China Extended Tour

Sample Itinerary - 10 DAY TO BEIJING, XIAN, YA’AN PANDA BASE & CHENGDU

Depart London to China.

Arrive in Beijing and transfer to your hotel. Beijing - Capital of the People's Republic of China. Beijing combines the ultra modern with a rich traditional past.

Visit Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City and Summer Palace - Tiananmen Square is the largest square in the world, covering some 40 hectares. It was here that Mao Zedong declared a new nation in 1949. Around the square are the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, the Great Hall of the People and the Gate of Heavenly Peace leading to the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was the Imperial Palace where the court lived in luxury isolated from the outside world. There are hundreds of buildings and thousands of rooms. The Summer Palace of the Imperial Family is just outside Beijing. There are numerous palaces, pavilions and temples set in a large landscaped park around a man-made lake.

Visit the Great Wall of China and Temple of Heaven - Some 6,000 km long, the Great Wall of China was built between the 5th Century BC and the 16th Century AD to keep out invaders. Walk along the steep pathway and see the watch towers. The Temple of Heaven is a beautiful and harmonious collection of 15th Century buildings set in a large park. The Emperor came here each year to request good harvest in his divine capacity as the son of heaven. After evening dinner take the overnight sleeper train to Xian.

Arrive in Xian. Visit the Wild Goose Pagoda and Ancient City Wall.

Visit the Terracotta Army Museum and Banpo Museum. In the evening fly to Chengdu - capital of the Sichuan Province.

Visit the Bifengxia Panda Base at Ya'an covering more than 400 hectares of a mountainous area. The base is an excellent place to see pandas in a natural environment.

Return to Chengdu. Visit the Dujiangyan Ancient Irrigation System a UNESCO World Heritage Site built over 2,200 years ago. The only surviving non-dam irrigation system in the world. This wonder in the development of Chinese science was designed to automatically control the flow of the rivers from the mountains to the plains throughout the year. Continue to the Chengdu Panda Research Institute - A chance to see pandas close up at the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. The museum here details the problems facing this endangered species.

Fly to Beijing - Enjoy a traditional Tea Ceremony at a Beijing Tea House. Visit Wangfujing Street.

After breakfast, (last meal included), transfer to Beijing Airport for the return flight to London, arriving the same day.

Sample Itinerary - 9 DAY TO BEIJING, SHANGHAI, XIAN & SUZHOU TOUR

Depart London to China.

Arrive in Beijing and transfer to your hotel. Beijing - Capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing combines the ultra modern with a rich traditional past.

Visit Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City and Summer Palace - Tiananmen Square is the largest square in the world, covering some 40 hectares. It was here that Mao Zedong declared a new nation in 1949. Around the square are the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, the Great Hall of the People and the Gate of Heavenly Peace leading to the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was the Imperial Palace where the court lived in luxury isolated from the outside world. There are hundreds of buildings and thousands of rooms. The Summer Palace of the Imperial Family is just outside Beijing. There are numerous palaces, pavilions and temples set in a large landscaped park around a man-made lake.

Visit the Great Wall of China and Temple of Heaven - Some 6,000 km long, the Great Wall of China was built between the 5th Century BC and the 16th Century AD to keep out invaders. Walk along the steep pathway and see the watch towers. The Temple of Heaven is a beautiful and harmonious collection of 15th Century buildings set in a large park. The Emperor came here each year to request good harvest in his divine capacity as the son of heaven. After evening dinner take the overnight sleeper train to Xian.

Arrive in Xian. Xian was the capital of China for more than one thousand years and the start of the Silk Road. During the Tang Dynasty from 618 - 906 this important and wealthy capital was a centre for the arts. There are many important archaeological treasures in and around the city which witnessed 11 dynasties. Travellers are lured to the region by its colourful history and also by the truly spectacular Terracotta Army. Visit the Terracotta Army Museum and Banpo Museum. The Terracotta Army Museum - Buried in pits over 2000 years ago to guard the tomb of the Emperor Qin, this army of Terracotta soldiers with their armaments, horses and chariots is a truly remarkable sight. Local farmers digging a well in 1974 stumbled upon the Army. There are nearly 7,000 warriors in the three pits here, who are on average 1.8m high, each with individual features. The Banpo Museum is a Neolithic village which was occupied from 4500BC until around 3750BC by the ‘Yangshao culture'. A large hall has been built over part of the residential area of the village, and there are adjacent buildings housing pottery and other artefacts. Visit to local Craft Factory.

Visit the Wild Goose Pagoda and the City Wall. The Wild Goose Pagoda was built in the 7th Century to house precious Buddhist texts brought back from India. The Pagoda stands within the Temple of Grace. Xian is one of the few cities in China where old city walls are still visible. Foundations were built during the Ming Dynasty. Visit a local Market. Afternoon flight to Shanghai. Transfer to Suzhou for evening dinner and overnight accommodation.

Visit Suzhou - One of the oldest towns in the Yangzi basin dating back 2500 years. Suzhou is strategically sited on a major trading route due to the completion of the Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty. The town flourished as a centre of shipping and grain storage, bustling with merchants and artisans. Suzhou has more recently been named 'Garden City, Venice of the East', due to its medieval mix of woodblock guilds, whitewashed housing, cobbled streets, tree-lined avenues and canals. Visit Wangshi Garden, the Silk Mill and Embroidery Institute. Enjoy a Grand Canal Cruise. Transfer to Shanghai for evening dinner and overnight accommodation.

Tour of Shanghai visiting the Yu Garden, the Jade Buddha Temple and the Bund. China's principal port and commercial centre, the futuristic and fashionable city of Shanghai is at the cutting edge of design and architecture. Shanghai is the driving force of China's economic miracle. With a population of over 13m, the city has fine museums, theatres and scenic gardens. The Gothic architectural splendours of the riverside Bund contrast with skyscrapers of the Pudong district. The Jade Buddha Temple was built in 1882 to house a sitting jade Buddha and a sleeping Buddha. Hundreds of pilgrims visit the site daily. The Yu Garden was completed in 1577 and covers an area of 20,000 square metres and contains pavilions, halls, rockeries, ponds and cloisters.

After breakfast, (last meal included), transfer to Shanghai airport for the return flight to London, arriving on the same day.