Days 1-5 | Beijing You can arrive at any time on day 1 as there are no activities planned until the important welcome meeting. Your leader will leave a note at reception telling you where and when this important meeting will take place. Please ask a member of reception for this information.
Please note that your group leader will collect your local payment on day 1. Please bring new US$ bills/notes in large denominations.
There is simply so much to see and do in Beijing. Sights you might want to visit during your free time include the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Lamaist Monastery, or you might want to go shopping in one of the many markets.
In the morning of day 2 we visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City and also take a tour of Beijing's hutongs and old areas with its ancient alleyways and courthouses. There will also be an evening performance of Beijing's famous Acrobats to watch.
On day 4 we take a day trip to the Great Wall at Mutianyu (approx. 2 hours), to explore this incredible piece of engineering, which stretches westwards for over 6,000 km across the mountain ridges north of Beijing. The Wall was originally constructed to protect the Chinese empires from the 'barbarians' of the north.
Our hotel in Beijing is clean, twin share with private bathroom and in a great location.
In the evening of day 5 we leave Beijing for an overnight train to Xian (approx. 12 hrs). Train travel in China is interesting and reasonably comfortable. We use soft sleeper class trains for most of our overnight train journeys on this trip. Compartments are clean, with padded berths (four to a room), sheets, pillow, blanket and boiling 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 6-7 | Xi'an We arrive in Xi'an early in the morning of day 6 followed by an orientation walk (approx. 1 hour) to get you better acquainted with this ancient city. We will walk past many interesting sites you can further explore like the Muslim Quarter, Bell and Drum Towers, Ancient Street and Bar Street on our search for the best local facilities and the tastiest snack food.
The former imperial capital of Xi'an is our base for a day trip to the Terracotta Warriors, situated a short drive out of town (approx. 1 hour each way). These stone warriors, which were buried for over 2,200 years, all face east in battle formation, complete with horses and chariots.
There are also many other attractions on offer in the city of Xi'an, including the Great Mosque (which is a wonderfully serene place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city) and the fantastic evening food markets. The centre of Xi'an is enclosed by an enormous city wall and is a great place to view the the city, or from the base of the wall we can watch the locals in the morning doing tai chi and ballroom dancing. Day 7 and the morning of day 8 are free to explore.
Our hotel in X'ian is clean, twin-share with private bathroom and in a great location.
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Days 8-11 | Yangshuo/GuilinIn the afternoon of day 8 we transfer to the airport (approx. 1 hour) for a flight to Guilin (approx. 2 hours), in the south of China. From Guilin airport we will be transferred by private bus to Yangshuo (approx. 1.5 hours).
After checking into our guesthouse your leader will accompany you on a 30 minute orientation walk pointing out where to grab the best local noodles and best shopping in Yangshuo.
The small countryside town of Yangshuo, where the Li River winds its way around thousands of limestone karst mountains, is delightful. Each karst is impressively named, in true Chinese tradition.
There are many options for our time here. You may choose to take a day trip visiting the stunning Li River, stopping at markets and picturesque villages along the way. You can try your hand at calligraphy, take a mahjong lesson, a chinese language class or cook up a storm at the cooking school. You can also venture out onto the waters to observe one of the local traditions, or take a bike ride through the surrounding countryside with a local guide to gain an insight into rural Chinese life. It is also a wonderful area for exploring individually, as every turn in the road brings you to another picture-postcard location - this is why Yangshuo is a firm favourite with Intrepid travellers.
Our guesthouse in Yangshuo is clean, twin-share and centrally located with laundry facilities available.
On the evening of day 11 we take the bus back to Guilin (approx.1.5 hours) where we travel overnight by soft sleeper train (approx. 12 hours) to Shenzhen.
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Days 12-14 | Hong KongWe arrive into Shenzhen mid-morning of day 12, cross the border into Hong Kong and take a local train and taxi to our hotel (approx. 2 hours).
After checking into our hotel we will take a short orientation walk of the area surrounding our hotel. Your leader will point out where the nearest subway is, some local eateries and possibly even where to grab a bargain.
There is plenty to do in this effervescent city and we have the afternoon of day 12 and day 13 to discover its attractions. Nestled around beautiful Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong has easy-to-explore museums and great parks. We have a free morning before we ride the peak tram to take in the magnificent views from the top of Victoria Peak. We return to Kowloon via the historic Star Ferry, a local institution. You could also visit Ocean Park, Disneyland or browse Stanley Market in your free time.
Our hotel in Hong Kong is clean, twin-share with private bathroom and in a great location, just a short walk from the markets.
There are no activities planned for day 14 and you are able to depart the hotel at any time. 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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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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