The Itinerary

Day 1 – To Beijing: Overnight flight from London to Beijing with British Airways. (N)

Day 2 – Beijing: Arrive and transfer to the Raffles Beijing Hotel for 3 nights. Afternoon walk in the gardens of the Summer Palace with afternoon tea at the Aman hotel. (N)

Day 3 – Beijing: In the morning, visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, followed by a tour of the ancient hutong district by rickshaw. Eat lunch in a Chinese family’s home, followed by a paper-cutting lesson. End the day with a visit to Jing Shan Park for a bird’s-eye view of the Forbidden City. (B, L)

Day 4 – Great Wall: Full-day excursion to the Great Wall at Jinshanling Pass, a quiet and dramatic section of the wall. (B, L)

Day 5 – To Xian: Morning visit to the Temple of Heaven. Fly to Xian and stay at the Grand Sofitel on Renmin Square for 2 nights. (B)

Day 6 – Terracotta Warriors: Morning excursion to the Terracotta Warriors, followed by a visit to the Xian Art Museum with a lesson in Chinese calligraphy. Afternoon visit to the Bell and Drum Towers, the Muslim Quarter and Grand Mosque, and stroll among the stalls of the bazaar. Optional evening excursion to enjoy a Tang dynasty music performance with dinner. (B, L)

Day 7 – To Guilin: Morning tour of the city walls, then continue to the Wild Goose Pagoda. Afternoon visit to the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi (Hanyangling) then fly to Guilin. Stay at the Shangri-La, Guilin for 2 nights. (B, L)

Day 8 – Li river cruise to Yangshuo: Take a cruise down the Li river, past a landscape of limestone hills, fishing villages and rice fields. (B)

Day 9 – Longsheng & Chengdu: Full-day excursion to the spectacular rice terraces of Longsheng. Late evening flight to Chengdu and transfer to the Shangri-La Chengdu for 2 nights. (B, L)

Day 10 – Leshan: Visit Leshan to see one of China’s most amazing sights, the world’s largest buddha statue. In the afternoon, return to the city and visit Jinli Street. Optional evening excursion to enjoy a performance by the Sichuan Opera. (B, D)

Day 11 – To Chongqing: Morning visit to the Giant Panda Research Base. In the afternoon, transfer by train to Chongqing on the Yangtze river. Board the Victoria Anna (or similar) for a 3-night cruise to Yichang. (B, L)

Day 12 – Yangtze: Full day cruise along the upper reaches of the Yangtze with a morning excursion to Fengdu. (B, L, D)

Day 13 – Yangtze: Full-day passing through the Three Gorges, with an excursion up the Daning river tributary. The cliffs here reach up to 1,200 metres tall and, even after the dam, they remain hugely impressive. In the evening, pass through the locks. (B, L, D)

Day 14 – To Shanghai: Morning visit to the vast Three Gorges Dam. Disembark after lunch and fly to Shanghai for a 2-night stay at the Fairmont Peace Hotel. (B, L)

Day 15 – Shanghai: Morning tour of Jade Buddha Temple, Yu Yuan Garden and the Bund. Optional evening visit to the state acrobatics show. (B)

Day 16 – To London: Morning transfer to the airport and fly back to London. Afternoon arrival. (B)