China in depth
| country: | China |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2009: 10 Oct |
| price: | From £2170 (28 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
From Hong Kong to Beijing, with a multitude of adventures in between, this trip offers an in-depth experience of China. Discover the bright lights and busy backstreets of the major cities, cycle and cruise through the countryside, unearth haunting remnants and current practices of Buddhist culture and meet local villagers, city-dwellers and monks. Combine all this with the iconic sights of China, including the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall, to create a comprehensive exploration of this endlessly fascinating country.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Hong Kong. Experience the explosion of colour and culture in Hong Kong, where East and West collide and almost anything goes. |
| Days 2-3: | Macau. Look beyond the glitz and explore the cobbled backstreets on a city tour, hitting baroque ruins and the impressive Macau Museum. |
| Days 4-6: | Yangshuo. Join a local guide on a bike ride through this spectacular region of limestone karsts and paddy fields. Perhaps sail down the Li River or try a cooking class. |
| Days 7-9: | Yangzi River. Cruise the Yangzi through the Three Gorges to Yichang. Another facet of China is revealed on a tour through the dam project site. |
| Days 10-11: | Chengdu. Visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base and view exquisite carvings at Wenshu Temple. |
| Days 12-16: | Shanghai. City of fortunes lost and found, Shanghai shines with impressive architecture. Visit the famous museum and trawl the local bazaars. Be amazed by a death-defying acrobat show. |
| Day 17: | Shaolin. Spend a night in the home of kung fu and watch the acolytes at their training. |
| Day 18: | Luoyang. See over 100,000 rock-carved Buddha images and discover a series of ancient caves dedicated to various forms of worship. |
| Days 19-21: | Xi'an. With thousands of years of history, Xi'an houses countless treasures. Discover the incredible underground necropolis guarded by the Terracotta Warriors. |
| Day 22: | Chengdu. Search out the city's famous hotpot cuisine or relax in one of its legendary teahouses. |
| Days 23-24: | Sichuan Countryside. Explore a 2,000 year-old town in the heart of Sichuan and enjoy a trek through the surrounding tea terraces. |
| Days 25-28: | Beijing. Ramble along the Great Wall, pace through Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, and soak up the atmosphere of the capital. |
travellers' tales
The highlight was staying ina remote monastery, only accessible by a 3Km walk up the mountain. (more)
small group adventure holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - on our group trips you'll be with a maximum of 11 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world as well as seeing new places! (more) highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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There is much to learn and understand about the various Chinese, Muslim and Tibetan cultural groups that we will encounter during our journey. Advance reading will help to deepen your experience during your trip as do the excellent local guides along the way who will help give understanding of their community's way of life. Your group leader will ask you to participate in our waste reduction practises such as carrying our own set of chopsticks (instead of disposable ones) and to follow environmental guidelines for minimising our impact in remote areas such as during the horse trek.
For the last 4 years we have been visiting and supporting a remote school on the Tibetan Grasslands area in Gansu province. Through money raised by passenger donations we have provided this school with classroom and sporting equipment and helped with the purchase of local ethnic costumes for dance and cultural festival activities. For the last 2 years money raised has helped to provide heating to classrooms throughout the harsh winter.Also supported on this trip are the Spring Bud Foundation and Project Hope based from Yangshou. Funds raised provide children from remote and poor areas with support for education, to help prevent them dropping out of school. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |