China Discovery Tour

This China tour has just about everything that you could wish for from a tour in China. Stay at the guesthouse of a delightful Zhuang minority family, cycle around beautiful Yangshuo, relax on a Yangtse cruise, marvel at the 2000 year old Terracotta Warriors AND hike along the spectacular Great Wall.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore bustling Hong Kong
• Discover the Longsheng Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces
• Take a Chinese language lesson in Yangshuo
• Cruise the Three Gorges on the Yangtse River
• See the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an
• Hike along a less visited section of the Great Wall
• Visit the Forbidden City in Beijing

BRIEF ITINERARY

Day 1, HONG KONG: Arrival day.

Day 2, HONG KONG - GUILIN: Free morning in Hong Kong before a short afternoon train ride to Shenzhen. Overnight train to Guilin.

Day 3, YANGSHUO: Morning arrival in Guilin and transfer to Yangshuo. Explore the beautiful countryside on foot or by bike. In the afternoon we have a Chinese lesson to get you ready for the trip ahead.

Day 4, YANGSHUO: A full free day to explore. Perhaps hire a bike and cycle along small tracks through the fields amidst the amazing karst scenery.

Day 5, YANGSHUO - LONGSHENG: Transfer to Longsheng. Late afternoon is a great time to take walks in the rice paddies with spectacular views of the terraces.

Day 6, LONGSHENG - CHONGQING: A free morning for further exploration before we return to Guilin for the overnight train to Chongqing.

Day 7, CHONGQING: Arrive in Chongqing where we board our cruise boat.

Days 8-9, YANGTSE RIVER CRUISE: We cruise down the Yangtse River, passing through the spectacular Three Gorges section. Along the way we stop for various excursions to places of interest. (BLD)

Day 10, YICHANG - XI'AN: We disembark in Yichang and take the overnight train to Xi'an. (B)

Day 11, XI'AN: Morning arrival in Xi'an and guided tour of the Terracotta Warriors. A free afternoon to wander through the markets haggling for souvenirs or try some delicious northern Chinese cuisine with a bowl of steaming dumplings or noodles.

Day 12, XI'AN - BEIJING: The day is free for you to explore this ancient city and its many amazing sites. In the evening we catch the overnight train to Beijing.

Day 13, BEIJING: Morning arrival in Beijing. Today we visit Tiananmen Square and the magnificent Forbidden City.

Day 14, BEIJING - GREAT WALL: A day at the Great Wall. We have the option of hiking along one of the less-visited but most beautiful sections.

Day 15, BEIJING: Tour ends.

DEPARTURE DATES

TRAVEL STYLE

You love the sometimes tough but ultimately rewarding nature of adventure travel and you want to spend more time enjoying every experience rather than wasting time on travel arrangements.

Maximum Group Size - 18: You love the whole concept of travel. Getting there is as much fun as being there and you love using public transport, local restaurants and small family run hotels where you get the best chance to really get under the skin of a destination. You love the sometimes tough but ultimately rewarding nature of adventure travel and you love spending more time enjoying every experience rather than wasting time on travel arrangements.
Included: All accommodation (usually twin share but occasionally multi share), transportation
Not included: Most meals, entrance fees
Single Supplement: Not available. [Read more about Imaginative Traveller travel styles]