Tour itinerary
Day 1,BEIJING
Arrival day.
Day 2,Beijing – Great Wall
We take a day trip out to the Great Wall, and hike on one of the less visited sections. In the evening, there is the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Peking duck dinner, consisting of delicious slices of roast duck wrapped in thin pancakes with sliced cucumber, shallots and a sauce made of soy. (BD)
Day 3,BEIJING - SHANGHAI
Morning excursion to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. In the afternoon we have a demonstration of the various different ways of making Shanxi style noodles. Later, we board our overnight train to Shanghai. (BL)
Day 4,SHANGHAI
Today is free to explore this dynamic city. This evening, after a typical Shanghai seafood dinner we watch a thrilling performance by the city’s famous acrobats. (D)
Day 5,SHANGHAI - XI'AN
A day tour of the Bund, the Yuyuan gardens and some of the many other famous sites of Shanghai. Later, we take the overnight train to Xi'an. (BL)
Day 6,XI’AN
This morning, we have a guided tour of the Terracotta Warriors. In the afternoon we watch a demonstration of the art of making the dumplings (jiaozi), for which Xi'an is famous. There is a chance to join in, before enjoying a dumpling banquet for dinner. (BD)
Day 7,XI’AN
A full free day to explore Xi'an, visit the Great Mosque and markets in the Muslim quarter and sample some lamb kebabs or other local favourites. (B)
Day 8,XI’AN - CHENGDU
We fly to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. In the evening we enjoy a traditional hotpot dinner which is typical of this region, before watching a Sichuan variety performance. (BD)
Day 9,CHENGDU
A visit to the Giant Panda Research Centre to see the beautiful but endangered Giant Pandas. After a vegetarian lunch at Wenshu Temple the afternoon is free to explore. (BL)
Day 10,CHENGDU - LONGSHENG
Fly to Guilin and drive into the mountains to see the spectacular scenery of the ‘Dragon’s Backbone’ rice terraces. (B)
Day 11,LONGSHENG – YANGSHUO
In the morning, there is time to wander amongst the rice terraces. Later we transfer to Yangshuo, located in the midst of some of China's most spectacular scenery. Early in the evening there is the chance to take part in a short Chinese tea ceremony. (B)
Day 12,YANGSHUO
We tour the local market before our cooking class, where we learn how to prepare some local specialities. (BL)
Day 13,YANGSHUO – GUANGZHOU
Today those who wish to further improve their culinary skills can take an optional second cooking class. Later we transfer to Guilin for the overnight train to Guangzhou. (B)
Day 14,GUANGZHOU
The chance to tour a fascinating local market before enjoying a dim sum banquet for lunch. (L)
Day 15,GUANGZHOU
Tour ends. (B)