Holidays in China, 3 week tour

country:	China
location:	Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors
departures:	2009: 9 Nov, 16 Nov, 23 Nov, 30 Nov, 7 Dec, 14 Dec, 21 Dec, 28 Dec 2010: 5 Apr, 19 Apr, 3 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 14 Jun
price:	From £1335 (22 days) excluding flights. Plus local payment of US $350 (approx £233)
vouchers:	Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday

China holidays here

the amazing things you'll be doing

Bright lights and big cities, rural retreats and water towns, cycling and cruising, the Great Wall and giant pandas - this trip has adventure encompassed. From the sights of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing to the beauty of Yangshuo and the Three Gorges, discover the history and culture of China. Meet the local people, dine on delicious cuisines and delve into a country just waiting to be explored.

Highlights:

Shop up a storm in Hong Kong.

Uncover the Portuguese influences of Macau.

Cycle through lush Yangshuo countryside.

Cruise through the Three Gorges.

Experience fiery Sichuan cuisine.

Discover the treasures of the Shanghai Museum.

Grab a moment of tranquility in a water town.

See the fearsome Terracotta Warriors.

Stretch leg muscles along the Great Wall.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Hong Kong. Enjoy the colonial flavour of Hong Kong. Shop the Golden Mile, relax in Kowloon Park or head to Victoria Peak for fabulous views over the city.
Day 2-3:	Macau. There's more to the Las Vegas of the East than bright lights. Discover Portuguese-influenced architecture and cuisine on a walking tour through the city.
Day 4-6:	Yangshuo. Dotted with limestone peaks and divided by the tranquil Li River, the area surrounding Yangshuo is astoundingly picturesque. Discover the countryside by bike and share lunch at a local restaurant.
Day 7-9:	Yangzi River. Cruise gently down the Yangzi River. Experience the scenic beauty of the Three Gorges and learn about the controversial dam project.
Day 10-11:	Chengdu. Home to a panda breeding reserve, a Tang dynasty monastery and delicious Sichuan cuisine, Chengdu offers a great chance to meet the locals and get a taste of China.
Day 12-16:	Shanghai/Zhouzhuang. City of a thousand contradictions, Shanghai boasts Parisian style, Ming dynasty garden design and an outstanding museum collection. Enjoy plenty of exploration time and head out to discover a nearby water town.
Day 17-19:	Xi'an. Complete with horses and chariots, the 6,000-head army of Terracotta Warriors is a sight to behold. Climb the walls of Xi'an and soak up the city's garden culture where locals practise tai chi and ballroom dancing.
Day 20-22:	Beijing. Spend a day traversing the ancient Great Wall. Discover the wildly impressive Forbidden City, pace across the vast expanse of Tiananmen Square and be amazed by the contortions of the Beijing Acrobats.

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)

Because of our small group size, we're able to guarantee departures for all of our trips. Once you have booked and paid your deposit, your trip is guaranteed to go!

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

While travelling in China we encourage all our travellers to learn of and show respect for cultural differences. Our small groups and using a variety of local transport enables travellers to experience cultures at first hand, offering greater opportunity for cross-cultural understanding.

There are a number of basic ways in which we try to minimise our impact such as implementing waste reduction practices. Reusing plastic bags, water bottles and using our own set of chopsticks (instead of disposable ones). We use guides from the local areas we visit, in Yangshou many of our guides are from farming families in the surrounding areas and our business creates many benefits for people of the area.

In China we supports Beijing Huiling and Xi'an Huiling - community-based, non-profit organizations that care for and provide life-skills training for mentally disabled young people. They also support the Spring Bud Plan, a public service organized by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund that assists girls of poor areas of China to return to 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.