Best of China

Today you will arrive in Shanghai, where you will travel independently to your hotel for the night. Shanghai is one of the most important political, cultural and economic cities in China and is famous for its futuristic skyline and ancient temples alike. You will have an early evening meeting with your tour guide and get to ask any questions about all the activities you are about to enjoy.

You will meet up with your tour guide after breakfast, to explore the buzzing streets of Shanghai. You will walk along the Huangpu River, visit the People’s Square and check out the shops, teahouses and restaurants of the Concession. After soaking up the sights of the city, you will catch a bullet train northwest to the city of Suzhou.

Today you will visit the Master of Nets Garden, one of the most famous and artistic gardens in China. You will admire the artistic fusion of nature and architecture before heading on to explore the beautiful Street of Shantang, an ancient pedestrian road that runs along the Shantang river. You will also have the chance to walk along the Grand Canal, the oldest and longest artificial river in the world and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will then travel First Class by overnight sleeper train to Xi’an.

Having spent the night on the overnight sleeper train, you will transfer straight to your hotel where you can freshen up. Afterwards you will take a short walking tour of the city to get your bearings, passing the Muslim quarter and Bell and Drum tower. After lunch, you will check out the ancient city wall, an impressive 40 ft high and 50 ft wide structure with a deep moat running around the outside.

It was only a few decades ago that local farmers were digging a well and accidentally discovered one of the most valuable and breath-taking archeological sites in the world. Six-thousand full-size clay warriors were buried in battle formation to protect an ancient emperor in the afterlife. You can view 2,000 of the soldiers, each sculpted with unique battle armour and facial features.

Today you will visit the Great Wall of China, travelling to the Jinshanling section of the wall via Beijing. The Great Wall has over 2500 years of history and stretches across over 20,000 km of craggy mountain scenery and lush green foliage. You will take a guided walk around the village of Jinshanling, interacting with local people and learning more about rural culture. In the evening you will cook traditional dumplings with your guesthouse host.

Make sure you wear comfortable shoes today because you will be hiking along the Great Wall of China with your guide. This part of the wall is particularly beautiful, being one of the few sections that haven’t been fully restored. The imperfections are what makes it so famously beautiful and earned it the nickname of ‘the Wild Great Wall’. After enjoying a hearty lunch, you will transfer to the city of Beijing where you will spend the night.

You will spend the day exploring the streets of Beijing, travelling both by foot and on the public subway. Highlights of today include a visit to the iconic Tiananmen Square and the beautiful historical site known as the Forbidden City. After admiring the wonderfully preserved ancient wooden buildings, you will immerse yourself in the city of Beijing as you wander through its traditional Hutong streets. In the evening you will attend exhilarating acrobatics show.

Your amazing week exploring the buzzing cities, sleepy villages and ancient sites of China has come to an end. Early risers can enjoy one last tour to the Temple of Heaven to see the local people do their morning exercises. After breakfast, you will say your fond goodbyes and head out on your onward journeys.