China adventure holiday, Grand Traverse

country:	China
location:	Sichuan, Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors
trip type:	A small group adventure
departures:	2008: 12 Jul, 26 Jul, 6 Sep, 27 Sep, 4 Oct, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 25 Oct 2009: 18 Apr, 25 Apr, 9 May, 16 May, 23 May, 30 May, 6 Jun, 13 Jun, 20 Jun, 27 Jun
price:	From £785 - £825 (21 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $300. We can arrange flights from the UK

read 1 travellers review

China holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

21 days Beijing to Hong Kong
Beijing, Great Wall, Xi'an, Terracotta Warriors, Tibetan grasslands and villages, trekking, Chengdu, giant pandas, cycling Yangshuo, Hong Kong

An adventurous journey along the remote edge of the Tibetan plateau between two of China's great cities.

Discover sheer natural beauty, amazing cultural diversity and ancient icons on an adventure that will take us through some of the more fascinating yet less travelled areas of the Middle Kingdom.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1-3:	Beijing. A rich array of cultural treasures awaits us in Beijing, including the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and the rambling Great Wall.
Day 4-5:	Xi'an. See why the Terracotta Warriors are labelled one of the greatest archaeological discoveries, wander through the fascinating Muslim Quarter and watch the sunset over Xi'an from the ancient city walls.
Day 6-7:	Xiahe. Nestled in rolling grasslands, the remote town of Xiahe is home to the eminent Labrang Monastery. This is a stunning place to watch Tibetan pilgrims come and go.
Day 8-10:	Langmusi homestay. In a land where the surrounding mountains are still used for Tibetan 'sky burials', we have a very special opportunity to visit a Tibetan school. We also enjoy a traditional homestay.
Day 11:	Tibetan Grasslands. Venture across the serene Tibetan grasslands for a taste of nomadic life. In this remote area the roads are rough and the views are beautiful.
Day 12-13:	Songpan. Travel through mountain passes to the wild west town of Songpan. Take day walks or horse treks amid the awesome scenery of emerald green lakes, mountain forests and picturesque valleys.
Day 14-15:	Chengdu. Traditional teahouses, spicy Sichuan cuisine and a visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Centre are a must.
Day 16-19:	Yangshuo. Cycle against a backdrop of limestone karsts soaring above rice paddies and spend time relaxing or hiking along the stunning Li River.
Day 20-21:	Hong Kong. Ultra-modern Hong Kong is a dramatic change from rural life. Take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour and bargain up a storm at the Temple Street night market.

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

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 lead 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.