Budget holiday to China
| country: | China |
| location: | Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2009: 22 Nov 2010: 7 Mar, 21 Mar, 4 Apr, 18 Apr, 9 May, 23 May, 6 Jun, 20 Jun, 4 Jul, 18 Jul, 1 Aug, 15 Aug, 29 Aug, 12 Sep, 26 Sep, 10 Oct, 24 Oct, 7 Nov, 21 Nov |
| price: | From £869 (14 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $250. Max group size 15 people |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Marvel at the imperial wonders of the Forbidden City. Learn the mystical secrets of the Shaolin monks. Discover the army of Terracotta Warriors and walk the impenetrable Great Wall. This journey explores the great cities, magnificent architecture, natural wonders, Buddhist heritage and archaeological treasures of Northern China.
Price includes accommodation (hotels / guesthouses, sleeper train & Yangtse boat), trips and excursions as per the itinerary, and transport (train, local bus, aircon bus, boat, walking & internal plane).
Price includes accommodation (hotels / guesthouses, sleeper train & Yangtse boat), trips and excursions as per the itinerary, and transport (train, local bus, aircon bus, boat, walking & internal plane).
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Shanghai. Arrive in Shanghai at any time. |
| Day 2: | Shanghai. Long perceived as one of the world’s most exotic destinations, Shanghai remains a glamorous, vital consumer paradise and an architectural marvel. Enjoy a day trip to Zhouzhuang, one of Shanghai's nearby water towns, famous for its canals and stone bridges. |
| Day 3-6: | Yichang and Yangzi River. Starting in the picturesque town of Yichang, explore the mighty Yangzi River by boat. One of the world’s natural scenic wonders, this brilliant river is full of gorges and dotted with small towns, along with the massive Three Gorges Dam, an incredible feat of modern technology. |
| Day 7-8: | Xi'an. Observe one of China’s greatest archaeological treasures – the Terracotta Warriors - and dine on some of the best market food in the country. This ancient capital is a fascinating mix of ancient and modern. |
| Day 9: | Pingyao. The World Heritage City of Pingyao is best explored on foot. The Ming and Qing Dynasty Street and China's first bank are just a few of the sights to be seen. |
| Day 10: | Datong. The magnificent Yungang Grottoes dominate the landscape of this ancient capital town. Explore the mystery of the 50,000 buddhas tucked in to the caves, the mud brick 17th fortress with its crumbling watchtowers, and a remnant of the Great Wall. |
| Day 11-13: | Beijing. Beijing is a city of incredible sights, shopping, food and entertainment. From the vast expanses of Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall of China, Beijing is the cultural capital of China. |
| Day 14: | Depart Beijing. |
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. how this holiday makes a difference
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Group size: In order to keep the environmental and negative social impact of travel to a minimum, we operate this tour with a maximum of 15 passengers.
 Accommodation: The majority of our hotels are small, locally owned and family operated establishments. This tour includes ten nights in hotels and guesthouses, two nights on a sleeper train and one night on a Yangtse boat. Local guides and operators: By working with local guides and operators, we provide economic benefits directly to the local people and businesses. Our local guides are experts in flora, fauna, history, culture, and provide our travellers with insight into local knowledge. Tour leaders: Our tour leaders receive special training in low-impact travel and regional conservation issues and projects. They are also provided with a Sustainable Travel Manual. Tour leaders are selected based on their knowledge of, and commitment to sustainable travel. All our tour leaders speak English and have first aid and CPR certification. Our foundation: Through our commitment to responsible tourism we have developed our own foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of people and communities around the world through support of international charities, local organizations and community projects in the places that we visit on our tours. Through this, we support the Seva Canada Society, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the elimination of preventable and treatable blindness. Seva has worked in Nepal and India for 25 years and more recently in Tibet and Tanzania. Today, nearly 40 million people are blind with ninety percent of the world’s blind living in developing countries. Another 135 million have debilitating low vision. The good news is that most of this blindness can be prevented or cured. Half of the world’s blindness is caused by cataract that is reversible with a 15-minute operation costing US $20 - US $50 in most developing countries. |
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. |