Day 1 – To Beijing: Overnight flight from London to Beijing with British Airways. (N)

Day 2 – Beijing: Arrive in Beijing and transfer to the Novotel Peace Hotel for 3 nights. Afternoon visit to the Temple of Heaven and the Olympic Green (optional entry into the stadium, payable locally). (N)

Day 3 – Old Beijing: Morning tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. After lunch at a local family’s residence, take a rickshaw tour of the hutong – the narrow winding backstreets of Beijing. Visit Prince Gong’s Mansion and end the day with a boat trip on Shi Cha Hai Lake. (B, L)

Day 4 – Great Wall: Take a full-day excursion to the Great Wall at Mutianyu and the Ming Tombs. (B, L)

Day 5 – To Xian: This morning, visit the Imperial Summer Palace. Fly to Xian and stay at the Grand New World Hotel for 2 nights. (B)

Day 6 – Terracotta Warriors: Full-day visit to the Terracotta Warriors and Xian’s old city. Optional evening Tang dynasty music performance, with dinner (payable locally). (B, L)

Day 7 – To Guilin: Morning visit to the city walls, Shaanxi History Museum and Wild Goose Pagoda. Fly to Guilin and stay for 2 nights at the Guilin Park Hotel. (B, L)

Day 8 – Li river: Take a cruise down the Li river, through Guilin’s landscape of green limestone hills, fishing villages and rice fields. Evening option to watch the cormorant fishing show and take a boat tour (payable locally). (B, L)

Day 9 – To Shanghai: Morning excursion to Reed Flute Cave and Fubo Hill. This afternoon, fly to Shanghai and stay at the Howard Johnson Plaza Shanghai for 2 nights. (B, L)

Day 10 – Shanghai: Morning tour of Shanghai including Jade Buddha Temple, Yu Yuan Garden and the Bund. Afternoon at leisure to explore the Shanghai Museum independently or take an optional cruise on Huang Pu and visit the observation deck on the 88th floor of Jin Mao Tower (payable locally). (B)

Day 11 – To London: Transfer to the airport and fly to London with British Airways. (B)

Accessibility: This tour involves some long walks and climbing steps, and therefore requires a good level of fitness.

Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals