Classic China

Travel from the UK on an overnight flight to China.

This afternoon, land in the colourful Chinese capital, where you’ll be welcomed by your local tour manager. From here, board a coach, travel to your hotel, based right by Beijing’s Olympic village, and reconvene later in the evening for a welcome Peking duck dinner at a local restaurant. 

Join your tour manager for an introduction to China’s historic capital city and two of its UNESCO World Heritage Sites after breakfast. Begin with a visit to Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world, before taking in the vast Forbidden City, the seat of the Ming and Qing dynasties’ imperial power between 1420 and 1911 and the first UNESCO-listed landmark of the tour. This magnificent complex encompasses 980 buildings, and each one showcases centuries of history and culture. 

At lunchtime, tuck into some more authentic Chinese cuisine at a local restaurant, before heading back out for another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Temple of Heaven. This remarkable complex was once where China’s emperors held ceremonies to pray for good harvests. It’s set amongst gardens and ancient pine woods, and its design symbolises the harmony between earth and heaven, a concept central to Chinese cosmology.

Following breakfast, you’ll see another two UNESCO-listed Chinese landmarks, starting with a visit to the Great Wall of China at Badaling. This remarkable fortification, stretching over 13,000 miles across northern China, was originally constructed more than 2,000 years ago. You will take a walk up a steady incline to the wall, where the views from the top are magnificent.   

Return to Beijing after lunch at a local restaurant, and continue to the Summer Palace, the former summer retreat of China’s emperors and their families. This grand building, the fourth and final UNESCO-listed landmark on your time in Beijing, is positioned around the vast Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill. The surrounding grounds are renowned for their landscaped gardens and pretty bridges, and it’s here that you can admire the peculiar Marble Boat, an ornate stone pavilion floating on the lake’s surface. 

Next, visit a traditional Chinese tea centre for your chance to take part in a tea ceremony experience. A skilled tea master will prepare three classic varieties, such as green, black, and oolong, while explaining their origins, distinctive qualities, and traditional health benefits.

Get ready for the day with breakfast at your hotel and board your first high-speed train for the journey to Xi’an. On arrival, you’ll be met and transferred to your centrally located hotel. After checking in, head back out this afternoon to explore one of China’s most recognisable heritage sites, the ancient Terracotta Warriors, approximately an hour outside the city.  

Buried over 2,000 years ago to guard the mausoleum of Qin Shihuang, China’s first emperor, this extraordinary collection of statues was unearthed in 1974 and revealed thousands of life-sized warriors, horses, and chariots, each uniquely detailed down to their armour and expressions. It remains one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.    

This evening’s dinner features a speciality of Xi’an, a selection of delicious local dumplings, the region’s signature dish. After your meal, you’ll have the opportunity to see the story of China’s golden age brought to life with the Xi’an Tang Dynasty Show. This spectacular performance is a celebration of dance, classical costumes and music, and it offers a unique insight into the culture of the Tang Dynasty. 

Have breakfast before travelling to Xi’an City Wall, one of the oldest and largest city walls in China, originally built in the 14th century during the Ming Dynasty.    

You’ll then head to the Muslim Quarter, one of Xi’an’s most well-known cultural and culinary districts. Your tour manager will introduce the area’s history and food culture, including landmarks such as the Great Mosque. While here, take some time to view the Bell Tower from the outside and perhaps capture its grandeur with some photos. Lunch will be served today at a local restaurant, and after your meal, you’ll board your second high-speed rail service to Chengdu.  

Upon arrival this afternoon, you’ll be transferred by coach to your hotel ahead of an evening to spend however you see fit. 

Breakfast will be served at the hotel this morning, and afterwards, you’ll join your tour manager for a visit to the Chengdu Panda Research Base, one of China’s leading conservation facilities dedicated to the protection of the giant panda. Chengdu is known as the ‘home of the panda’, and this centre plays a vital role in breeding, research, and education. You can observe giant pandas in a carefully designed, natural environment and, depending on the season, may even see young cubs alongside the adults. 

Return to the city to explore People’s Park, a green space popular with locals for morning exercise, games, and socialising. Here, you’ll join the tradition of drinking tea in a classic teahouse, and see the famous Marriage Corner, where parents gather to share details about their unmarried children in the hope of arranging a match. 

Later, discover Kuanzhai Alley, a quarter dating back to the Qing dynasty. The district combines traditional courtyard architecture with teahouses, restaurants, and small shops. It’s an ideal place to sample local snacks, enjoy some free time to explore, and take photographs. 

In the evening, experience a traditional Chinese hot pot dinner, a popular and social way of dining, where a simmering pot of broth is placed at the table, and a variety of meats, vegetables, and noodles are cooked together and shared.

Leave Chengdu this morning after breakfast at the hotel and head to the train station for your third high-speed train ride, this time to Guangxi province and the riverside city of Guilin.  

Arriving later this afternoon, you’ll first visit Chuanshan Park. If you’d like, you can also find lunch or a coffee in one of the park’s nearby cave cafés, which have started to emerge out of the karst (weathered bedrock) over the last few years. Afterwards, discover one of the city’s most impressive landmarks, Elephant Trunk Hill, a rock formation named for its striking resemblance to an elephant drinking from the river.  

Next, drive into Yangshuo county, where you’ll stay for the next two nights. This evening will be at leisure, and if you wish, you’ll have the chance to learn more about the region’s fishing culture and folklore at the optional Impression Sanjie Liu show. This striking 70-minute spectacle, enacted by more than 600 performers, illustrates the customs, legends and history of this marvellous part of China and is set against the limestone landscapes that line the River Li. 

This morning, after breakfast, set out for a visit to a local village in the unspoilt Yangshuo countryside. Afterwards, soak up the region’s remarkable scenic beauty with a stroll along the Yulong River, past layered rice paddies, rugged karst formations, and ancient countryside villages. At the end of your walk, the group will stop for lunch at a local restaurant.  

Afterwards, board a 90-minute cruise along the River Li for even more dramatic limestone landscapes. Of these vistas, those found around Yangshuo are particularly impressive, and they’ve been immortalised on China’s 20-yuan banknote. Back ashore, head back to the hotel for an evening at leisure. 

Check out early this morning with a packed breakfast and drive to Guilin airport for your onward flight to ultra-modern Shanghai. Upon arrival, travel to your hotel before heading back out for an afternoon orientation tour. 

Your first stop will be the Oriental Pearl Tower, a symbol of Shanghai’s skyline, and you'll see the city from above with a trip up to its observation deck. Next will be the Shanghai Urban History Development Museum at the base, which tells the tale of the city’s evolution from a small fishing village into a buzzing metropolis. 

This evening, dinner will be served at a local restaurant. You also have the option this evening to try a panoramic Huangpu River cruise, during which you’ll experience the magic of Shanghai after dark. Glide past the futuristic skyscrapers of Pudong, including the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower, while admiring the colonial-era architecture lining the Bund. This hour-long cruise offers incredible photo opportunities and a relaxing way to see the city at night with a knowledgeable guide.

It’s your final morning in China, and once you’ve had breakfast, you’ll head back out to discover a few last wish-list sights in Shanghai. Joined by your tour manager, you’ll start with a stroll along the Bund, the city’s famous riverside promenade. Here, colonial-era buildings sit opposite the futuristic skyscrapers of Pudong.  

After some time on the Bund, head to Shanghai’s historic Old City, an urban hub at the heart of the lively Huangpu District. This quintessentially Chinese neighbourhood is known for its remarkably well-preserved Ming- and Qing-dynasty architecture, Taoist shrines and gardens, and its colourful street markets. The main highlight of your visit will be the serene Yu Garden, with its majestic dragon-headed statues, koi ponds and rockeries. Arranged in the historic Jiangnan style, which promotes harmony and balance, this urban oasis is also known for its lakeside pavilion and unique ‘nine-turn’ bridge, and you’ll be free to take in its many scenic viewpoints at leisure.  

This afternoon, you’ll head to the airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.  

Land early this morning and head back home.