Visit the Great Wall of China during your independent China tour

China Travel Modules: Independent China tour

Below you'll find a summary of all the China Online travel modules that you can use to create your own independent China tour. Each China travel module lasts several days. By combining your favourite travel modules you can create a complete, independent China itinerary. We'll arrange transport between the travel modules and if you wish you can shorten or lengthen your stay at each destination. Depending on your preferences you'll travel on domestic flights or by land on (night) trains, (fast) buses, mini buses or by private car. 

Simply select the travel modules you are interested in on our online quote request form. Enjoy a hassle-free start to your independent China tour by booking one of our Easy Going Starter Packs. Just let us know when you’d like to travel and we’ll provide you with a tailored proposal. You can also send us an e-mail with your questions and preferences, info@chinaonline.com.au or call us at 1300 883 549 or (08) 8125 1845. We look forward to helping you plan the China tour of a lifetime!

Prices below are per person and are based on a travelling party of 2. Prices are valid until December 31st 2010. Prices for travel during the Chinese New Year (14 - 15 February 2010) and during the first week of May and October (Chinese holidays) will differ from the prices below. We advise against travelling to China during these periods of time.


Beijing China Tour Easy Going in Beijing

Duration: 4 days, 3 nights
Price: From AUD$379 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

Beijing is the most important city in China and most independent China tour start from here. The morning after your arrival, China Online will arrange for you to be taken on a morning tour with an English speaking guide to a few of Beijing's highlights such as the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Mao Zhedong Museum. Your guide will answer any question you may have about these attractions and will translate anything you’d like to know but can't read. The following day we’ll arrange for you to visit the Great Wall of China, the main highlight of every China tour. During this China tour you'll go on a 10km walk over the wall and through the surrounding mountains. 

Click here for a full description of this Beijing independent China tour.

China Tour - Beijing starter pack
China Tour - Shanghai

Shanghai China Tour Easy Going in Shanghai

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Price: From AUD$195 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

Shanghai’s evolution is truly astounding. Walking through this city you can hardly imagine that in the 70’s Chinese were sent to prison for selling flowers. It was considered an act of capitalism. These days you’ll see flower stands everywhere you look. While in Shanghai, stay in a historic hotel on the Bund. For those still doubting between visits to Shanghai or Hong Kong….. the difference between these two cosmopolitan cities is that Hong Kong can be found at the crossing of several travel routes and it was greatly influenced by the British colonialisation of the west. Shanghai on the other hand, was shut off from civilisation for a long period of time and you’ll only see the city if you’re travelling through China. China’s most important museum, which offers a great deal of information on the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution or in other words- the Mao era- can be found in Shanghai.

Click here for a full description of this Shanghai independent China tour.

Hong Kong China Tour Easy Going in Hong Kong

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Price: From AUD$125 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

Everyone should visit Hong Kong at some point or another in their lifetime. Officially Hong Kong is a part of China, but on the other hand it’s remarkably un-Chinese. Visit Hong Kong during your independent China tour and see a wide variety of skyscrapers, countless shopping malls, a massive amount of Chinese signs, fast-walking high-powered Chinese business women on cell phones and shop windows filled with the strangest looking food you’ve ever seen. It is also home to incredibly photogenic places such as Hong Kong Island where the typical Chinese junks are docked. Catch the Star Ferry and enjoy your very own harbour cruise for only $4. Aberdeen harbour offers a wonderful view of Victoria Peak that you won’t want to miss. Spend the night in downtown Kowloon, on a beach on Lantau Island or in style at the up-scale Harbour View hotel (which can also be booked in Kowloon).

Click here for a full description of this Hong Kong independent China tour.

China Tour - Hong Kong
China Tour - Zen Gardens

Independent China Tour Shanghai Zen Gardens and Waterways

Duration: 4 days, 3 nights
Price: From AUD$489 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

This independent China tour combines a visit to Shanghai with a visit to the picturesque towns known for their waterways and well-maintained gardens. On arrival in Shanghai a private chauffeur and guide will take you to the countryside where you’ll sleep in a village with canals instead of roads. Many commuters stuck in daily traffic jams will be jealous: the local inhabitants live on the water and the common means of transport is a boat parked in front of each door. The following day you’ll travel on to Suzhou, a town with serene water gardens and Buddhist temples, red lanterns, stone bridges and ponds filled with carp and turtles. From here you’ll board a high-speed TGV train for an hour-long ride through fertile farmland on your way back to Shanghai. In Shanghai, you’ll spend 2 nights in our colonial hotel on the boulevard in the middle of the city. For just a little while you’ll live on a waterway and you’ll get a taste of this active, cosmopolitan harbour city.

Click here for a full description of this Shanghai independent China tour.

Independent China Tour in Xi'an Terracotta Army and Drum Towers

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights (1 night is also possible)
Price: From AUD195 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

Xi'an is world famous for its Terracotta Army made up of 8000 soldiers, 520 horses and 130 chariots made of clay and discovered by farmers in 1974. This unique display of eastern craft is actually a collection of royal tomb funerary statues created for a 14 year old Qin dynasty emperor. Excavations are still underway to this day. During the Tang dynasty, Xi'an was the capital of China. It has a small, compact city centre surrounded by city walls; this makes for quick and easy navigation by independent travellers. The Muslim district is known for its culinary delicacies and Xi’an’s city wall is so broad that you can go on bike rides around it. This city has much to offer any traveller.... 

Click here for a full description of this Xi'an independent China tour.

China Tours - Terracotta Army
China Tour - The Panda Research Centre

Independent China Tour in Chengdu Panda Bears and Tea Houses

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Price: From AUD$129 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

Chengdu is home to the Panda Breeding Centre, a research facility for giant panda’s. This is one of the few areas in the world where you can get up close and personal with these amazing king-size teddy bears. Chengdu is also home to tea houses and temples and has quite a hot ‘n spicy Sichuan kitchen. While in Chengdu, try a 'hotpot'. Use your chopsticks to scoop up all kinds of meat and vegetables from a boiling pot of broth in the middle of the table. During the cold winters in northern China, catch a direct flight to Chengdu in southern China to warm up.

Click here for a full description of this Chengdu independent China tour.

Independent China Tour near Shanghai Putuoshan... the Island that Time Forgot

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Price: From AUD$305 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

Many travellers end their China holiday in Shanghai, however this cosmopolitan harbour city isn’t known as a place of tranquillity. The island of Putuoshan is only a two-hour boat ride from Shanghai. It’s a peaceful location filled with old temples, pagoda’s and deserted beaches. Putuoshan isn’t a tropical island and since the Chinese do not sunbath, the beaches are usually deserted. Walk through the old towns, visit the old temples and meet the friendly inhabitants that would love to play a game of mah-jong with you on the street.

Click here for a full description of this Putuoshan Island independent China tour.

China Tour - Putuoshan Island
China Tour - Monks and Monasteries

Independent China Tour in Xiahe Monks on the Grassy Plains

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Price: From AUD$699 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily
This module is a breath of fresh air during a China trip laden with visits to northern Chinese cities. Visit Xiahe at an altitude of 3000m where many Tibetans, not only monks, live near the Labrang Monastery which lies nearby. Buddhist traditions are completely ingrained in this city and the entire city feels like one large monastery. Don't miss a walk along Labrang’s pilgrim route (1174 prayer mills). Explore the highlands by jeep and meet the nomads that live in this harsh environment. You'll feel very ‘Zen’ after experiencing this module.

Click here for a full description of this Xiahe independent China tour.

 

Independent China Tour to Pingyao Raise the Red Lantern

Duration: 4 days, 3 nights
Price: From AUD$259 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily
Route : Beijing - Pingyao - Xi'an

Between Beijing and Xi'an lies Pingyao; one of the best kept secret towns dating back to the Ming dynasty. This is China as you may have seen it in movies such as 'Raise the red lantern'. The picturesque centre is small, compact and surrounded by the original city walls. Spend hours roaming around the city; there are no planned excursions during this module. You’ll have all the time you need to explore the city on your own. Stay in a small, charming and stylish courtyard hotel with a patio. In the evening the red lanterns will be lit, they’re sure to cast a magical glow on your stay here.

Click here for a full description of this Pingyao independent China tour.

China Tour - Pingyao
China Tour - Chinese nomads

Independent China Tour Xiahe to Chengdu Yak Herders and Nomadic Villages

Duration: 4 days, 3 nights
Price: From AUD$699 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

This four day independent China tour takes you straight through the Sichuan province countryside. This trip begins in the remote town of Xiahe, since many travellers choose to book the ‘Tibetan monks and monasteries' module prior to this one. Then travel with a guide to Langmusi, known for the macabre 'sky burials'; a tradition in which the deceased is ‘given’ to the birds. Grassy plains, mountains and nomadic villages are abundant in this area. Say goodbye to your driver and guide in Songpan and spend two nights in this quiet Chinese village where there are more sheep, yaks and horses than people. Visit a horse festival, the horse market or go on a horse trek for a day or so. Finally, a bus will take you from Songpan to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan.

Click here for a full description of this Chengdu independent China tour.

Independent China Tour from Chengdu Ice Mountain Horseback Trek

Duration: 5 days, 4 nights
Price: From AUD$269 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

If you’re adventurous at heart you may be interested in a horseback ride into a remote part of China, far away from modernisation and the hustle and bustle of the cities. Horseback riding experience is not necessary. You’ll ride on horseback for three days through a mountain territory without roads along with other travellers and guides until you reach the glacier at Ice Mountain. Along the way you’ll climb 1000m and you’ll spend the nights like the nomads do; in a tent with a bed made of shrubberies and horse and yak skins. The guides will set up camp, cook the meals and will even tuck you in at night. You may experience some of the sore bottom blues after this trip and walk a bit uneasily for a day afterwards; however you’ll never forget this unique experience!

Click here for a full description of this Songpan independent China tour.

China Tours - Ice Mountain
China Tours - The Stone Forest

Independent China Tour Kunming Stone Forest Stargazing

Duration: 2 days, 1 night
Price:

From AUD$135 per person - based on 2 people sharing

Departure: Daily

The Stone Forest is a national park featuring spectacular rock formations that change colours magically (especially during sunrise and sunset). During the day the park is filled with large numbers of Chinese tour groups. Therefore we don't offer the standard day trip to the park. Instead, we offer an accommodation right next to the park. This is the only accommodation in the area and the place to be for a back-to-basics experience. Before and after the crowds appear, the park is yours alone (and perhaps a few others). Be sure to enjoy the enormous shadows that appear at sunset; an unforgettable natural phenomenon. Some rock peaks are 30m high and have the most unusual shapes; at times they seem to look like petrified trees.
 
Click here for a full description of this Stone Forrest independent China tour.

Independent China Tour in Yangshuo (Guanxi province) Bamboo Sailing through Karst Mountains

Duration: 4 days, 3 nights
Price: From AUD219 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

This module takes place in the most breathtaking scenery in China. Much like Beijing, this area definitely deserves a spot on your itinerary. Lazily flowing rivers run through a multitude of karst mountains rising straight up into the heavens from an otherwise flat landscape. You’ll spend the night in the countryside town of Yangshuo, surrounded by farmland and rice paddies. We’ll arrange a bike tour and a bamboo boat ride on the Yulong River; you'll have an entire day to explore this incredible area. 

Click here for a full description of this Yangshuo independent China tour.

China Tour - Boat rides thorugh karst mountains

China Tour - Visit the rice terraces

Independent China Tour in Ping'an Rice Terraces and Zhuang Villages

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Price: From AUD$259 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

This module is the icing on the cake after your stay in Yangshuo’s karst area. During a hectic trip, this area provides you with a 'holiday feeling'. Ping’an’s rice terraces, along with those of Banaue in the Philippines, are the world’s highest altitude paddy-fields. Spend two nights in a no-frills, yet cosy guest house amidst the paddy-fields. The village Ping'an lies in the mountains and can only be reached on foot; there are no roads leading to the village. The day after your arrival, trek through the terraces with a guide. Cross through several mountain passes filled with paddy-fields and water wheels. Watch farmers ploughing the fields with buffalos, women standing knee high in mud wearing traditional dress and meet the Longhair Ladies, who have traditionally grown their hair and wear it in circles around their heads.

Click here for a full description of this Ping'an independent China tour

Independent China Tour in Dali
Bai Villages by Lakeside

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Price: From AUD$145 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

Lijiang and Dali are both home to a large number of minority inhabitants. The Bai and the Yi minorities, truly beautiful people with very traditional lifestyles, live on Erhai Lake in Dali. Have a seat on a boulder and enjoy people-watching at the market place, go bike riding through farmland, visit remote villages during a trek through the mountains or go on a boat ride over the lake. Whatever you decide to do at the market, on a bike, on a lake or in the mountains, you can arrange it all easily on your own in Dali. Nothing is planned ahead of time and you'll be able to explore it all on your own. While in China you'll travel around quite a bit and you'll cover great distances. Here, in the Yunnan province, you'll travel by land during the day. This China tour is one of our most laid-back and relaxing modules available.

Click here for a full description of this Dali  independent China tour.

China Tour - Bai and Yi minorities in Dali

China Tour - Lijiang lanterns

Independent China Tour in Lijiang Lanterns in Lijiang

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Price: From AUD$169 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

Lijiang is the most important attraction in China’s most beautiful province. The ancient city centre where the Naxi minority lives is a fairy tale-like scene of canals, bridges, red lanterns and small wooden houses. Large numbers of Chinese come here to enjoy the atmosphere of days gone by. Lijiang lies in the foothills of the Himalayas and is the perfect starting point for a bike ride through the flat area with a guide and nothing but blue skies, mountains and Chinese country life surrounding you. From Lijiang, travel on towards the Tiger Leaping Gorge for a memorable trek (see below) towards Zhongdian and Tibet (see below) or south towards the Bai villages by the lake.

Click here for a full description of this Lijiang independent China tour.

Independent China Tour near Lijiang Tiger Leaping Gorge

Duration: 2 days/ 1 night
Price: From AUD$149 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

Are you an active outdoors person? Do you have some spare time between April and October and are you planning a visit to Lijiang, China? Go on an amazing trek through the peaceful Himalayan foothills starting at Tiger Leaping Gorge, three hours by car from Lijiang. During the two day journey, hike the trail with a guide along the top of the gorge at an altitude of 2500m above the Yangtze River. Spend the night halfway along the trail in a guest house. During your trek you’ll pass paddy-fields, villages and of course you’ll see the famous white snowy peaks of the Himalayas everywhere. This is one part of your China holiday that you'll never forget.

Click here for a full description of this Tiger Leaping Gorge independent China tour.

China Tour - Tiger Leaping Gorge

China Tour - Hainan Island

Independent China Tour on Hainan Island, south of Canton Hainan Island Beach Paradise

Duration: 4 days, 3 nights
Price: From AUD$295 per person - based on 2 people sharing
Departure: Daily

Looking for a tropical beach to spend your last few days in China on? Look no further. Fly to Hainan Island and spend a few pleasurable days at a comfortable tropical island resort surrounded by white sandy beaches and palm trees. Beaches are probably not top of mind when you think of China, however they offer quite a relaxing element to your China holiday. Hainan may not be as entertaining as islands in Thailand or Malaysia; however it has a beautiful beach, peace and quiet and you can even dive or surf here. Temperatures on Hainan are pleasant all year long. There is some rain during our summer; however spring, fall and mainly our winter are excellent for visits to Hainan. End your China trip on these tropical beaches and recharge your inner sun-battery before returning to cloudy skies back home.

Click here for a full description of this Hainan Island independent China tour.

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