Shanghai
Shanghai Hotel (4-star) or similar
2 nights full board. The hotel is located close to the Bund and has two restaurants, a bar, swimming pool and sauna. Guest rooms have air-conditioning, satellite TV, minibar, telephone and private facilities.
Xian
Tianyu Gloria Plaza Hotel (4-star) or similar
The Tianyu Gloria Plaza Hotel in the east of Xian is just a 10-minute walk to the city centre, in the heart of the shopping district. Guest rooms have air-conditioning, satellite TV, minibar, telephone and private facilities.
Beijing
Landmark Hotel (4-star) or similar
3 nights half board. Guest rooms have air-conditioning, telephone and hairdrier and the hotel’s facilities include a health centre, spa and indoor swimming pool.
DAYS 1 & 2 UK/Shanghai
We take an overnight flight to Beijing arriving on day 2. On arrival we will be met by our Page & Moy Tour Manager and transferred to our hotel for a two night stay.
DAY 3 Shanghai
Shanghai has to be seen to be believed! As the fastest developing city in China, if not the world, this vibrant and exciting seaport is rapidly recovering its entrepreneurial prominence. Ahanghai’s colourful history is embedded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and today this combines with exciting modernity and a glimpse into China’s future.
At its heart is the Huangpu River, with its constant and extraordinary stream of water traffic. The Bund, the city’s famous riverside boulevard, is lined with magnificent former colonial buildings, which now stand as monuments to Shanghai’s one-time notoriety. Across the river in Pudong District, a new ‘Manhattan’ is rising from the former marshlands.
The labyrinth of streets in the old town form a stark contrast with modern Nanjing Road – Shanghai truly is a shopper’s mecca. By night, the city is a culinary delight – with all sorts of local and international foods and entertainment that just goes on and on!
Our included sightseeing programme offers the best of Shanghai. Highlights include the thronging shopping thoroughfare of Nanjing Road, the traditional Old Town,
with its ancient Wu Xing Ting teahouse, and the Yu Yuan Gardens, a classic Chinese garden. We will also visit the beautiful Jade Buddha Temple. This evening we have included the spectacular Shanghai Acrobats.
DAY 4 Xian
This morning we transfer to the airport for our flight to Xian. On arrival we will visit the city wall to experience a traditional welcome ceremony. We will then continue to our hotel for an overnight stay.
DAY 5 Xian
Xian, the ‘City of Eternal Peace’, was once the flourishing capital of China and the most important city in Asia. The recent archaeological discoveries near the city have staggered the imagination, for it is here that the first Qin emperor was interred in 200 BC with at least 6,000 lifesize terracotta figures representing the individuals of the Imperial Guard. they are grouped in battle order, rank by rank, some mounted on horse-drawn chariots, others armed with spears, swords and crossbows. This dazzling display of ancient Chinese military power is quite simply one of the world’s most remarkable sights. We include a visit to the site of the Terracotta Army at Li Shan Mountain. later in the day we will transfer to the airport for our flight to Beijing.
DAY 6 Beijing
Beijing is an extraordinary city. Ancient temples and palaces, with golden curved roofs and exquisite marble and jade, stand proudly beside the vast 20th century civic buildings created by chairman mao and his people. the most modern architecture can be seen with the iconic olympic buildings.
These include the National Aquatics Centre, better known as the Water Cube and the National Stadium, better known as the Bird’s Nest.
Daily life in Beijing is a truly spellbinding sight to the first time visitor. it is a city of millions of bicycles, bustling street markets and food stalls, horses and carts, crowded buses and, above all, warm, dignified and friendly people, eager to welcome and please their visitors.
Today we include an introductory city tour, visiting the heart of Beijing – Tian an Men Square. it is the largest public square in the world, bordered by the Qianmen Gate, the Great Hall of the people and the gate of Heavenly Peace. After lunch we will go through the gate, which forms the entrance to the incredible Forbidden City, to marvel at the magnificent buildings that house the Imperial Palace from which China was ruled by the imperial dynasties for hundreds of years. During our guided tour we will see magnificent collections of chinese bronzes, porcelain, paintings, jade and other treasures.
DAY 7 Beijing
This morning we include a visit to the Great Wall. for generations, people from all over the world have heard of it and wanted to see it. it is some 3,800 miles long and at least 2,600 years old.
The Great Wall winds like an immense dragon through the hills of northern China and passes within 40 miles of Beijing at Badaling, where it is wide enough to allow five
horsemen to ride abreast. Here we will have plenty of time to walk along the historic ramparts and marvel at its size and grandeur. During the afternoon we will have the opportunity to visit the Bird’s Nest Stadium and other buildings from the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Enjoy a Peking Duck dinner this evening.
DAY 8 Beijing/UK
We transfer to the airport for our return flight to the uK, arriving later the same day.