China Tour from Manchester

SG02-UK: 12 Days Small Group Tour of Manchester - Beijing - Xi'an - Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin - Shanghai - Manchester
Tour Type: Small Group of maximum 18 travelers, guaranteed departures, all-inclusive
Guide & Driver: English-speaking guide, experienced driver with an air-conditioned coach
Accommodation: 10 nights, selected 5-star hotels
Meals: 10 western buffet breakfasts, 5 lunches with some in a la carte style, 1 dumpling dinner

Highlights:
  • Visit Forbidden City & Treasure Gallery, windows for you to peek into imperial life.
  • Marvel at the Mutianyu Great Wall and Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Army.
  • Take a cruise along the Huangpu River to live and breathe Shanghai's modern air.
  • Immerse in hands-on cultural experience: enjoy traditional food & Peking Opera.
From USD1889USD1662Free Inquiry
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Day 1 Flying from Manchester
Please take your flight to Beijing. Welcome to China!
Today, you will take a flight to Beijing on your own. There is one direct flight from Manchester to Beijing on each Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and the journey takes about 16 hours. We will confirm your arrival date with you in advance, to make sure your China tours from Manchester will go smoothly as planned.
Day 2 Arrival in Beijing
Welcome your arrival anytime at the airport and transfer to hotel.
Upon arrival, we will meet you at the Beijing’s airport and then transfer you to a luxury hotel for check-in. In your free time, it’s your choice to take a rest to recover from the jet lag, or have a leisurely exploration around to get familiar with the capital city.

Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong (5 stars)
Day 3 Beijing
Visit Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City including Treasure Gallery; enjoy an a la carte welcome lunch with authentic Peking Duck; continue to visit Yonghe Temple and Temple of Heaven; and watch the classic Peking Opera in the evening. (B+L)
Our Guests at the Forbidden City
Let’s start with a stroll through Tiananmen Square, where you can see a lot of monumental buildings including Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the People's Heroes and Great Hall of the People. The way leads to the world-famous Forbidden City. Once the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911), the City has turned to a museum housing about one-sixth cultural relics in China. With our guide’s commentary, here you will find everything radiates imperial indignity - even the mane of stone lions sitting at palace gates. Take a closer look at its design, and the image of Buddha’s ringlet curls on their head will occur to your mind. The likeness was actually intentionally made, in order for people to see the imperial power as something holy as the divinity; and the higher the social status, the more the curls. A visit to the Treasure Gallery will also be included to give you more insights.

Out of the Forbidden City, we will have an a la carte welcome lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) for you to taste authentic Chinese food, like Peking Roast Duck.

Yonghe Temple, the lamasery once ruled directly by the Qing government, is our next stop; then proceed to Temple of Heaven, where you can learn about rites and rituals practiced in Chinese emperors’ worshipping of Heaven. A Peking Opera Show at Liyuan Theatre is in store tonight, and we will come earlier to the dressing room to see how the performers put on makeup and costumes.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch
Day 4 Beijing
Visit Mutianyu Great Wall by round-trip cable car and toast for Great Wall challenge with red wine; drive by Olympic Bird's Nest; then take a rickshaw ride through Hutong alleys and visit a local family in a traditional courtyard house. (B)
Mutianyu Great Wall, Beijing
Today, we will let you witness one of the world’s wonders, the Great Wall of China (Mutianyu section). After breakfast, you will be transferred to the site and jump in a round-trip cable car to ascend the Wall. To remember this moment of setting foot on it, we will provide a red wine group-toasting at the same time. As the district is kept from commercial pollution, so for lunch you might need to make do with what restaurants the place has; of course you can take some fast food instead to boost your energy.

Afterwards, you will be driven back downtown and have a photo stop at the Olympic National Stadium (Bird's Nest). Continue forward to Beijing’s iconic Hutong area, where you will enjoy a tour via rickshaw through crisscrossed hutong alleys buzzing with local life, which ends with a visit to an inhabited courtyard house.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Day 5 Beijing - Xi'an
Visit Panda Hall and Summer Palace; taste local flavors for lunch; fly to Xi'an and transfer to hotel. (B+L)
Today's itinerary starts with Panda House in Beijing Zoo. The next stop is the Summer Palace, a UNESCO-lauded classical imperial garden, comprising elegant pavilions and palaces for you to admire, as well as natural beauties to lose yourself in.

This afternoon, you will take a flight to Xi’an. Upon arrival, our Xi’an guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel. Xi'an, the former capital of China, awaits your exploration.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Xi'an (5 stars)
Day 6 Xi'an
Visit Terracotta Army and the discoverer’s home of the first terracotta warrior; have a unique experience to make your own mini clay warrior; continue to visit Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and then enjoy dumpling dinner and Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show in the evening. (B+D)
The Terracotta Army, Xi'an
Begin today with a visit to the immortal Terracotta Army, “the Eighth Wonder of the World”. There are over nine thousand terracotta soldiers, plus bronze weapons and chariots, once buried to protect China’s first emperor, Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210 BC). Secrets of why these potteries can survive 2,000 years of vicissitudes partly lie in the earth walls among them, which originally served the role of load bearing; now, as the army was excavated, the walls are now preserving the soldiers from wind erosion.

Later, our guide will take you to learn about how the Army was brought to light at the first discoverer’s home near the museum. Craft a cute pottery warrior under tutelage at a workshop, before we head back to downtown.

In the afternoon, we will move towards Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, which was built in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) for the storing and translating of Buddhist scriptures taken from India. At dusk, enjoy Tang Dynasty Music and Dance over a Dumpling Dinner at a local famous theatre.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dumpling Dinner

Tip:
Guests visiting in January, February, March, and December need to arrange the dinner and evening activity on your own for this day, because the theater is usually not available at those times.
Day 7 Xi'an
Connect with local people at City Wall Park and learn to practice Tai Chi from a master, then visit City Wall; taste local flavors for lunch at Muslim Quarter; in the afternoon visit Great Mosque and Shaanxi History Museum. (B+L)
Today's first stop is City Wall Park, where you can learn some moves of Tai Chi - a mellow form of Chinese Kung Fu - from a master. Afterwards, we will climb the 600-year-old City Wall and take a stroll on it; cycling on the City Wall (rental fee is at your own expense) is also an exciting experience.

This noon, we will browse the bustling streets of Muslim Quarter for some authentic local food; before leaving, drop by the Great Mosque to enjoy divine tranquility. After that, we will visit Shaanxi History Museum, a national-level museum which houses ancient treasures including bronze wares, pottery figurines, and murals from different dynasties.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Local lunch
Day 8 Xi'an - Guilin
Fly to Guilin & transfer to hotel; visit Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill. (B)
Take a flight to Guilin in the early morning. Our local guide will meet you at Guilin airport. You will then be escorted to the hotel and have a short break. Today, visits to Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill, the landmarks of Guilin, are included to introduce you to Guilin’s world-renowned karst beauty.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Sheraton Guilin Hotel (5 stars)
Day 9 Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin
Take a Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo; explore West Street and have a countryside tour; drive back to Guilin. (B+L)
Li River
Li River
After breakfast, we will cruise down the Li River to Yangshuo - the essence of your Guilin tour now unfolds. There are two Ha Long Bays in the world, one lies here in Guilin, another in Vietnam; both share breathtaking karst landscapes with water-eroded limestone. As if it’s not enough to form a coincidence, images of both can also be found on the back of a banknote of China and Vietnam to symbolize respective natural beauties. The difference between them is that, Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay enjoys a seascape, while Guilin’s is a riverscape, which is perhaps less expansive, but more visually striking. As your ship cleaves forward, you will be like transported into a Chinese scroll painting.

After arriving in Yangshuo, continue on to the countryside to appreciate its idyllic landscape - you will want to ride a bike or scooter to soak up its charm as much as you can. Finally, pay a short visit to a local’s house, before we drive back to Guilin.

Tip:
To prioritize sustainability, the cruise we choose for you offers a limited meal plan. In case the lunch box onboard is not to your taste, we recommend you enjoy a hearty breakfast at your hotel and pack some snacks for extra energy.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Day 10 Guilin - Shanghai
Fly to Shanghai & transfer to hotel; relax during the rest of the day. (B)
Today, our guide will transfer you to the airport for a flight to Shanghai, the Pearl of the Orient. Upon your landing, our Shanghai guide will pick you up and assist you to check in at the hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the modern city.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World (5 stars)
Day 11 Shanghai
Visit Shanghai Museum and Yu Garden; enjoy an a la carte farewell lunch; have a panoramic view of the city skyline, and then explore the Bund with a Huangpu River cruise tour. (B+L)
In the morning, we will head to Shanghai Museum, which features ancient arts of bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, and Chinese paintings. The next stop is Yu Garden, a classical Chinese garden in which pavilions, rockeries and ponds with elaborate designs blend; inscriptions on plaques of the ancient Chinese calligraphers are also worth a contemplation. Out of the garden, have a walk through the Yuyuan Bazaar nearby.

This noon, you will be treated to an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a nice restaurant. Not only Beijing has its Peking Roast Duck, but Shanghai has a specialty duck dish, too, called Eight-Treasure Duck. As the name suggests, it contains eight ingredients, namely ham, mushroom, almond, Chinese chestnut, diced bamboo shoots and meats of pork, chicken and chicken gizzards. What makes Shanghai’s duck different is its sweeter-ness, which you get to discover yourself. The restaurant we arranged for you specializes in Shanghai dishes, famous for generous ingredients and simmering cooking methods; blending a good amount of soy sauce and crystal sugars, the taste is thick, flavorful, and refreshingly sweet. Food is part of Shanghai’s identity; whether it’s saltily tasty pork ribs with rice cakes, or crispy pan-fried pork bun, it makes you want to return!

In the afternoon, ascend to the highest bookstore in the world, Duo Yun Bookstore, 52nd floor of Shanghai Tower; there, you will sit by windows and enjoy a commanding view of Shanghai’s cityscape. Our guide will then accompany you to the vibrant Bund area, where you can appreciate colonial-era buildings in varied western architectural styles. Besides that, a cruise tour on the Huangpu River will help you enjoy the city from a different angle.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch
Day 12 Shanghai - Manchester
Please check out before 12:00, and and head for the airport on your own; a pleasant journey home! (B)
Today, your China tour comes to an end and you will take your homeward flight by yourself. Surely, if you need help, our travel consultant will assist you to arrange a private transfer to the airport. Wish you had harvested good memories and a nice journey home!

As there is no direct flight between Shanghai and Manchester, you might want to consult real-time flight tracking websites or apps to make your connecting itinerary.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
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Prices are per person on twin sharing; guaranteed departures even with two persons!
2024 Group Tour Sales: 10% off
Arrival DateDeparture DateDouble OccupancySingle Room Supplement 
Oct 06(Sun)Oct 17(Thu)USD2079 USD1871USD709
Oct 17(Thu)Oct 28(Mon)USD2079 USD1871USD709
Oct 31(Thu)Nov 11(Mon)USD2029 USD1826USD749
Nov 14(Thu)Nov 25(Mon)USD1979 USD1781USD709
Dec 07(Sat)Dec 18(Wed)USD1889 USD1700USD629
Dec 21(Sat)Jan 01(Wed)USD1889 USD1700USD629
Prices are per person on twin sharing; guaranteed departures even with two persons!
2025 Special: 12% off - Book before Dec 31, 2024
Arrival DateDeparture DateDouble OccupancySingle Room Supplement 
Jan 04(Sat)Jan 15(Wed)USD1899 USD1671USD639
Feb 13(Thu)Feb 24(Mon)USD1899 USD1671USD639
Mar 11(Tue)Mar 22(Sat)USD1899 USD1671USD639
Mar 25(Tue)Apr 05(Sat)USD2019 USD1776USD659
Apr 03(Thu)Apr 14(Mon)USD2049 USD1803USD669
Apr 10(Thu)Apr 21(Mon)USD2049 USD1803USD669
Apr 17(Thu)Apr 28(Mon)USD2049 USD1803USD669
May 01(Thu)May 12(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
May 15(Thu)May 26(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
May 29(Thu)Jun 09(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
Jun 05(Thu)Jun 16(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
Jun 12(Thu)Jun 23(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
Jun 19(Thu)Jun 30(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
Jun 26(Thu)Jul 07(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Jul 03(Thu)Jul 14(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Jul 10(Thu)Jul 21(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Jul 17(Thu)Jul 28(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Jul 31(Thu)Aug 11(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Aug 07(Thu)Aug 18(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Aug 14(Thu)Aug 25(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Aug 21(Thu)Sep 01(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Sep 04(Thu)Sep 15(Mon)USD2079 USD1829USD709
Sep 11(Thu)Sep 22(Mon)USD2079 USD1829USD709
Sep 18(Thu)Sep 29(Mon)USD2079 USD1829USD709
Oct 09(Thu)Oct 20(Mon)USD2079 USD1829USD709
Oct 16(Thu)Oct 27(Mon)USD2079 USD1829USD709
Oct 23(Thu)Nov 03(Mon)USD1959 USD1723USD679
Nov 06(Thu)Nov 17(Mon)USD1959 USD1723USD679
Nov 13(Thu)Nov 24(Mon)USD1959 USD1723USD679
Nov 20(Thu)Dec 01(Mon)USD1959 USD1723USD679
Dec 07(Sun)Dec 18(Thu)USD1889 USD1662USD629
Dec 21(Sun)Jan 01(Thu)USD1889 USD1662USD629
Prices are per person on twin sharing; guaranteed departures even with two persons!
2026 Special: 12% off - Book before Dec 31, 2024
Arrival DateDeparture DateDouble OccupancySingle Room Supplement 
Jan 03(Sat)Jan 14(Wed)USD1899 USD1671USD639
Feb 12(Thu)Feb 23(Mon)USD1899 USD1671USD639
Mar 10(Tue)Mar 21(Sat)USD1899 USD1671USD639
Mar 24(Tue)Apr 04(Sat)USD2019 USD1776USD659
Apr 02(Thu)Apr 13(Mon)USD2049 USD1803USD669
Apr 09(Thu)Apr 20(Mon)USD2049 USD1803USD669
Apr 16(Thu)Apr 27(Mon)USD2049 USD1803USD669
Apr 30(Thu)May 11(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
May 14(Thu)May 25(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
May 28(Thu)Jun 08(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
Jun 04(Thu)Jun 15(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
Jun 11(Thu)Jun 22(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
Jun 18(Thu)Jun 29(Mon)USD2059 USD1811USD679
Jun 25(Thu)Jul 06(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Jul 02(Thu)Jul 13(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Jul 09(Thu)Jul 20(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Jul 16(Thu)Jul 27(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Jul 30(Thu)Aug 10(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Aug 06(Thu)Aug 17(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Aug 13(Thu)Aug 24(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Aug 20(Thu)Aug 31(Mon)USD2259 USD1987USD709
Sep 03(Thu)Sep 14(Mon)USD2079 USD1829USD709
Sep 10(Thu)Sep 21(Mon)USD2079 USD1829USD709
Sep 17(Thu)Sep 28(Mon)USD2079 USD1829USD709
Oct 08(Thu)Oct 19(Mon)USD2079 USD1829USD709
Oct 15(Thu)Oct 26(Mon)USD2079 USD1829USD709
Oct 22(Thu)Nov 02(Mon)USD1959 USD1723USD679
Nov 05(Thu)Nov 16(Mon)USD1959 USD1723USD679
Nov 12(Thu)Nov 23(Mon)USD1959 USD1723USD679
Nov 19(Thu)Nov 30(Mon)USD1959 USD1723USD679
Dec 06(Sun)Dec 17(Thu)USD1889 USD1662USD629
Dec 20(Sun)Dec 31(Thu)USD1889 USD1662USD629
Price Includes
  • China domestic airfares
  • Hotel accommodation with breakfasts
  • A la carte lunches as itinerary specifies
  • Professional English-speaking guides
  • Drivers & air-conditioned vehicles
  • Entrance fees to tourist sites
Price Excludes
  • International airfare
  • China visa fee
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers
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