Day 1 London to Shanghai

Fly direct from London to Shanghai on your overnight flight

Day 2 Shanghai

This morning arrive into Shanghai airport and make your way to your first accommodation for the next 4 nights. Enjoy the day at leisure relaxing after your flights.

Day 3-5 Shanghai

3 full days to make the most of this fascinating city. There is so much to see and do, why not pre book this great tour: Essential Beijing, Great Wall at Badaling, Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square Tour.  To start your culture tour of Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China, you will be picked up by an air conditioned coach with an English guide and taken to the first port of call, Tiananmen Square, located at the centre of Beijing. Here you will be able to visit the Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall and the Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the people’s heroes. From here you will take a walk to the fantastic and mesmerizing Forbidden City, the world’s largest palace complex set in over 180 acres. Here you will have the opportunity to explore the great halls finding antiques and treasures along your way. Afterwards there is a short respite for lunch at a local restaurant. The best is then left till last, the Badaling section of the great wall. This is legendary as a piece of time and history throughout the world. This particular section of the wall is the most representative and preserved and you will have the chance to climb the wall and take in the glorious and breathtaking views. If you are a shop-a-holic at heart don’t worry as you will stop at the Longdi Jade Factory loved by tourists for its stunning bargains.

Day 6 Shanghai to Hangzhou

After 3 great days in Shanghai you will catch the train to Hangzhou, there are several fast trains a day at is takes less than 2 hours and is approximately £10 per way (this is to be paid locally). When you arrive in Hangzhou make your way to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.

Day 7-8 Hangzhou

It’s almost impossible not to do anything when you are in Hangzhou so what do you do when you think you have seen it all? One nice possibility is to take an early morning bike ride in the surroundings round the West Lake. During this trip you can drop in at the fantastic botanical garden then continue riding through the tea villages and the fabulous bamboo forests.

You don’t have to go round the lake; why not get a boat and explore the lake, There are so many outstanding sights in and around the lake that there’s a chance you will forget yourself and the world around you. Another way to explore this awesome scenery is to walk up the hill where the Baochu pagoda is located; from here you will have the most breath taking view of the lake and Hangzhou

Day 9 Hangzhou to Xian

This morning get the train back to Shanghai for your internal flight to Xian. When you arrive in Xian, check into your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.

Day 10 – 11 Xian

2 full days to enjoy your time in Xian. Included complimentary is this tour - essential Xi'An - terra cotta warriors and horses - Spend a day exploring one the most fascinating attractions in China, the Terracotta Warriors Army and Horses from Xi’an. Don't miss the chance to visit UNESCO World Heritage listed site, Emperor Qin’s Mausoleum, which took a total of 38 years to be built and is situated underneath a 76-meter-tall tomb mound.

Capital of the Shaanxi Province, Xi'An was the fabled starting point for the famous Silk Road. It served as the provincial capital for 13 dynasties, spanning a period of 1,100 years. Xi’An is unlike any major city in China, with an intact city wall, quaint local customs and a long history, even by Chinese standards. Xi’An is home of the world renowned Terra Cotta Army, an archaeological site of unimaginable size and importance. The Terra Cotta Army was created to guard Emperor Qin Shihuang’s tomb and to protect him in the afterlife. It is estimated that there are over 7,000 life-size Terra Cotta figures and horses buried here. The museum complex features extensive exhibits, artefacts and a movie of the rich history of the site, plus breathtaking examples of the countless treasures unearthed here.

Another great wonder in Xi’An is Emperor Qin’s Mausoleum. The site was chosen because it fulfilled the geomagnetic requirements with mountains as the backdrop and a river in front. Emperor Qin Shihuang began to build the mausoleum for himself since he came to throne at the age of 13. After the unification of the country in 221 B.C., the project grew large in scale. Over 720,000 convicts from all parts of the empire were conscripted as labourers. The work continued even after the emperor’s death, taking in total 38 years. The fact that one of the satellite pits of the Terra Cotta army, Pit NO.4, was unfinished and remained empty, suggests that the planned work was not completed. Emperor Qin’s Mausoleum is very large, covering the total area of 56.25 square km. The palaces and other buildings within the walls of the mausoleum were destroyed. Only the huge pyramid of the mound survived the devastation, although it is not known whether later grave robbers have plundered the tomb. In 1987 the mausoleum was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

After your museum visit, you’ll also visit another must-see attraction, the Banpo Site. Dating back about 6,000 years, it was a typical Neolithic matriarchal community. At that time, the Banpo people used tools made primarily of wood and stone. Women, the crucial labor force, were responsible for making pottery, spinning, and raising the family, while men fished. This excavated site of a village was discovered in 1953, 45 houses, 6 pottery kilns, 200 storage pits, 250 adult’s tombs and children’s burial jars, 10,000 tools and utensils were unearthed.

Day 13 Xian to Beijing

Today you have an internal flight to take you to Beijing for your final 4 nights of your holiday. When you arrive make your way to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.

Day 14-16 Beijing

3 full days to explore and another free trip included, The great wall tour - Great Wall of badaling & Ming Tombs - Enjoy two of Beijing's most famous attractions. Experience one of the world’s most recognised attractions by visiting the stunning Badaling section of the Great Wall before enjoying a taste of Chinese history by visiting the Ming Tombs, a display of exquisite architecture and culture.

This full day tour will include two of China’s most legendary destinations north of Beijing.  You will be taken by air conditioned coach to the stunning Great Wall of China, a mark of China’s architecture and engineering skills. You will visit the Badaling section of the wall which is the most representative and preserved and you will have the chance to climb the wall and take in the glorious and breathtaking views.

From here you will head to the sacred Ming Tombs, the burial grounds of 13 Ming emperors. The Changling Tomb being the largest and most spectacular, the tomb of Emperor Zhu Di and his empresses is surrounded by the other various tombs. A traditional Chinese lunch will be provided and the chance to purchase some fantastic bargains at the Longdi Jade Factory.

Day 17 Beijing to London

After an amazing time in Beijing it’s time to make your way to the airport for your day flight back to London.