China Group Exploration 27D/26N

Arrival in Hong Kong and check-in

Welcome to Hong Kong! Make your way into your accommodation and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Victoria Peak and bullet train/ bus to Yangshuo

Meet your group at the hostel and head to the iconic Victoria Peak. Enjoy incredible views of the city and listen to a welcome and safety briefing. Return to your hostel to check-out and later cross the border into Mainland China, taking a 3-hour train (to Guilin) and a bus to get to Yangshuo.

Bamboo rafting down the Li River and other activities

Arrive in Yangshuo and check-in. The area is famous for its unbelievable karst scenery and its breathtaking landscape of rivers, rice paddies, and limestone peaks. For the next three days, you will go bamboo rafting down the Li River (included) and take part in several other optional activities, such as kayaking, deep water soloing, cooking lessons, and visits to traditional villages.

Bamboo rafting down the Li River and other activities

Go bamboo rafting down the Li River and take part in several other optional activities.

Bamboo rafting down the Li River and other activities

Go bamboo rafting down the Li River and take part in several other optional activities.

Transfer to Guilin and Chengdu

This morning, you will take a bus to Guilin, and then a 7-hour train to Chengdu. Take the metro to get to your hostel.

Arrival in Chengdu and optional activities

Arrive in Chengdu and meet your adventure leader. Enjoy an optional massage from a blind physical therapist before taking your first free Mandarin language lesson. Later, try a traditional Sichuan Hotpot for dinner, where you cook meats and veggies by dipping them into a boiling pot of spicy broth.

Panda Breeding Research Centre in the morning and free time to visit local attractions

This morning you will visit the world’s main and biggest Panda Breeding Research Centre, arriving just in time to watch these iconic creatures enjoy a delicious bamboo breakfast.

Later, enjoy some free time to visit local attractions, such as the world’s largest stone Buddha in Leshan or Chengdu’s Tibetan quarter, with several shops and cafes.

Choose between different visits

On your last morning in Chengdu, choose between volunteering at Autism Children Rehabilitation Center, or visiting Wenshu Monastery, Sichuan Province Museum, People’s Park and a traditional Tea House

Head to the train station to board the bullet train to Xi’an.

Free morning and optional bike tour

Welcome to Xi’an. Meet your Adventure Leader check-in. Enjoy a free morning and then join an optional bike tour around the ancient Ming Dynasty City Walls. Explore the Muslim Quarter and try the delights of its street food carts. Don’t miss the lamb skewers! You’ll also have the chance to visit the Silk Road Market.

Visit the Terracotta Warriors.

Today you will visit the iconic Terracotta Warriors a full-sized stone army designed to protect Emperor Qin in the afterlife.

In the evening, experience a Chinese-style night of fun and visit the Big Goose Pagoda for a music & light show.

Travel to Deng Feng. Optional activities.

Start the day with a private transfer and a six-hour bus to Deng Feng, the closest village to the Shaolin Temple. After your arrival, you can take an optional Kung Fu lesson and watch a show at a local children’s home run by the temple itself. In the evening, attend your second Mandarin lesson.

Optional visit to Shaolin Temple or Longmen Grottoes. Dharma Cave hike. Night train to Beijing.

Start your morning with an optional visit to the Shaolin Temple, the flagship of Kung Fu, to see masterful displays and physically impossible feats from these Kung Fu masters. You can also choose to visit the Longmen Grottoes instead, a UNESCO world heritage site with over 100,000 carved Buddha’s.

You can also hike with your group to Dharma Cave, a spiritual spot for Buddhist pilgrims, to take in beautiful views of the shrines and the surrounding landscape.

Have a late lunch, check-out, and in the evening, take the train to Beijing.

Hike and camp at the Great Wall of China

Arrive in Beijing and meet your Adventure Leader. Head to a hostel to relax and enjoy the common areas. Have your third Mandarin lesson. In the afternoon, have a meal at a local farm to obtain permission to access the locals only sections of the unrestored Great Wall.

Hike on a totally unrestored section of the Wall before setting up camp on a deserted section. Watch the sunset and set your camp for the night

Note: The camping option is only available from April to September. Due to cold weather, the rest of the year you will stay in a nearby hostel.

Great Wall of China sunrise. Return to Beijing.

Wake up early to admire an unforgettable sunrise at the Great Wall. After this extraordinary experience, head back to Beijing. Spend the rest of the day visiting its highlights, such as the Temple of Heaven, the Fake Goods Market, or enjoy in the afternoon the incredible Beijing Acrobatics Show. Try the Peking Roast Duck for dinner!

Visit Beijing’s highlights

Spend a relaxed morning in your hostel and continue exploring the city’s highlights. You can see Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and a night market where you can try snake, scorpion and several others “mouth-watering delicacies”.

Free day to explore Beijing

Today you have a free day to explore the metropolis. Visit the 798 art district, the Summer Palace, the Nanluo district, or any other highlights of Beijing.

At night, head to the train station to board the train to Hangzhou.

West Lake boat tour and local attractions

After arriving in Hangzhou, head to West Lake for a relaxing boat tour. Visit the China National Tea Museum or the National Silk Museum to learn about China’s trade History. In the afternoon, hike up to Jiuyao Mountain to see the sunset before enjoying a group dinner in the city centre.

Hangzhou old town and Nine Creeks area hike. Bullet train to Hangzhou.

Today you will explore the enchanting Hangzhou old town, known for its street artists, boutiques and teahouse. Later, hike around the Nine Creeks area, and make your way back to your hostel.

Transfer to the station to take the bullet train for Shanghai. On arrival, take the metro to your accommodation. If you aren’t too tired, you can experience the city’s nightlife with the Shanghai Drunken Dragon Pub Crawl! (Only available on Saturday) or a cruise on the river.

Free day to explore Shanghai

Enjoy a free to visit Shanghai’s great attractions, such as Disneyland, Moganshan Art Street, and Zhujiajiao Watertown!

At night, you can enjoy the night Chinese-style by going out for some Karaoke at KTV

Mandarin lesson and visit to main attractions

Start your day with a Mandarin lesson before heading out to explore the city. Some of the places you can visit are the Yu Gardens, the People’s Square, and the shopping street West Nanjing Road. Go for a walk along the Bund, a hub of global architecture.

Shanghai’s sights and museums

On your last day in Shanghai, you can take a walk through the former French Concession, visit a secretive propaganda history museum, visit TianZiFang a local artisan’s lane, Tianzifang, the ultra-modern Shanghai financial district and, if you are not afraid of heights, do a Skywalk at a stunning 340 meters above the ground.

Bullet train to Nanjing

Check-out from your accommodation and take the bullet train to Nanjing, one of China’s most picturesque regions.

Walking tour of the Fujian Tolou and tea plantation

Start the day with a walking tour around the UNESCO World Heritage Site, exploring the neighboring round-houses and the picturesque countryside. Visit a tea plantation and sample fresh oolong tea. You can also purchase some to take home!

Bike tour to a neighboring village. Night train to Guangzhou.

After breakfast, take a bike tour to visit the biggest roundhouse. (There is a support vehicle at all times if you have had enough of cycling) See the largest Tulou in the world and explore upstairs. Then visit the neighbouring local village.

Enjoy some free time and head to the train station to take your train to Guangzhou.

Return to Hong Kong

Arrive in Hong Kong in the morning. Spend the day exploring this exciting place!

Check-out and end of trip

Check-out from your accommodation. We hope you enjoyed the trip!