A tour of China mixing culture and leisure

Depart U.K

Arrive Beijing: On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. 3 nights accommodation in Beijing. (Standard 4 star hotel - Holiday Inn Temple of Heaven or the same class Or Deluxe 4 star hotel - Wangfujing Grand Hotel **** or the same class) (-/-/-)

Beijing: Full day sightseeing. The Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, is said to be the biggest square in the world. It is 880 meters from north to south, and 500 meters from east. Lying at the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City, called Gu Gong in Chinese, was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now known as the Palace Museum. The Summer Palace in northwest suburban Beijing is the largest and most complete imperial garden existing in China. It was first built in the 12th century as an imperial palace. (B/L/-)

Beijing: A full day excursion taking such sights as: the Mutianyu Great Wall, which winds 1.4 miles through lofty mountains and high ridges, many sections of which are made of granite. The unique structure makes the wall almost indestructible; and in Dingling (Ding Mausoleum), lies buried Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and his two empresses. The mausoleum was first built in 1584 and completed in 1590. (B/L/-)

Lhasa: Transfer to airport for flight to Lhasa where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Meet our representative and transfer to hotel upon arrival.

3 nights accommodation in Lhasa. (Standard 4 star hotel - Tibet Hotel **** or the same class or Deluxe 4 star hotel - Lhasa Hotel **** or the same class) (B/-/-)

Lhasa: Full day sightseeing. Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor. Potala Palace is the symbol of Lhasa, the regional capital of Tibet. Situated on Red Hill in northwest of the city, the Potala Palace has been listed by UNESCO as the World Cultural Heritage. The Jokang Temple is a four-story timber complex with a golden top. It adopted the architectural styles of the Tang Dynasty, as well as those of Tibet and Nepal. (B/L/D)

Lhasa: Full day sightseeing. Norbulingka and Sera monastery. Norbulingka, meaning Treasure Park, was first built in the forties of the eighteenth century, covering a space of 40 hectares after continuous expansion by the Dalai Lamas. The Sera Monastery at the foot of Tatipu Hill is located in the northern suburb of Lhasa City, The monastery was named Sera which means wild rose in the Tibetan language, because the hill behind it were once covered with wild roses in bloom when the monastery was built. (B/L/D)

Lhasa/Gyantse/Shigatse: Drive to Shigatse. Visit the Yamdroktso Lake en route and after coming down the mountain you arrive at Gyantse and have a tour of the Palkhor Temple. Yamdroktso(4441m), one of Tibet's three holy lakes, is located 110km outside of Lhasa. Palkhor Monastery, also named Palcho Monastery, is different from other monasteries. It lies about 230 kilometers (143 miles) south of Lhasa and 100 (62 miles) east of Shigatse at the foot of Dzong Hill.

1 night accommodation in Gyantse. (Standard 3 stars hotel - Shen Hu Hotel *** or the same class) (B/L/D)

Lhasa: Visit the Tashilumpo Monastery in the morning. Then drive back to Lhasa. Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the Six Big Monasteries of Gelugpa (or Yellow Hat Sect) in Tibet. Also called the Heap of Glory, the monastery is located at the foot of Drolmari (Tara's Mountain), Shigatse.

1 night accommodation in Lhasa. Standard 4 star hotel - Tibet Hotel **** or the same class or Deluxe 4 star hotel - Lhasa Hotel **** or the same class) (B/L/D)

Chengdu: Transfer to airport for flight to Chengdu where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

1 night accommodation in Chengdu. (Standard 4 star hotel - Yihe Dynasty Hotel **** or the same class or Deluxe 4 star hotel -Tibet Hotel Chengdu **** or the same class) (B/-/-)

Shanghai: Visit the Jinsha Museum, Panda Reserve and Wuhou Memorial Hall. Take an evening flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, meet and transfer to hotel. The Jinsha museum showcases a trove of ancient Chinese treasure of gold human figurines, fish shape belts, copper hoes, jade axes, jewellery and other relicts from the prosperous Shang and Zhou dynasties. The site is one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 21st century in China. The Panda Research Centre covers an area of 92 acres and in addition to the Pandas; the Centre also cares for other rare and endangered wild animals. Giant pandas, lesser pandas, black-necked cranes, white storks as well as over 20 species of rare animals are fed and bred there throughout the year.

The Wuhou Memorial Hall and Temple of Marquis Wu, which is located in the south of Chengdu, is a famous historical site dedicated to the memory of both Liu Bei (161-223), Emperor of the Kingdom of Shu in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), and Zhuge Liang (181-234), Prime Minister of the kingdom.

Transfer to airport for your flight to Shanghai where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. 3 nights accommodation in Shanghai. (Standard 4 star hotel - Best Western New Century Hotel **** or the same class or Deluxe 4 star hotel - Hotel Equatorial Shanghai or the same class) (B/L/-)

Shanghai: Full day tour. Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, Nanjing Road and the Bund. The Jade Buddha Temple in west Shanghai was built to house two jade Buddha statues, brought all the way from Burma by a monk. Yu Garden, a classical garden in downtown Shanghai, boasts a history over 400 years. Each pavilion, hall, stone and stream in the garden is expressing the quintessence of South China landscape design from Ming and Qing Dynasty. Located along the Huangpu River, the Bund shows off Shanghai's outstanding foreign buildings, most of which were erected before 1937. Nanjing Road is the main shopping street of Shanghai and one of the world's busiest shopping streets. (B/L/-)

Shanghai: Private car tour to Suzhou. Visit the Lingering Garden, Tiger Hill, Grand Canal Cruise and Silk Factory. Lingering Garden is one of the four most famous gardens in China. The garden was first built in the 21st year of the reign of Wanli (1593) by Xu Taishi as his private residence. Tiger Hill, known also as Surging Sea Hill, is a large hillock covering some 14,100 square metres (over three acres) and is 36 metres (118 feet) in height. Climbing the hill, you will find a number of historical sites some of which can be traced back over 2,500 years to the founding of Suzhou. The Grand Canal, or the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, was a giant irrigation project of ancient China. With a history of over 1,400 years and a length of 1,794 kilometers, it is one of the world's oldest canals and is the longest man-made river in the world. (B/L/-)

Hong Kong: Transfer to airport for your flight to Hong Kong where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. 2 nights accommodation in HKG (Standard 4 star Hotel - InterContinental Grand Stanford or 5 star Hotel - Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel) (B/-/-)

Hong Kong: Hong Kong Island Orientation Coach Tour. (B/-/-)

Hong Kong: Transfer to airport for your flight back to the U.K. (B)

Arrive in the U.K.