What's Included
- Accommodation: 17 nights in hotels, guesthouses & home-stays, 3 overnight trains
- Meals: No meals included
- Excursions: Great Wall of China, Terracotta Warriors Museum, Yangshou bicycle tour
- Transport: Local public buses, minibuses, trains, taxis, 1 flight, bicycle, on foot.
- Group size: Average 8-12, max 18. Due to the modular system of our tours some passengers may join or leave the tour at different times.
- Age: Recommended 18 - 60, recommended max 70.
- Staff: Tucan Travel tour leader
Please note: All internal flights on this tour are included in the local payment paid to your tour leader on day 1 of the tour.
What's Excluded
- Local payment
- International flights and departure tax
- Tipping kitty: allow up to US$15 per person per week (see below for details).
- Pre and post tour accommodation
- Visas, travel insurance (compulsory), personal items, other tips, sleeping bag.
- Airport transfers
- Spending money – allow at least US$25-30 per day to cover meals, snacks, drinks, limited souvenirs, laundry, entrance fees and any extras (see the relevant country dossier for advice on how to carry your funds). Please note that this does not cover optional excursions.
- Optional excursions - Please see our optional excursions guide for a comprehensive list of optional activities and excursions available on this tour.
Brief Overview
Gain an in depth insight into China on this allencompassing three week adventure. We take you to major cities for visits to many of China’s popular attractions, and there’s plenty of time to bask in the rural splendour that flourishes in the quieter corners. It’s an exciting, unforgettable journey across the best parts of China.
This is an Adventure Tour. Learn about our Travel Styles.
Itinerary
Day 1 to 1
Arrive Beijing
Day 1 is simply an arrival day with no pre-organised activities, so you will have free time to relax and see some of the sights.There is so much to see in Beijing so we've allowed plenty of time to discover this amazing city and its surrounds. Walking around the old town or hiring a bike and exploring is a great way to get started. There are many markets to shop at, or if you want to discover some of the history of the city, a trip to the Old Town is well worth taking.
Day 2 to 6
Beijing- The Great Wall - Xi'an
On day 2 you have the option of viewing the Summer Palace and then have free time in the afternoon to visit the Hutongs in the old town. In the evening you have the option to take in some Beijing Acrobatics; renowned as some of the best in the world, these acrobats are astounding and their flexibility just about defies nature!
On day 3 we will spend a day visiting the famous Great Wall of China, one of China’s best loved monuments which was listed as a World Heritage site in 1987. This immense structure dates back over 2000 years and has to be seen to be believed. It stretches over 6,500 kilometres (4,163 miles) across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, from east to west. It is a true testament to the power and influence of the Chinese Dynasties throughout history. We have an early morning departure to Jinshanling, a less touristy part of the wall for stunning views of this ancient wonder. This area has around 23 watchtowers and is much less developed than more touristed areas. Watch your step, as in places the trail is quite steep and stony. We walk for 4-5 hours and we also include a break for a picnic lunch on the wall before returning to Beijing.
On day 4 we will visit Tiananmen Square, Mao's tomb and the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is located in the centre of Beijing. It had a significant presence during the mid-Ming and the Qing Dynasties and its extensive grounds cover 720,000 sq m, 800 buildings and more than 8,000 rooms. You will have free time for the rest of the day, and in the early evening of Day 4, we board the overnight sleeper train to Xian (approximately 13 hours). See ‘Additional Info' for a description of the trains.
Please note the schedule for our sightseeing in Beijing may vary slightly.
We arrive in Xi'an early in the morning. This former imperial capital is listed as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China because it has been the capital of 13 dynasties and is one of the more developed larger cities in China. Xi'an boasts more than 3,100 years of history; a visit to the Grand Mosque is a wonderful place to discover some of the ancient tradition that characterises the area.
In the afternoon of day 6, we board the overnight train to Nanjing.
From Xi'an you can visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum, which is around an hour out of Xi'an. These are very famous stone warriors, which have been buried for over 2,000 years. Discovered in 1974 by local farmers, they are still being excavated today (largely because terracotta is very fragile and difficult to preserve). Over 8,000 figures have been discovered at this sight including infantry, archers, and officers and they were each given real weapons.
Xi'an is also famous for its evening food markets and is a great place to try some of the local cuisine. The Old City Wall, which surrounds the town, is worth a visit for fabulous views and sunsets. Hiring a bicycle is a great way to make your way around the whole of the Old City Wall.
Day 7 to 8
Nanjing
We arrive in Nanjing in the morning and you have two free days to explore and take in as many optional excursions as you can handle!
Nanjing is the capital of China's Jiangsu Province and has quite an important place in Chinese history and culture. This former capital of China is also listed as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, and being the official de jure (legal) capital of the Republic of China, it controls Taiwan and neighbouring islands.
Dr Sun Yat-Sen's Mausoleum is a popular highlight for many travellers. Situated at the foot of the second peak of Mount Zijin (Purple Mountain), it contains the body of Dr Sun Yat-Sen (who died in 1925). Dr Sun Yat-Sen was a revolutionary hero and many consider him the Father of Modern China; he founded the Republic of China after the Chinese revolution in 1911.
There are many ancient temples and mausoleums to visit that will give you a fascinating insight into life that prospered in ancient China: Jiming Temple, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and its surrounding complex and South Tang Mausoleums to name a few.
The Nanjing Massacre Memorial commemorates the Nanking Massacre, commonly known as ‘the rape of Nanking' (Nanking is often referred to as Nanjing in English). The massacre occurred in 1937, when the Japanese army invaded and occupied Nanjing, which was then the Chinese capital. During the occupation, the Japanese army committed numerous atrocities, such as rape, looting, and execution.
Day 9 to 11
Suzhou - Hangzhou
In the morning we travel by train from Nanjing to Suzhou. This is a beautiful city renowned for its bridges, pagodas, and intricately designed gardens. It is the perfect place to enjoy a boat ride along the canal or a cycle through the town and see a different side of China to what we have already discovered. Suzhou is an important centre for China's silk industry and is part of the Golden Triangle region. You have free time here to take in the humble surrounds.
We arrive at Hangzhou and have free time to enjoy this beautiful town, famous for its spectacular natural scenery including the famous West Lake. The West Lake is surrounded by gardens, hills and temples. You can choose from a number of options if you would like to explore this area in detail: why not take a relaxing boat tour to explore more of China's natural surrounds?
The stunning surrounds compliment the tea-growing areas in the region and you can visit many traditional teahouses. The food is also excellent in Hangzhou; there's no better place to treat yourself to an indulgent local meal.
Day 12 to 14
Shanghai
In the morning we depart serene Hangzhou and travel by local train to China's most populated city, Shanghai. It is also China's largest city, and the eighth largest city in the world.
Like many Chinese cities of today, Shanghai was once an old fishing town. It rose to prosperity in the 20th century and was central during the period of the Republic of China. Many people associate Shanghai with what typical oriental culture and lifestyle is all about, and there's no doubt that you will thrive in the busy, exciting and exotic city!
There is so much to do and see in Shanghai, so we stay here for two days to allow you to explore the city as much as possible. The Shanghai Museum is highly regarded and at the top of many travellers' ‘to do' lists.
Shanghai is also home to numerous tall buildings, as you will see wandering the streets of the Pudong district. The tallest structure in China is the distinctive Oriental Pearl Tower. Nearby, the Jin Mao tower is China's tallest skyscraper, and is also the fifth tallest in the world.
Day 15 to 19
Longsheng - Yangshuo
Today we fly from Shanghai to Guilin and then transfer to Longsheng (Ping'an Village by bus), where you will have a traditional home stay. This is a full day of travelling will see you arriving in what can only be described as a truly beautiful area called Ping'an Village is a rural village high up in the mountains, and is a great base for walking. It is an area famous for its beautiful terraced rice paddies. These are feats of farm engineering with terraces reaching up to 800m. The village is only reached by foot and during our stay we will be able to discover rural village family life, and take in the amazing mountainous surrounds.
On day 17 we head to Yangshuo, a small countryside town surrounded by limestone karst mountain scenery and the beautiful Li River. There are plenty of options to spend our three free days here. Yangshuo is famous for its karst rock formations, and you can cycle or walk through the surrounding countryside to visit the caves and interesting rock formations.
There are many shops and street stalls to shop at, or if you are feeling creative there's an option to learn the fine art of Chinese cooking by taking a regional cooking class. Yangshuo provides the perfect idyllic setting for learning the basics of tai chi. Many travellers can spend hours wandering through the quaint surrounds and observing the local way of life. There are many villages and local groups of fishermen to observe and admire.
In the afternoon of day 19, we will bid farewell to our tranquil stay and transfer from Yangshuo to Guilin, and then board the overnight train (approx 11 hours) to Guangzhou. The route to Hong Kong may differ from time to time whereby we may travel on the over night sleeper bus to Shenzhen, and cross over the border in Hong Kong.
Day 20 to 21
Depart Hong Kong
We arrive at Hong Kong in the morning. There are many museums, temples and mosques to explore if you would like to learn about the history and culture of the area. In the evening we will meet for our final farewell meal and drinks. The tour will end after breakfast on day 21.
Important note: The itinerary listed above is to be used as a guide only. Occasionally we may need to update this document and it may be different to the information printed in our current brochure. Tour leaders may need to make adjustments due to unforeseen circumstances during the tour. It is very important that you visit our website and review a copy of this dossier as close as possible to your departure date in case of changes that may affect your plans. Any last minute changes may also be posted in the latest news section of our website.
Pre and Post Tour Accommodation
Very little time is spent in the starting and finishing cities and you will need to allow a few days at the beginning or end of your tour if you want to explore them further. For details of pre and post tour accommodation bookings (which should be made at the time of your tour booking) please refer to our current brochure.
About Adventure Tours
Adventure Tours travel by public transport wherever possible in order to offer travellers plenty of opportunities to meet local people and learn about their cultures, while experiencing the destination in a more authentic way. Adventure Tours stay in an interesting variety of accommodation depending on the destination and comfort levels may vary. This hands-on travel style means that you will need to pack light as you will carry your own bags. Adventure Tours will bring you into contact with cultures and experiences that contrast dramatically with those at home and therefore a sense of humour and patience is essential.
Don’t forget that Tucan Travel also offers five other travel styles: Discovery Tours offer the convenience, flexibility and security of a private vehicle and Comfort Hotels; Overland Expeditions have a high percentage of camping, travel on custom-built overland vehicles and suit those who love the great outdoors; Budget Expeditions are great value tours for 18 to 35s which offer travellers the ability to choose their optional excursions to suit their personality and budget; Independent Travel packages offer personalised itineraries in a range of destinations around the world, including hotels, transfers, guided tours, and longer holiday packages such as treks, stopovers and language schools, with flexible travel days. Expedition Cruises give you the chance to explore the remote natural beauty of the Amazon rainforest, Galapagos Islands, Patagonia, Arctic Circle and Antarctica on purpose-built vessels. Please note: Not all travel styles will be available in all destinations.
Local Payment
The cost of all Tucan Travel tours includes a compulsory local payment which is in addition to the tour price paid to your travel consultant. The local payment MUST be paid to your tour leader in full US dollars cash at the pre-departure meeting on the first day of your tour. The local payment is administered by tour leaders and no refunds can be made for any unused services or if you decide to leave the tour early.
Tipping Kitty
In Asia we operate a compulsory tipping kitty system to save you money and embarrassment in countries where tipping is a way of life and where requests for tips can be infuriatingly persistent. Each member of the group contributes to the kitty (US$15 per person per week) and this is then used to pay tips to any people who provide services to the group as a whole e.g. guides, porters, drivers, housekeeping staff in hotels etc. The tour leader administers these tips.
Pre Departure Meeting
The address of your joining hotel can be found on your joining letter and tour voucher. On arrival you should look for a Tucan Travel information sheet on the hotel notice board where you will find details of the pre-departure meeting. The tour leader will normally hold the pre-departure meeting on the afternoon of day 1 (assuming that all clients have arrived by then). Your tour leader will give a briefing about the tour, outline the plan for the next few days, answer any questions and collect your local payment and tipping kitty in full in US$ cash. Then there may be an option for everyone to go out for dinner and drinks to start to get to know one another. Please note that you will need to bring the following important items to the pre departure meeting:
1. Passport (including any necessary visas) – original document and a photocopy.
2. Vaccination certificates (e.g. Yellow Fever, if required)
3. Travel voucher
4. Travel insurance policy
5. Local payment
Tour Personnel
Adventure Tours use a variety of different styles of leadership. On this tour you will have a combination of Tucan Travel tour leader, Tucan Travel reps, local guides and local reps. The Tucan Travel tour leader accompanies your tour while Tucan Travel reps will escort you at times when your tour leader may not be available. Local guides will lead your included and optional excursions, and local reps are local business people also responsible for occasional meet and greet and transfers.
If you feel that any of the Tucan Travel personnel, including tour leaders, drivers or local reps have exceeded your expectations during your tour, tipping is appreciated but is not obligatory.
Degree of Difficulty/Fitness
Adventure Tours suit people who are fit and active. Although no experience is required there are many walks between bus/train terminals and hotels and travellers must be able to carry their own luggage over various terrains as well as lift up luggage onto the tops of buses!
Pre-departure Information
Once you have booked your tour, your travel consultant will provide you with our Asia & Russia pre departure information booklet to help you prepare for your trip (if you do not receive this, please ask your agent for a copy or you can download it from our website). It is very important that you read this document before you travel for valuable info on the local payment, travel documents, insurance and health, money and budgeting, packing, joining your tour and life on the road, accommodation, transportation, crew and food details.
Country Dossiers
This tour dossier is designed to be read in conjunction with our country dossiers which you can download from our website or obtain from your booking agent. The country dossiers contain essential information about visas, arrival transfers, spending money and costs, taxes and tips, climate, local food etc.
What you need to bring
The pre departure information booklet includes an extensive luggage checklist. However you will need to make sure you bring a sleeping bag (or sleeping sheet in summer), a towel and torch.
Transfers
Airport transfers in joining and departing cities are not included but can be booked through Tucan Travel at an additional cost. Transfer prices are listed on our website. If you would prefer to make your own way to and from your hotel, you can find details on public transport and taxis in the joining letter for this tour.
Accommodation
We use inexpensive hotels, hostels and guesthouses which are basic but clean and centrally located. Price is based on twin share basis. Most hotels are 2* and 3*. There will be a guest house at Longshen Ping'an village which may be in a dorm room with a shared bathroom. All rooms are on a share basis, normally twin or triples. Some rooms will have private bathrooms but many will not, a shared bathroom down the hall will be quite common! A word of advice here; most hotel services are very good, however on occasions you may find there is no hot water. Of course your crew will try to sort out any problems but bear in mind that things don't always work out, so please try to keep a cool head and go with the flow – it is all part of the experience of travelling in China!
Transport
On Adventure Tours our goal is to offer you as much variety as possible while meeting the local people. On this tour, to travel between cities by road we use public or privately chartered air-conditioned buses. The size of the bus depends on the group size. There is no smoking policy on all our tour buses – however there are tea and toilet breaks every couple of hours or so. The only exception to this role is the driver. Major roads in China are good, enabling our buses to cover distances quickly.
Trains
There are overnight train journeys on this tour, all on ‘hard sleeper' trains. Many travellers find this to be an exciting aspect of their travels, a great way to meet the locals and very much a part of the adventure! The trains have comfortable carriages partitioned into open compartments. You will have a bunk bed with a mattress, clean sheet and a blanket, and there are either 4 or 6 bunks in each compartment. Chinese (‘squat') style toilets are located at the end of each carriage although there may be a western toilet on board. You may wish to bring a sleeping sheet in addition to the mattress and sheet provided. We suggest you bring your own food rather than purchasing the meals on the train. Your tour leader will offer advice on where to purchase food prior to the journey.
Meals
All meals, extra snacks and drinks on the tour are at your own expense. Please see the relevant country dossier for more information about the local food.
Tour Highlights (entrance fees not included)
- Walk around the old town of the Forbidden City and discover its surrounds.
- Hire a bike (optional) and discover Beijing on two wheels.
- Summer Palace (Beijing)
- Option to see Beijing acrobats – you'll be astounded by their flexibility and fearlessness
- Great Wall of China trip – included
- Visit Tiananmen Square (Beijing) with your group
- Take in 3,100 years of history at Xi'an, an ancient capital of China
- Visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum near Xi'an (included)
- Visit the ancient temples and mausoleums of Nanjing
- Take in the beautiful pagodas and intricate gardens of Suzhou
- Take an optional boat tour of the West Lake in Hangzhou
- Wander the streets of Shanghai and take in the colossal buildings, stark contrasts of old and new architecture and bustling population
- Stay in traditional home stay accommodation in the rural village of Ping'an Village
- Explore the fascinating karst rock formations of Yangshuo
- Cycling tour to Moon Hill in Yangshuo (included)
- Impress your friends with Chinese cooking skills learned at an optional class in Yangshuo
Day to Day Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Beijing
Day 2 – Beijing
Day 3 – Beijing
Day 4 – Beijing
Day 5 – Xi'an
Day 6 – Xi'an
Day 7 – Nanjing
Day 8 – Nanjing
Day 9 – Suzhou
Day 10 – Hangzhou
Day 11 – Hangzhou
Day 12 - Shanghai
Day 13 - Shanghai
Day 14 – Shanghai
Day 15 – Longsheng
Day 16 – Longsheng
Day 17 - Yangshuo
Day 18 – Yangshuo
Day 19 – Yangshuo
Day 20 – Hong Kong
Day 21 – Depart Hong Kong
(B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D - Dinner included)
Please note the day to day itinerary above is given as a GUIDELINE ONLY.
Optional Excursions
Choose as many or as few optional excursions as you like! Your tour leader will be able to make recommendations and bookings in advance for most of these extras so you have more flexibility and control over your trip. Visit www.tucantravel.com and download our optional excursions guide for details.
Responsible Travel Tips
At Tucan Travel we are serious about our responsibility to care for the environment and people that we visit. Here are a few tips to help you to enjoy your tour while minimising your impact and enhancing your travelling experience. Learn more about our responsible travel policy at www.tucantravel.com.
- Carbon offset your Tucan Travel tour and flights. Check out our website for details about how you can go about this www.tucantravel.com
- Bring your own metal water bottle. Fill up at restaurants or treat your own water on tour instead of buying lots of plastic bottles. Bear in mind that there may not be recycling facilities available at some destinations.
- Cut out plastic – remove and recycle the packaging of new travel gear before you pack, and bring a light cotton or string bag for your shopping so you can politely refuse plastic bags at shops and markets.
- Please don’t offer gifts to children as it encourages begging and promotes a culture of dependency. If possible, contribute money or supplies to a local school or community organisation – talk to your tour leader about the options available.
- Learn a bit of the local language before you travel. Being able to say even a few words like hello, please and thank you will help you to connect with people in a positive way and really enhance your personal experience. Bring a phrase book on tour and keep practising to improve your confidence. You will also find some good language tips in the country dossier(s).
Feedback
At the end of your tour we would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to complete a questionnaire about your experiences. The tour leader will give you a paper copy and an electronic version can be found on our website. We take feedback very seriously as it allows us to maintain and improve the very high standards we expect from our road crew, local operators, hoteliers, transportation and office staff, among others. We also use this information to improve our itineraries and optional excursions on offer. Thank you in advance for your help with this.
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