Exquisite China – A Signature Journey

Tour Highlights

• Cross Tiananmen Square, the vast public space at the centre of Beijing
• Walk a stretch of the Great Wall at Juyong Pass, away from the busiest sections
• Spend half a day in Shanghai, from the Xintiandi lanes to the Bund
• See the Terracotta Army's ranks of full-size figures outside Xi'an
• Wander Kuanzhai Alley in Chengdu, Qing-era courtyards now full of cafes and small shops
• Take a boat on the river below the 71-metre Leshan Giant Buddha
• Bao Guo Temple at Mount Emei, the principal Buddhist site on the mountain
• Explore Lijiang's old town in Yunnan, the heart of Naxi country

Itinerary at a Glance

1. Day 1: Departure day: flying to Beijing — Flights leave Australia and New Zealand today, so the first day passes in airports, cabin meals and a film or two. You cross a few time zones before landing in Beijing, China's capital. A local host w
2. Day 2: Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City — Breakfast first, then into the middle of the city, starting at Tiananmen Square. It ranks among the biggest public squares anywhere and serves as the stage for national parades and ceremonies. A gate
3. Day 3: The Great Wall at Juyong Pass — Jade comes first this morning, at a museum where you watch craftspeople cut and polish it and hear why the stone has mattered here for more than four thousand years. The Chinese call it Yu, and it sta
4. Day 4: Beijing to Xi'an by high-speed rail — Morning brings an introduction to traditional Chinese medicine at a health centre, where the discussion covers balance, acupuncture and herbal remedies, and the thinking that has supported them over t
5. Day 5: The Terracotta Army — The museum halls outside Xi'an hold the Terracotta Army: thousands of figures at full human scale, drawn up in ranks with their horses and chariots. No two faces are alike, because the sculptors varie
6. Day 6: Xi'an to Chengdu by rail — A transfer to the railway station puts you on a high-speed train for the run to Chengdu, about four hours of changing scenery. Chengdu, Sichuan's capital, is the city most people associate with giant
7. Day 7: Pandas, the Leshan Buddha and on to Emeishan — Go early to Chengdu's panda research and breeding centre, when the animals are most active. The centre breeds and protects the endangered giant panda, and it keeps red pandas as well, so there is more
8. Day 8: Mount Emei, then a flight to Lijiang — Begin with a walk in the Emeishan area, where the mountain does most of the talking. The path brings you to Bao Guo Temple, Mount Emei's biggest and busiest place of worship, with courtyards full of i
9. Day 9: Yulong Snow Mountain and Baisha Old Town — The mountain fills the whole day. Breakfast first, then out past Ganhaizi Meadow to the Baishuhe River, which threads clear water through the grass. A cable car makes the climb to Spruce Meadow and, h
10. Day 10: Lijiang to Changsha — A two-hour domestic flight carries you from Lijiang to Changsha, after a transfer out to Lijiang airport. Changsha is a big city, the capital of Hunan in central China, and its recorded history runs b
11. Day 11: Changsha to Zhangjiajie — Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was the first of its kind in China, and it is the reason this corner of Hunan is on the map: thousands of quartzite columns packed into the valley, trees growing strai
12. Day 12: A free day in Zhangjiajie — Today is free, so you can sleep in, potter around Zhangjiajie town or simply rest. If you would rather keep moving, an optional day tour runs to the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. That trip uses the Bailong
13. Day 13: Zhangjiajie to Yichang, boarding the cruise — A coach transfer after breakfast brings you to Yichang, with lunch on the way. At the pier you board the Century Golden No.3, your floating base for the next four nights. Once aboard there is a light
14. Day 14: Along the river to the Three Gorges Dam — The river sets the rhythm now. Breakfast is a buffet, taken slowly. Late in the morning you can stay on deck or go ashore on an optional shore visit to the Tribe of the Three Gorges, settled on board
15. Day 15: The gorges at Wushan and White Emperor City — The ship enters Wu Gorge early, and the cliffs close in on both sides with cloud caught between them. This is the section painters and photographers come for. Optional side trips go deeper into the Le
16. Day 16: Shibaozhai and Fengdu Ghost City — Breakfast and lunch are both buffets on board, and much of the day passes with the banks sliding by. In the afternoon you go ashore at Fengdu Ghost City, where the old stories about the afterlife, fol
17. Day 17: Chongqing to Shanghai by air — After breakfast you leave the ship at Chongqing, then head to the airport for the flight to Shanghai. Our ground team collects you on landing and handles the transfer to your accommodation. From here
18. Day 18: A half day of Shanghai sightseeing — A half day of sightseeing covers the parts of Shanghai most people want to see first. Start in Xintiandi, where restored lanes now hold cafes and boutiques, then cross into the Old Town itself, with i
19. Day 19: Flying home from Shanghai — You fly home today, so the airport transfer is timed around your flight. Rooms are yours until 12:00, and the hotel will keep your bags if your departure is later. A few travellers may be asked to lea
20. Day 20: Arriving home — You land back home today, in Australia or across the Tasman.

What's Included

• Return international flights on full-service carriers, economy class, with surcharges possible
• Three domestic flights inside China
• Fourteen nights in four-star hotels
• In Beijing: the Beijing Friendship Hotel, and comparable properties
• In Xi'an: the Metropark Huanyu Hotel, and comparable properties
• In Chengdu: the Mercure Hotel Chunxi, and comparable properties
• In Emeishan: the Hua Sheng Hotel, and comparable properties
• In Lijiang: the Xianghe No.1 Holiday Hotel, and comparable properties
• In Changsha: the Ramada Plaza Hotel, and comparable properties
• In Zhangjiajie: the Best Western Plus, and comparable properties
• In Yichang: the Riverside No.1 Hotel, and comparable properties
• On the Yangtze: the China Goddess No.2, with comparable ships used as substitutes
• In Shanghai: the Holiday Inn Shanghai Hongqiao West, and comparable properties
• Eighteen breakfasts
• Five lunches, one of them the Peking duck meal
• Five dinners, covering every evening on the cruise plus the farewell banquet with the captain
• Ground transport in air-conditioned vehicles, booked privately
• Two high-speed rail trips
• Transfers to and from airports and the cruise pier