Like most websites, we use cookies to collect anonymous data in order to enhance your browsing experience and provide us with information about how the website is being used. By clicking Accept or continuing to use the site you agree to this use of cookies. Visit our updated Privacy Policy if you wish to learn more.

Your Location

Call us now:

0333 7000 747

Open 9 until 9 daily

Start your perfect holiday

contact us today!

Price Guide
8 Nights - £2,195pp

Flight Inclusive Price from UK

Holiday Confusion?

You need a Specialist

Solve my Problem

Best of China in a Week

Ask us for a Quote Today

Highlights of China

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square

Great Wall

Great Wall

Forbidden City

Forbidden City

Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai Scene

Shanghai Scene

Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Warriors

22256
 

Highlights of China Tour

China’s development in the last two decades has been nothing short of astonishing and travel to China has opened up considerably.

This short Highlights of China Tour focuses on just three destinations and is ideal for the first time visitor to China, for those short on time or for those looking to combine China with another destination.

Begin in dynamic Shanghai where you will get a taste of just how booming China is.

See some of the tallest buildings in the world as well as wandering along the historic Bund and visiting Yu Gardens and Old Shanghai.

Take a day trip to Suzhou from Shanghai to experience one of China's ancient canal towns. Suzhou has one of the best museums in China along with willow-lined dreamy canals.

From Shanghai fly to Xian and visit the famous Terracotta Warriors, walk the city walls and visit the colourful Muslim Quarter.

The tour culminates in Beijing with the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall, capping off a fascinating week long tour of China.

All of our Highlights of China and Classic China Tours are completely tailormade and we can create your trip around your interests and budget.

Inclusions

  • International flights from the UK
  • Accommodation with breakfast
  • All airport transfers by private car
  • Private car, driver and guide on excursions
  • Entrance Fees

Accommodation

  • 3 nights Shanghai
  • 2 nights Xian
  • 3 nights Beijing

Excursions

  • Full day tour Shanghai
  • Full day tour Suzhou
  • Full day tour Xian
  • Full day tour Beijing
  • Full day tour Great Wall

 

Day 1: Fly UK to Shanghai

Overnight flight UK to Shanghai.

Day 2: Shanghai

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your chosen hotel in Shanghai.

Overnight: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 3: Shanghai

Today enjoy a full day tour of Shanghai with your own private car, driver and guide, visiting some of the most important landmarks and locations in Shanghai, including the Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund, Yu Yuan Gardens, Shanghai Old Street, the French Concession and Xintiandi.

From the Jade Buddha, head over to the Yu Yuan Gardens, a classic creation of the Ming Dynasty. Nearby is Shanghai Old Street which had its origins in the Qing Dynasty.

After a Shanghainese lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Bund, Shanghai's waterfront, known for its grand display of colonial-era architecture and the wonderful views of both sides of the Huangpu River.

Visit Xintiandi, a stylish nightlife district with many boutiques, pubs, and restaurants and on to Shanghai's Art District. Xintiandi is a good place to return to for dinner this evening.

Finally visit the Shikumen Open House Museum, a well-preserved Shikumen house from the 1920's that displays furniture and articles for daily use during that time.

Overnight: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch included

Day 4: Shanghai

Today enjoy a full day in Suzhou. You will be collected from your hotel by your driver and guide for a private excursion to Suzhou, one of China's famous water towns.

Visit the Garden of the Master of the Nets, the smallest of the Suzhou residential gardens, yet the most impressive because of its use of space and the feeling of tranquility and harmony that it instills on visitors.

After lunch visit the  Suzhou Institute of Embroidery and see some of the most valuable pieces of embroidery ever made, including several priceless court gowns.

Finally visit the superb Suzhou Museum, itself an architectural masterpiece, containing over 15,000 ancient pieces in its collection, including paintings, ceramics & calligraphy.

Overnight: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch included

Day 5: Xian

Enjoy the morning for some independent explorations of Shanghai before transferring to the airport for your afternoon flight to Xian where you will be met and transferred to your chosen hotel.

Central Xian is fairly compact and we recommend a visit to the old Muslim Quarter in the centre of town which can easily be explored independently.

Enjoy a stroll around the busy streets, great for people watching, photography and for getting a taste of this great city at the start of the famous Silk Road.

Sample some of the many exotic dishes on offer in the various food stalls lining Huimin Street.

Overnight: Xian
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 6: Xian

One of the world’s greatest archaeological finds, the Terracotta Warriors were discovered quite by chance in 1974 by a group of peasants digging a well outside of Xian.

These sculptures of soldiers, chariots and horses were funerary statues made to accompany China’s first emperor to the afterlife over 2100 years ago.

Legend has it that it took 100,000 men 38 years to create the soldiers, which all vary in rank, posture, height, uniform and facial features.  

Spend the morning on a visit to the Terracotta Warriors and after lunch transfer back to Xian.

In the afternoon there will be the chance to explore Xian's City Walls which are easily done independently.

A great way to experience the City Walls is to rent bicycles and cycle the circuit which will take around 45 minutes to an hour.

Overnight: Xian
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 7: Xian - Beijing

Enjoy the morning for some independent explorations of Xian - perhaps to see the Big and Small Wild Goose Pagodas.

Transfer to the airport for your afternoon flight to Beijing where you will be met and transferred to your chosen hotel with the rest of the day free in Beijing.

An interesting way to spend the evening is to take a stroll down Wangfujing Street, one of the most famous shopping streets in China where international brand outlets stand close to traditional exotic street food stalls.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 8: Beijing

Enjoy a full day privately guided tour of Beijing.

Visit Tiananmen Square and prepare to be overwhelmed by the sheer size of one of the world’s largest public squares.

Pass several monuments, including Chairman Mao’s mausoleum on the way to the entrance the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City was completed in 1420, and was home to 24 emperors, the last of which left Beijing in 1924.

Stroll through what is arguably the best- preserved example of classical Chinese architecture in the world.

Enjoy an easy walk up Jingshan Hill, for  a birds-eye view of the Forbidden City.

Finally, recapture the feeling of Beijing’s past from the wooden seat of a traditional rickshaw, and visit a local family’s courtyard home along the way during a tour of Beijing's traditional Hutong district.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 9: Beijing - UK

The Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure in the world.

Explore the much quieter Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, which was first begun in the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557) and finished in the 17th century.

The 2.5-km stretch of the Wall allows you to walk along its storied length for over an hour and visit twenty-two watchtowers, should you so choose.

Also enjoy a cable car ride to the top.

On the way back, pay a visit to this art district of Beijing where Maoist slogans still adorn the walls, to experience a different side of Beijing.

Once a complex that manufactured electronics, Factory Number 798 was divided, rented out, and converted into galleries, artist studios, design companies, restaurants and bars at the turn of the 20th century.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 10: Fly Beijing - UK

Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK.

Day 11: UK

Arrive back in the UK.

Beijing

With iconic sights such as the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven, it is no wonder that Beijing is top of most people’s lists on a tour of China.

With the advent of the Olympics, Beijing underwent quite a transformation with a lot of modern architecture cropping up around the city.

For a real experience of Beijing, a stay in one of the city’s authentic courtyard hotels in the traditional Hutong district is a great option.

There are also a couple of great luxury hotels by the Great Wall itself – a really unique experience.

Xian

Home to the Terracotta Warriors and the start of the ancient Silk Road, Xian is a large city with plenty of attractions.

A couple of nights in Xian is enough time for most people to take in the sights which include magnificent city walls, spectacular pagodas and a lively market area which continues the ancient trading traditions of the Silk Road city.

The Terracotta Warriors of course are the real highlight, one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.

Shanghai

Shanghai is China’s economic power house – where China is most blatantly heading full tilt into the future. Monumental new skyscrapers, glittering department stores, buzzing nightlife – it’s all happening in Shanghai, making it China’s most exciting city by far.

Underneath the gleaming steel and marble however lie a few ghosts from Shanghai’s earlier heyday – the evocative Bund in particular a reminder of 1930’s grandeur when Shanghai was the greatest city in the Far East.

The city is also a great base for touring nearby destinations such as Suzhou and Hangzhou.

There are some fabulous luxury hotels in Shanghai and a handful of great boutique hotels which we thoroughly recommend.

Is this a Private Tour or a Group Tour?

All of our China tours are private tailor made itineraries, customised for you - we can amend things to entirely suit you.

You will have your own private car, driver and English-speaking guide on excursions.

What are the departure dates?

Let us know your preferred dates of travel and we will find the best and most suitable flights to fit your itinerary.

As this is a private tour, there are no set departure dates. We can advise you on the best times of your to travel, and some times to avoid.

Which Airlines do you use?

We work with all the major airlines flying to China.

Typically for China, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, KLM, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Finnair and Air China would be airlines we often use.

However, just let us know your preferred airline if you have one. We can organise flights from any regional destination in the UK.

There are direct flights from the UK to a few destinations in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and of course Hong Kong.

Which Hotels do you use?

We're careful with our choice of hotels, but we're guided by our customers also. If you have some preferred hotels, just let us know.

We specialise in boutique hotels and so we will often suggest some of our favourite smaller hotels where we think these will be suitable.

China is a destination where large hotels predominate. These are geared for business and group travellers as the Chinese usually travel in groups. We try to suggest smaller more personal hotels where we can.

In China, staying in a traditional Courtyard style hotel for a night or two is a great option and something we recommend. Bear in mind however that beds can sometimes be hard and comfort levels aren't always the same as they might be in a standard hotel.

We keep on top of hotel developments in China from our office in Vietnam and regularly inspect the hotels we use.

Do you cater for Solo Travellers & Families?

Yes, we have many solo travellers, and China is generally a very safe destination for those travelling alone.

China offers some great activities and sights for families, whatever the ages of the children.

How long have you been organising holidays to China?

We've been organising tailor made holidays to China for over 10 years.

Our team has a wealth of combined experience in the industry and our Director has been involved in organising holidays to China and beyond since the early 1990's.

Our partners on the ground in China have over 20 years experience in operating there. They are managed by a team of local people and expats, which we find is a combination which works very well indeed.

They understand China inside out and have a strong infrastructure of staff, guides and vehicles. We've had the same partnership in China for over 10 years.

How does your office in Vietnam help?

We have our own staff in Saigon, Vietnam which helps in many ways with our customers in the Far East.

It helps us to keep on top of any new hotel and travel developments in the region and forge stronger relationships with hotels and other partners.

We regularly do our own inspections of hotels and destinations in the region.

Should our clients need any assistance during a trip, we always have at least one of our own staff on the same time zone, and we're open 7 days a week in Saigon.

Standard Hotel Suggestions Shanghai:

Hengshan Moller Villa
Pentahotel
Modena Putuo Boutique Hotel

Standard Hotel Suggestions Xian:

Zuoyouke (Superior)

Standard Hotel Suggestions Beijing:

Sihe Courtyard Hotel
Shichahai Shadow Art Hotel
Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel
Red Wall Garden Hotel

8 nights Highlights of China Tour - Standard:

  • Price from £2,195 pp

This is a guide price only, based on travel in low season.

Prices will vary according to choice of hotel and seasonal airfare and hotel surcharges. Please ask us for any current special offers.

Contact Us:

All of our China Tours are completely tailor made and we can put together any kind of itinerary to suit your interests and budget.

Call us now to speak to a China holiday expert about your China holiday or honeymoon to China.

Call us now on 0333 7000 747

Click to enquire by email

We're open from 9 until 9 daily and our 0333 number is a local rate number included in most call packages.


Add Hong Kong

Add Hong Kong

Add Hong Kong

Add a 3 night stay to your China Highlights Tour.

Includes additional flight, 3 nights, transfers, Hong Kong Island Tour.

3 Nights from £345 pp

View

Include Pandas

Include Pandas

Add Pandas

Add a 2 night stay to your China Highlights Tour.

Includes additional flight, 2 nights, transfers, Panda excursion.

2 Nights from £310 pp

View

Add on Yangshuo

Add on Yangshuo

Add on Yangshuo

Extend China Highlights with Yangshuo.

Includes additional flight, 3 nights, airport transfers, Li River Cruise.

3 Nights from £375 pp

View