International flight: Depart Hong Kong Airport on Cathay Pacific flight CX390 to Beijing Capital Airport.  The flight departs at 09:00 and arrives at 12:25.

Private transfer to your hotel: Upon arrival at Beijing airport you will be welcomed to China and transferred to your hotel in a private chauffeur driven car.

Accommodation: Yise Courtyard Hotel (Queen Room)

Meals: None other than those included on your flight

Full day tour of Beijing including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Temple of Heaven: The morning will start on Tiananmen Square, where you will be able to take in the panorama of the largest public square in the world. It is through here that you will enter the Forbidden City, the largest and most complete group of ancient buildings in China. Built in the 15th Century, the Imperial Palace was a forbidden area for 500 years before the revolution of 1911. It was home to two royal dynasties, the Ming and Qing emperors, and it is from this palace that the emperors governed China, stepping out of its confines extremely rarely.

Continue to the Temple of Heaven, located in the centre of Tiantan Gongyuan Park. This spectacular Ming temple has become regarded, and is widely used, as the symbol of Beijing. Dating from 1420, its wooden pillars support a curved ceiling without cement or nails to a height of 38 metres. The temple's intricate carvings and bright colours illustrate the opulent Ming style.

Also in the Temple complex is the Echo Wall - a circular structure composed of polished bricks on the inside. The temple and its surrounding altars, gates and park are a meeting place for the people of Beijing and it is possible to see the locals enjoying a game of chess or practicing the ancient art of Tai-Chi.

Please note that there can be very long queues to enter Tiananmen Square at peak times. If the queues are too long and you do not wish to enter the square, then we can arrange for you to view the square from outside instead of walking in the square.

Accommodation: Yise Courtyard Hotel (Queen Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Road journey to Chengde, via Jinshanling:  After breakfast you will depart Beijing and drive for two hours to reach the Great Wall at Jinshanling Pass. Stretching from the Gobi desert to the Yellow Sea, this is the largest man made structure on earth and is an amazing feat of engineering, labour and sacrifice. The original wall was begun 2000 years ago when China was unified under Emperor Qin Shi Huang to keep out marauding nomads. The construction used hundreds of thousands of political prisoners and an estimated 180 million cubic metres of packed earth. Jinshanling is further out of the city than some of the more developed and more crowded parts of the Wall. Visitors here can see the collection of watchtowers and ramparts that rest on the mountain ridges, offering views of the Great Wall as it snakes across the skyline far into the distance. Access to the Wall by cable car is included.

After exploring the wall, continue on the drive to Chengde, where the Qing emperors used to retire to in the heat of the summer. Arrive mid-afternoon and check into your hotel to relax.

Accommodation: Imperial Mountain Resort (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Guided tour of Chengde: Today, your guide will take you to explore the landscaped gardens of the Imperial Mountain Resort and some of the temples built by the Qing Emperors, notably the Putuo Zongcheng Temple and also the impressive Puning Temple.

Private transfer to the railway station: After the sightseeing, you will be transferred to the railway station in time to board your onward train.

High-speed train to Beijing: Board the high-speed train G7868 from Chengde to Beijing. The train departs at 17:32 and arrives at 18:32. Please note train times are subject to change.

Private transfer to your hotel: On your arrival at Beijing's railway station you will be met and transferred to your hotel to check in.

Accommodation: Yise Courtyard Hotel (Queen Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Private transfer to the railway station: Today you will be transferred to the railway station in time to board your onward train. Tickets and passports must be shown before being permitted to enter the station building.

Train journey to Datong: Board the high-speed G2521 train which departs Beijing at 14:34 and arrives in Datong at 16:40. Please note train times are subject to change.  

Private transfer to your hotel: On arrival at Datong's railway station you will be met and then transferred to your hotel to check in and relax.

Accommodation: Datong Garden Hotel (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Guided tour of the Yungang Caves & Hanging Monastery: This morning you will set off to visit the Yungang Caves, one of China's most important centres of Buddhist art. Carved around 400AD, this series of grottoes holds around 50,000 Buddha statues. Later you will travel to the Hanging Monastery near Hunyuan. An amazing sight, the monastery clings to the side of a cliff and was built some 1,400 years ago. After sightseeing here you will return to your hotel in Datong.

 Please note that the Hanging Monastery now has a strict quota on visitor numbers, so we cannot guarantee this visit until the tickets are purchased closer to the time. If the tickets are not available then we will arrange an alternative visit instead.

Accommodation: Datong Garden Hotel (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Private transfer to the railway station: At the locally advise time today you will be met at your hotel and transferred to the railway station in time to board your onward train.

Train journey to Pingyao: Board the high-speed G2799 train from Datong to Pingyao Ancient Town. The train departs at 08:47 and arrives at 11:33. Please note train times are subject to change.

Private transfer to your hotel: On your arrival in Pingyao you will be met and transferred to your hotel to check in.

Guided tour of Pingyao: Take a guided walking tour of the ancient centre of Pingyao. A chance to see the enormous and complete city walls and the narrow streets with their Qing Dynasty shops and houses and even the local governor's office.

Accommodation: Jing's Residence (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Visit the Double Forest Temple, Zhangbi Castle, and the Wang Family Courtyard: This morning you will take a trip out to the Double Forest (Shuanglin) Temple, located 7km outside of Pingyao Ancient City. This temple was originally founded in the 6th century, but the present buildings date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The temple contains over 2000 colourful Buddhist sculptures of varying sizes and styles.

Afterwards, visit the Zhangbi Ancient Castle. This picturesque village is most notable for its network of ancient underground defence tunnels. You can explore some of these during your visit.

Your final visit of the day will be to the Wang Family Estate, a huge private house complex divided into two parts with walls the size of Forbidden City in Beijing. The compound was home to the Wang family and their many servants and has 54 courtyards and over 1000 rooms. After time to look around you will return to Pingyao.

Accommodation: Jing's Residence (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Private transfer to Pingyao railway station: At the locally advised time today, you will be transferred to the railway station in time to board your onward train.

Train journey to Xi'an: Board the high-speed train D2513 from Pingyao to Xi'an. The train departs at 09:49 and arrives at 12:44. Please note train times are subject to change.

Private transfer to your hotel: On arrival at Xi'an railway station you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Guided tour of the Muslim Quarter & the Great Mosque: This afternoon, you will visit the historic Muslim quarter of the city. In the centre of the walled city you will find the old houses and narrow lanes of Xian's Muslim, or Hui, community. Islam has been the most enduring of all faiths in Xian. It was first introduced by Arab merchants during the Tang Dynasty, and flourished during the Yuan (1279-1368). The Great Mosque survived the Cultural Revolution virtually unscathed and remains an outstanding Chinese re-interpretation of an Islamic place of worship. It was founded in 742 A.D, according to a stone tablet in the mosque, but nothing from this Tang period survives. The present layout dates from the 14th century.

Accommodation: Eastern House Boutique Hotel (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Guided tour to see the Terracotta Warriors & Horses: With your guide leave Xian and drive to the outskirts of the city to the site of the Terracotta Warriors & Horses. In 1974 a peasant digging a well came upon what now stands as one of the main tourist attractions in China and one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century. An army of thousands of life-sized warriors and their horses in battle formation, which were buried for 2,000 years, stand guard over the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The figures were buried with artefacts and weapons of the day and every figure differs in facial features and expressions. The dig is still in progress, as it is believed that the site is part of an even larger army still buried. After the sightseeing return to Xian.

Guided tour of the City Walls & the Wild Goose Pagoda: This afternoon, you will be taken to see the old city walls which form a circumference of 9 miles with a gateway and watchtowers on each side. Most sections of the wall have been restored or even rebuilt and it stands at 12 metres high. Afterwards visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a symbol of ancient Xian, and a well preserved ancient building and Buddhist holy place which is located in the southern suburb of Xian City, about 2 ½ miles from the city centre. Standing in the Da Ci'en Temple complex, the pagoda attracts visitors due to its appealing style of construction and the new square that is in front of the temple.

Accommodation: Eastern House Boutique Hotel (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Visit to the Tomb of Han Yang Ling: This morning, you will be taken to visit the Tomb of Han Yanling. Road workers in the northern suburbs of Xian discovered the 2,000 year old tomb of Han Yang Ling, and the site has now opened to tourists in its barely excavated state. Relics from the tomb reveal the cultural characteristics of imperial life from Han Dynasty.

Private transfer to the airport: After the visit, you will be transferred to Xi'an Airport in time for your onward flight.

Domestic flight: Depart Xi'an Airport on flight 9H8395 to Guilin Airport.  The flight departs at 18:20 and arrives at 20:45. Please note domestic flight times are subject to change.

Private transfer to your hotel: Upon arrival at Guilin Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel in a private chauffeur driven car.

Accommodation: Aroma Tea House (Garden View Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Private transfer: After breakfast you will be transferred to the river where you will board your cruise boat.

Shared cruise to Yangshuo on the River Li: Depart from Guilin on a leisurely four hour cruise down the picturesque Li River towards Yangshuo. There is stunning scenery on the way as your boat meanders between the dramatic forested peaks and past bamboo fishing villages. This is one of the most enchanting river journeys in China with great photo opportunities along the way. This journey will be taken on one of the comfortable 4* cruise boats and a buffet lunch will be provided for you to eat on-board.

Private transfer: On arrival in Yangshuo you will be met and transferred to your hotel in the countryside to check-in.

Accommodation: Moondance Resort (Deluxe King Room with River View)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day at leisure in Yangshuo: Today you are free at leisure to roam the Guangxi countryside independently. By far the best way of getting around is by bike, with bikes cheap and easy to hire locally. Your hotel or guide can help with this, and can also suggest a variety of cycling routes to suit all levels of fitness and interest.

Spending time on the water either on the Li itself or by bamboo raft along one its’ many gullies is also a memorable way to explore. Numerous other activities are also recommended, such as a cooking class at the Yangshuo Cooking School, shopping along Yangshuo’s central West Street, taking in the evening Son et Lumiere show, or arranging a trip to witness the fascinating fishing with cormorants method still practised by local fishermen.

Accommodation: Moondance Resort (Deluxe King Room with River View)

Meals: Breakfast