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Itinerary

YOUR ITINERARY (Please note that the order of this itinerary may change)

Travel from the UK to Beijing

Meet your Tour Manager and travelling companions at Heathrow Airport and fly to Beijing.

Arrival in Beijing for a three-night stay

Your arrival into Beijing will be early, so you will see the stunning Temple of Heaven (built in 1420) before going to the hotel for check-in.

Evening: welcome drink and dinner in the hotel.

Full day in Beijing

Today you will be taken to see this stunning city of contrasts.

Morning: a visit to the infamous Tiananmen Square. You will pass through the Gate of Heavenly Peace into the Forbidden City to see the vast complex of palaces, home to successive emperors for more than 500 years.

Afternoon: after lunch you will visit the 18th-century Summer Palace, once a summer retreat for the Emperors of the Forbidden City. View the pavilions and gardens with the guide before enjoying a lakeside stroll at your leisure.

Evening: after dinner, you will witness the amazing Peking Opera

Full day in Beijing, including the Great Wall of China

Today is geared around going to see the Great Wall, which winds itself quite beautifully through the Northern Chinese hills.

Morning: start the day with a stroll along the Sacred Way and a visit to the Ming Tombs to see some ancient artefacts.

Afternoon: after lunch you will visit the Great Wall, one of China's great wonders, built over 2,500 years ago. You will have plenty of time to walk along the historic ramparts.

Evening: enjoy the famous Peking duck dinner.

Fly from Beijing to Xi'an (the 'City of Eternal Peace')

Morning today you fly to Xi'an, located in central China. On arrival, visit the City Wall - a truly unique experience.

Evening after dinner you are off to the theatre to enjoy a traditional Tang Dynasty Show.

Full day in Xi'an, including the Terracotta Warriors

Morning: visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, where the locals come to this serene spot to practise their Tai Chi.

Afternoon: after lunch one of the highlights of the holiday - the greatest archaeological discovery of last century, the 2,000-year-old Terracotta Warriors.

Evening: dinner in Xi'an.

Fly from Xi'an to Shanghai

Mid morning flight to Shanghai. On arrival in Shanghai take the high speed Maglev train at 270 miles per hour to the city centre (your luggage will be transported for you).

Afternoon: on arrival stroll along the Bund, the strip of riverside architecture recently restored to its former colonial glory, en route to the hotel for a three-night stay.

Evening: after dinner see a world class Acrobatic Show.

Full day in Shanghai

Morning: discover the Yu Yuan Gardens and Bazaar in the Old Town district, and visit the Jade Buddha Temple.

Afternoon: after lunch we will have time to do some shopping along the Nanjing Road.

Evening: enjoy dinner in Shanghai a chance to see the lights of Shanghai on the riverfront at night on a scenic drive.

Half day tour to Zhujiajiao Water Town

With a history of more than 1700 years this well preserved town built on a network of canals and humped bridges that has inspired Chinese classical paintings for Centuries. Local culture has been left almost undisturbed in this world heritage town.

Afternoon: relax and explore Shanghai at your leisure

Morning flight from Shanghai to Harbin

Morning: after breakfast take the flight to the very northern parts of China. 

Evening: after a Russian style dinner you will visit Zhao Ling Park in the heart of the city with Temples, Pagodas and Chinese mythical characters and legends created in ice. The Russian influence is easy to see in the Orthodox St Sophia's Cathedral.

Full day in Harbin

This morning you will walk on the frozen Songhua River to witness brave locals and guests from across the world swim in the icy waters carved from ice that's over three feet thick. After, you will proceed to Sun Island Park to the snow sculpture exhibition to see the beautifully displayed snow carvings. A visit will be made (in Jeeps) to the Siberian Tiger Park which has hundreds of Siberian Tigers and other large cats in natural enclosures.

The culmination will be an evening spent at the Ice and Snow World Park. Thousands of locals spend a month building replicas of the world's castles, palaces and monuments from ice blocks using millions of lights to bring them to life. It is truly spectacular.

Fly from Harbin back to Beijing

A morning flight to Beijing and time to visit the iconic Olympic Park and the Bird's Nest where the spectacular 2008 Olympics took place. In the evening a farewell a la carte dinner to reminisce on the many experiences you will have enjoyed in China.

Flight to the UK

As you will be flying west your arrival in the UK will be the same day.