Shanghai to Beijing tour in China

COUNTRY:
China
HOLIDAY TYPE:
A small group adventure
DEPARTURES:
CHECK AVAILABILITY2013: 10 Jun, 15 Jul, 5 Aug, 26 Aug, 9 Sep, 16 Sep, 7 Oct, 14 Oct
2014: 13 Jan, 17 Mar, 7 Apr, 28 Apr, 19 May, 9 Jun, 30 Jun, 14 Jul, 4 Aug, 18 Aug, 25 Aug, 8 Sep, 22 Sep, 13 Oct, 27 Oct
PRICE:
From £604 - £840 (12 days) excluding flights
MORE INFO:
Local payment USD $200. We can arrange flights from the UK.
LATE AVAIL:
We still have spaces on this tour’s departures up to July. Contact us for more details to book a place!
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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Shanghai to Beijing tour in China

Shanghai to Beijing tour in China

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!

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!

How Shanghai to Beijing tour in China makes a difference

Environment:
The list of ways we help the local environment:
- Providing all travellers with reusable bags and chopsticks in order to avoid waste
- Encouraging use of “tea flasks” for drinking water (or tea, like the locals do!) so as not to purchase multiple plastic bottles. Safe drinking water available in all our accommodation and transport. Any bottles that are purchased are given to the community of waste collectors who rely on this for an income
- All suppliers issued with RT recommendations in their local language and leaders and groups act as “ambassadors” for spreading the RT message beyond just our travellers but also trying to involve the local tourism industry.
- Wherever possible we take local transport in China. This can mean anything from public bus, trolley bus, tram or subway. We also have the opportunity to explore on bikes and on foot and travel overland on all our basix trips.

Community:
The list of ways we help the local community:
- Food left over after group meals is collected and boxed up to be left where homeless/street people might easily find it and take it without them having to go through garbage for a meal
- Include informal local language lessons to give our travellers a head start into understanding the culture and communicating with the people we meet along the way
- When taking trains we travel 2nd or 3rd class (hard sleeper) which is the way the majority of locals travel - this gives us maximum chance to meet and share stories, food, games and the journey with local travellers
- At the end of out journey we encourage our travellers to donate unwanted clothes, toiletries or other goods which we then distribute to local organisations - Our tour leaders are all Chinese locals.

Join your leader for a walking tour through Old Beijing along the ancient network of alleyways and lanes known as hutong to see how important it is to protect cultural heritage in the face of rapid development.

After the closure of the Simatai section of the wall last year we needed to look for a new route. This has meant that we are now able to stay in a family run guesthouse in a nearby village rather than in a YHA hostel. The facilities are basic (expect simple shared showers and squat toilets outside of the rooms) but we can be assured of great local hospitality and a welcome night sleeping out in the fresh countryside air! Most travelers will choose to eat dinner and breakfast at the guesthouse (not included) to sample great local produce and delicious home style cooking.

On the way back from the Terracotta Warriors, there is a chance to stop in for lunch with a village family.

Also in Xi’an we can meet with our friends at Xi'an Huiling (meaning "wise spirit") - a special supported project for people with intellectual disabilities.

Shanghai to Beijing tour in China

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The story of the provider of Shanghai to Beijing tour in China

This company started in 1989 with a passion to get travellers off the beaten track. It was started by best friends who wanted to develop a style of travel that was all together different; wanting travellers to become a part of a country - and not just tourists looking in. Wanting them to have fun, meet people, learn things, explore, and do stuff they could never do at home, to travel by anything and everything, and stay anywhere and everywhere! Fast forward two decades and they now travel to more than 110 countries and offers over 800 itineraries however their philosophy on travel is unchanged. Their core purpose is to enrich people's lives by creating unique, interactive travel experiences. Providing fun, affordable and sustainable travel adventures that are beneficial to local communities.

Holiday provider no: 10

Shanghai to Beijing tour in China

Reviewed 18 Oct 2012 by Jennifer Jenkins4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


The best part of my holiday came unexpectedly on the last day, when I found myself gazing at the roofs of the Forbidden City from the top of Jingshan Temple.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


When packing for your night train trips, make sure to bring your own toilet paper!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?


I think our holiday benefited local people as our guide was always keen to recommend local shops and restaurants for us to try and we always followed her advice.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


It was a great experience and it made me want to go and explore more of the Asian continent.

Reviewed 28 Aug 2010 by Pamela Krueger4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


I feel that every part of the journey is memorable - I enjoyed it throughout. It is very difficult to pick a few highlights, as I feel this trip includes most of China's highlights. The Great Wall and Terracotta Warriors were just stunning and definitely a highlight, while Forbidden City was somewhat disappointing due to the absence of exhibits and antiques (which have been shipped to Taiwan). Yanshuo offers one of the most picturesque scenery's on earth. Vibrant Shanghai provides the perfect contrast to previously visited historical sites. Even though I was sceptical at first, but the 'cooking lesson' turned out to be another highlight of the trip.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


- Be open minded and don't expect 'Western Standards'
- Pack for all kinds of weather (don't forget your rain coat and umbrella)
- Bring lots of tissues or toilet paper
- Have room in your suitcase - it's a shopper's paradise
- Learn a few phrases of Mandarin - the majority does not speak English at all

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Having used local tour guides, restaurants and hotels I feel we economically contributed to local people. We also visited Hui Ling, a local initiative to support disabled children. When it comes to the environmental impact, unfortunately I did not feel that this trip made a difference at all - instead of being able to use my own water bottle that I brought, I had to buy bottled water for the most part as the tab water was not recommended for drinking and re-fill options were scarce to none existent (the only place that offered drinking water tabs was at the Shanghai Expo). Also, a lot of local restaurants wrapped their dishes (plates & cutlery) in plastic - I guess to demonstrate its cleanliness. Moreover, even though in every hotel there was a sign in the bathroom that only towels on the floor or in the basket will be replaced, my towels were replaced on a daily basis even though I did not request for it.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


It was a great holiday - a lot of interesting sights, fascinating history and great people. It was very well organized - however at times the schedule was a bit tight so that all of us felt a bit tired towards the end of it. As we enjoyed the programme so much, we recommend not taking anything out, but maybe extending the trip by 2 - 4 days in order to allow more 'down time' in between.

Reviewed 16 Aug 2009 by Thomas Webb5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


Climbing the Great Wall of China.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Do not take a jumper if you go the same time of year as I did!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


The local markets were certainly benefited.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


I have been on quite a few trips around the world but this has certainly been the best, largely due to the unrelenting quality of the tour leader.
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Holiday Reviews

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Date Prices (Adult,pp) Basis Status  
10 Jun 2013 £ 604 ex flights Departure Guaranteed Click here to enquire about or book the 10 Jun 2013 departure
15 Jul 2013 £ 840 ex flights Departure Guaranteed Click here to enquire about or book the 15 Jul 2013 departure
05 Aug 2013 £ 840 ex flights Departure Guaranteed Click here to enquire about or book the 05 Aug 2013 departure
26 Aug 2013 £ 840 ex flights Departure Guaranteed Click here to enquire about or book the 26 Aug 2013 departure
09 Sep 2013 £ 765 ex flights Departure Guaranteed Click here to enquire about or book the 09 Sep 2013 departure
16 Sep 2013 £ 840 ex flights Departure Guaranteed Click here to enquire about or book the 16 Sep 2013 departure
07 Oct 2013 £ 805 ex flights Departure Guaranteed Click here to enquire about or book the 07 Oct 2013 departure
14 Oct 2013 £ 765 ex flights Departure Guaranteed Click here to enquire about or book the 14 Oct 2013 departure
13 Jan 2014 £ 765 ex flights Available Click here to enquire about or book the 13 Jan 2014 departure
17 Mar 2014 £ 765 ex flights Departure Guaranteed Click here to enquire about or book the 17 Mar 2014 departure
07 Apr 2014 £ 805 ex flights Available Click here to enquire about or book the 07 Apr 2014 departure
28 Apr 2014 £ 805 ex flights Available Click here to enquire about or book the 28 Apr 2014 departure
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27 Oct 2014 £ 765 ex flights Available Click here to enquire about or book the 27 Oct 2014 departure
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