China holiday, discover imperial China
| country: | China |
| location: | Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 10 Apr, 15 May, 19 Jun, 10 Jul, 24 Jul, 14 Aug, 28 Aug, 11 Sep, 25 Sep, 9 Oct, 13 Nov 2011: 26 Mar, 16 Apr |
| price: | From £1649 - £1929 (15 days) including flights from the UK, from £1099 - £1239 excluding flights. Single supplement £240. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Tracing the remnants of China's imperial past, we discover the magnificent monuments of Beijing, the Terracotta Warriors, the imposing mosques of Xi'an, and the delightful canals of Tongli. We also have time to explore some of the exquisite landscapes and tranquil countryside so beloved by Chinese poets and painters in Yangshuo. In Shanghai we are brought right into the 21st century by the world's most rapidly expanding city. Visit a time capsule containing one quarter of the human race, where the modern world coexists with the ancient, with Mao suits next to mini skirts, and each region with its own traditions and culinary delights.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Beijing; traditional Beijing Duck dinner. |
| Days 3-5: | Three full days sightseeing in China's capital, including the Forbidden City, Hutongs, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace, plus an unforgettable visit to the Great Wall; overnight train to Xi'an on day five. |
| Day 6: | Morning walking tour of the Muslim area and mosque. Free afternoon or optional cycle ride on city walls. |
| Day 7: | Visit the famed Terracotta Warriors, afternoon fly to Guilin. |
| Day 8: | Walk along Lijang River and visit reed flute cave; drive to spectacular Yangshuo surrounded by towering limestone scenery. Free afternoon; evening cooking class. |
| Day 9: | Cycle to Moon Hill past rice terraces; afternoon optional bamboo raft trip. |
| Day 10: | Free day. |
| Day 11: | To Guilin for flight to Shanghai; drive to Tongli water town for orientation walk. |
| Day 12: | Free morning, drive to Suzhou, famous for its canals and silk industry; tour of gardens. Late afternoon return to Shanghai. |
| Day 13: | Morning city tour; afternoon free. |
| Day 14: | Free day; chance to visit the French Quarter, Jade Buddha Temple and Shanghai Museum. |
| Day 15: | Fly to London. |
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. award winner
This tourism business won an award in our 2004 Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical, Magazine of the Royal Geographical Societyhow this holiday makes a difference
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As a part of our continued commitment to responsible tourism, we operate this trip in a way that aims to reduce impacts and to give as much back as possible to the local community. We use a local operator as well as Chinese leaders, city guides and staff. We use Chinese owned and run accommodation and the hotels display notices advising that not changing linen or towels daily helps reduce the environmental impact of your stay and most hotels have automatic keys that turn off lights air conditioning. These initiatives we believe will enable the wide community to benefit financially from our visits and will help with cross cultural understanding. We also limit the group size to 16 to reduce cultural and environmental impacts.
UK Office: We have at our offices worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively try to reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism. Carbon balancing: Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! |
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. |