Day
1
Depart from Heathrow or your preferred airport for scheduled flight
to Beijing. Meals on board.
Day
2
Beijing
Upon arrival in Beijing, you will be greeted at the airport by our
English speaking guide and transferred to your hotel by private
transport. The rest of the day is at your leisure to recover from
jet lag and get ready for the adventure to come! (China is 8 hours
ahead of UK GMT)
Day
3 Beijing
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
A
full day city tour to soak up the atmosphere of Beijing. This includes
visiting historical sites such as Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen
Square and the Forbidden City.
Our
welcome dinner in the evening provides an opportunity to
sample various type of Chinese cuisine.
Day
4 Beijing
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
The
highlights of today's visit is to the Great Wall (Mutianyu
Section), the quieter and less commercial section compare with some
others. You will have plenty of time to walk along the wall and
enjoy unforgettable views. For those who prefer an easier way up
to the wall, a cable car is available (payment required locally
approx £5).
Our
memorable day continues with a trip to the Beijing Bird's Nest
Olympics Stadia & the Water Cube swimming stadium (exteriors
only). Have a stroll in the large Olympic square and enjoy great
photo opportunities. Later we experience the famous Peking Roasted
Duck dinner to conclude this unforgettable day.
Day
5 Beijing
to Xian (Breakfast,
Lunch)
Visit the 12th century Summer Palace, Kunming Lake and the
Garden of Harmony before taking the ferry next to the famous Marble
Boat. In the next part of the tour enjoy a fascinating Rickshaw
ride through the 'Hutong' residential area of Beijing
to see how local people live. Our guide will then escort you to
Houhai, a popular relaxing eating out place for both Western
and Chinese tourists. For travellers who would like to experience
shopping in China, we can take you to the popular shopping street
- Xiushui Silk Market.
In the evening, we take a flight to Xian, the former capital of
China and starting point of the ancient Silk Road.
Day
6 Xian
(Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner)
An
exciting day awaits you as we head to the Terra-cotta Warriors
Museum. You will visit the luxury underground palace of Emperor
Qinshihuang, The Archaeological Museum of 6,000 life-size Terracotta
Warriors and their horses. The warriors were the after life protectors
the first emperor who united China (221BC-206BC). Our lunch is arranged
at the dining restaurant in the Museum, where you can enjoy a selection
of cold and hot dishes (buffet style), and the Xian speciality noodles.
Following this we will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built
as a Buddhist Monastery during the Tang Dynasty. We enjoy the jovial
atmosphere around the beautiful Pagoda and picturesque boulevard
where Xian residents come to meet & relax.
In
the evening we go to enjoy a re-enactment of the royal arts performance
of a 7th century Tang Dynasty Show, with a special Dinner
of dumplings included.
Day
7
Xian to Kunming
(
Breakfast, Lunch)
After
breakfast we explore Xian and visit the old Muslim Quarter
of the City which is home to large Ethnic Muslim Chinese community,
who have lived in the city since the silk road was established.
Our tour including visiting Muslim square, the Wooden Mosque and
later we will have great photos opportunities of the Bell and
Drum Towers.
In
the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely walk & cycle ride
on the ancient city walls. The smooth & well preserved
walls make for an ideal and safe cycling route around the inner
historic city centre and are a charming way to enjoy the local lifestyle
of Xian.
Late afternoon take a flight to Kunming.
Day
8
Kunming
(Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner)
Visit
the Stone Forest, a vast area of limestone pillars that formed
like a natural forest. After
lunch, visit the 'Colorful Yunnan' where we get to know the unique
local products, and have a taste of its local well-known Pu'er tea.
Overnight in Kunming.
An
add on visit to Dali and
Lijiang can be arranged from Kunming. Details can be found at
the bottom section of the itinerary.
Day
9
Kunming
(Breakfast)
Kunming is regarded as the 'Spring City' in China, for its pleasant
climate and colourful culture and ethnic minorities. We leave today
free for you to explore its unique culture atmosphere, for example
visiting some tea houses.
Day
10 Kunming -
Hanoi
(Breakfast)
We take a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam where upon arrival you meet our
guide and transfer to your hotel. If
time permits we will take an orientation tour around central
Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day
11: Hanoi (Breakfast)
Today's
full day tour includes Ho Chi Minh Memorial complex, taking in his
mausoleum, the Presidential Palace and his idyllic wooden
home built on stilts. Next we continue to the One Pillar Pagoda
and the Temple of Literature, and become acquainted with
Vietnam's two major religions, Buddhism and Confucianism. In the
afternoon we visit the fascinating museum of Ethnology, which
includes full size replicas of amazing ethnic minority tribal buildings
found across Vietnam.
Later
we explore downtown Hanoi including Ngoc Son Pagoda on Hoan Kiem
lake and Ma May Street in Hanoi's Old Quarter to see
a classic example of late 19th-century architecture. Afterwards
we proceed to West Lake to see the beautiful Tao Sach
Pagoda and enjoy coffee on a floating café. Free time in the
evening allows you to walk along the historic French colonial
Old Quarter of Hanoi. The Old Quarter provides a wonderful shopping
experience and has a choice of many excellent restaurants. Overnight
in Hanoi
(Optional
evening tour to see the famed water puppet theatre, a
traditional art form created by village farmers around the Red River
Delta region. Ask for prices & details at time of booking).
Day
12: Hanoi-Halong (Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast we journey east to Vietnam's greatest natural wonder,
Halong Bay. We board our beautiful traditional wooden
junk and spend a full day and night cruising the bay's 3000
magnificent limestone islets. In the evening when the boat is anchored
in the middle of the stunning lagoon, we enjoy a wonderful seafood
meal and later there is opportunity for an evening swim from
the side of the boat. Kayaks are also available if specified
at time of booking. Overnight on luxurious boat.
Day
13: Halong - Hanoi - Saigon (Brunch)
Wake
up to fresh coffee and take a small boat to a nearby sandy cove
beach for an opportunity to relax and have a morning swim.
For a great photo opportunity it is well worth walking up to the
hill top pagoda which overlooks the entire Halong bay. Afterwards
we return for a wholesome breakfast before cruising back to Halong
City. En route the junk weaves through strange-shaped rock formations
that invite comparisons from fighting cocks to mystical dragons!
Disembark
and return to Hanoi and board an evening flight to Saigon. Upon
arrival you will receive warm welcome from your local English speaking
guide and transfer to the Hotel.
Day
14 Saigon - Tay Ninh (Breakfast)
Our
tour today includes visiting the legendary network of underground
combat tunnels in Cu Chi, where our guide will explain how
the Vietcong survived and fought during the Vietnam war.
Later
we travel to the opulent Holy See Temple in Tay Ninh
to see the noon service of Cao dai Sect adherents. Cao dai
is a fascinating Vietnamese religion combining aspects of Christian,
Buddhism, Muslim, Taoism and Confucius into a single religion. We
also visit the Saigon colonial Post Office, Reunification
Palace and the Notre Dame Cathedral - the best of Saigon's
architectural landmarks. Overnight in Saigon.
Day
15: Saigon-Mekong Delta (Breakfast,
Lunch)
This
morning we drive to Saigon's China Town where we visit Thien
Hau pagoda. Afterwards we continue our journey to the prosperous
town of Vinh Long in the heart of the Mekong Delta, a world
that lives and works on the water. We'll have an exciting boat trip
to experience the floating market of CAI Be. Next
we continue by sampan along small canals and narrow side
arms of the Mekong River to observe the daily life along the river
banks, visiting fascinating workshops where villages produce coconut
sweets and rice crackers.
Our
final destination is the beautiful Binh Hoa Phuoc Island.
On the island we visit orchards of tropical fruits and for lunch
we sample delicacies of the region, such as Elephant Ear fish. After
lunch we return to Vinh Long Town for our transfer back to Saigon.
Overnight in Saigon.
Day
16 Saigon Departure
(Breakfast)
Free until transfer to the airport for your flight home, or extend
your stay in Saigon.
Optional
extension to Dali & Lijiang:
Day
1 Dali
Being met at airport and transfer to hotel (there are frequent flight
from Kunming to Dali).
Day
2 Dali (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Drive to Erhai Lake and cruise on the Lake. Enjoy the local Tea
Ceremony. Appreciate the residential house of Bai Ethnic in Dali
Ancient town.
Day
3 Lijiang (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast you will visit Three Pagodas and Butterfly Hot Spring.
After lunch, drive to Lijiang, a beautiful shining jewel on the
Northwest Yunnan Plateau neighbouring the Tibetan Plateau, and better
known as "Shangri-La". Lijiang is granted World Cultural Heritage
status. We visit the Old Town with a maze of narrow streets dating
back to the Yuan dynasty as if we step back through time.
Day
4 Lijiang (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast, drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Yufeng temple
as well as the Black Dragon Pool. Optional evening musical performance
by the Dongba ethnic minority tribe.
Day
5 Lijiang / Kunming (Breakfast, Lunch)
Being transfered to airport for your flight to the next destination.
Small
Group Departure Dates & Price
Ref
|
Dates
|
Twin
share (£)
|
MCV
|
Every Thursday between Mar & Nov
|
From
£2395
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Contact us
for your holiday price based upon your prefered departure date.
Private tailor-made tours can be arranged and hotel
upgrade is available.
Price
Includes (The
prices shown are 'per person')
- All
flights within China, Vietnam and China-Vietnam including airport
tax.
- All
airport/hotel transfers where specified (private transfer).
- Selections
of superior/deluxe (4+ star) hotel accommodation in well furnished
rooms with private facilities.
- Sightseeing
tours including entrance fee by professional English-speaking
tour guide.
- Meals
as specified in the itinerary.
Price
Does Not Include
- International
flight to Beijing and back from Saigon. We can arrange various
airline carriers and from your local airport departure. Please
enquire at the time of your booking.
- Visa
fee (please go to Visa
Service for
details).
- Travel
Insurance.
Flights:
International return flight are not included in the package, however
we can help you to obtain flights at competitive rate and in various
class, such as BA, Singapore Airline, Vietnam Airline, Air France,
KLM, Lufthansa, Finnair etc. Please ask for more details at the
time of your booking.
Accommodation:
We take a great deal of time and effort to source our hotel selection
in each city for our travellers enjoyment. We can arrange hotels
in all standards depending upon your requirements, however the standard
hotels are 4 star. We also monitor our established hotel
selection continually based upon each of our customers feedback
received over the years. Please visit our hotel pages for
full accommodation details.
Meals:
As stated in itinerary, B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D= Dinner
Other
operation fact: Our
tour is arranged on a small group basis average 8 people per group,
as we feel this gives our travellers more flexibility and enjoyment.
By reducing the group size our experienced local guides are able
to get to know you all individually and show you the true beauty
of China & Indochina. Also
unlike many companies we do not cancel tours and Guaranteed Departure
based upon minimum 2 people.
Our
itineraries are designed at a sensible pace with a combination of
escorted sightseeing, special activities and some free time. We
Believe this give you the best combination to experience the real
China & Vietnam and meet local people.
Your
Meals We include all breakfasts (mixture of western &
Far East cuisine) at your hotel and most local style lunches and
dinners, which are all pre-booked as shown in your itinerary. Each
lunch and dinner menu is selected to ensure you can try a wide variety
of tasty traditional dishes whilst in the country. We feel it is
also an important part of your holiday experience to try buying
a few meals by yourself whilst you're in these countries and for
your convenience the hotels we select provide a good choices of
local cuisine with English menu. Alternatively there are plenty
of restaurants to choose from around the main sightseeing area in
most cities. A good meal (dinner) in a restaurant should cost about
£8 per person.
The
itinerary is designed according to the most updated information
of flights and cruises sailing schedules available, although occasionally
the sequence in which cities are visited and duration of time spent
in each city can change due to local conditions which are out of
our control. The above itinerary highlights the main attractions
that are to be visited each day. Further places of interest may
be visited during your stay, which will provide unique ethnic and
cultural handcraft shopping opportunities. We reserve the right
to change, amend or alter the itinerary, although we will act in
your best interests to handle any amendments. Please refer to the
booking form for detailed terms & conditions.
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