Scenic China takes you to seven famous Chinese cities that will each present you with unique wonders and unforgettable experiences. The great natural sites, old and new in Beijing will leave you in wonder – palaces, parks, squares, national institutions, monuments and temples. Suzhou and Hangzhou contain sublimely beautiful gardens, canals, temples, pagodas and in the case of Hangzhou the incomparable West Lake in all of its beauty. In and around Guilin you will think you have stepped into a classical Chinese watercolour as you move between the limestone outcrops that are everywhere. Chengdu’s Giant Buddha on the banks of the Min River is breathtaking. Then Xian and the ancient wonders of the Terracotta Warriors and other remarkable artefacts and relics. This tour enables you to experience some of the most splendid sites in all of China.
Transfer to your hotel.
Dominating the Yangtze Delta, Shanghai is the pulsating commercial heart of China. Walk along the famous Bund past the facades of the colonial buildings lining the Huangpu River and look across to the fantastic skyscrapers of the Pudong district on the opposite side. After lunch you will visit the beautifully maintained Yu Garden, an outstanding example of a classical garden dating from the 16th century, now surrounded by a bustling market area. Later you will ascend the Shanghai World Financial Centre Observatory Tower, one of the world’s tallest buildings, for an astonishing view over the whole city. This evening you will be entertained by one of Shanghai’s famous acrobatic troupes. (B/L/D)
Today you travel by road to Suzhou en route visiting a traditional ancient Water Town village-Tongli. Then onto Suzhou, a famed silk production centre and home to China’s most famous gardens. It was once regarded as the Venice of the East on account of its ancient canals spanned by quaint hump-backed bridges. (B/L/D)
Today you will visit two famous classic gardens; Suzhou’s gardens are works of art - a fusion of nature, architecture, poetry and painting. The key elements of these famous gardens are rocks and water. In the afternoon you will join a Canal Cruise to enjoy the bustling and unique canal scenery. You will complete your day with a visit to Suzhou Museum, designed by well known architect I M Pei. (B/L)
After breakfast you travel to Hangzhou by the latest bullet train. On arrival in Hangzhou, you will visit one of the most famous Chan (Zen) temples in China, the Lingyin Temple. Then you will take a cruise on the incomparable West Lake, for centuries one of China’s best known scenic attractions. It was originally an inlet from the estuary of the Qiantang River, famous for its tidal bore which swept up and periodically flooded the city. Later you will ascend to Leisfeng Pagoda to enjoy a panoramic view of West Lake (B/L)
Today you fly to Guilin, renowned for its fantastic landscape of limestone peaks. (B/L)
This morning you cruise down the Li River from Guilin to the picturesque town of Yangshuo. The cruise provides a unique opportunity to view the array of extraordinary peaks which rise side by side along the banks. Here you will also see picturesque villages, chestnut orchards, bamboo plantations and fishermen using cormorants. (B/L)
This morning visit the magnificent Reed Flute Cave. This is Guilin’s l
argest and most impressive cave, filled with stalactites and stalagmites, and gets its name because local people used to collect reeds here to make their unique flutes. You will also take a chairlift to the peak of Yaoshan and enjoy a spectacular view of the city’s limestone hills and peaks.
You fly to Chengdu this evening. (B/L/D)
Today you travel to Leshan, 167km south-west of Chengdu, to view the Giant Buddha statue which was carved into a cliff on the bank of the Min River at Leshan between 713 and 803 AD in the hope that its presence would exert an influence to subdue flooding. The statue is 71m tall. (B/L)
This morning you will visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in the northern suburbs of Chengdu. You then fly to Xian where tonight enjoy the lavish spectacle of the Tang Dynasty Dinner and Show. (B/L/D)
After breakfast there is a walk along the massive Xian City Wall, one of the best preserved in China. The rectangular old part of Xian remains completely surrounded by this magnificent wall, complete with impressive gates and towers, built during the reign of the first Ming emperor in the late 14th century. Next you will travel to the renowned archaeological site of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, buried over 2200 years ago to guard the tomb of the first emperor Qinshihuang who died in 210 BC. (B/L)
You fly to Beijing, one of the world’s great cities. Beijing has a history dating back some 3000 years. The rest of the day at your leisure. (B)
This morning you visit Tiananmen Square where you will look across this vast space to the Great Hall of the People and stand before the massive Tiananmen (Heavenly Peace) Gate, where Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949. Walk through the Heavenly Peace Gate to the Forbidden City, as the former Imperial Palace is called, where the magnificent marble courtyards, huge halls, gilded temples and ornate pavilions frequented by the emperors and their families are now open to your wonderment. Later there will be a rickshaw tour of Beijing’s old Hutong District, a fascinating maze of narrow alleys and hidden courtyards, dating from Yuan Dynasty times in the 14th century. (B/L)
Today you will pace the ramparts of China’s famed Great Wall, originally built over 2000 years ago to keep northern invaders at bay. On the way back, you will make a photo stop at the impressive National Olympic Stadium. (B/L)
This morning you will visit the Temple of Heaven, where the emperors for the good of the empire, carried out the most important sacrifices and ceremonies of the year. Set in a huge park planted with conifers, the beautiful blue-tiled buildings here represent the epitome of Ming architecture. This afternoon is at your leisure. (B)
You transfer to the airport for your onward flight. (B)
| Daily Departure | **** | ***** | ||
| Twin Share | Single Supplement | Twin Share | Single Supplement | |
| Apr, Nov 12 | $4155 | $940 | $5060 | $1785 |
| May, Sep-Oct 12 | $4310 | $1045 | $5370 | $2040 |
| Jun-Aug 12 | $4155 | $940 | $5060 | $1785 |
| Dec 12, Jan-Feb 13 | $3970 | $798 | $4805 | $1590 |
The prices of above tour are based on the basis of a minimum of 2 persons travelling together.
For more details on what is included in this tour please click here