Essential China and Hong Kong

Experience the vast contrasts that Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong have to offer with the old and new contradicting each other constantly. Stunning colonial buildings and contemporary high rise developments bringing both an eastern and western feel to these beautiful cities. This itinerary is perfect for travelers wanting to experience the main cities of China as well its ancient attractions and culture.

Walk around the modern city of Hong Kong with its many skyscrapers, wonder at the mystery of the ancient terracotta army in Xian, and marvel at Beijing - home of one of the one of the great wonders of the world ‘The Great Wall of China’. While on the wall, we loved finding quiet spot and taking the time to truly appreciate the dedication it would have taken to build the 8000 kilometers long masterpiece. Towards the end of your journey you will arrive into bustling Shanghai, home to over 20 million people - wander through this immense city and find the many hidden streets filled with the delicious aroma of authentic cuisine. In the early morning, be sure to keep your eye out for the locals practicing their morning tai chi along the bund with the spectacular Yangtze River in the back ground.

Duration: 12 days/ 11 nights  Departure: Daily
Comfort Level (1-5): 3 (see accommodation) Accommodation: Comfortable and characteristic hotels and 2 nights in a night train
Price: From $1995 per person - based on 2 people sharing   Included: Transport, accommodation, 1 domestic flight,  transfers and excursions as described below
Transport: As described below Excluded: International flight, (airport) taxes, meals and drinks, entrance fees, transfers as described in itinerary
* Please note some airfares from Australia can include your flight from Hong Kong to Xian which could reduce your costing by approximately 
$350AUD per person. Please contact our office for further information.

Day 1: Arrive Hong Kong


The ultramodern airport Chep Lap Kok lies on the island of Lantau, approximately 45 minutes by car from Kowloon. Every major city in China has flights to Chep Lap Kok airport. After arrival in Hong Kong, many of our travellers appreciated having someone there to greet them with a sign featuring their name and to take them to their hotel (we also appreciated it while we were in Hong Kong).

An alternate airport in the Hong Kong area is the Canton (Guangzhou) airport. It’s located 2 hours away from Kowloon. It’s cheaper to fly to this airport and there are plenty of trains, busses and ferry’s to take you to Kowloon. If you rather take this route to save some money, let us know and we can arrange it for you. A direct flight into Hong Kong however is faster and easier.

Day 2: Hong Kong

After a nice sleep in you have the whole day to explore this unique city of Hong Kong, we have put below the top 5 attractions but there are also plenty more activites/sites in this city to see plus its great for shopping.

Top 5 Hong Kong attractions:

1. Take the ferry from Kowloon and then the tram to Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island. Here you’ll be able to enjoy the view of the famous Hong Kong skyline.
2. Visit the various markets in the city such as the Temple Street Market, Ladies Market or the Bird Market.
3. Head towards Lan Kwai Fong in the evening. This is the happening place to be in the evening and is visited by a mix of Chinese and expats.
4. Visit the Sai Kung peninsula beach
5. Set the alarm on your watch or cell phone for 20:00 to remind you to watch the Symphony of Lights, a laser-light show that casts a rainbow of colours on all of the buildings along the dock

Day 3: Hong Kong - Xian

Early this morning you will depart Hong Kong and board your flight to Xian. On arrival at the Xi’an Airport you will be met by one of our representatives and taken to your hotel. Small, charming hotels were hard to come by in this area and the three star hotels we visited were not that well maintained. Therefore we’ve selected a number of larger, centrally located, comfortable four-star hotels for you to stay at and these are still quite affordable.

After arrival, you’ll have some time to freshen up from your train or plane trip. We highly recommend a visit to the Bell Tower Hotel for a wonderful lunch buffet with a great variety of dishes for only about $16 per person. The names and descriptions of each dish are indicated and you’re sure to eat more than your fill. Be sure to reach the hotel at 12:00 since the Chinese have early lunches. Afterwards you can stroll through the city and across the large boulevards. The heart of the city is the large Bell Tower in the middle of the traffic intersection.

Day 4: Xian - Terracotta army excursion

You’ll be picked up at your hotel at 9:00 this morning for a visit to one of China’s top attractions, the incredible Terracotta Army. The best way to see this attraction is by private tour without a guide and this is exactly how we’ve arranged this excursion for you. The excavation site is approximately 40 minutes from the city and is located in a large park.

The Terracotta Leger was discovered by farmers in 1974. They stumbled upon approximately 8000 clay soldiers, horses and chariots that were once built at the request of the then fourteen year old King Zheng for his future royal tomb.

Start in hall 3, then visit hall 2 and finally hall 1. This way you’ll save the largest and most impressive part of the excavation site for last. Visit the museum and the souvenir stands with kitsch clay soldiers, horses, weapons and other trinkets. The replicas are made in all types and all sizes and shipped all over the world. Despite the crowds all of this is more than worth the visit.

Day 5: Xian - Beijing with overnight train

Today you will have the entire day to explore the city of Xian, perhaps have a walk around the town, finding souveniers or just relax in a nice cafe and watch the world go by. Tonight you board the train from Xian to Beijing, the train departs Xian at 6pm and arrives into Beijing at 6:30am giving you the whole day in Bejiing. 

Day 6: Arrival Beijing

One of our local representatives will be waiting for you at the train station holding a sign with your name on it; our representative will take you to your hotel. In keeping with local style, you'll stay in a traditional courtyard hotel with fruit trees, magnolias and flowers. The small scale and architecture of these hotels is quite charming. The staff at the reception area is quite well versed in English, very helpful and very friendly. Be prepared for a very hard bed, unfortunately all beds are in China. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish and there are plenty of shopping opporunities in the large streets around your hotel.

Day 7: Beijing

Time to explore Beijing by car with a driver and an English speaking guide; you'll be met at your hotel at 8:30 in the morning. Your first stop is Tian'anmen Square: Gate of Heavenly Peace. This famous square where buildings of parliament are found as well as the entrance to the Forbidden City and Mao Zhedong's mausoleum is most likely the first place you'd want to visit. After a rest stop you'll visit the Temple of Heavenly Peace (entrance fee 35 Yuan, approximately $7) and the colourful Lama Temple (entrance fee $5); Beijing's most important temples. You'll walk among red pagodas, monks and prayer houses with the scent of incense and sandalwood all around you. Since you will have a guide accompanying you, you not only can ask him everything about Beijing, you can also ask him any practical questions you may have. For instance, when you're visiting Tian'anmen around 12:30 when your driver sends you on your way you can ask your guide to give you tips on the best places to visit for lunch.

During the afternoon you'll walk along with your guide into the Forbidden City where you'll have a look at the 18th century residence of the emperor (open until 16:00, entrance fee approximately $15). Once you've seen all you wish to see, your guide will help you find a taxi cab back to your hotel (approximately $3). While travelling in China, be sure to always bring along a business card from the hotel you'll stay at in China.... taxi drivers may not always understand you and a business card can get you back to your hotel.

Day 8: Beijing - Great Wall of China walking tour

Most travellers will agree that the Great Wall of China should be a part of every China trip; however many parts of the wall are magnets for mass tourism. You'll leave Beijing early in the morning and you'll head towards a quiet part of the wall, about three hours from Beijing. Here you'll walk along the wall for about 10km; it's quite a vigorous walk and not appropriate for people with fear of heights, and should take about four hours. The start of your walk will be heading up-hill, and towards the end you will be gradually descending. Many parts of the wall are still the original wall segments which have not been restored. Since this area is less frequently visited and you'll be spending quite some time on the wall, you'll really get a feel for the sheer size of the Great Wall. At the end of the route you'll encounter the busy Beijing streets once again; arrival will be around 18:30.

If 10km is a bit much for you to walk during your holidays, we can make reservations for you to visit a part of the wall where you'll begin and end at the same part of the wall. This will enable you to walk as little or as much as you would like to. This part of the wall is a little more crowded than the other part of the wall which 10km walk originates from, with more souvenir stores and Chinese tourists.

Day 9: Beijing - Shanghai

Today you'll have another day at leisure in Beijing. After your walk on the Great Wall of China yesterday, your muscles may be a bit stiff. If you'd like to spend the day in peace and quiet, you may want to take a taxi cab to Beihei City Park to visit the classical Chinese gardens or you can visit the Summer Palace. This estate is located about 40 minutes from Beijing (a taxi cab will cost you $8 -$15 depending on how much traffic is on the road) and was once the Emperor's Family getaway. The entrance fee is 30 Yuan or 50 Yuan if you want to visit the Garden of Virtue and Harmony as well. If you want to spend your day more actively, perhaps you could go for a walk or ride a bike in Beijing's old neighbourhoods, the hutongs.

Head back to your hotel around 15:00, where you'll be picked up at around 17:00 and taken to the train station. Once on board you'll find it difficult not to fall asleep to the rhythmic sound of the train rolling over the tracks.

Day 10: Arrival Shanghai

You’ll stay at one of the older hotels in Shanghai. The historic atmosphere has been maintained by keeping the wooden floors and the cables that help support the roof. The location is ideal at Suzhou Creek at only a stone throw distance from the Bund. In the evening simply exit the hotel and you’ll be on Shanghai boulevard, the Bund.

The hotel has a restaurant and an Internet café (this is convenient if your trip ends here and you’d like to reconfirm your return flight). All rooms have been renovated and have air conditioning, TV and high ceilings. You may want to prepare yourself for the hard beds; unfortunately this is quite common in China. Transportation into the city is best done by taxi cab, you’ll never spend more than 15 Yuan ($3). You can also take the metro (there are two metro lines), however it’s best to avoid the chaotic city buses. A taxi cab can quickly take you to the old city centre, however you may be drawn to the river boulevard, the Bund, first. There is a bar/restaurant terrace near your hotel with a spectacular view of the Bund (which is illuminated until 23:00) and the Pudong skyline.

Day 11: Shanghai

Enjoy a day at leisure to explore the city of Shanghai; walking past the large classic colonial buildings, which you’ll be doing along with quite a few Chinese, you’ll get an impression of 18th and 19th century China. In those days Shanghai traded with the French, Portuguese and Dutch free harbours (concessions), but trade was bound to very strict rules. These days there are few rules and trade is booming. International fashion stores and yuppie bars are found side by side in beautifully renovated buildings, such as the infamous Peace hotel. You can find watches here worth a Chinese mid-size car or you can buy the latest popular software versions for about $6.

Day 12: Shanghai - End of itinerary

All good things must come to an end. Today, with a sigh, you can either continue on your stay in China, we suggest the Zen Gardens and Waterways near Shanghai or make your way to the airport and catch your flight back to Australia. 
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