Day 1: Shanghai
Arrival. Welcome to China! Transfer to the hotel and free time. You will receive information about the start of the circuit during the afternoon.
Day 2: Shanghai
In the morning, our trip includes a visit round this impressive city. We will know the area of Pudong, located across the Huangpu River, is now the financial district, with its skyscrapers as the Pearl Tower. We include a ferry crossing of the Shanghai River which will give us great views of the two parts of the city. We will stroll the Old City and the Yuyuan Garden, a private garden that was built during the Ming Dynasty. We will enjoy a demonstration of the Tea ceremony,traditional drink that plays an important cultural role in China. We will pass by one of the most fashionable neighborhoods of the capital, Xintiandi. Lunch included. Then, visit Tianzifang, a former residential area known for its narrow, labyrinthine traditional streets with its small craft shops and art galleries. We finish the visit along the Bund with its old buildings that remind us of the influence of European trade. Free afternoon. If you wish, you can enjoy a boat trip to see Shanghai at night, it will be an unforgettable experience.
Day 3: Shanghai - Luoyang
Transfer to the station. We take the high-speed train (a train is expected to leave at 07.17 h), and in a little over five hours, through many sections of pretty countryside, we cover the 1,000 km to LUOYANG. Lunch included. We see the impressive Buddhist caves of LONGMEN over more than a kilometre of the rocky walls of the river, where they sculpted more than 100,000 images of Buddha. We will include a boat trip. After this, transfer to the ancient city, where we cross its impressive wall and can enjoy the great traditional activity and its lit up streets.
Day 4: Luoyang - Longmen - Sanmexia - Xian
In the early hours, on the outskirts of Luoyang, we visit the WHITE HORSE BUDDHIST MONASTERY, a huge monastery and place of study where Buddhists from all countries of the world. We continue our route to SANMEXIA. In this historic city we will see the Yellow River and the Baoulon temple with its tall pagoda and we will visit one of the best museums in China: the Guo museum with the funeral carriages of the former state of guo. Lunch included. We continue eastwards, passing of Mount Hua, a holy mountain. XIAN, arrival at the end of the afternoon.
Day 5: Xian
We have arrived in the fascinating city where the silk route originated. First thing in the morning, we will go to see the TERRACOTA ARMY, with its thousands of life size clay soldiers that were found underground. We return to XIAN, where we will visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Later, we go across through the walled centre. We will cross the Muslim quarter there and we will enter the mosque, where we will be able to see the multiple cultures and religions that have left their mark on this country. Our tour will also include entry tickets to the Drum Tower where we will enjoy a short show of traditional instrument playing. Free time.-
Day 6: Xian - Chengdu
We leave Xian in a very modern high-speed train, and in just over three hours we cover the 700 km that separate us from CHENGDU. On arrival we will go to the Panda Bear research and breeding centre, a reserve where 120 giant pandas and 76 red pandas live. Lunch included. In the afternoon we will take a stroll through the People´s Park, with its small lake, the local people doing Taichi, and its tea houses.-
Day 7: Chengdu
Today we include full-day tour of Sichuan Province, with its pleasant landscapes and traditional villages. In DUJIANGYAN we see the traditional irrigation system, which has been working for more than 2000 years and is a world heritage site. QUINGCHENG SHAN, “mountain of the green city” is a Taoist holy mountain. Its paths through the forests show us caves, pavilions and centuries-old wooden temples, lunch included. Finally, we will visit the ancient city of JIEZI with its alleys with over a thousand years of history. Return to CHENGDU.
Day 8: Chengdu - Miao village - Zhaoxing
We will travel by train, we get up early (our train leaves at 7.38 hrs), and we have to do almost a thousand kilometres in just over five and a half hours amidst magnificent mountain scenery (picnic lunch on the train). On arrival in Congjiang, we are in a magnificent and unknown area of China inhabited by ethnic minorities. We see the BASHA MIAO Village in the forest, with its wooden houses. This is the only ethnic group authorised to carry firearms, as they were traditional bear hunters. We continue to ZHAOXING, the most important town of the Dong minority, a beautiful place with its more than 800 traditional homes; many say that it is the most beautiful town in China. Accommodation.
Day 9: Zhaoxing - Guangxiao - Chengyang - Longsheng - Guilin
Today you will do one of the most beautiful and exciting stages of your trip. GUANGXIAO, among amazing villages of the Dong ethnic group with its beautiful wooden architecture, this charming town frozen in time is little visited by international tourism; we will see its suspension bridge, the drum tower and the opera house. We also stop at CHENGYANG, with its magnificent “wind and rain bridge”. Lunch included. In LONGSHENG we will go to the LONJI rice fields, a World Heritage Site. A small bus will take us to the viewpoints and you can walk down a sector along paths between rice paddies and wonderful scenery. After that we continue to GUILIN -Arrival at the end of the afternoon-
Day 10: Guilin
A full day in GUILIN, one of the most popular cities in China with a very pleasant atmosphere on the banks of its lake, next to the river Li, and with its busy shopping streets in the centre. We include a visit to the Cane Flutes Grotto, a magnificent cave in which there are numerous fantastically shaped stalactites and stalagmites lit up in beautiful colours, creating a spectacular world in the bowels of the earth. Afternoon free, we recommend you visit the Jingjiang Palace, the “miniature forbidden city”. Accommodation.
Day 11: Guilin - Beijing
Day 12: Beijing
Today’s programme includes an excursion to visit the GREAT WALL OF CHINA (section Mutianyu). spectacular architectural work. Its history covers more than 2000 years. The day will include a cable car ride up and down to one of the most scenic areas. Returning to Beijing, we will stop in the 798 th district, with its contemporary art located in an old military factory. We will also visit the TEMPLE OF HEAVEN, one of the country’s largest sacred complexes and a World Heritage Site. Before returning to the hotel, and as a way to rest from this intense day, we will enjoy a foot massage and we will take a Tai Chi class. We will bid farewell to Beijing with a lacquered duck dinner included.
Day 13: Beijing
An exciting day awaits us. We will discover the main points of interest in the Chinese capital. We will have a full day visit in which we will visit some of the main avenues in the city. The Great Chinese Imperial Palace, better known as "The Forbidden City", the most majestic architectural complex in China from where 24 emperors ruled for almost 500 years. We will also have the opportunity to visit Jingshan Park where the Coal Hill is located, one of the best preserved imperial gardens in Beijing. We ascend to the top of the hill to have the best views (if the day is clear) on the Forbidden City. We will walk through the immense Tiananmen Square one of the largest squares in the world, and from them, we will appreciate the Great National Theater, Beijing Opera House. Lunch is included. Today, we will also visit the SUMMER PALACE, the Imperial House of the Qing Dynasty with its beautiful gardens and lakes. In the afternoon we include a tricycle ride through the traditional neigbourhood of Beijing, known as Hutong. In this area we can see the typical life style in these popular neighborhood, visit typical shops and even a traditional house, a Siheyuan, with all its lounges around a courtyard. Return to the hotel and overnight.*Note: For reasons of heritage protection and increased visitor safety, the governing body of the Imperial Palace or Forbidden City has reduced the daily capacity of visitors for an indeterminate period of time. For this reason, we cannot guarantee that such a visit will take place. If it cannot be carried out, it would be replaced by a visit to the Confucius Temple and also the Lama Temple, both also emblematic of Chinese history and culture.
Day 14: Beijing
After breakfast, our services will come to an end, hoping to leave you with wonderful lasting memories.
