trips

Starting Point

Harmony Hotel
Youtong St (no. 59 Suzhou Hutong)
Dong Cheng District
Beijing
China
Phone: +86 10 6528 5566
Fax: +86 10 6559 8993

Joining Point Instructions

Beijing Capital International Airport is located in northeast of Beijing 25km from the centre of Beijing city. One if the biggest airports in the world, it is relatively easy to navigate and many signs are written in English. Most international flights arrive at Terminal 3.

You can take airport bus (16CNY) route 3 (alight at Beijing Railway Station), cross the road using the overpass, turn left at the McDonalds and right at the first street named Youtong Jie. The Harmony Hotel is on the left.

By subway, take the airport express train (25CNY) to Dongzhimen station. From Dongzhimen transfer to metro line 2 and take it 4 stations to Beijing Zhan (Beijing Railway Station). Use exit A, walk past the Post Office and McDonalds, turn right at the corner (Youtong Jie) and across the road you will find our hotel.

Metered taxis are available outside the airport terminal building. The taxi ride from the airport to our starting point hotels takes about 45 minutes and should cost around 80-100CNY (plus 10CNY for the airport expressway toll). Show the taxi driver the name and address of hotel in Chinese characters as shown below. Please AVOID taxi touts who tell you that they have a metered taxi parked outside the airport.

Our Joining Point Hotel

The Harmony Hotel is situated in the heart of Beijing close to shopping, good restaurants and is walking distance from the Tiananmen Square. Behind our hotel you will see an 'old' Beijing Hutong area. A great area to walk through to sample local life, but also for cheap laundry shops, local snacks and fruit shops. The hotel offers comfortable rooms, a business centre with fax and internet services, plus a hotel restaurant and bar.

Check-in time is 12 midday.

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Finishing Point

West Hotel
39 Wai Ching Street
Yaumatei, Kowloon
Hong Kong
China
Phone: 852 2770 7718
Fax: 852 2770 7066

Finishing Point Instructions

Hong Kong International Airport (or Chek Lap Kok Airport) is situated on Lantau Island, 36km away from the centre of the Kowloon peninsula. There are several different and convenient ways to get from the city to the airport. Public transport in Hong Kong is very easy to use and all signs and directions are written in English. The easiest way to get to Hong Kong International Airport is to take the Airport Express Train (operates from 6:15am until 1:00am).Take a short taxi ride from our hotel to Kowloon MTR/Airport Express Station and then the airport express train (90 HKD, discounts are available for groups) to the airport (25 minutes). Alternatively, you could take the MTR to Hong Kong Station and board the Airport Express from there (100HKD). At both Kowloon and Hong Kong airport express stations you can check into your flight and check your luggage in (Please note: not all airlines and flights are available for station check in). West Hotel: You can also take the Airport City Flyer Bus, no.A22 from Jordan Rd/Shanghai Street (39HKD) to Hong Kong International airport. A taxi from our hotel to Hong Kong International airport will cost you approx. 350HKD Check out time from the hotel is at 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel.

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Group Size

Maximum of 12 travellers per group

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Physical Rating - Moderate

Activities include treks of 3 to 4 hours per day in hilly terrain, flat water kayaking or a long day's bike ride, in conditions which are likely to be hot and muggy. You will raise your heart rate on these trips, so a basic level of aerobic fitness is required.

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Accommodation

Hotels/guesthouses (10 nts), monasteries (3 nts), overnight trains (4 nts), overnight boats (3 nts)

We use hard sleeper class trains for most of our overnight train journeys. These are not as rough as they sound - compartments are open-plan, clean, with padded berths (6 to a compartment), sheets, a blanket and hot water available. Most trains have a dining carriage where meals or snacks are available.

Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multi share basis. Please note there may be times when you share a room with passengers travelling on different Intrepid trips than your own.

This trip spends time on the Yangzi. The boats on the Yangzi are controlled by the Chinese Authorities which means on occasion our groups may be required to share cabins with travellers from outside their Intrepid group. All cabins are twin share.

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Meals

While travelling with us you will experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Generally, to give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There is no obligation to do this though. Your group leader will be able to suggest favourite restaurants during your trip. Please check the 'meal inclusions' section below for details of meals included.

Allow USD $300 for meals not included.

Meal Inclusions

3 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners

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Local Payments

There are no local payments on this trip. 

Local Payment FAQ 

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Single Supplement

A single supplement fee is not available on this trip.

Single travellers will be paired in twin or multi-share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the duration of the trip. 

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Included

Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City tour with local guide - Beijing
Great Wall trek - Jinshanling to Simatai
Huiling charity visit - Beijing
Orientation walk - Xi'an
Terracotta Warriors tour with local guide - Xi'an
Orientation walk - Chengdu
Panda sanctuary tour with local guide - Chengdu
Entrance to Giant Buddha - Leshan
Entrance to Baoguo Monastery - Emei Shan
Entrance to scenic area, return bus and cable car to summit Mt Emei- Emei Shan
Three Gorges boat trip - Yangzi River
Three Gorges dam tour with local guide - Yichang
Orientation walk - Yangshuo
Countryside bicycle tour with local guide - Yangshuo
Orientation walk - Hong Kong 

This is a list of included activities on this trip. All other activities are optional and at your own expense. For a list of optional activities and sightseeing available on this trip, see the optional activities section below. If you choose not to participate in the included activities on this itinerary, the cost will not be refunded.

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Not Included

International Flights

Optional Activities

Acrobats performance, Beijing - CNY100
Kungfu Show, Beijing - CNY100
Summer Palace, Beijing - CNY50
Beijing Opera, Beijing - CNY150
Bicycle Hutong Tour, Beijing - CNY100
Temple of Heaven, Beijing - CNY35
Peking Duck Dinner, Beijing - CNY80
Lama Temple, Beijing - CNY30
Underground City, Beijing - CNY25
Museums, Xi'an - CNY10-50
Walking the city wall, Xi'an - CNY40
Bicycle rental on city wall, Xi'an - CNY15/90 mins
Bell and Drum Towers, Xi'an - CNY25 each or 40 for both
Great Mosque, Xi'an - CNY20
Big or Small wild goose pagoda, Xi'an - CNY25 each
Massage, Chengdu - CNY15-60/hour
Cultural show and Sichuan opera, Chengdu - CNY70-150
Cooking Class, Chengdu - CNY100
Wenshu Monastery, Chengdu - CNY5
Hot springs, Emei - CNY88 + taxis (CNY10 per taxi each way)
Countryside tour, Emei - CNY100
Fengdu Temple, Yangzi River - CNY40
White Emperor City, Yangzi River - CNY50
Shi Baozhai Temple, Yangzi River - CNY20
Li River cruise, Yangshuo - CNY80
Tai chi or kung fu lesson, Yangshuo - CNY50
Light show, Yangshuo - CNY188
Cooking school and market tour, Yangshuo - CNY100
Kayaking, Yangshuo - CNY130
Caving, Yangshuo - CNY100
Calligraphy, Yangshuo - CNY30
Watercolour painting, Yangshuo - CNY40-50/hour
Bamboo rafting, Yangshuo - CNY80
Silver water cave, Yangshuo - CNY40
Buddha cave, Yangshuo - CNY80
Water cave, Yangshuo - CNY120
Dragon cave, Yangshuo - CNY35
Moon hill, Yangshuo - CNY15
Light show, Hong Kong - free
History museum, Hong Kong - HKD10
Culture museum, Hong Kong - HKD10
Space museum, Hong Kong - HKD10
Science museum, Hong Kong - HKD25
Star Ferry, Hong Kong - HKD3
Disneyland, Hong Kong - HKD 210-350
Peak tram, Hong Kong - HKD20-30/one way or return
Ocean Park, Hong Kong - HKD93-185
Ngong Ping 360 cable car, Hong Kong - HKD58-88/one way or return

We list the following optional activities for your information. This is not an exhaustive list and should be used as a guide only.
They are not necessarily endorsed or recommended by the tour operator/agent nor included in price of this trip. If you do any of them, you do so at your own risk and it must be clearly understood that your participation is your own decision and does not form part of your contract with tour operator/agent.

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Transport

Overnight train, overnight boat, private bus, boat, local bus, taxi, bicycle, walking.
 
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What to Take

We recommend the use of a duffel bag or backpack (whichever you find easiest to carry). A good size daypack is also essential.

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Health & Safety

For vaccinations please visit the MDtravelhealth website. 

Sun:
It is very important that you wear sun block, even on a cloudy day when it feels cool as we are near the equator and the sun is very strong. A sunburn can turn a pleasant trip into a painful trip.

Hydration
Even when days are cool please be sure to drink a minimum of two litres of water and refrain from drinking to many diuretics, as while when travelling outdoors the breeze can dehydrate you quickly as well as the heat.

Diarrhoea:
It is normal for people travelling overseas to get an upset stomach due to a change of climate and food. Please make sure that you wash your hands and stay away from street food.You will be required to complete a participation form on day 1 of the trip. 

Participation Form

You may be required to complete a participation form on day 1 of the trip.

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Live to Xplore Country Guides

China Country Guide

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Weather & Climate

China Country Guide

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Important Info

Please note that during Chinas national holidays (please refer to the Country Information on China for dates) it is peak travel season for Chinese Nationals. Although these are fascinating and exciting times to travel in China, please be aware your group could experience transport delays, larger crowds at tourist attractions and our normal itineraries may change slightly. If clockwork organisation is important to you we advise to book outside of these weeks.

During the winter months (December to end of Feburary), on days 14-15 our homestay in Chaolong is closed, so we will stay an extra night in Shanghai and Yangshuo. 

Disclaimer | The information in this trip details document has been compiled with care and is provided in good faith. However it is subject to change, and does not form part of the contract between the client and tour operator/agent. The itinerary featured is correct at time of printing. It may differ slightly to the one in the brochure. Occasionally our itineraries change as we make improvements that stem from past travellers, comments and our own research. Sometimes it can be a small change like adding an extra meal along the itinerary. Sometimes the change may result in us altering the tour for the coming year. Ultimately, our goal is to provide you with the most rewarding experience. This tour is run by Intrepid Travel.

Travel insurance is compulsory in order to participate on any of our trips. When travelling on a group trip, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance has been sighted by your leader.


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