- China
- Grand Tour of China
From the cosmopolitan cities of Beijing and Shanghai to the remote ancient town of Lijiang and the stunning Li River in Guilin, explore China in depth as you visit the most iconic sights as well as discovering its hidden treasures on this incredible 25-day journey.
Encompassing the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Great Wall, Terracotta Army, Kunming Stone Forest and the city of Lijiang, experience the rich history of the great cities as well as the breathtaking landscapes of southern rural provinces.
Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight.
Dinner
On arrival in Shanghai you will be met by your local guide and transferred to Suzhou for dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast depart for Suzhou, the Garden City of China. On arrival, visit the Master of the Nets Garden, one of the finest oriental gardens, as well as the local silk mill. Take a stroll around Guanqian Street. Continue onto Hangzhou.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy a relaxing boat trip on the scenic West Lake and marvel at the Six Harmonies Pagoda. Spend the afternoon in Qing Hefang ancient walking street.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Depart Hanzghou to visit the ancient water village of Zhujiajiao, with its arched stone bridges and quiet alleyways. Continue to Shanghai to visit the French Concession and the arts area of Tianzifang. Next visit to the magnificent Bund, followed by a walk along Nanjing Road, the main shopping area in Shanghai. Tonight, take in the beautiful scenery on a night cruise along the Huangpu River.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Visit the Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum and the Xintiandi entertainment district. Guanqian Street, one of the 'Four Most Famous Walking Streets'.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Transfer to Shanghai and fly to Wuhan, then take coach or bullet train to Yichang. Following dinner in Yichang, you will board your ship for the Yangtze River cruise.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Cruise upstream to reach your first shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam itself and the Five Stage Ship Lock*. 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
Take a morning tour of the Shennong Stream before continuing on to the two other Gorges; the prettiest Wu Gorge, and the shortest, Qu Tang Gorge.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The final day of the cruise will pass through the Fengdu Ghost City. With nearly 2000 years history, this is believed to have been the place where souls go to pass three tests before entering the afterlife.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
You will disembark your ship at Chongqing and travel, by bus or bullet train, to Chengdu. Stroll around the People's Park, the ancient streets of the Wide and Narrow Alleys, and Jinli Old Street.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Spend the morning experiencing a once in a lifetime trip to the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Centre, home to one of China's largest habitat of pandas. Stroll around the enclosures, take photos and try to spot the lesser-known Red Pandas.
Breakfast & Lunch
Fly to Lijiang, a famous remote, ancient town with breath-taking scenery. Visit the Pool of the Black Dragon which, built in 1737, affords stunning views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning takes you on a cable car ride to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the region's tallest mountain and the most southern glacier in the northern hemisphere. You will also visit Yufeng Temple and Baisha village before driving to Dali.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Visit a family of the Bai minority group before heading on to the Three Pagodas of Chong Sheng. Following some time walking around the Old Town, you will take a drive to Kunming.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today's excursion is to the Stone Forest, a UNESCO listed area known for its incredible karst formations. These were formed over 270 million years ago, made up of mostly limestone the highest reaches over 40 meters.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast take the train to arguably China's most picturesque region, Guilin which is home to the stunning Karst Mountains and Li River. Visit the Reed Flute Caves with their rock formations and inscriptions, as well as Elephant Hill before walking around the beautiful lakes.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Sail for around 5 hours along the Li River, through unforgettable scenery, to Yangshuo. Spend the afternoon exploring West Street with the option to see a theatrical performance of The Impression of Liu Sanjie - a show portraying life and culture of the local Yangshuo people using a stunning natural backdrop.
Breakfast & Dinner
Spend the morning relaxing in beautiful Yangshou before departing for Guilin in the late afternoon for a flight to Xi'an.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Considered by many to be the 'Eighth Wonder of the World', the magnificent Terracotta Warriors is a highlight of the tour. After admiring the awe-inspiring tomb, continue to the Old City Wall and Muslim Quarter before travelling back in time at a Tang Dynasty dancing show.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today enjoy half-day sightseeing in Xi'an, which includes a visit to the Terracotta Warriors, considered by many to be the 'Eighth Wonder of the World', as well as a visit to the Wild Goose Pagoda.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Take a morning Bullet Train to Beijing, first visiting Antique culture street-Liulichang and then the Temple of Heaven.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Another full day in Beijing allows you time to stroll around the magnificent Summer Palace and be taken to one of China's most important political landmarks, Tiananmen Square. You will also visit the Forbidden City before being mesmerised by a fantastic Chinese acrobatic performance.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Start the day with a leisurely walk along the iconic Great Wall of China at Juyongguan pass. Spend time at the Cloisonne factory before heading back to your hotel via a photo stop at the impressive Olympic Stadium. Tonight, delight in a traditional Peking Duck dinner.
Transfer to Beijing Airport for your flight home to the UK or continue on to your Hong Kong extension.
The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes.The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
Please note lighters and aerosol cans are not allowed planes, trains or sights of special interest, such as Tiananmen square, Forbidden city, The Temple of Heaven, Terracotta Warriors, Three Gorges Dam, and the Wild Goose Pagoda.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
You will require a visa to visit mainland China. If you’re 14 to 70 years old, you must apply for a visa in person at a visa application centre. If you’re aged 13 and under or aged 71 and over, you can only apply online. You must provide biometric data (scanned fingerprints) for your application. There are visa application centres in London, Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh. The details of their opening hours are on their websites. The Chinese Embassy has further information on visa categories and how to apply. The application process takes approximately 4 – 10 working days and the cost depends on the visa and class you choose. You will require extra documentation for your application that you can request from us from 2 months before departure. They may ask for the Agency License Number which is China International Travel Service Ltd: 911100001013930695. We work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. When calling the Travel Visa Company they will advise you of any changes to the fees or the procedure, they will also advise you of all the information they will require to apply for the visa.
We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding these.
Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.
Please note - spray cans of any form and lighters are not allowed on trains or planes.
We strongly recommend that you and 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 your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and 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.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and 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 and normal mobility. It involves full days of sightseeing, often on foot, and includes some climbing of stairs and getting on and off coaches and boats. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
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 depart. US Dollars are widely accepted in China should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. Most major credit cards are accepted in hotels and shopping malls in China. Small shops and restaurants may not accept credit cards as well as street vendors, so it's strongly advised to have sufficient Chinese currency with you. ATM’s are readily available in big cities and most small towns.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £500 - £600 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.
Tipping
It is customary to tip your national guide, local guide and driver approximately CNY39 per person per day. Your national guide will collect this for your convenience on the first day of your tour, approximately CNY970 per person for the total duration. Tips are collected in Chinese Yuan.
This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. For groups of less than 10, you will have a driver and be joined by a local guide at each location.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and China. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours. Unlike the western world, Chinese people do not normally pre-heat their plates and food can be presented at a variety of temperatures, which is a typical Chinese way of doing things.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Bottled water will be available at shops and hotels.
If you are travelling within the below Chinese Public Holidays, please note that celebrations last for several days and during these times some businesses will be closed and coach, air and train travel may be affected. Tourist attractions will be open but may be crowded. Chinese New Year usually falls sometime between January 21 and February 20. Golden Week public holidays fall annually between 1st – 3rd of May and 1st – 7th of October.
On your arrival in China you will be met by a representative from our local agent will be in the terminal, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays representative will show you to your transfer vehicle.
If you need to contact China Travel Service during your stay the details are: Head office address China Travel Service 15F CTS (HK) Grand Metropark Hotel Beijing, No.338 Guang’an Men Nei Streeet, Xicheng District, Beijing, China Tel: 0086 10 85908336 / 0086 10 85908341.
Emergency contact information Please find below the emergency contact details for China Travel Service: During Office Hours: 0086 10 85228340 0086 10 85228725. After Office Hours: Ms. Linda Liu (Mobile): 0086 61 3911043036. Ms. Shine Cao (Mobile): 0086 61 8284532334