China Discovery
| country: | China |
| location: | Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2009: 26 Jul, 23 Aug |
| price: | From £935 (15 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $330. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 5 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
This trip has just about everything that you could wish for from a tour in China.
You can enjoy superb mountain views whilst staying at the guesthouse of a delightful Zhuang minority family, cycle around beautiful Yangshuo, relax on a Yangtse cruise, marvel at the 2,000 year old Terracotta Warriors AND hike along the spectacular Great Wall. All in just two weeks!
You can enjoy superb mountain views whilst staying at the guesthouse of a delightful Zhuang minority family, cycle around beautiful Yangshuo, relax on a Yangtse cruise, marvel at the 2,000 year old Terracotta Warriors AND hike along the spectacular Great Wall. All in just two weeks!
day-by-day 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. |
| Day 8-9: | Yangtse cruise boat. 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. Free day to explore this ancient city. Wander through the markets, haggling over souvenirs or try some of the delicious northern Chinese cuisine with a bowl of steaming dumplings or noodles. |
| Day 12: | Xi’an. Guided tour of the Terracotta Warriors. 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. |
travellers' tales
Best part was the great wall walk, well worth the travel... We saw all we wanted to see and there were a lot of great, individual, wow factor moments. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its 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 new people as well as seeing new places. 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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While travelling in China we stay in small local hotels, employ many local guides and representatives as well as a mix of foreign and local tour leaders – who all receive the SAME wages for the same job – and always encourage travellers to eat in local restaurants. When eating with the tour leaders groups will always be taken to family owned restaurants, as a way of putting money back into the local community and showing travellers what Chinese food is really like, rather than patronizing larger hotel restaurants where food is specifically prepared for tourists.
In Longsheng we visit a remote hilltribe area which few tourists pass through. It is also one of the poorest areas in China and our stay in a family owned guesthouse means that precious revenue from tourism goes straight to the family. While in this area there are also opportunities to meet local hilltribe people and gain an insight into their traditional way of life. In Yangshuo most travellers opt to explore by bicycles which are rented directly from small local businesses. During the tour we also visit numerous UNESCO sights where our entrance fees contribute towards ongoing maintenance and conservation. |
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. |