Path to Tibet via Scenic Yangtze Cruise 17/19 days from £2030

• Beijing: City tours (4 nights)
• Great Wall & Forbidden City
• Bird's Nest Stadium
• Xian: city tour (2 nights)
• Terracotta Warriors
• Wuhan: Huanghe Pagoda (1 night)
• Yangtze River Cruise (4 nights)
• Chengdu: Panda Breeding Reserve (1 night)
• Tibet: Lhasa - Potala Palace (3 nights)
• Hongkong: optional extension

*Exclusive Small Group tours *4/5 star Hotels & cruise *Well paced itinerary *Special banquets & shows *Long Established China Tour specialists*

View Itinerary

Price & Departure dates

Day 1
Depart from Heathrow or your preferred airport for scheduled flight to Beijing. Meals on board.

Day 2 Beijing
Upon arrival in Beijing, you are greeted at the airport by our English speaking guide and transferred to your hotel by private transport. The rest of the day is at your leisure to recover from jetlag and get ready for the adventure to come! (China is 8 hours ahead of UK)

Day 3 Beijing (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
A full day city tour to soak up the atmosphere of Beijing. This includes visiting historical sites such as Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Then we will go to watch an entertaining acrobat show.

Our welcome dinner in the evening provides an opportunity to sample special Chinese cuisine combined with live music, singing and dancing entertainment.

Day 4 Beijing (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
The highlights of today's tour include a visit to the Great Wall, the only man-made wonder on earth visible from the moon. We travel to the Ming Tombs and walk on the Sacred Way to see the resting place of thirteen Chinese Emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Our memorable date continues with a trip to the Beijing Olympics Stadia (Bird's Nest & Water Cube)(exterior) for picture opportunities. Enjoy the famous Peking Roasted Duck dinner upon your return.

We will visit Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, which was originally constructed in the 5th century and is regarded as the most strategic section of the Wall. The section is quieter and less commercial than some other areas and it provides the opportunity to visit the Sacred Way, another highlight of the Great Wall heritage.

Day 5 Beijing to Xian (Breakfast, Lunch)
Our tour today includes a visit to the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), which dates back to the 12th century when the Jin ruler built his Gold Mountain Travelling Palace. We walk along the Long Corridor beside Kunming Lake and take a detour to the Garden of Harmony before taking the ferry next to the Marble Boat. In the next part of our tour we take a fascinating Rickshaw ride and visit an old residential area and see how local people live. Our guide will then escort you to Houhai, a popular relaxing and eating out place for both Western and Chinese tourists. For travelers who would like to experience shopping in China, we can take you to the popular shopping street - Xiushui Silk Market. In the evening, we take a flight to Xian, the former capital of China and starting point of the ancient Silk Road.

Day 6 Xian (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast we start our days tour which highlights include the Terra-cotta Warriors. You will visit the luxury underground palace of Emperor Qinshihuang, The Archaeological Museum of 6,000 life-size Terracotta Warriors and their horses. The warriors were the after life protectors the first emperor who united China (221BC-206BC). Following this we will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built as a Buddhist Monastery during the Tang Dynasty. A city tour which includes visiting Xian's well preserved Ancient City Walls, built in the early Ming Dynasty (about 600 years ago) and the historic Bell Tower where you can overlook the entire city. In the evening we attend a re-enactment of the royal arts performance of a 7th century Tang Dynasty Show, with a special Dinner of dumplings included.

Day 7 Xian to Wuhan (Breakfast, Lunch)
Today we take a flight to Wuhan, one of China’s largest cities, a surprisingly vibrant city with a lovely mixture of old and new, a real opportunity to discover the real China. Our tour will take you to Hubei Provincial Museum which houses a vast and precious display of ancient Chinese items, including a large collection of artifacts from the Zenghouyi Tomb, dates from around 433 BC, well worth your time.

Day 8 Wuhan to Yichang (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
In the morning, we visit the famous Chinese landmark Huanghelou Pagoda, which is lovingly described in many Chinese poems. Later we drive to Yichang and board our cruise ship in the evening (approx. 2.5 hrs drive).

Day 9 Yangtze River ( Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Todays morning shore excursion is to see the 3 Gorges Dam project. Later we set Sail through the impressive Xiling Gorge. Entertainment and organised activities are avalable on board. Attend the Captain's welcome dinner in the evening.

Day 10 Yangtze River (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Shore excursion to Shennong Stream or Lesser 3 Gorges (depends on sailing schedule), cruise sails through Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge. Entertainment and organised activities on board.

Day 11 Yangtze River (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Shore excursion to Shibaozhai or Fengdu (depends on sailing schedule). Entertainment and organised activities on board, with the farewell dinner party in the evening.

Day 12 Yangtze River / Chongqing to Chengdu (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Arrive at Chongqing, be met by our guide and transfer to Chengdu and the Panda Breeding Centre. This is an unforgettable experience and one of the best places to see pandas in China.

Day 13 Chengdu to Lhasa (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
This morning we take a flight to Lhasa. Upon arrival at Lhasa Gongar Airport, you will be met and transfered to Lhasa city. Check into hotel and we suggest spend the rest of the day to our travellers to relax and acclimatise to the high altitude.

Day 14 Lhasa (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
City tour including a visit to the grand-looking Potala Palace, which was built in the 7th century for the King. In the afternoon, visit Jokhang Temple and stroll in the famous local bazarr - Parkhor Street.

Day 15 Lhasa (Breakfast, Lunch)
After breakfast we start our tour and visit Dreprung Monastery, the biggest Monastic University of Tibet. The university is a fascinating complex containing many Buddhist chapels and colleges.

Day 16 Lhasa to Beijing (Includes: Breakfast)
After breakfast we transfer you to the airport for your flight back to Beijing.

Day 17 Beijing to Homeward (Includes: Breakfast)
Our Guide will meet you at your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your departure flight.

Hong Kong extension (from £360 per person)

Day 16 Lhasa to Hong Kong (Includes: Breakfast)
You are transferred to the airport for your flight to Hong Kong. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel (superior/moderate/deluxe standard). The rest of day is free at leisure.

Day 17 Hong Kong (Includes: Breakfast)
Half day morning tour to the Victoria Peak, Stanley Market, Aberdeen Fishing Village. Rest of the day is free.

Day 18 Hong Kong - Homeward (Includes: Breakfast)
You are transferred to the airport for your departure flight.

OR, for the same price, you may choose the option of 3 nights/4 days in Hong Kong incl a flight to Hong Kong. (flight & accommodation only)

Departure Dates & Price (£)

The price may be different around the bank holiday period in the UK, and the festival periods in China. Please contact us for confirmation. Single supplement is based on 3 people in 1 group.

We also arrange private tour or tailor made departure according to this itinerary, please contact us to discuss your requirement.

Price Includes (The prices shown above are 'per person')

• All flights including airport tax. We can also arrange your local airport departure from £70. Please enquire at the time of your booking.
• All airport/hotel transfers within Mainland China.
• Sightseeing tours by professional English-speaking tour guide.
• Selections of deluxe hotel accommodation in well furnished rooms with private facilities.
• Meals as specified in the itinerary.

Price Does Not Include

• Visa fee (please go to Our Visa Service for details).
• Travel Insurance.

Our Accommodation: We take a great deal of time and effort to source our hotel selection in each city for our travellers enjoyment and our hotels are good 4 star & 5 star rating. We also monitor our established hotel selection continually based upon each of our customers feedback received over the years. Understandable in some remote areas of China such as Tibet & Inner Mongolia, the standard of hotels available can be lower, but we will provide you with one of the best available in the area. Please visit our Hotel page for full accommodation details.

Flights As agents of airline consolidators, we can obtain international and domestic flights in various class seats with many reputable airlines. We can also provide flights from many UK regional airports and depends on availability we will try to arrange direct flight when possible, however allocation can be limited. If you wish to be booked on a particular airline, please specify at the time of booking (supplement may apply). Alternatively, for the cheapest deal we recommend you book your international flights at time of booking, as this can save you £££s off your final holiday price.

Tour Itinerary Facts: Our tour is arranged on a small group basis, as we feel this gives our travellers more flexibility and enjoyment. By reducing the group size our experienced local guides are able to get to know you all individually and show you the true beauty of China.

Our itineraries are designed at a sensible pace with a combination of escorted sightseeing, special activities and some free time. We Believe this give you the best combination to experience the real China and meet local people.

This tour is Guaranteed departure from 4 people. In the unlikely situation where the number is less than 4, we will offer an alternative date which is as close to the original departure date as possible. Add on tours and city extension available, for details visit Optional tours page.

Your Meals We include all breakfasts (mixture of western & Chinese cuisine) at your hotel and most Chinese style lunches and dinners, which are all pre-booked as shown in your itinerary. Each lunch and dinner menu is selected to ensure you can try a wide variety of tasty traditional dishes whilst in China. We feel it is also an important part of your holiday experience to try buying a few meals by yourself whilst you're in China and for your convenience the hotels we select provide a good choices of Chinese cuisine with English menu. Alternatively there are plenty of restaurants to choose from around the main sightseeing area in most Chinese cities. A good meal (dinner) in a restaurant should cost about £5 per person.

The itinerary is designed according to the most updated information of flights available, although on rare occasions the sequence in which cities are visited, duration of time spent can change due to local conditions which are out of our control. The above itinerary highlights the main attractions that are to be visited each day. Further places of interest may be visited during your stay, which will provide unique ethnic and cultural handcraft shopping opportunities. We reserve the right to change, amend or alter the itinerary, although we will act in your best interests to handle any amendments. Please refer to the booking form for detailed terms & conditions.