Today you arrive in Beijing, the capital of China, and a vibrant and cosmopolitan metropolis. You’ll be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel for an opportunity to settle in and look forward to your forthcoming tour through some of the wonders of China.

A great start to our trip as we head out of Beijing to the Great Wall, one of the world’s greatest sights. The Great Wall is made up of several connecting structures from various periods of time and is known in China as the Wan Li Chang Cheng, or 10,000 League Fortification. The classic image of the wall exists for only a relatively short part of its entire length we have chosen to visit at Huangyaguan, a less-busy section.

The Huangyaguan section is a 3-hour drive from Beijing, slightly further than more popular sections, but well worthwhile as we have the opportunity to walk along a section that quite often has no-one else in sight. Here we can appreciate the many watchtowers as well as the surrounding rolling hills.

We’ll see the Great Wall “Phoenix Tower”, the unique “Baguaguan Castle” together with many more. With its walls and towers built on mountain ridge with an average altitude of 738 meters, Huangyaguan is amazing , it winds its way across mountains like a dragon.

After our visit we return to Beijing. Again there is the opportunity to either simply relax or to enjoy optional visits.
 

Early each morning local residents head to Tiantan Park to practice tai chi, chat and even dance and this morning we head to the park to enjoy the displays. The highlight of the park is the magnificent Temple of Heaven with the round Prayer Hall for Good Harvest on of the city’s icons

History shows that Beijing has been occupied for thousands of years but today its heart dates largely from the Ming and Qing Dynasty periods with many older remains too.

Next we head to famous Tiananmen Square to visit the largest complex in the city from these Ming Dynasty times – The Forbidden City. This was the royal palace and is a massive and grand affair that can provide no better introduction to the city and indeed country. A great way to end our stay in Beijing.

Later this evening we board the overnight train (soft-class) for Xian.
 

After checking in our city tour today introduces some of the many wonders of this remarkable ancient capital of China.

Sat at one end of the Silk Road Xian, or Chang’an as it was then known was home to more than 10 dynasties and has a history that stretches back to Neolithic times.

We start our explorations heading from the imposing Bell Tower into the Hui Muslim quarter visiting the Grand Mosque as we go. This amazing structure is traditionally Chinese in look, but is none the less the focus of the city’s Muslim minority. If time allows we may visit our friend Mr. An.

Next we take a walk on the city’s walls for amazing views as we next head to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, 4 km south. The pagoda stands in the Da Ci'en Temple complex and attracts numerous Buddhist pilgrims and dates from AD652 and the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It takes its name from a legend that where previously meat-eating Buddhist were converted to vegetarianism by a passing goose falling from the sky and the belief that this was a sign they should abstain from meat eating.

Returning to your hotel there is time to relax before perhaps taking in one of the city’s unmissable Tang Dynasty shows. (optional)
 

Immediately recognisable the Terracotta Warriors have been amazing visitors ever since they were discovered by a farmer digging a well. His unwitting find lead archaeologists to unearth the defensive army of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi of the Han Dynasty who, in the 3rd century BC, wanted to assure himself of a well-protected afterlife. His mausoleum some 1.5 km away is the stuff of schoolboy imagination, with secret passages and traps to catch the unwary, Indiana Jones-style. It has yet to be excavated.

The life-size warriors are housed in vast pits and it is said that no two are alike. There are horsemen and infantry, officers and other ranks, all frozen in time and the site deserves its UNESCO World Heritage status.

On returning to Xian later this afternoon your time is free to explore, perhaps to the renowned Shaanxi Museum.
 

Leaving the city behind we now fly south to the city of Eternal Spring, Kunming from where we connect with a flight to Lijiang.

This is Yunnan, a world away from the north of China and somewhere which demonstrates to good effect just what a varied and exciting country this is. Located in the shadow of 5000m+ peaks like Jade Dragon Snow Mountain old Lijiang is a quiet town, home to the matriarchal Naxi people whose women can be spotted with their distinctive dress.

On arrival we settle in and look forward to this new chapter of the tour.
 

This morning we set out to explore the narrow streets of the old part of Lijiang. The old town is crisscrossed by a network of small canals and, with the narrow streets lined with traditional Naxi buildings the atmosphere is simply lovely. Life continues here largely unchanged, something which has contributed to its standing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This afternoon we stretch our legs with a walk from Puji Monastery to Suhe village.
 

Today we set off on a full day walk through the local countryside enjoying the sights and sounds of this part of Yunnan. At 2400m above sea level we are quite high and the flora and fauna of the region are quite unique. Indeed this area was a magnet for plant collectors who came here to search for and collect many new species at the height of the mania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Our hike takes us to Wenhai, a small Naxi village where local people farm goats, pigs and life remains pleasantly untouched by the 21st century.
 

Legend tells that a tiger leapt the Yangtze here and thus the name of this dramatic gorge a couple of hours drive from Lijiang got its name. Until recently the only way through the gorge was by following one of two tracks on foot, one lower and one higher. Now a road has pushed through the gorge on the lower path but the high one is still foot only and the walk along it is quite literally, spectacular.

We set off and walk for a good 6 hours to our night-stop in the gorge enjoying views along what is reportedly the deepest gorge in the world.

We overnight in a simple tea house in the gorge itself.
 

After breakfast we walk for around 3hours to get to “Tina’s” a good place for a rest and lunch before we then head off for Haba.

Haba means ‘golden flower’ in the Naxi language. Legend has it that Haba Snow Mountain and the Yulong Snow Mountain are two brothers, the Jinsha River - the local name for the Yangtse here - flowing between them, thus forming the Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Haba Snow Mountain, its main peak 5,396 meters in height, stands 120 kilometres to the southeast of Zhongdian. Covered with a dense forest of firs and spruce it is rich in wildlife and plant resources, with many azaleas.
 

Zhongdian is the gateway to the Khampa region of Tibet, a high land over 3000m above sea level where the harsh climate breeds a hardy people whose culture, lifestyle and religion is different to the lowlands.

Today we enter this land of haunting beauty as we head north to the city now known as Shangri La. We pass the sturdy houses of the local people, vast structures constructed to withstand the elements. On arrival there should be time to wander the town, a place which has grown rapidly over recent years, but still with the odd temple here and there.

Today we explore on foot on a trail that takes us to Songzhanling Monastery.
We have two choices – one flatter and longer and one shorter, but with more ascent and descent.

After a short transfer to the village of Nyire, a traditional Tibetan settlement surrounded by grass and farmland, we begin walking along a flat dirt road. Shortly we arrive at a crossroads where you will need to decide between a flat walk on a wide path around the base of a small mountain, which will add up to 6.5 kilometres (4 miles) to your total walk, or an ascent and descent going over the mountain and meeting on the other side. The ascent - 115 meters (379 feet) elevation gain - is on a narrow path with switchbacks that take us to a saddle between two points on the mountain. The descent is fairly steep, also on a narrow path. This option is slight shorter than the flat option — 6 kilometres (3.7 miles). Both options meet on the other side of the mountain and continue on a flat trail around a small lake, then to lunch at the Songstam Hotel, located next to the Songzhanling Monastery. A tour of the monastery will follow lunch.

We will spend the afternoon exploring Zhongdian.

What a difference a day makes! Today we finish our stay in Yunnan and fly from Zhongdian to Guilin via Kunming. It’s a long day of travelling but the rewards are well worthwhile as we set off from Guilin airport for Yangshuo.

Here we exchange the dramatic Tibetan landscapes of Zhongdian for the poetic karst scenery that has inspired thousands of Li River poets and painter, the sugar-loaf peaks of this area jaw-dropping in their beauty.
 

We start our day with a bike ride into the countryside including a visit to a local family where we can have lunch. From here we take a hike up scenic Moon Hill, a famous local spot.

On return to Yangshuo you are free to do some souvenir hunting or simply relax with a coffee in one of the little restaurants.
 

Today we ride bikes to the local village of Xingping (bus available for those that prefer not to ride) then start a lovely the walk along the Li River for a couple of hours. We head to a place named "Jiu Ma Hua Shan" Nine Horses Mountain, where the eponymous horses are painted onto a cliff.

We next take a boat ride to Yangdi, a small fishing village. The scenes along the way are typical of this part of China - farmers with their water buffalo, men fishing and a beautiful landscape wherever you look. From Yangdi we take the bus back to Yangshuo.

Later tonight we travel to Shenzhen on the overnight train.
 

This morning we make the short hop to Hong Kong, a vibrant city that has a colonial past but is undisputedly Chinese in character.

Your time here is free – explore the markets of Temple Street, take the Star Ferry or make the ascent to Victoria Peak. What a way to end this trip of contrasts!
 

Your tour ends after breakfast.. 

Should you want more time in this vibrant city please ask us about our additional services enabling you to extend your trip.