China
From south to north, from Hong Kong harbour to the ramparts of Pingyao and the Great Wall
China
China from south to north in a group of 25 at most: Hong Kong (Aberdeen, Repulse Bay, Victoria Peak), Guilin and the raft ride near Yangshuo, Shanghai and the water town of Zhujiajiao, Xi'an and the Terracotta Army, the walled town of Pingyao, then Beijing: the Summer Palace, the Great Wall, Tiananmen and the Forbidden City. High-speed trains and one domestic flight.
When
Apr-June, Sept-Oct
Price
From 3 111€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
13 nights
Ideal length
Days 1-5
The harbour, then the karst landscapes.
Day 1
Flight to China
Flight to Hong Kong. Night on board.
Day 2
Arrival in Hong Kong
Welcome and transfer to the hotel. Free time.
Day 3
Hong Kong, Aberdeen and Victoria Peak
The fishing village of Aberdeen, Repulse Bay beach and up Victoria Peak for the view over the harbour.
Day 4
Hong Kong – Guilin by high-speed train
A free morning, then about 3 hours by high-speed train to Guilin.
Day 5
Yangshuo and the Yulong river
Drive to Yangshuo and a bamboo raft ride on a tributary of the Li river, among the karst peaks. A walk around the town.
Days 6-9
The Bund, Zhujiajiao and the arts district.
Day 6
Flight to Shanghai
Free time in Guilin, then a flight to Shanghai.
Day 7
Shanghai, from the Bund to the old town
The Bund and its view of the Pudong towers, Nanjing Road, the old town and its old houses.
Day 8
The water town of Zhujiajiao
The Shanghai Museum, then Zhujiajiao, the 'Venice of Shanghai', its canals, stone bridges and Ming and Qing houses, by boat.
Day 9
Shanghai – Xi'an
Fuxing Park and the Moganshan arts district, then the high-speed train to Xi'an.
Days 10-16
Imperial northern China.
Day 10
Xi'an and the Terracotta Army
The pits of the Terracotta Army, several thousand soldiers lined up in battle order for the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Back to Xi'an and its city walls.
Day 11
Xi'an – Pingyao, the imperial town
About 3 hours by high-speed train. A walk on the ramparts of Pingyao, a walled town that has stayed intact, Rishengchang, China's first bank, and the old Yamen court. Lunch in an inn.
Day 12
Pingyao – Beijing and the Summer Palace
About 4 hours by high-speed train to Beijing, then the Summer Palace and its gardens around Kunming Lake.
Day 13
The Great Wall
Drive to the Great Wall at Juyongguan and free time on the ramparts. Lunch, then a visit to a cloisonné enamel workshop.
Day 14
Tiananmen and the Forbidden City
Tiananmen Square, the largest in the world, then the Forbidden City, palace of the last two imperial dynasties.
Day 15
Beijing – flight home
Free time depending on your flight, then transfer to the airport and fly to France.
Day 16
Arrival in France
Arrival in France during the day.
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