- China
- Wonders of China with Hong Kong
Towering skyscrapers form the backdrop to Hong Kong's busy harbour whilst the street markets that fill the teeming alleys remain untouched by western influences. Explore Hong Kong and Kowloon at your own pace during this extension which includes a half day city tour.
2021 Dossier
This map is for the main tour only
Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight to Shanghai International Airport.
Dinner
On arrival in Shanghai you will be met by your local guide and transferred to your hotel before going out for dinner. Time permitting, after dinner you will experience your first taste of the city with a visit to the magnificent Bund, then a walk along Nanjing Road, the main shopping area in Shanghai.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following breakfast, you will embark on a full day tour of the city, taking in the delights of the famous classical Yuyuan Garden, the French Concession and Tianzifang, the arts and crafts enclave in the French neighbourhood. After lunch you can saunter around Xintiandi - 'The City's Living Room', a multifunctional entertainment district with unique 1920's style stone gate buildings known as 'shikumen'.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Yichang, where you will continue to board your ship for the four-night Yangtze River Cruise which will tour the Three Gorges Dam and breath-taking scenery along the way as you cruise upstream.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The cruise will set sail to reach your first shore excursion the Three Gorges Dam itself and the Five Stage Ship Lock viewing platform, from where you can see the impressive giant ship elevator capable of lifting a 14,000 ton passenger liner! * In the afternoon, you'll sail past the Xiling Gorge, the largest and most famous of the Three Gorges. *A ride in the elevator can be booked locally at an additional charge.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following breakfast you will take a tour of the Shennong Stream, a zigzagging watercourse where local inhabitants line the shore. You will then sail to Wu Gorge, the prettiest of the Three Gorges followed by Qu Tang Gorge, the shortest. In the afternoon there is the option to take a tour of the White Emperor City, an ancient temple perched at the top of an island in the middle of the river.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
On the final day of the cruise the ship will sail to the Fengdu Ghost City, thought to have been the place where souls must go to pass three tests to enter the afterlife.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Disembarking the ship at Chongqing you will travel to the capital of the Sichuan Province, Chengdu. Your guide will show you around the People's Park, where locals relax, mingle and exercise, then enjoy a stroll through the ancient streets of the Wide and Narrow Alleys which have been renovated to their former architectural glory.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today takes you to Leshan, famous for its magnificent riverside cliff-carving of a giant Buddha which is the largest stone-carved Buddhist statue in the world, viewed from a boat on the river. Continue in the afternoon to the old town of Huanglongxi, a 1700 year old settlement restored to retain its old-world charm. In the evening enjoy a delicious Sichuan meal. Optional excursion (payable locally): Sichuan Culture Evening Show - Special dance and culture show highlighting China from the 14th Century onwards.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Perhaps a highlight of the tour, today takes you to experience a once in a lifetime trip to the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Centre, home to one of China's largest habitat of pandas. Strolling around a variety of enclosures, you can even pay an extra fee to be photographed next to one of these beautiful animals. In the afternoon board the bullet train to Xian.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Known to many as the 'Eighth Wonder of the World', a visit to the spectacular Terracotta Warriors is an unforgettable experience. Taking nearly four decades to complete and over 700,000 workers, this incredible tomb was built to protect China's first emperor in his afterlife. Continue to the Muslim Quarter- a labyrinth of market stalls and shops, then in the evening travel back in time whilst you watch the colourful Tang Dynasty dancing show.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A morning tour of Xi'an incorporates a visit to the historic City Wall, then the Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 to hold sacred Buddhist figurines. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Beijing where you will arrive in the early evening and spend the night at your hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Begin your day with a visit to the unique Temple of Heaven, China's largest existing masterpiece of ancient sacrificial buildings. The afternoon is left at leisure to relax and explore the city in your own time.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following a stroll around the impressive Summer Palace, China's largest & best-preserved royal park, the tour will continue to the iconic Great Wall. Winding across deserts, grasslands & mountains & stretching over 5,500 miles, it was constructed over 2,000 years ago to guard the Chinese Empire against the Mongol invaders from the North. We've included a cable car trip to a viewing point to avoid the arduous steps. In the evening enjoy a mesmerising Chinese acrobatics performance.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following breakfast on your last full day you will visit one of China's most important political landmarks, Tiananmen Square. It is the world's largest city centre square & gateway to the Forbidden City, which houses the wondr
Breakfast
Depart Beijing in the morning and fly to Hong Kong via Shanghai. You will find your shared coach transfer at counter B04 in Arrival Hall B at Hong Kong Airport, operated by Airport Shuttle and will be transferred to the 4* Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees Hotel.
Breakfast
After breakfast you will be picked up at 09:00am to embark on a half day tour of the city with an English speaking guide, where you can visit some of the city's most famous sights. The afternoon is then left to you to spend at your leisure and explore the gems that Hong Kong has to offer.
You will be picked up at your hotel in the morning for your return flight back to London Heathrow via Shanghai. Whilst breakfast at the hotel is not provided, a light snack will be included on your flight.
C Dunn
22 Jan 20Max our tour guide was excellent.
D Gant
10 Dec 19An absolutely brilliant holiday exceptional value for money. Extremely well organised guides, hotels, itinerary, coach drivers all brilliant. The weak link was the Yangtze 2 cruise it was shabby and tired, even though we upgraded the food wasn't good and was very limited in choice. It was a shame but didn't spoil a truly wonderful experience. Well done to everyone involved with Mercury we wouldn't hesitate use them again or recommend to friends. It was a very full on tour but we packed so much in and we saw so much of China which was after all why we went.
Lesley Aldridge
30 Nov 19All hotels very nice, clean comfortable and good food. Wifi terrible but that isn't something which Mercury can act on! Our guide, Richard, really made the trip - he was knowledgeable, interesting, funny and very caring and kind to us all. The whole group loved being with him and we were all very sorry to say goodbye to him. 10/10 for him!!
Shireen Goacher
23 Nov 19All hotels were very good
Miriam Webb
17 Nov 19All accomodation was 4 star . Rooms were clean ,staff helpful ,
Brenda Phillips
15 Nov 19Every hotel was perfect Lovely rooms excellent breakfast Check in very slick.
Lee Brady
10 Nov 19Hotel check-ins all very quick and well managed. All hotels of a good standard.
Barry Alford
06 Nov 19All the hotels were excellent except the one in Beijing which was standard. It was a great experience and very well co-ordinated and managed by our national guide. Jonathon was excellent, friendly and did his best to ensure we all had a good time. The individual guides were all very knowledgeable in their areas of expertise, some relating their own experiences of growing up in communist country.
B Baker
05 Nov 19Excellent tour made even better by our tour guide Jonathan, he removed all stress and was a patient considerate man with a lovely sense of humour. All the local tour guides and drivers were also excellent. A lovely view of China and it's people. One of our best holidays ever and superb value.
Susan Cocks
03 Nov 19All hotels were are of a great standard. Very comfortable beds.
Malcolm Slarke
26 Oct 19Landmark hotel in Beijing not as good as rest but the breakfast made up for it.
Hitchens Philip
19 Oct 19All hotels found to be of high standard.
Stuart Wilkinson
22 Sep 19All hotels were of a good quality, very clean and comfortable with friendly and helpful staff.
Margaret Coe
07 Jul 19A superb trip, with a remarkable guide. Richards was passionate about his country, had a wealth of knowledge and a good sense of humour!
Ian Bruce
06 Jul 19All Hotel rooms and breakfast facilities were outstanding
Pat Osborne
01 Jul 19Wonderful hotels excellent service. Worth every penny wanted to go to China for many years it did not disappoint.
Carol Jaensch
24 Jun 19The hotel rooms in Chengdu and Xi'an were fantastic; in fact we had an apartment within the hotel in Xi'an. The breakfasts in all hotels were plentiful with enough choice for everyone. Staff in all hotels were helpful and generally friendly.
Susan Holwell
23 Jun 19all hotels fab some better than others luxurious all clean and adequate especially xian and chengdu where amazing throughly enjoyed my stay . Some complained about size in Beijing after previous hotels I found it more than adequate clean breakfast very good . Which is all that's needed
Shelagh Morriss
19 Jun 19The hotel in Beijing is in need of a bit of attention in the bathrooms. All the other hotels were excellent.
Barbara Holloway
09 Jun 19Upgraded rooms were superb and all rooms met our expectations.
Elaine Payne
09 Jun 19Could not fault hotels. Mercury were faultless throughout had a fabulous experience
Janet David
09 Jun 19All Hotels were good in some we had our rooms upgraded and these were excellent
Pauline Robinson
08 Jun 19Fabulous hotels. Our tour guide Risa was excellent, couldn't have asked for anything better
J Brookes
03 Jun 19Wonderful holiday, Jason the guide was excellent.
Gillian Hilder
01 Jun 19Could not ask for more. Breakfasts and sleeping accommodation could not be improved upon. Guides were fantastic & couldn't do enough for everyone - Max went over and above to ensure all in his group were catered for to maximise their China experience (including special dietary requirements). Food incredible! Sights amazing! So pleased I chose Mercury - I have already recommended the company to friends and work colleagues. Now looking where to go to next year with Mercury!
Lynn Curtis
27 May 19Cruise ship a bit tired. All hotels good. Tibet, Chengdu and Titan Times, Xian were excellent.
Margaret Taylor
26 May 19All hotels used with the exception of the Landmark in Beijing exceeded expectations we would describe The Landmark as satisfactory.
Madeline Chainey
25 May 19Amazing holiday and amazing value for money
Gillian Carter
25 May 19Hotels were outstanding, especially the Titan Times Hotel.
Dawn Harries
25 May 19We had lovely hotel accommodation with excellent breakfast.
Pauline Reader
12 May 19Hotels were excellent. Rooms were big and well equipt and staff were friendly and helpful
Gail Pugh
12 May 19All the hotels were very good. The last one in Beijing rooms were smaller than the others but still good however, the breakfast there had the best selection.
Andrew Tosh
12 May 19We stayed in several hotels - all 4 or 5 star. In some, we even had free room upgrades as with Mercury which was a nice touch. Breakfast was plentiful at all, though some were very busy such as in Shanghai and Beijing. Only little thing missing is milk and western style tea in the room - coffee sachets were provided, but access to a cuppa would have helped after such a busy schedule.
Nigel Sagar
24 Apr 19All met and in some cases exceeded expectations. Tibet hotel in Cengdu was particularly good as guide secured an upgrade at no extra cost.
Michael Duncan
22 Apr 19Hotels were excellent. Clean, tidy and well presented. Beds comfortable. Hot water available at all times. Breakfasts had good choice of well prepared food. Staff were attentive and helpful. No complaints whatsoever.
David Heath
21 Apr 19the hotels were very good its a shame we were not given enough time to use the facilities, as every day was packed with sightseeing and often too late back to use the spa the Tibet Hotel stands out head and shoulders above the others the tour was spectacular. every day packed with new experiences and sights. we went with a preconceived set of views and had our eyes opened. China is a marvellous mix of ancient heritage and technological marvels
Carol Barnes
17 Apr 19Very pleased with all the hotels - thank you As a solo traveller, I felt very safe being on an Escorted tour
Brian Nisbet
14 Apr 19superb, especially Tibetan hotel upgrade
Lai Bate
08 Apr 19Very well organised trip with plenty to see & do, accompanied all the way by a very knowledgeable national guide who not only told us the history of different historic sites but also gave us an insight of modern China while keeping it light & entertaining. Everything was arranged which made the internal flights & train rides so much easier than if you do it alone. All & all very pleased real value for money.
Alan Leeming
23 Mar 19Most hotels were of a good standard with helpful staff. With exception of the Titan Hotel in Xian which was really excellent. The staff went above and beyond what could have been expected. This was the best of the whole trip.
Tracey Mills
16 Mar 19All Hotels of a very high standard.
C Graves
15 Jan 19This tour was excellent throughout, Max the tour guide was brilliant at his job and very knowledgeable. Highly recommended.
Cheryl Ireland
18 Dec 18Hotels were excellent, all had good facilities and breakfast options, rooms were spacious and very nice. The Shanghai night cruise and Chengdu cultural shows were both excellent.
M Mccallion
12 Dec 18The China guide Ann was excellent.
Had a great time, every day was good for me as a lone traveler.
Rebecca Miller
05 Dec 18Our tour guide Ann Le was exceptional, went the extra mile, funny, informative, enthusiastic. She really made the holiday a memorable one.
Marina Butterworth
02 Dec 18All good standard especially when you consider total cost of tour great value for money
D Webster
30 Nov 18The quality of the hotels and their locations were excellent.
I was very pleased with all aspects of the trip to China. In particular i must praise our tour guide Alen, who was extremely well I, great experience/ knowledge and a great manner/ sense of humour. He went to great lengths to accommodate all interest, ages and abilities of our group. The local guides were also excellent.
The river cruise was an interesting experience, very comfortable and clean.
The restaurants used did their best to provide us with a wide selection of dishes.
As a confident single traveler, i have been to many places, i felt that I alone in China was beyond me. Thank you Mercury for giving me such a wonderful experience.
Amanda Jones
25 Nov 18Good hotels used, especially the Tibet hotel in chengdu which was excellent. Overall an excellent tour and our guide max was very good, we felt safe and well looked after. Really enjoyed it and we would not hesttiate in booking with mercury again. Thank you
Jean Roberts
24 Nov 18Very happy staff. We had a wonderful holiday A great way to get a taste of China.
P West
16 Nov 18Really enjoyable holiday. Our guide Max went above and beyond his duties, to ensure everyone had a great holiday.
Paul Taylor
12 Nov 18All hotels were very good standard
Stephanie Gill
10 Nov 18All hotels are great and beds are comfy! Brilliant breakfast selection.
C Mannix
30 Oct 18Every aspect of the tour was first class from Allen international guide who was amazing. Everything ran smoothly, quality of tours, guides, Hotel and itinerary. Excellent tour i cannot fault anything, i truly had an amazing trip and i cannot recommend you enough. Well done i will book with you again soon.
Tracy Field
29 Oct 18All hotels were of a good standard.
Sara Bowley
28 Oct 18all Hotels were excellent especially the choice at Breakfast.
Ruth Squire
27 Oct 18All hotels excellent with high standard rooms and facilities.
Donna Potts
27 Oct 18All hotels were great especially Tibet Hotel
P Lunn
25 Oct 18The guide Max was incredibly good, Knowledgeable, helpful and considerate and a real gem. Everything on the tour was on time, no rushing about.
S King
24 Oct 18Max our guide was marvelous throughout, giving us daily updates on weather timings, meals etc. The guides all had a very high knowledge base and pleasant manor. We felt in safe hands at all times, the coach drivers were brilliant too. The cruise ship was brill and the tour covered all that we wanted to see.
Mary Miller
21 Oct 18Good hotels throughout the tour
Timothy Coyle
13 Oct 18All the hotels were very good especially in Chengdu and Xian. All rooms were quiet and clean and staff very helpful All breakfasts were excellent
Janet Mercer
06 Oct 18The rooms were excellent
Gordon Waller
04 Oct 18A couple of the hotels, The Tibet in Chengdu and the Titan Times in Xi'an, were excellent but all accommodation was very good. No complaints at all. I was a single traveller and very impressed with the accommodation provided.
James Sherifi
04 Oct 18Generally of a very high standard with good size rooms/facilities/ breakfast. Good locations
Dennis Gardner
27 Sep 18Excellent standard of hotels, with good locations and facilities.
Mark Harrison
26 Sep 18Great hotels , good rooms , Breakfast very good
Graham Davies
24 Sep 18Overall the hotels were extremely good.
David Buckley
22 Sep 18Allen our tour guide was absolutely brilliant and along with our group made the holiday very memorable.
Peter Arthurs
19 Sep 18Good standard of hotel.
Frances Battersby
27 Aug 18All hotels were excellent
Trevor Shurmer
25 Aug 18First class hotels, easily exceeded our expectations given the cost of the holiday. Also, room upgrades where possible free of charge. Could not criticise any aspect of the hotel selection.
Joyce Bradbury
12 Jul 18Titan and Tibet hotels were excellent with great breakfasts. Would have been nice to just eat in hotel for dinner instead of being dragged out to inferior restaurants each evening.
Michael Giles
11 Jul 18Overall the hotels were excellent in Shanghai, Chengdu and Xian. Beijing hotel is in a great location but needs some updating, though it had the best breakfast selection. Overall good selection of western breakfasts. We are glad that we booked the Executive room upgrade on the Yangtze Cruise. The room was very spacious, the dining room was relaxed, quiet with a great selection of food. Their was also a spa and swimming pool which we used.
Paul Denton
11 Jul 18Very good standard of hotels throughout the stay. All conveniently located very clean and tidy. All close to local supermarkets / grocery stores to pick up snacks and milk for my tea ;-) Couldn't have asked for any better hotels.
Michael Turner
08 Jul 18Spot on for comfort and breakfasts.
Asha Ravi
24 Jun 18The hotels in Shanghai, Xian and Chengdu were good but the one in Beijing was cramped and the ensuite bathroom had mould on the walls. The induite toilet on board cruise ship were of poor quality.
Brian Smith
20 Jun 18All hotels were as good as, or better than expected. All the staff were friendly, efficient and courteous. In particular he Tibet Hotel in Chengdu was beautiful and full of character.
Garry Watson
16 Jun 18No complaints about any of the hotels used
Paulene Fender
10 Jun 18All hotels excellent however room cleaning in the Landmark Beijing needs improving. Surfaces sticky and dusty.
V Anderson
07 Jun 18Wonderful accommodation throughout.
Marea Williams
06 Jun 18Carefully chosen good clean hotels
Penny Couzens
03 Jun 18The Dorsett Grand in Chendu have a system that links your room key to your floor so you can only travel to that floor, we were not told this on arrival and it was not helpful when the lift door closed on my partner with our cases and he was unable to get back to our floor. He had to go back down to the lobby and ask the lobby staff to take him back up.
Dennis Roberts
14 May 18The hotels used were excellent in terms of service and breakfast. Indeed rooms were of an excellent size
Robert Aitken
13 May 18All very good for the price. All checking in already done, very good. All breakfasts very good.
Linda Hume
08 May 18Hotels were clean and apart from the boat and the Degree 8 in Hong Kong quite luxurious. The staff in all the hotels were very friendly, helpful and polite food was very good but it would have been good to have more western food available for some meal times. The Boat Dining room was at all meal times heaving with people pushing and shoving it may be better to select tablesxa few at a time to prevent accidents spillage and buffet tables becoming very messy.
Cath Sumner
25 Feb 18With the exception of the bejing hotel the rest were excellect. The bejing hotel (landmark towers) was very dirty (excrement in the toilet from the previous guest and diry room) the smell of cigarette smoke in the room was unbearable even though it was a non smoking room.
Alison Mackay
21 Dec 17The hotels were all very good, and we were fortunate to have rooms upgraded in Chengdu and Xi'an. The breakfasts taken in the hotels offered extensive choices and the staff were all efficient and courteous.
Katherine Andrew
18 Dec 17Loved the upgrades to suites - hotels good and breakfasts good
Jennifer Blake
17 Dec 17Upgrades were most appreciated - really good hotels all the way through. Western breakfasts available everywhere - could not have been better looked after.
Lorraine Woodger
03 Dec 17Pace of tour was hard but necessarily so to complete the itinerary.
John & Car0L Postles
22 Nov 17generally excellent & breakfasts very good. bedroom in Landmark Beijing a bit tired
Colin Morris
19 Nov 17All hotels used were of excellent quality, comfortable and spacious rooms.
Sue Staff
18 Nov 17Hotel selections was very good
Catherine Bain
13 Nov 17Could not fault any hotel for quality, cleanliness or service.
Paul Frith
13 Nov 17Very good quality hotels with very large rooms apart from Landmark in Beijing which by contrast seemed small but the hotel was very good. Breakfasts at all the hotels were excellent.
Peter Wakeman
09 Nov 17General concern about lack of emergency escapes. Some hotels seemed to have only one central staircase.
Carole Warren
06 Nov 17The hotels were of excellent standard although the Titan Times hotel was a little 'tired' and the carpet in the lounge are very grubby.
Terrence Forrest
28 Oct 17Shanghai ocean hotel large very comfortable beds good breakfast Tibet hotel Chengdu five star rooms enormous beds and pillows very comfortable Titan times hotel Xi’an luxurious in every way Raddison blu instead of landmark which was being used for the party conference this hotel had lovely breakfasts with fresh smoked salmon but we thought the rooms were in need of repair and a little tired our wardrobe doors kept falling off the runners but the beds and pillows were first class
Dan Webb
21 Oct 17All the hotels we''re of a good standard
Susan Laville
15 Oct 17The hotel's were excellent ,clean and had coffee and tea making facilities. Staff were attentative and western breakfast adequate. Towels changed each day and rooms cleaned.
Michael Philp
08 Oct 17All hotels were very good, not only the hotels but the service as well. The yangtze 2 cruise ship needs updating but still a good cruise.
Dark Julie
17 Sep 17All hotels were welcoming with good quality rooms and service.I feel it is important to have comfortable hotels of this quality when on a touring holiday as it helps relaxation.
Rosi Harnett
05 Sep 17All excellent locations, with 4/5* facilities and superb breakfast choices. We especially enjoyed the Tibet Hotel in Chengdu, which had luxurious bathrooms and extra little touches such as top quality toiletries and TV in the bathroom.
Christina Kington
22 Jul 17The hotels in Chengdu and Xi'an were absolutely beautiful. Very high quality throughout the tour.
Norman Harris
10 Jul 17All the hotels were superb 4 or 5 star
Jeffrey Gunn
03 Jul 17Locations of hotels not so good but made up for with good quality rooms and facilities.
R Barrett
27 Jun 17Hotels were of a good standard with good choices at breakfast.
Peter Cheetham
25 Jun 17The Tibet hotel was excellent.The others were good. The upgrade on the ship was worth the extra.
Ian Thorp
23 Jun 17All really good quality. Breakfasts were really good with western style included. Plenty of choice to suit all tastes.
Angela Evans
20 Jun 17No complaints about any of the hotels - all really good and probably better than expected.
Nigel Whalley
09 May 17Some of the hotels need cleaning better like the Titan times hotel
Filiz Hassan
08 Apr 17Hotels we're all amazing. Great size rooms. Great service. Clean throughout
Tom Stokes
03 Apr 17All the hotels on our trip were great. One was an alternative but on par with all the others
Howard Smith
11 Feb 17Very high standard, especially Titan Times.
Russell Greaves
07 Feb 17Excellent accomodation throughout the tour
Lesley Wilhelmsen
07 Feb 17The Tibet & Titan Times Hotels were exceptional and we were very pleased to have the upgrade. Staff were very helpful and friendly, breakfast very good, rooms very comfortable and luxurious. Landmark Hotel was good, excellent breakfast, staff friendly. Bit mean with the loo paper! The Ocean Hotel in Shanghai was a disappointment compared to the others. Although 5* the staff were unfriendly, breakfast room very small and couldn't cope with the number of guests. Our room had a view of a concrete wall only 6' from the window, mattresses very hard, heating didn't work properly and no hairdryer. It didn't feel like a 5* compared to the others. Although adequate, not nearly as good as the others.
Steve Walker
06 Feb 17Great hotels. A touch of luxury
Helen Dickerson
06 Dec 16The only thing which affected the quality of the hotels was the fact that a lot of the bedding smelled of smoke.
Sue Booth
28 Nov 16A very good all round experience. Our guide Alan was brilliant - spoke good English and made sure everything ran smoothly. He gave us sufficient information on the history and culture of China and what to be looking for at each stop on the tour, without overburdening us.
Stephanie Farrow
28 Nov 16Beautiful hotels, absolutely no complaints at all. Our tour was made so great as a result of our brilliant tour leader Max, he was fantastic and I cant rate him highly enough!
Shaun Coleman
26 Nov 16The tour is excellent value for money. We researched a number of holidays to China and this was the best value by far. We would use Mercury again. Hotels were excellent value for money. All were really comfortable.
Rosemary Percy
22 Nov 16Great hotels - clean with attentive staff - good breakfasts each morning. Excellent star ratings.
Dorothy Ritchie
20 Nov 16Excellent value for money and attention to detail. Everything went to plan. All travel arrangements went like clockwork and we could not fault hotels. They felt like 5 star and the staff were pleasant and helpful.
Lois Castledine
07 Nov 16It was a wonderful experience. I can recommend this holiday to anyone with even the slightest interest in China. You do need to like Chinese food.All hotels were of a good standard.
Olga Sandercombe
31 Oct 16This is the first time I have travelled on my own, usually I travel with friends. The saving on the no single supplement is a huge advantage as I am a widow. Enjoyed the tour immensely and will certainly consider travelling with Mercury Holidays again, many thanks
Vincent Adams
29 Oct 16The overall tour guide was excellent and looked after the group extremely well. The quality of the tour guide has a critical role in optimising the activities and met the challenge! Overall, the hotel accommodation was excellent.
Michelle Grocutt
16 Oct 16What a great tour. All hotels good standard and the rooms were brilliant.
Carole, Brian, Sarah And Matthew Gregory
10 Oct 16The itinerary was very good. It was a fantastic trip made especially wonderful by our interesting, knowledgeable and humorous guide. The itinerary was really good and local guides were also very helpful and knowledgeable. Richard the guide went out of his way to accommodate everyone he gave over and above. The hotels were all clean and the food was a good quality and variety.
Deborah And Allan Blight
10 Oct 16Thank you, we had a great experience in China. It was a fantastic trip. Our guide was very helpful and knowledgeable. We are very happy customers.
Timothy Dickens
09 Oct 16The holiday of a life time. Guide Max was outstanding. All hotels provided an extensive good breakfast, more than adequate rooms with shower, bath etc. Service of staff really good.
Edward Eagle
08 Oct 16All Hotels of excellent standard. The tour guide Max was excellent with vast knowledge, and nothing was too much trouble.
Peter And Patricia Tomlinson
06 Oct 16What can I say about this tour other than utterly ideal. All hotels were as they should have been for this sort of tour, the accommodation on the Yangtze River was beyond expectations. Everything from ticket issue, transfers, internal flights, train journeys all perfection and all ran that way due to our tour guide. I cannot commend Alan our guide to you enough, his knowledge and humour were insurmountable. We are very happy with you as a choice of tour operator and would certainly recommend you and we look forward to our next booking with you which might be a Croatian Island Cruise or a Grand Tour of Sri Lanka.
Jacqueline Smith
27 Sep 16We had a wonderful time, and our guide Max was absolutely brilliant, we had 30 on our tour and he looked after everyone. He was very professional knowledgeable, funny, polite which made our tour really most enjoyable. All the local guides and drivers were also first class.
Julie Belfitt
27 Sep 16Had a fantastic time on your tour. The food was good and Max the guide was excellent, very professional.
David Major
24 Sep 16The hotels were consistently of a good standard. Our national tour guide, in particular, was excellent as were the regional ones that helped out at each location.
Paulette Ford
22 Sep 16We had a fantastic holiday, Richard our guide was excellent.
Michelle Bye
27 Aug 16Beijing hotel could be better... was an anti-climax after the exceptional two in Chengdu and Xi'an!
Linda Palin
11 Aug 16Our guide Simon was amazing, made our tour with his humour and local knowledge. A well-organised tour to be well recommended. Excellent hotels, varied food, a wonderful holiday.
Diana Blyther
14 Jul 16very good could have been with the rest of the English speaking tourists on the Yangtze River cruise if we wanted this we were asked to pay extra
Janice Philpott
03 Jul 16The hotels were excellent
Alexandra Leigh
30 Jun 16An excellent tour- so efficiently run and organised- we never even had to wait for our coach it was always there waiting at the designated spot. Local guides polite and helpful and informative All the guides were excellent. Hotels very good and restaurants chosen also very good. Tour guide who accompanied us all the way was particularly good- he catered for our every need and comfort.
Prem Maghera
27 Jun 16All hotels were excellent except for Beijing:
Morton Birch
27 Jun 16All of the hotels were excellent
John Fisher
18 Jun 16All of a very good standard. Really pleased with them all.
Stephen Wilde
16 Jun 16I have returned uninjured from China. Fantastic holiday. The National guide/rep, Simon was extremely efficient, friendly and had a good sense of humour. He made a good trip, great. I really couldn’t fault the holiday, even looking at it with a deliberately jaundiced eye, all the hotels were good, some were great. The only improvement I can think of (and all our group agreed) would be if we could have flown home direct from Beijing rather than have to take an internal flight from Beijing to Shanghai first. When I get around to it I will put a positive review on Trip Advisor.
Rawdon John And Helen Jane Morris
07 Jun 16Every Hotel was excellent with superb locations and services provided.
Martin Hannant
06 Jun 16Three of the hotel rooms were suites which was excellent. Couldn't fault any of the hotels
Barrie Jamieson
04 Jun 16Just returned from your Wonders of China tour. We had an excellent time and will recommend Mercury to all of our friends and relations. The Hotels, food and transport arrangements were all first class and I would especially like to thank our main tour guide Simon Chow who looked after our party of 32 sometimes awkward Brits and entertained and informed us. He was very helpful and friendly and his organisation and knowledge were superb. I would hope that Mercury can retain his services for for any future tours.
Thank you all at Mercury for providing such an enjoyable and rewarding holiday and are already considering another tour with you in the near future.
Brian Thurling
31 May 16This tours was great value with an excellent itinerary.
Christine James
30 May 16all hotels were of an excellent standard clean and welcoming
Alyson French
23 May 16Food good, rooms large and spacious.
Shirley Crame
22 May 16The hotels were very good. Need English breakfast tea, sugar and coffee without sugar left in rooms
Robert Francis
21 May 16The hotel at Xion was excellent. The hotel in Beijing was smaller than the others, but still ok but after the previous hotels was short of space. No hotel had specific space for 2 suitcases, just one.
Christine Williams
03 May 16Did not get to use many of hotels facilities because of time restraints but all hotels were first class
Les Chapman
23 Apr 16Last hotel, the Landmark Towers could have provided an iron & board for the last leg of the tour. Also room a little cramped as we had been pampered in the previous ones. All other Hotels were up to expectation.
Barry Reeves
30 Mar 16good quality hotels. very comfortable. Good service International breakfast's Top rate.
David Heaven
22 Mar 16All hotels were excellent
Neil Mckay
18 Mar 16All the hotels were very good.
Michael Bland
06 Feb 16Hotels 5* except Beijing & Honking but these were excellent
Lynda Hambling
13 Jan 16Very happy with all the hotels quality surpassed expectations. No single supplement was much appreciated.
Sally Pryce
18 Oct 15Great service from all concerned. Excellent choice of hotels.
Denise Sandy
20 Apr 15All very good, thank you
Barbara Brooker
06 Oct 14Hotel in Beijing disappointing rooms tired and not very clean. However breakfast was very good. All other hotels excellent
A visa is required for entry into China. We work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa for you on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. All applicants who wish to apply for a China Tourist Visa must do so in person at the Chinese Visa Application Centre in London, Manchester, Belfast or Edinburgh where fingerprint information will be collected. Fingerprints are not required for children under the age of 14 and adults over the age of 70. The visas take around 10 working days to issue and are valid for unlimited trips to China for 2 years from the date of issue. We therefore recommend that you apply for your visa 8 weeks before travel, however please be aware that your passport will be required for the application so make sure that you will not need it during this time.
We strongly recommend that you & all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange this please call 0800 781 4237, quoting 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number & their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
If booking more than 10 weeks before departure a deposit of £49pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 10 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 10 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
All flights are operated by China Eastern Airlines. Each passenger is entitled to 23kg of hold luggage & 5kg hand luggage not exceeding 56 cm x 36 cm x 23 cm in size.
Bullet Train Information The bullet train leaves Xi'an at 13:10 & arrives in Beijing between 17:50 - 18:00. Please be advised that due to limited space your luggage will be transferred separately to Beijing on Day 11, therefore please keep your toiletries & a change of clothes in a hang luggage bag.
Alternative Flights Alternative flights are available, please contact us for details.
It is your responsibility to check any health & vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health, hygiene facilities & disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible & in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness & mobility. It involves full days of sightseeing, often on foot, and includes some climbing of stairs and getting on/off coaches and boats. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This add-on to Hong Kong is not escorted. Whilst you will be accompanied by an English speaking guide on your half day city tour, the rest of your time in Hong Kong will be left to you to do as you please.
The currency in China is the Renminbi, known as RMB or CNY. It is often referred to as the Yuan. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. US Dollars are widely accepted in China should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. The currency in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Dollar. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK, however ATM's are available throughout Hong Kong.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry, extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £400 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. There are some optional tours available to purchase locally and these generally need to be paid in cash. Therefore please allow an additional £100 if you wish to book these. Enhance your tour experience with our excellent range of optional excursions, to be booked locally in CNY. Prices are per person; please speak to your local guide. All optional excursions are subject to availability.