China Tour: 12-Day Real China From Beijing to Hongkong

In exceptional circumstances (breakdowns, delays due to transport problems, weather problems, strikes, sports and religious events, congresses, sanitary precautions and protocols or other complications), the Company reserves the right to modify the places of visit, the order of visits, certain days or stages of the itinerary.

Facts:

• Destinations: Beijing, Xi'an, Yangshuo, Hongkong
• Group size:12-16 persons
• Operated in English
• Length: 12 days (Days can be customized longer or shorter according to the needs at different prices.)

Highlights

• Explore the Forbidden City in Beijing
• Walk the Great Wall at Mutianyu
• Sample street food in Xi'an's Muslim Quarter
• Meet pandas at Chengdu Breeding Centre
• Cycle through Yangshuo's karst landscapes

Introduction

You could travel for a lifetime in China, and there would still be more to explore – but this 12-day trip through the country’s highlights does a pretty good job of narrowing it down. Tick an ancient Wonder of the World off your bucket list at the Great Wall, witness the Terracotta Warriors in Xi-an and watch baby pandas play in Chengdu. Sip tea in People’s Park, taste delicious street food with a local leader who knows all the best spots and cycle through the misty countryside of Yangshuo – home to stunning vistas, Moon Hill and karst mountains. Start in Beijing and end in Hong Kong for some thriving nightlife and you’ve got a pretty cool adventure.

This trip packs a lot into a short amount of time, with very little time spent in Beijing and Hong Kong – it’s recommended that you extend your stay in these locations before and after your trip if you want to explore them in depth. The primary means of transportation on this trip is public transport. You'll have to carry your own luggage on and off trains and buses, as well as some short distances to your accommodation. Make sure your bag doesn’t exceed our weight and size recommendations. You can find details in the 'Packing' section of the Essential Trip Information.The overnight train included on this trip is in ‘hard sleeper’ class, meaning carriages are sectioned off with six sleepers per compartment in tiers of three. It’s not luxury but efficient and a way to spend time with local travellers. You will easily surpass your 10,000 steps a day on this trip, in fact most travellers are surprised at how much distance they end up covering! Make sure your shoes are comfy enough to spend most days on your feet. China’s world-class sites and experiences draw large numbers of local and international travellers. We recommend a little patience and comfortable shoes as you may need to wait before entering the more popular locations on your itinerary. Please review the Itinerary for tickets you may need to purchase in advance.

Day 1 Beijing

Nimen Hao! Welcome to China. Your adventure begins in Beijing with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, get acquainted with Beijing on your own and maybe walk around Silk Market and pick up some souvenirs or explore the Forbidden City. After your meeting, maybe head out for an optional welcome dinner and order your first Peking duck.

Day 2 Great Wall / Beijing

This morning, it’s time to visit the Great Wall – one of the Seven Wonders of the World – at Mutianyu, which is one of the best-preserved and easily accessed sections from Beijing. Hop on a public bus and take in the surrounding views (hopefully it’s a clear day!) – this is one to remember. A truly epic piece of engineering, the wall stretches 6000 km westwards from the mountain ridges north of Beijing. It was originally constructed to protect Chinese empires from invaders in the north, and even though it failed in this purpose, it's still without a doubt one of the country's most amazing achievements. There’s an opportunity to take a thrilling toboggan ride to the base of the Great Wall, which is a unique way to rest your legs after all the ups and downs.

Day 3 Beijing / Overnight Train

Spend the morning exploring Tiananmen Square and follow your leader through the zigzag lanes known as the Hutong area. This is one of the most notable areas in Beijing because these lanes and courtyard houses are the root of old Beijing city and now, offering a peek into local life. In the afternoon, enjoy free time to explore at your own pace, maybe visiting the Forbidden City if you haven’t already. Perhaps jump on a bike and ride through the hutongs, hang out in the Temple of Heaven Park or visit the Lama Temple. Tonight, you’ll board an overnight train from Beijing to Xi'an in a six-berth, air-conditioned cabin.

Day 4 Xi'an

This morning, you’ll arrive in Xi'an – the imperial centre of China for 2000 years and now a vibrant, modern city dotted with interesting historical sites. Head out on a leader-led walking tour of the Muslim Quarter – famous for its food, this neighbourhood’s almost 1300 years old! Along the way, your leader will buy some dishes for you to sample. Some local specialties include persimmon cake, lamb skewers and sticky rice cakes, though it’ll depend on the season. Enjoy a free afternoon, where you can maybe hire a bike and ride to the top of Xi'an City Wall – the only intact ancient city wall in China. Tonight, your leader will take you to the lively square near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Seeing the 600-year-old temple ablaze with lights is pretty amazing, and it’s a great place to mingle with locals.

Day 5 Xi'an

This morning, you’ll visit Xi'an's most famous site – the Terracotta Warriors. Take the metro and a public bus and spend a few hours exploring the fascinating location. Hear all about this incredible archaeological find (it was discovered by farmers digging a well in 1976 after being buried for thousands of years). These clay statues of soldiers, horses and chariots all standing in battle formation were commissioned by the emperor of the Qin dynasty as part of his mausoleum, and now, several pits are on view to the public. The rest of your afternoon and evening is free – you might want to grab some local specialities for dinner, such as pao mo (lamb broth that you break flat bread into), hand-pulled noodles or barbecued meat skewers. Later, maybe head out to karaoke with your group and sing the night away.

Day 6 Chengdu

Hop on a high-speed train from Xi'an to Chengdu this morning. Chengdu has a very casual vibe and the locals tend to value pleasure more than work, so mahjong and tea are two of the most crucial parts of life here. Go on a walking tour with your leader to downtown Tianfu Square, where a giant statue of Chairman Mao stands. Continue to the lively People's Park and sit down in a tea house to sip a brew and take advantage of the other services on offer (like ear cleaning and massages). Make the most of your time here and immerse yourself in local life by joining a group dance or martial arts practice or maybe just find a table and brush up on your mahjong skills.

Day 7 Chengdu

This morning, you’ll get the heartwarming opportunity to get up close with the adorable pandas at the Panda Breeding Centre in Chengdu. Learn about the conservation efforts being made to repopulate this ancient species and watch them being fed, playing and sleeping (or just being plain cute in their playgrounds). Enjoy some more downtime in the afternoon to research pandas or check out the hip Kuanzhai Lane. You could also go searching for some spicy Chengdu snacks on Jinli Street.

Day 8 Yangshuo

Embrace a full day of travelling on the bullet train this morning, headed for Yangshuo – surrounded by limestone karsts, this city is super popular with both international and domestic tourists (which isn't a bad thing if you're into cafes and bars). It's one of the best places in the country to get a feel for local culture and traditions while having plenty of fun at the same time. Take a walk through the town with your leader when you arrive and then head down to the Li River to get a feel for a landscape immortalised in Chinese paintings.

Day 9-10 Yangshuo

Hop on a bike and follow your leader on a cycling tour through the picturesque countryside of Yangshuo. Cycle past karst hills that rise from rice paddies and tiny villages, watching locals working the fields with water buffalo for company. Visiting this stunning region is a trip highlight for many travellers (so don’t forget your camera over these next two days), and every turn in the road brings you to another postcard-perfect spot. Stop for lunch in a local family’s house and be treated to some homecooked local delicacies, like chicken and vegetables. Then, ride to Moon Hill and take a short hike to the famous archway for panoramic views of the area. Tonight and tomorrow are free in Yangshuo – maybe head out on a river cruise on the Li River and ask your leader for the best local eats.

Day 11 Hong Kong

Leave Yangshuo and continue your journey to Hong Kong. You'll be transferred to Guilin, then you’ll hop on the high-speed train. Tonight, you’ll go on a walking tour with your leader, checking out the Temple Street night market or the light show at Victoria Harbour. Take the chance to celebrate your final night with the group in this incredible city and hit the nightlife – as always, your leader will know some great spots.

Day 12 Hong Kong

With no further activities planned, your trip comes to an end this morning. If you’d like to extend your time in Hong Kong, just speak to your booking agent.

What's Included?

Accommodation

OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION:

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.

TWIN SHARE / MULTI SHARE BASIS:

Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on a different Intrepid trip than your own.

CHECK-IN TIME:

Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.

PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION:

If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.

HOTEL ROOMS:

Some travellers have reported that hotels/accommodation in this region tend to have harder bed mattresses than those they are used to at home. You may like to request an extra quilt or bedding from the hotels if you find this an issue.

SMOKING ROOMS:

Smoking is prevalent in China and hotels generally do not offer specific non-smoking rooms. Larger hotels with central air conditioning will sometimes transport the smell of smoke between rooms. While we ask our hotels to ensure our rooms are well cleaned and ventilated well before occupation in some cases this is not possible, and the smell of smoke may linger. Please speak to your leader about the possibility of changing rooms if you encounter this.

WIFI:

WiFi is often available in hotel reception areas and sometimes in rooms. Your leader will be able to advise on the best places to get connected.

HARD SLEEPER TRAINS CHINA:

We use hard sleeper class trains for most of our overnight train journeys in China unless otherwise specified. These are not as rough as they sound - compartments are open-plan, clean, with padded berths (6 to a compartment) and sheets, a blanket/quilt & pillow provided. We recommend bringing your own sleeping sheet if you are concerned about the quality/cleanliness of sheets being not what you are used to. Basic bathroom facilities with toilets and washbasins are situated at the end of each carriage. As toilet paper isn't always available, it's best to bring an emergency supply.Most trains have a dining carriage where meals or snacks are available and all have hot water in each carriage for tea and instant noodles.

While we aim to have our groups staying together there may be times where due to ticket availability the group will be staying in different compartments and carriages. The compartments are not segregated by gender and you may share with locals or other travelers instead of your own group members. Your leader will help you settle in once on board and it’s a great opportunity to experience first-hand how Chinese travel in the country. While railway services are rapidly being modernised in China, some train journeys on less frequented routes may use older rolling stock and the carriages of a more basic standard.

GUESTHOUSES:

In smaller, rural locations in China we may stay in guesthouses, which are mostly small family run establishments. Facilities are basic compared to hotels and towels may not be provided. Please note that on occasion the group may be accommodated in separate guest houses within walking distance of each other.

Hotel (10 nights), Overnight Hard Sleeper Train (1 night)

What's Not Included?

1. Flights

International flights are not included

2. Insurance

Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered.

3. Optional

Other activities and services not included

4. Additional Services

Other activities and services not included

Safe and happy travel with Tiger Travel & Tours !   

Contact us for your surprising price!  There are price differences and discounts based on the number of people and age groups.

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