Great Wall & Warriors - a Family Holiday in China (EXFHC)

Duration: 15 days (may vary)
Areas: China
Tour types: Family Adventures, History & Culture, Walking & Trekking

Description

Forbidden City & the Great Wall
Starting in the capital of Beijing we explore the famous Tiananmen Square and the maze of palaces that make up the adjoining Forbidden City. We also discover the fascinating old residential quarters, the “Hutongs”, by cycle rickshaw. Constructed to protect China's northern frontier from Mongol raiders, the majestic and awesome Great Wall stretches for almost 4500 kilometres from the edge of the Gobi desert to the Yellow Sea. At Simatai, we overnight at one of the most stunning sections of the Wall from where we walk along its towering ramparts or take the cable car up to one of the old observation towers.

Kung Fu & Ancient Warriors
An overnight train takes us to the former Xia dynasty capital of Luoyang where we pay a visit to the Shaolin “Kung Fu” monastery, famous throughout the world for the prowess of its monks. Each year, thousands of youngsters enrol at Shaolin's martial arts schools and we hope to catch them in action with their graceful kicks and feats of superhuman strength! Another kind of warrior awaits us near Xian where excavation of imperial tombs revealed the wonders of the vast Terracotta Army; thousands of life-sized models of warriors, horses and chariots had been buried to protect the Qin dynasty emperors in the afterworld. Xian's ancient centre is still surrounded by imposing walls where we can walk or even cycle for a birds-eye view of the bustling streets below.

Li River Cruise & Dragon's Backbone
A flight south to Guilin takes us to a bizarre but beautiful karst landscape of mysterious hump-backed mountains that have fired the imagination of poets and writers for centuries. By boat we drift along the Li river to the small and welcoming town of Yangshuo with its many interesting craft shops - an excellent base from which to explore nearby villages, ride a bike, climb a peak, or even try out bamboo rafting on the Yulong River. Driving

Tour itinerary

Day 1

Join Beijing.

Day 2

In Beijing; visit Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.

Day 3

Rickshaw tour of Hutongs (old quarters).

Day 4

Drive Simatai; walk on Great Wall.

Day 5

Optional walks; drive Beijing, overnight train Luoyang.

Day 6

Visit Shaolin temple and Kung Fu show.

Day 7

Visit caves at Longmen; afternoon train Xian.

Day 8

Visit Terracotta Warriors.

Day 9

Explore Old Quarter; fly Guilin.

Day 10

Li River boat trip Yangshuo.

Day 11

Free day in Yangshuo with optional cycle rides, bamboo rafting.

Day 12

Drive Longji minority area, visit villages.

Day 13

Free day on the “Dragon's Backbone” rice terraces.

Day 14

Drive Guilin; fly Beijing.

Day 15

End Beijing.