Wonders of China

Arrive in Beijing, meet your guide and spend the day exploring at your leisure. Over the coming days you’ll take in Tiananmen Square, step through the Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace), tour the Forbidden City and cruise through the city’s iconic Hutong district by cyclo-rickshaw. Then there’s the Great Wall of China: you’ll be exploring the well-restored Juyongguan section, once a military stronghold and now a place of heart-stopping beauty and history.

Fly on to Xi’an and walk the ancient, 14th-century walls that surround the city. From this scenic vantage point, you’ll get a bird’s eye view over Xi’an and its confounding fortifications. After dark, why not take a night walk around the city centre, stopping to watch the magical illuminations of the fountain in from of the Little Wild Goose Pagoda. The next day your guide will introduce you to some 8,000+ Terracotta Warriors, only uncovered in the 1970s, before you enjoy a Tang Dynasty Show.

Fly to Guilin for a short countryside reprieve. Here you can stroll through rural landscapes or perhaps hire a bike to pedal past lofty peaks and through charming towns and villages. Why not spend your time at leisure at the Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas – the highlight in the walk around Guilin’s two main lakes? Or stop for coffee in one of the city’s many cafés and restaurants? Take the time to admire its dramatic landscapes too, forged by limestone karsts, emerald forest and the mountain peaks of Seven Star Park.

Embark on a cruise along the Li River to Yangshuo, a spot where you’ll have the chance to experience China at its most rural, and at its most picturesque. In the evening you’ll have some free time to explore the city: consider picking up some Chinese souvenirs in West Street and, if time allows, take the 15-minute stair climb to the summit of Xianggong Mountain at sunset. From here you’ll get a panoramic view of the limestone karsts and the intertwining Li River.

Set off on a three-night cruise on the legendary Yangtze River, where you’ll have time to relax, recuperate and, most importantly, pass through the magnificent Three Gorges. You’ll even get to navigate the five-stage ship lock of the behemoth Three Gorges Dam – the largest hydroelectric dam on the planet. Depending on the weather and docking availability, stop-offs at the Shibaozhai Temple or the Fengdu Ghost City may also be included.

Take to the skies again, this time winging it to Shanghai. For a contrast of old and new, your guide will take you on a river cruise to admire the Art Deco, neoclassical Bund area that flanks the Huangpu River. And that’s not all: before you hit the water you’ll visit Old Town, wander through People’s Park, explore the exquisite, tranquil Yu Garden – perhaps sparing some time to haggle for some souvenirs in the bustling bazaar outside – and learn all about textiles at the Silk Museum.