China Last Minute Holiday
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Beijing
On arrival, you will be met by one of our representatives, so be sure to keep an eye out for the sign with your name! They will transfer you to a traditional hotel in the center of the city with fruit and magnolia trees in the courtyard. We only use small-scale properties with local charm and plenty of atmosphere so it will be your home away from home during your time in Beijing. Nearby are several large streets with shops and restaurants. Be prepared for a hard bed; you can’t really avoid that in all of China. The afternoon is free to recover from the journey and, if you feel like it, explore the area around your hotel.
Days 2 – Exploring Beijing
After breakfast you are free to explore the city yourself. In the morning go to the Temple of Heaven, to see the old people of the city wake up with Taichi, Majong and singing and dancing. Then you visit the Lama Temple and learn more about Tibetan Lama Buddhism. In the smell of incense and sandalwood you walk past red temple houses and curling pagodas. Around noon you usually arrive at Tian’anmen Square, or the Square of Heavenly Peace. Adjacent to the square is The Forbidden City, where you can walk through at your own pace. The highlights in Beijing can be visited easily and cheaply by metro.
Please note: The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays and advance ticket reservations are required.
Day 3 – Great Wall Walking Tour
The Great Wall of China is of course a must during your trip. You leave Beijing early and go to a quieter part of the Wall, about three hours drive outside the city. Here you walk 5 kilometers on the Wall, a tough but easy walk. It takes about 3 hours, during which you climb a long way and then descend a long way. Because it is not busy here and you walk a long way on the Wall, you really get a sense of the vastness of the Great Wall. At the end point you will be met and you will return to the hustle and bustle of Beijing, arriving at approximately 18:30.
Day 4 – Take the train from Beijing to Pingyao
Nowadays you can travel fast and easy with the Chinese bullet train. We reserve a transfer to the train station in time, so you still have time to eat something and buy some snacks at the station.
You meet your (often Chinese) fellow travelers and depart with the high-speed train from Beijing-West station. We reserve second class seats and before you know it you arrive in Pingyao four hours later. There are several trains per day, we always try to book a train that still gives you the opportunity to wake up comfortably and have breakfast.
Day 5 – Stay in Pingyao
If you get up early, you will see Pingyao wake up and you will be ahead of many of the Chinese tourists who can flood the old city in waves. This way you will discover new squares, temples and courtyards again and again. The area around the Ming city of Pingyao is not very interesting in our opinion, but the exception to this is the old Buddhist Zhenguo lotus temple. Combine the Zhenguo temple with the courtyard house of the Qiao family, with 25 squares and 300 rooms, by private car (bookable locally). It is now a museum and is located north of Pingyao. The famous film ‘Raise the Red Lantern’ was filmed here. A bit touristy, but the house and the exhibited attributes are interesting.
Day 6 – Depart Pingyao and arrive Xi’an
Today you leave for Xi’an. We take you to the train station and three hours later you arrive in Xi’an. Then the driver takes you to your comfortable hotel in the city center of Xi’an. Close to the hotel you will find the famous Belltower, which is considered the center of the city. We liked to climb the Drumtower in addition to the Belltower and give a beat on the drum. Demonstrations are given a few times a day. At dusk you have a beautiful view of the city and the Muslim quarter from here.
Day 7 – Visit the Terracotta Army
This morning you will be picked up around 09:00 and go to the excavation site of an estimated 7000 clay soldiers, horses and carriages; the Terracotta Army. It is located about 40 minutes outside the city and was built by order of the fourteen year old King Zheng as his future tomb. Start in hall 3, then 2 then 1, then you will see the largest and most impressive part last.
Early afternoon you are back in the city, and you can choose to go cycling on the wide city wall. The ‘south gate’ is the best starting point where you can rent bikes for a few euros.
Day 8 – Travel to Guilin
Today you will travel south towards Guilin. You will do this by bullet train. We will reserve a transfer to the train station of Xi’an. Make sure you have some food and drinks because you will be on the road for a while. There is a restaurant car on the train. Chinese meals are served here.
Upon arrival in Guilin, our driver will be waiting for you and take you to your hotel in Yangshuo.
Day 9 – Exploring Yangshuo
Today you have the whole day at your leisure: Recover from the long train journey. But there is also plenty to do in this area. You can rent kayaks through the hotel, go cycling for another day and go out on your own or follow an hour of Kungfu. Ask us about the possibilities.
In the evening, another spectacle takes place on and along the Li and Yulong rivers. Zhang Yimou, China’s most famous director, has created a show here in the open air between the mountains and the river, in which no less than 500 actors perform a Chinese love story, with the surrounding mountains spectacularly illuminated. The director is best known for his role in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. The show can be seen daily from 20:00 to 21:00.
Day 10 – Bicycle tour and bamboo boat excursion along the Yulong River
Today a bike excursion and bamboo boat trip on the Yulong River are on the program. We arrange a bike, the boat and an English-speaking guide for you. He tells you more about life here and cycles with you. On the bike you leave the main roads and ride on paths along the river, through fields and rice fields, with different karst mountains in the background. In villages that you pass you can eat or drink something. You cycle to the place where your bamboo raft is ready. Please note that bamboo sailing has become a popular activity, also for the Chinese themselves, which means that it can be busy on the water. After a few kilometers of sailing you get back on your bike and pedal towards the ‘Moon Hill’ (entrance fee not included).
Day 11 – Yangshuo to Ping’an
In the morning you will be picked up for the transfer via Guilin northwards to the Longji rice terraces. The village of Ping’an is located in the middle and can only be reached on foot. You will be met and then walk to the village in twenty minutes. If you do not want to lug your luggage, there are local porters who can help you for about 50 Yuan. Around lunchtime you will be in the village of Ping’an, where you will stay in a lovely hotel with a view over the rice fields! In the afternoon, take a walk near the village to the two viewpoints. On the way you will encounter the Zhuang. This local minority group introduced the terrace irrigation system for rice cultivation that you see here now, about 5000 years ago. Nowadays many tourists come to Ping’an so you are never the only visitor. However, if you walk out of the village and walk onto the rice terraces, you will soon encounter few people and you can enjoy the beautiful views in peace.
Day 12 – Stay in Ping’an
Breakfast in the morning with a view; the mists between the mountains disappear before your eyes. Around 09:00 you leave with the guide for a day of walking through the world’s highest and most extensive rice terraces; the Dragon’s Backbone or Longji. The walk is not difficult. You mainly walk between the rice terraces, but sometimes also through a forest or along viewpoints. The Zhuang minority is working on the rice fields. They push their oxen through the mud. Around noon you rest and eat something in a hamlet and then you walk for another two hours. From this end point you take a taxi back to the village, from where you walk back to the hotel with your guide. In the evening you often see the sun set from the veranda.
Day 13 – Travel to Hong Kong
Today you say goodbye to Ping’an to continue your journey by train to Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong you arrive in the heart of Kowloon. From the station, you can easily take the metro (two stops) or a taxi to the hotel. Hong Kong is easy to navigate as most signs and instructions are in English here.
Day 14 – Stay in Hong Kong
Although Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997, British rules still apply here. This not only means driving on the left, but you can also make yourself understood in English again. Stroll through the diverse and typical Asian markets, visit the Tsim Sha Tsui (Avenue of the Stars) and take a selfie with the bronze statue of Jackie Chan. Take a seat in the steep Peak Tram to Victoria Peak (the highest point in Hong Kong); quite an experience. Of course you can also shop to your heart’s content on Nathan Road and Causeway Bay. Hong Kong, it is and remains a big city with a lot of energy; but you can also escape the hustle and bustle here and flop down on the beach. Don’t expect snow-white sandy beaches and an azure blue sea, but cooling off by the water at one of the many bays is easy
Tip: In the evening around 20:00 you can go to the Avenue of Stars for a special light and sound show, dozens of buildings are illuminated and also supported with extra laser lights. You won’t be busy with this all evening because the show only lasts 15 minutes. Discuss your adventures of the day afterwards while enjoying a cocktail at one of the many rooftop bars…
Day 15 – Departure
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and today your China holiday must draw to a close. You’ll arrange your own transfer to the airport to catch your flight back to the UK.
Accommodation
