Tour Duration: 10 day(s)
Group Size: 11 - 99 people
Specialty Categories: Railway Trips
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No

China is located in Asia bordering Russia in the north and Vietnam, Burma and Laos in the south. The three main rivers are Huang He (The Yellow River), Chang Jiang (The Yangtze River) and Mekong (The Pearl River). Beijing is the Capital City of China and the largest cities include Shanghai and Guangzhou. The current population is estimated to have reached 1.27 billion.

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Beijing

Passengers are met upon arrival in Beijing and transferred to the Peninsula Palace Hotel, or similar, for a one-night stay. Afternoon sightseeing programme includes the Great Wall and an evening visit to Tiananmen Square. Dinner at a restaurant by the Square.

Day 2: Beijing

After breakfast we spend the morning on a tour of Beijing, including the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City, before transferring to Beijing’s main station in time for a mid-afternoon departure of our private China Orient Express train.

Day 3: Xian

Lunch time arrival in the ancient city of Xian, capital of China during the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties and today’s capital of the Shaanxi Province. We spend the morning visiting the world-famous Terracotta Warriors, considered one of the new Wonders of the World. Dinner time departure.

Day 4: Chengdu

After lunch we arrive in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province and home of the Giant Panda. During our city tour we visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Institute.

Day 5: Chongqing

Early arrival in Chongqing, where we transfer to one of the best available boats for our two-and-a half day cruise through the Three Gorges. We visit Fengdu Ghost City with its 75 temples from the Tang Dynasty.

Day 6: Three Gorges Cruise

Cruising the Yangtze River, we pass though the eight-km Qutang gorge, which is the narrowest and most spectacular of the three gorges. We continue into the 44-km Wu Xia gorge. In the afternoon we visit Shennong and then take a short excursion into one of the smaller gorges before entering the western part of the 75-km Xinling gorge.

Day 7: Three Gorges/Yichang

We pass through the eastern Xinling gorge and visit the Three Gorges Dam project before our lunchtime arrival in Yichang. Afternoon tour of the city. We reboard our awaiting China Orient Expressfor our journey to Guilin.

Day 8: On board

A day on board our China Orient Express showcases the passing countryside of southern China. Enjoy the relaxed pace on board China’s most comfortable train.

Day 9: Guilin

Early morning we arrive in the enchanting city of Guilin, where we spend the day. Situated on the Li River in some of the finest scenery in the world, we take a cruise on the river amongst the strange karst rock formations that adorn the covers of so many books on China. Our tour also includes a visit to the 600,000-year old Yudi Lan (Reed Flute) Cave on the outskirts of the city. We reboard our train and depart for Hong Kong.

Day 10: Guangzhou/Shenzhen

Morning arrival in Guangzhou where we spend the morning and have lunch in the city before a mid-afternoon departure for Shenzhen. On arrival in Shenzhen we leave the train and cross the border into Hong Kong. Accommodation for tonight is in a centrally located five-star hotel. Farewell dinner in Hong Kong.

Day 11: Hong Kong. The tour ends with a morning tour of Hong Kong Island.