you as soon as possible.
Insurance
It is a condition of booking with us that you take out suitable travel insurance. You must provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number when you book with us or as soon as possible thereafter. These details will be available to your National Escort should they be required. Wendy Wu Tours will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
Eating in China
Chinese cuisine is one of the most influential, diverse and flavoursome culinary styles in the world with a legacy stretching back thousands of years. Often you’ll find that the local Chinese style is very different from what you’re used to at home. We welcome people on our tours with a wide variety of tastes and as such try to present an array of food to suit everyone in the group. Our schedule of meals is designed so that you can experience the local dishes, their individual flavours as well as the different ways they are prepared and cooked throughout China. All meals (excluding drinks) are included in our fully inclusive group tours from dinner on the day of the groups’ arrival until breakfast on the groups’ day of departure. Dishes served in restaurants on our group tours are varied. Some will be vegetable-based with meat mixed in, and a few will be meat-based. Traditionally, Chinese people cook with a lot of vegetables because meat used to be hard to come by. Dishes often come pre-seasoned with soy sauce or other sauces. Our restaurants are well aware of the western palate – there are plenty of non-spiced options. Most meals are served with plain rice on the side which is intended as an accompaniment to your meal. Unlike the western world, Chinese people do not normally pre-heat their plates and food can be presented at a variety of temperatures, which is a typical Chinese way of doing things. When eating meals on group tours, you will be seated around a circular table with other tour members. Dishes will be served in the traditional ‘family style’ on a lazy susan; meaning that various dishes will be laid out on a spinning turntable in the centre of the table top. These dishes are intended to be shared amongst the group – there is always more than enough to feed everybody. ‘Family style’ means that there is a pair of serving chopsticks for each dish which are used specifically to serve the food (please ask your server if you require a fork or spoon) and everybody will help themselves to all the dishes on the lazy susan. You will have an individual bowl, chopsticks and cup for your own use. Please be courteous and consider your fellow diners; if your favourite dish is on the other side of the table, it will make its way round to you soon! We find our customers really enjoy this sociable style of eating.
Your National Escort will do their utmost to cater for any special requests such as gluten free or vegetarian meals, however, people on restricted diets should expect complications. Although most Asian countries are now quite developed, only quite recently have they started to widely accept Western guests. Western food requirements are quite far removed from Asian food requirements, and even medical reasons can be quite difficult to explain. While our ground partners will do everything they can to cater for a wide range of dietary requirements on tour, we ask kindly for your patience and understanding that they cannot always be delivered to the standard you will be used to at home. It is recommended that passengers with food intolerances bring snacks or additional food items with them, especially when travelling further from major cities as not all dietary requests will be met due to the limited foods available. Please read your travel guide which you will receive with your final documents for more information about eating in China. We recommend that when it comes to Chinese food, you stay open minded, try to be adventurous and always have a go with the chopsticks!
Transport
Coaches: Coaches with air conditioning are used on our group tours for city sightseeing, short excursions to the countryside and longer transfers where necessary. Roads in China have generally improved over recent years, but traffic and/or weather conditions may extend driving times. Road construction work usually covers an enormous section of road – not just 1-2 kilometres as you may be used to. For this reason, the timings listed in the itinerary are approximations only. There may be sections of road where the surface is comparatively bumpy but our drivers will do their utmost to lessen the impact. Planes: Internal flights are based on economy class with reputable airlines. Cruise ships: On this tour you will take a 4-night cruise up the Yangtze River. Your cabin on your Yangtze River cruise ship will have a private bathroom and balcony. Please note that the cruise ship and all shore excursions arranged by the cruise are on a shared basis. Trains: On this tour, you will take a high-speed train journey. You will travel in second-class soft seats with air conditioning. For train journeys you must ensure that you pack liquids, aerosols and gels/lotions in your hand luggage as per recent regulations. The National Escort will inform you of specific details prior to boarding. The train companies have implemented a policy which does not allow passengers to carry inflammable liquids including aerosols, styling gel, compressed air or insecticides; any explosives, magnetised material, knives, scissors or sharp items (medication is fine). Bag checks are conducted randomly and any of these items may be confiscated before boarding the train (in hand luggage or main luggage).
