Northern China

A combination of key sightseeing highlights of China, such as Beijing, Xi'an and Guilin, with some of the less well-known marvels of the northern part of the country. These include the Yungang Caves, a masterpiece of Chinese art, the Hanging Temple, and the town of Pingyao, a wonderful glimpse of an old Chinese town still preserved within its city walls.

A private tour with your own local guides and car and driver, staying at 4-star hotels and character inns.

Day 1 Depart UK.
Day 2 Arrive in Beijing. Private transfer to Lusongyuan Hotel, converted from an old courtyard house in the 'hutong' district. Rest of the day free.
Day 3 Excursion to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. (B, L)
Day 4 Travel by car to Chengde, the former summer resort of the Qing emperors. En route visit the Great Wall at Jinshanling, a spectacular and much less-visited section where the wall crosses high mountain ridges. Stay overnight at the Puning Temple Hotel (B, L)
Day 5 Explore the 'mountain resort', the summer retreat of the Qing emperors, plus some of the temples they built in the valley below in different national styles. (B)
Day 6 Return to Beijing by car, via the Bashang grasslands on the edge of Inner Mongolia and home to nomadic Mongolian herders. (B, L)
Day 7 Travel by train westwards to the city of Datong, in Shanxi province, through the sparse, dusty landscape of the loess plateau. Transfer to 4-star Datong Hotel. (B)
Day 8 Visit to the grandiose Yungang Caves just outside Datong, a series of Buddhist grottoes carved from a cliff around AD 400 and one of the treasures of Chinese art and sculpture, before travelling on to the dramatic Hanging Temple of Hengshan, perched halfway up on the side of a sheer cliff. Return to Datong to catch the overnight train to the town of Pingyao. (B, L)
Day 9 Arrive Pingyao, a UNESCO world heritage site. Stay at one of the guesthouses created from original houses inside the walls and furnished in antique style such as the Dejuyuan Inn or Changyifeng Inn. Explore Pingyao, whose massive and complete town walls encompass a maze of narrow streets lined with Qing dynasty shops and houses. Visit China's first bank, and the Yamen, the office of the city magistrate. (B, L)
Day 10 Head out of the town to visit the Shuaglin Temple, noted for its statuary, and Qiao family mansion, once the home of a wealthy merchant family and used in Zhang Yimou's film Raise the Red Lantern. Continue to Taiyuan railway station for overnight train to Xi'an. (B)
Day 11 Arrive Xi'an in the early morning. Transfer to 5-star Grand Noble Hotel. Visit the Shaanxi Historical Museum, medieval city wall, Grand Mosque and Muslim Quarter. (L)
Day 12 Excursion to the famous Terracotta Army, created to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, plus the Huaqing Hot Spring Park. (B, L)
Day 13 Travel by air to Guilin in the south-east of the country, famous for its unique limestone karst scenery. Rest of the day at leisure. (B)
Day 14 Cruise on the Li River, meandering through some of China's most classic and finest scenery. Return to Guilin by road. (B, L)
Day 15 Travel by air to Beijing. Transfer to hotel. Rest of the day free. (B)
Day 16 Transfer to airport for flight back to UK, arriving later the same day. (B)