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China Highlights

Length: 15 nights/16 days

Guaranteed departure dates with minimum of 2 passengers

A concise shorter group tour of the highlights of any visit to China, starting in Shanghai and finishing in Beijing, including the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Yangtze River cruise, modern Shanghai and the beautiful landscapes of Guilin. Optional extension to Hong Kong.

A select group tour based on 5-star hotels and a top quality 5-star Yangtze cruise boat, with most meals included.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow or regional airports.
Day 2 Arrive Shanghai. Transfer to Ramada Plaza Gateway Hotel (5 star), or similar. Afternoon city orientation tour, including the famous Bund, or waterfront with its European-style former banks and trading houses and the modern buildings of the Pudong new economic development zone. Welcome dinner in the evening (D)
Day 3 One day excursion to some of the city highlights of Shanghai, including the beautiful Yu Garden in the old town area, and the ultra modern Shanghai Museum with its excellent collection of Chinese art and antiques, and the exciting Xintiandi district in the former French concession. (B, L)
Day 4 Travel by coach out of the city to the small 'water town' of Tongli, in the countryside of the Yangtze River basin. Explore this beautiful town, with its old buildings, canals and elegant bridges. Visit the Tuisi Garden, a classic Chinese garden created by a retired official in the 19th century. (B, L, D)
Day 5 Travel by air to the central town of Yichang to board your 5-star Yangtze River cruise boat from American Victoria Cruises or 5-star Presidential series (B, L, D)
Day 6 to 8 Yangtze River cruise upstream through the Three Gorges (Xiling, Wu and Qutang), with stunning scenery and vistas of daily riverside life. Take a trip in small boats through the smaller gorges of the Shennong Stream or Daning River, tributaries of the Yangtze, and enjoy shore excursions to the Three Gorges Dam and either Fengdu, Shibaozhai or Wanzhou. (B, L, D)
Day 9 Arrive Chongqing in the morning. Disembark and take a city tour of Chongqing before flying on to historic Xi'an later in the afternoon. Transfer to the Grand Noble Hotel (5 star).(B, L)
Day 10 Excursion to the famous Terracotta Army, created in the 3rd century BC to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Then return to Xi'an city to explore the interesting Muslim Quarter, with its narrow streets, houses and street stalls, and the Grand Mosque, one of the largest in China and a creative mix of Arabic and Chinese design. (B, L)
Day 11 In the morning visit the Shaanxi Historical Museum, one of the most modern and best laid out in China, documenting the early history of this important part of ancient China. Then travel by air to Guilin, in the south-east of the country. Stay at the Sheraton Hotel (5 star). Visit to the Reed Flute Cave - a huge underground cavern - and Fubo Hill for panoramic view over Guilin. (B, L, D)
Day 12 Cruise on the Li River, past exotically shaped limestone hills and flat rice paddy fields, to the small riverside town of Yangshuo. Lunch service on board boat. On arrival at Yangshuo stay at the Green Lotus Hotel (5 star). (B, L)
Day 13 Day to sample the beautiful countryside around Yangshuo with an accompanied bicycle ride to Moon Hill, local villages and a former village landlord's house. Lunch cooked and served at a local farmer's house. Transfer to Guilin airport for evening flight to Beijing. Transfer to Grand Gongda Jianguo Hotel (5 star) or similar. (B, L)
Day 14 Visit to Tiananmen Square, followed by the Forbidden City - the centre of power for China's rulers for over 400 years. Then take a cycle rickshaw tour around the 'hutongs', the narrow alleyways and courtyard houses of old Beijing's traditional residential areas. Peking duck dinner in the evening. (B, L, D)
Day 15 Travel out of the city to see the Great Wall at Mutianyu, one of the less busy sections of wall, where the wall snakes down a lush mountain slope. Return to Beijing to visit the Summer Palace, the favourite pleasure ground of the Dowager Empress Cixi. (B, L)
Day 16 Transfer to airport for flight back to UK, arriving later the same day. (B)

EXTENSION TO HONG KONG
Day 16 Transfer to airport for flight to Hong Kong and transfer to Harbour Grand Kowloon Hotel (5 star) in Kowloon. (B, L)
Day 17 Half day tour of Hong Kong, to include Victoria Peak and Aberdeen Harbour. Afternoon free. (B)
Day 18 Transfer to airport for flight back to UK, arriving later the same day or early the following morning depending on airline schedules. (B)

EXTENSION TO SANYA
Day 16 Transfer to airport for flight to Sanya, on the tropical island of Hainan off the southern coast of China. Transfer to your 5-star beach resort such as the Mangrove Tree Resort on Yalong Bay, Sanya's best beach. (B)
Day 17 to 19 Free days to enjoy the beach and your hotel's leisure facilities. (B)
Day 20 Transfer to airport for flight to Hong Kong for connection to onward flight to UK, arriving morning of Day 21 (B)