Giant Panda & Terracotta Warriors holiday

On arrival in Hong Kong you are met and transferred to your hotel. You then travel by boat to Shenzhen or Guangzhou, where you meet your Chinese tour leader before flying on to Guilin, a town on the Li River set in an almost surreal landscape of peaked limestone hills. Yangshuo, a small village not far from Guilin, is a charming place in the heart of this spectacular region and a great base to embark on expeditions around the area.

The next day you take your bicycle to explore the countryside, which is surrounded by spectacular limestone peaks, including the unusual Moon Hill. Returning to Guilin you catch a flight to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, famous for its delicious, spicy food. A morning visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base enables you to view this highly endangered species before travelling to Leshan, whose most celebrated attraction is the Great Buddha, a 71-metre-high statue carved into a massive cliff face overlooking two rivers.

You then continue on to the holy mountain of Emeishan, where a day trip enables you to join with the Buddhist pilgrims on the 3,099-metre-high Golden Summit. You travel by public bus, foot and cable car to get to the top, before enjoying a short trek on the way down. Warm clothing, stamina and a sense of adventure are required for this experience, which combines natural beauty with religious mysticism. If you opt not to trek down, you can catch the cable car back for a nominal fee. The next day you travel back to Chengdu and enjoy a free afternoon to explore the city¹s parks and temples. A bus takes you to Chongqing where you board the first-class boat for a three-night cruise along the Yangtze River, China¹s longest waterway. You relax on the deck or in the lounge bar, whilst passing the spectacular scenic attractions such as the famous Three Gorges. There is ample time to enjoy the scenery as you travel east to Yichang where your cruise ends.

An overnight soft sleeper class train takes you to Xian, regarded as the original capital of a united China and once one of the greatest cities in the world. Here you stay in the best standard of accommodation on this tour, a centrally located and comfortable hotel located in the middle of the city. You visit the legendary Terracotta Warriors and, in your free time, you can visit the excellent Shaanxi History Museum, walk along the city walls and explore the heart of the old Muslim Quarter, with its fascinating Great Mosque. An overnight soft sleeper class train takes you to Beijing. Here you visit the enormous Forbidden City, which was closed to commoners until the 1920s, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall. There is much to see in this magnificent city. In your free time, you can shop at the Silk Market, enjoy a traditional duck dinner or a performance by the Beijing Opera. A fantastic city in which to end your tour.