Days 1-3 | Beijing Your china exploration tour begins in the amazing city of Beijing.
There's no official arrival time for the first day. You will need to ask reception when you arrive at your accomodation for your note which will tell you where and when to meet your leader for the welcome meeting.
Note that your group leader will collect your local payment at the group meeting on day 1. Please bring new US dollar bills/notes in large denominations.
Our journey begins in Beijing, one of the world's greatest cities. There are numerous important sights in this sprawling metropolis, including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, just to name a few. There are also plenty of lesser-known sights, including the backstreet hutongs, packed full of little shops and restaurants. These are a world away from the imperial splendours, but lend great atmosphere to this energetic city.
You have plenty of free time to explore at your leisure before we head off to the Great Wall early on the morning of day 4.
Our hotel in Beijing is clean, twin-share with private bathroom and in a great location.
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Days 4-5 | Great WallToday we walk on the Great Wall of China! A real highlight of this amazing adventure tour of China.
Early in the morning, we take a bus to Gubeikou, a lesser-known section of the Great Wall (approx. 3 hours) and take a long walk over some steep, remote terrain (approx. 6 km or 4-6 hours walking). You are able to leave your main luggage on the bus and will only need a daypack for the walk. We spend the night in a simple guesthouse at the Simatai section of the Great Wall. The following morning, there is the option of waking up early to watch the sunrise and trek this section of the Wall, before we journey back to Beijing.
Our basic guesthouse is clean, twin-share and located just a short walk from the Great Wall.
In Beijing, we head to the Beijing West Railway Station for the overnight train to Xi'an (approx. 13 hours). Train travel in China is a comfortable and fascinating experience, and will be our primary mode of transport throughout this trip. We use hard-sleeper class trains for our overnight train journeys. These are not as rough as they sound - compartments are open-plan and clean, with padded berths (six to a compartment), sheets, a blanket and hot water available. Most trains have a dining carriage where meals are available three times a day, and there are snacks available on the train along the way.
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Days 6-8 | Xi'an Xi'an was once China's imperial capital and has a lot ming dynasty history.
Spend 3 days here to see the sights including the bustling Muslim Quarter and the serene Great Mosque, as well as the exotic local street food stalls and the majestic Ming dynasty city wall.
Upon arrival in Xi'an, we set out for an orientation walk to get you better acquainted with this ancient city. We will walk past many interesting sites you can further explore like the Bell and Drum Towers, Culture Street and Bar Street on our search for the best local facilities and the tastiest snack food.
A trip out to the famous Terracotta Warriors is a highly recommended optional excursion out of Xi'an. These life-size, 2,200-year-old statues were hidden away in underground vaults until discovered by a farmer in 1974.
Another option is to take a day trip to see the spectacular Hua Shan (2,066 m), a sacred mountain located around two hours north-east of Xi'an. The craggy cliffs of this mountain offer plenty of trekking opportunities as well as spectacular views of the surrounding lush green countryside.
Our hotel in Xi'an is clean, twin-share with private bathroom and in a great location.
In the early evening of day 8 we catch an overnight train to Shanghai (approx. 16 hours).
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Days 12-15 | Yangshuo We arrive in Guilin in the evening of day 12 where we transfer by public bus to Yangshuo (1.5 hours). There is plenty of free time in Yangshuo to soak up the atmosphere, try a cooking, tai chi or language class, see an amazing sound and light show, take a boat ride down the beautiful Li River or just to relax in one of the many cafes.
After checking into our guesthouse your leader will accompany you on a short orientation walk pointing out where to grab the best local noodles and best shopping in Yangshuo.
In the afternoon of day 14 we head out to the nearby village of Chaolong where we spend two nights in a small countryside guesthouse in basic but comfortable converted farmhouses. On day 15 you can walk or take an optional bicycle adventure through the beautiful Guangxi countryside. The vistas are spectacular as you stroll or pedal your bike along beautiful country lanes and through small villages, surrounded by spectacular limestone peaks. This is a superb way to experience grass-roots China and to meet some of the lovely people who live off the land.
Please note: during the winter months (1 Dec to 28 Feb) the guesthouse in Chaolong is closed, so we stay these extra nights in Yangshuo.
Our guesthouse in Yangshuo is clean, twin-share and centrally located with laundry facilities available.
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Days 16-18 | Longji Terraces On the morning of day 16 we travel by bus to the Longji Valley via Guilin and Longshen (approx. 4.5 hours). For the next two days here, we base ourselves in one or more of the local villages in the area and take day treks to visit local minority groups who live high up in the hills.
The Longji Valley has some of the most extensive rice terraces that you will ever see. These terraces change with the seasons - filled with pure water from the mountains before planting and then green during the growing season and then golden when the rice is ready for harvest. From our basic accommodation high up in the hills, we have magnificent views over the valley. On day 17, expect to walk for about 3-5 hours through this stunning landscape as we travel from one village to another. In the evening, we attend a minority village cultural show or similar (depending on what is availabe at the time).
Our family run wooden guesthouse is clean and twin-share. Most rooms have private bathrooms.
Please Note:
For the days in the Longji rice terraces, you will need a daypack. All large packs will stay in storage at Guilin, to be picked up before our train journey to Shenzhen.
On the afternoon of day 18 we bus back to Guilin (approx. 3 hours) where we may have some free time to explore before travelling by overnight by train (approx. 13 hours) to Shenzhen.
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Days 19-20 | Hong Kong We arrive at the China-Hong Kong border crossing around mid-morning on day 19 and after immigration procedures, it's just a short train ride on the KCR to busy Kowloon, where we check-in to our hotel by early afternoon.
We will then take a short orientation walk of the area surrounding our hotel, your leader will explain where and how to use the subway, some local eateries and possibly even where to grab a bargain.
Hong Kong is a non-stop city that fuses the best of the East and the West. There's always something to do at any hour of the day so be sure to make the most of your time here. You could catch a bus to Stanley Market, shop along Nathan Road or in Mong Kok, take the cable car up to Victoria Peak, eat dim sum or cruise on the harbour - the choice is yours. We'll pick one of the many great restaurants or food markets for our final group dinner.
Our hotel in Hong Kong is clean, twin-share with private bathroom and in a great location, just a short walk from the markets.
You are free to depart at any time on day 20. There are no activities planned in Hong Kong so if you want to get the most out of this vibrant city, it's worthwhile staying a few extra days. Check-out time from the hotel is 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel.
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Itinerary DisclaimerPlease note: occasionally our itineraries are updated during the year to incorporate improvements stemming from past travellers' comments and our own research and may change with no prior notice.
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