Flight: CX5900 Hong Kong - Beijing 08.00 - 11.15

Meet & Greet: On arrival in Beijing, you will be met by your guide and driver and transferred to your hotel to check in.

Afternoon guided tour of Beihai Park and the Hutongs: After some time to settle into your hotel and rest after your journey, your guide will meet you at your hotel in the afternoon and you will start your tour of Beijing with a visit to nearby Beihai Park, which at one time was the site of Kubali Khan’s royal palace. Nowadays the park has a couple of interesting temples and is dominated by a large lake, making it a scenic retreat away from the hustle and bustle of central Beijing. Please note entrance to the pagoda within the park is optional and paid locally. Afterwards you will take a cyclo tour of the fascinating Hutongs. Mostly built during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, hutongs are the narrow network of lanes created by closely built quadrangular homes in the city's inner areas. These are a fast disappearing sight as Beijing's city developers move in to modernise these areas. Following the tour your guide will take you to a local restaurant for dinner.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Sofu Hotel (Chinese Suite)

Meals: Dinner

Guided tour of Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City & the Temple of Heaven: This morning, your tour starts on Tiananmen Square, were 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 (closed on Mondays). The Forbidden City is 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. After touring the Forbidden City, you will climb up Coal Hill in nearby Jingshan Park from where you can get a great view over the Imperial City. Afterwards enjoy lunch in a local restaurant.

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.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Sofu Hotel (Chinese Suite)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Full day tour to the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu: 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 2,000 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. Two hours’ drive from Beijing, Mutianyu is further out than some of the more developed and more crowded parts of the Wall. Visitors here 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. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant. Access to the Wall by cable car, and the return by toboggan, is included. In the afternoon return to Beijing and on the way back to your hotel stop off at 798 Art Zone to see how art is developing in modern China.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Sofu Hotel (Chinese Suite)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Private transfer: This morning, you will be met by your guide and transferred to the railway station in time for the high-speed train to Xi’an.

High-speed train journey from Beijing to Xi’an: Board the high-speed G571 train from Beijing to Xi’an. The train departs at 09.22 and arrives at 15.03.

Private transfer: On arrival in Xi’an, you will be met at the railway station by your guide and transferred to your hotel to check in.

Afternoon cycling tour of Xi’an’s ancient City Walls: This afternoon, you will be taken to the City Walls for a gentle cycling tour. The Walls form a circumference of 14km and on each side is a gateway and watchtowers. Most sections of the wall have been restored or even rebuilt and it stands at 12 metres high, offering great views of the city.

Evening visit to the Muslim Quarter: This evening, you will pay a visit to the colourful Muslim Quarter. 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). Nowadays the area is famous for its delicious food, and this evening your guide will take you for dinner at a local restaurant so you can try some for yourselves.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Mercure Xi’an (Family Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Morning visit to the Terracotta Warriors: This morning, leave the city for the site of the Terracotta Warriors. In 1974 a peasant digging a well came upon what now stands as one of the main 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 underground.

Afternoon tour of the Small Goose Pagoda: This afternoon, you will visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, which was built in the Tang Dynasty. Originally built with 15 storeys, an earthquake in the 16th Century reduced the top two storeys to rubble and they have never been replaced. You will ascend the pagoda to enjoy the views from the op, before taking part in a short calligraphy lesson to learn how to write some Chinese characters using a traditional brush pen.

Dumpling-making class: Afterwards, you will discover the secrets of ancient Chinese recipes whilst learning how to prepare freshly-made steamed Chinese dumplings, a speciality of Xian.  At the end of your experience you will get to enjoy your creations for dinner.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Mercure Xi’an (Family Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Private transfer: This morning, you will be met by your guide and transferred to the railway station in time for the high-speed train to Chengdu.

High-speed train journey Xi’an to Chengdu: Board the high-speed D1917 train from Xi’an to Chengdu. The train departs at 09.00 and arrives at 12.28.

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

Afternoon visit to Chengdu People’s Park & Jinli Street: This afternoon, start your tour of Chengdu at Renmin Park where you can watch locals enjoying this scenic open space in the heart of the city. Sample the tranquil atmosphere and stop to enjoy a cup of green tea in one of the tea houses there. At the end of the afternoon, you will make a stop to see Jinli Street which is a popular place for locals and tourists alike to have a drink or something to eat. There are a large number of restaurants and local stalls offering regional dishes and drinks. Your guide will take you for dinner at a local restaurant.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Citadines South (2-Bedroom Luxury Suite)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Morning visit to the Giant Panda Research Centre: This morning, you will be taken to visit the Giant Panda Conservation Centre. It is estimated that there are between just 700 and 1,000 pandas left in the wild. Writings about the panda can be traced back 3,000 years, and they were once believed to have magical powers that could ward off evil spirits. It is extremely difficult to see Pandas in the wild nowadays. The breeding station has been in operation since 1990 and the best time to visit is in the morning around feeding time when they are at their most active. For the rest of the day, the Panda's main activity is sleeping.

For children aged 12 and over, it is possible to spend a full day volunteering at a Panda Base instead of visiting the Conservation Centre. If you would like to take this option, there will be a supplement cost of £90 per person. The details of the excursion are as follows:

Full day volunteer work at Dujiangyan Panda Base: After breakfast, you will be driven to the Dujiangyan Panda Base, a journey of about 1 hour. The reserve has taken in some of the pandas whose home at Wolong was badly damaged by the earthquake in 2008 and it does a wonderful job in preserving the panda from extinction. Today you will be able to get close to the pandas and you will be able to help the keepers in their daily tasks. Volunteer work may include activities such as cleaning the panda enclosures and preparing food for the pandas, whilst having the chance to learn more about these rare creatures at the same time.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Citadines South (2-Bedroom Luxury Suite)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Private transfer: This morning, you will be met by your guide and transferred to the airport in time to check in for the flight to Guilin.

Flight: SC4764 Chengdu - Guilin 11.35 - 13.10

Road journey to Yangshuo: Upon arrival in Guilin, you will be met by your guide and driver. Before heading down to Yangshuo, you will be taken to visit Reed Flute Cave which was used as a shelter for town residents during WWII and has an amazing array of stalactites and stalagmites. After the sightseeing, you will drive down to scenic Yangshuo, check-in to your hotel, and have the rest of the day at leisure. This evening your guide will take you for dinner at a local restaurant in town.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Bamboo Leaf Hotel (2-Bedroom Deluxe Family Suite)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Cycling & rafting tour around Yangshuo: This morning, you will be provided with bicycles and taken for a gentle bike ride through the scenic Yangshuo countryside, passing through paddy fields, old villages and between the karst mountains. Stop at Moon Hill where you can climb the hill to get amazing views from the viewing point. This afternoon you will head down to the river to take a scenic rafting trip down the Yulong River. Bamboo trees sway in the breeze and line the banks of the river. Return to your hotel in the afternoon to spend some time at leisure.

Please note that travellers under the age of 7 and over the age of 70 may not be permitted to board the bamboo rafts.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Bamboo Leaf Hotel (2-Bedroom Deluxe Family Suite)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Time at leisure in Yangshuo: You have a couple of days free at leisure to roam the Guangxi countryside independently. By far the best way of getting around is by bike, although walks of any length are also available. 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: Stay these nights at the Bamboo Leaf Hotel (2-Bedroom Deluxe Family Suite)

Meals: Breakfast