China Active Adventure
15 days
From
$ 2099
Duration15 days
Explore a side of China you never knew existed on this eye-opening multi-activity adventure. Get a full dose of this land’s truly incredible history, culture, and geography using rural roads that wind through tiny villages and past seemingly endless rice fields. Tour the imperial tombs and palaces of the walled city of Xi’an on two wheels and on foot. Study curious limestone karst formations in Yangshuo. Navigate the busy streets of Beijing and relax, secure in the knowledge that downtime is rightly earned.
This tour is operated by
-
Duration: 15 daysService level: Standard
-
Starts in: BeijingPhysical Grading: Average
-
Ages: 12+
Tour Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1: Beijing
Start place: Beijing
Arrive in Beijing at any time.
Peak season notice: Golden Week falls between October 1st and 7th, 2019/2020/2021. Please note that Golden Week is a semi-annual 7-day or 8-day national holiday for the people of China. This is a very busy time of the year for domestic tourists, so expect some crowding at major attractions. We recommend booking these dates well in advance as accommodations and transportation availability is extremely limited.
End place: Beijing
Day 2: Beijing/Gubeikou
Start place: Beijing
Leave Beijing behind for now as you transfer to Gubeikou and prepare a day of hiking. Stay overnight in a local farmhouse and interact with rural farmers over a traditional Chinese meal at a homestay.
The homes along the Great Wall have simple but good bathing and shower facilities. Each family can host 4-6 travellers, so our group may be split among 2 or 3 different homes.
End place: Gubeikou
Meals: D
Day 3: Gubeikou/Beijing
Start place: Gubeikou
Wake up and begin to tackle a second day of walking along the Jinshanling Great Wall. Hike along its rolling terrain and spot the 67 watchtowers along the way. The sparse crowds and incredible surrounding sights are bound to make for a great day of hiking. After, rest your feet on the drive back to Beijing.
Please note that due to restoration and maintenance of the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall, portions of the trek may be altered.
End place: Beijing
Meals: B, D
Day 4: Beijing
Start place: Beijing
Discover the fascinating history of the Forbidden City on a guided tour, then join the throngs of locals to explore the city's ancient hutongs. Tonight, jump on the overnight train to Luoyang.
End place: Luoyang
Meals: B
Day 5: Luoyang
Start place: Luoyang
Enjoy time in Luoyang located in central China’s Henan province, widely recognized as the region where Chinese civilization originated. The city was China's ancient capital and is home to many Temples, and close by the Longmen Grottoes which contain thousands of Buddhist rock carvings dating back to the 5th century.
Arrive in Luoyang and opt to visit the Longmen Grottoes.
End place: Luoyang
Day 6: Luoyang
Start place: Luoyang
Explore the Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of China Zen Buddhism and UNESCO World Heritage site. Established in 495 AD, martial arts have been practiced here for 1500 years as a way to practice Zen Buddhism.
Travel to the holy mountain of Song Shan, best known as the home of the Shaolin Temple and birthplace of kung-fu . Take some time today to explore the historic Shaolin Temple with your CEO, and enjoy a hike in the surrounding countryside.
End place: Luoyang
Day 7: Luoyang/Xi'an
Start place: Luoyang
Travel by train to Xi'an and enjoy an orientation walk of the Muslim Quarter.
End place: Xi'an
Day 8: Xi'an
Start place: Xi'an
Enjoy an included visit to one of China’s greatest archaeological treasures—the Terracotta Warriors. Cycle the ancient city walls and discover the Muslim Quarter.
End place: Xi'an
Day 9: Xi'an/Yangshuo
Start place: Xi'an
Departing from Xi'an, take a flight to Guilin and transfer to the small countryside town of Yangshuo, where the Li River winds its way around thousands of limestone karst mountains. Take an orientation walk of Yangshuo.
End place: Yangshuo
Day 10: Yangshuo
Start place: Yangshuo
Experience some of Yangshuo's famous nightlife or see the Liu San Jie, a 500 person show by Oscar winning director, Zhang Yi Mou -- he also directed the Beijing Olympic Ceremony.
Try your hand at cooking local fare at a boutique cooking school and pre-book the Central Chinese Cooking Class by adding it to your checkout page, or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
Try your hand at cooking local fare at a boutique cooking school and pre-book the Central Chinese Cooking Class by adding it to your checkout page, or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
Have a full day to explore Yangshuo, where every turn in the road brings you to another picture perfect sight. Opt to take a boat ride along the stunning Li River, stop at markets and quaint villages along the way.
End place: Yangshuo
Day 11: Yangshuo
Start place: Yangshuo
En route, enjoy a delicious local lunch with options like the local beer fish, garlic fried water spinach and stuffed aubergine.
See Yangshuo through a view that's unobstructed by car windows - take to the streets by bike today to discover more of this mountainous landscape. En route, enjoy a delicious local lunch with options like the local beer fish, garlic fried water spinach and stuffed aubergine.
End place: Yangshuo
Meals: L
Day 12: Yangshuo/Longji
Start place: Yangshuo
Longji is famous for its centuries old rice terraces, often referred to as the Dragon's Backbone, built along forested mountain slopes that seem to poke into the clouds. Check out the unique wooden architecture of the local Zhuang and Yao people.
Enjoy village to village trekking along rice terraces.
Day 13: Longji
Located 300-1000m above sea level, and nestled amongst the mountains, enjoy a hike on land cultivated over generations, stemming from the Yuan dynasty. Soak in the beautiful views and experience the harmony between humanity and nature.
Continue trekking along rice terraces.
Day 14: Longji/Hong Kong
Arrive in Hong Kong in the afternoon. Take an orientation walk around the hotel, then explore the city. Opt to walk to the harbour front and take in the astonishing city lights.
Leave the village in the morning and head back to Guilin. Take some time to explore the area before departing by bullet train to Hong Kong.
Day 15: Hong Kong
Depart at any time.
You may wish to arrange extra nights' accommodation in this exciting city.
Inclusions
Included
- Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group Your Discover Moment: Yangshuo
- Great Wall trek (2 days)
- Guided tour of the Forbidden City
- Beijing hutong walking tour
- Bike the ancient Xi'an city walls
- Shaolin Monastery visit
- Yangshuo cycling
- Longsheng village-to-village trekking
- Yangshuo and Hong Kong orientation walks
- Internal flight
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
-
Transport
Train, Local bus, Plane, Bicycle, Walking -
Accommodation
Hotels (9 nts), Simple guesthouses (3 nts), Homestay (1 nt), Sleeper train (1 nt)