China Highlights and Yunnan

Daily departures

A tour route that combines the highlights of any tour to China, such as the Great Wall and Terracotta Army, with the natural beauty of Guilin and of Dali and Lijiang in northern Yunnan in China's far south-west.

Day 1 Depart UK.
Day 2 Arrive Beijing. Transfer to 5-star hotel. Rest of the day free.
Day 3 Morning tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City - the imperial palace that was the centre of power for China's rulers for some 500 years. After lunch, visit the Temple of Heaven, where emperors performed rituals to guarantee a good harvest. Shopping at Beijing's Hongqiao Market before a delicious Peking duck dinner and acrobatic show. (B, L, D)
Day 4 Excursion to the Great Wall at Badaling, followed by the tombs of the Ming emperors, in particular Changling - the tomb of the emperor Yongle (reigned 1402-24). (B, L)
Day 5 Morning visit to the Summer Palace, and traditional Chinese tea ceremony. After lunch, take the two-hour flight to Xi'an, a former capital of China and starting point of the Silk Road. Transfer to 5-star hotel. (B, L)
Day 6 In the morning, visit the famous Terracotta Army, created to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, in the 3rd century BC. After lunch at a local restaurant, return to Xi'an to visit the impressive Shaanxi Historical Museum and a local lacquer and ceramic workshop. 'Tang Dynasty' music and dance show after dinner evoking the sights and sounds of old China. (B, L, D)
Day 7 In the morning visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in the 7th century AD, and the ancient cultural street. After lunch, transfer to airport for the two-hour flight to Guilin. Transfer to 4/5-star hotel. Rest of the day free. (B, L)
Day 8 Cruise on the Li River past a stunning, exotic scenic backdrop of limestone hills and lush rice paddies. Lunch served on board. Disembark at the small riverside town of Yangshuo and visit local markets before travelling back to Guilin by road. Optional boat trip in the evening to see traditional fishing methods using cormorants. (B, L)
Day 9 City tour of Guilin including the Reed Flute Cave, a vast underground cavern, and Elephant Trunk Hill. Transfer to airport for flight to Kunming. Transfer to 4-star hotel. (B, L)
Day 10 Excursion to the Stone Forest at Shilin, where erosion has created a strange landscape of sandstone peaks and rock formations. (B, L)
Day 11 Transfer to airport for flight to Dali, the centre of the Bai ethnic minority. Transfer to 4-star hotel. Visit Dali old town, compact within its city walls. (B, L)
Day 12 Boat trip on Erhai Lake, the large freshwater lake backed by the Cangshan mountains between which Dali lies. Visit some of the mid-lake islands en route. Then visit Zhoucheng village, noted for its batik production, and then Xizhou town, which has many examples of fine mansions once owned by rich tea merchants. Finally visit the Three Pagodas, the symbol of Dali. (B, L)
Day 13 Travel by road on the three-hour journey to Lijiang. Transfer to 4-star hotel. Visit the atmospheric streets of Lijiang old town in the afternoon. (B)
Day 14 Visit to Baisha village, once the capital of the Naxi kingdom, with important frescoes in its temple, the Yufeng Tibetan Lamasery before transfer to airport for flight to Kunming. Connect to flight to Shanghai. Transfer to 5-star hotel. (B, L)
Day 15 City tour of Shanghai, to include the Yu Garden in the old town district; the famous Bund or waterfront; the Jade Buddha Temple, and the Pudong new economic development district. (B, L)
Day 16 Transfer to airport for flight back to UK, arriving later the same day. (B)