China on a Shoestring tour

Your Hong Kong to Beijing adventure starts today! After arriving in bustling Hong Kong, make your way to your hostel where you can drop your belongings. Meet your adventure leader early this afternoon. We’ll then take you for your first glimpse of incredible Hong Kong, with a trip up Victoria Peak to see the sunset over the skyline. After that, we’re heading to Tsim Sha Tsui, where you’ll watch the ‘Symphony of Light’ show from the Avenue of Stars. Finally, if your busy day has you ready to eat, you’re in luck. You’ll head to the Temple Street Night Market, where your Adventure Leader will be on hand to show you the best places to grab a late dinner.

We’re up bright and early this morning, ready to head to the train station. We’ll be taking the bullet train to Guilin. From there, it’s a bus to your hostel where you’ll arrive in the early evening. If you’d like, why not head out into Yangshuo to get your first taste of local food!

You have a free day in Yangshuo today. To help you make the most of your time here, why not try some of these exciting optional activities? Try your hand at cooking up some traditional Chinese foods, at a friendly culinary institute. Enjoy kayaking among the mountains along the Li River! Experience some relaxing Chinese traditional therapies – like Hot Cupping!

Today begins with an unmissable bike ride around the local area, along with a cruise down the Yulong River on bamboo rafts. If you’re bringing your camera (which you definitely should!) – make sure it’s waterproof! Later, you have the option of heading to the Moon Hill complex to get dirty! In this cave complex, you’ll find mud baths and hot springs galore. In the evening, you have the option of joining your fellow travellers for a spot of fun out in the local area.

You day if free today to relax and enjoy the idyllic setting, or alternatively you can try your hand out at one of the many adventure activities on offer. These include rock climbing, kayaking, fishing, mountain biking and more. You can also jump on bikes to explore the surrounding countryside.

Today we make our way by train to Chengdu, situated in the heart of Western China in Sichuan province. Sichuan province is renowned for its beautiful countryside, there are many attractions on offer and the food is amazing. We transfer by metro to your hostel.

Chengdu has plenty of sights and experience to keep you busy during your stay, but today you'll have a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the Giant Panda Research and Breeding Centre, here you'll learn more about the efforts being made to breed and reintroduce pandas to the wild. While you won't be able to hold the Pandas, you'll have a chance to get up close to these beautiful creatures. After this, it’s time to brush up your Chinese skills! Your Adventure Leader will give you a Mandarin lesson, where you’ll learn all the key phrases you’ll need to make the most of your time in China. In the evening you might like to head out to experience a night out in Chengdu and perhaps try the traditional dish of Sichuan Hotpot for dinner.

You have some free time in Chengdu today to explore at leisure, or join our optional excursion to Leshan, to see the Worlds largest stone Buddha.

After some free time in Chengdu where you can visit WenShu monastery and a traditional Chinese tea house, we board the train to Xi'an, cultural capital of China. Start and end of the famous "Silk Route", Xi'an is like a history book of China and the perfect place to explore the countries rich and interesting culture.

Today there is the option to take a bike ride over the city walls, an excellent way to get you bearing and a good overview of the city. In the evening is free for you to enjoy, perhaps try a dinner of local street foods at the Muslim Quarter and relax after dinner by visiting the local Silk Road market nearby.

Today we take you to visit the legendary Terracotta Warriors, row upon row of life-size statues stand silent guard over the burial place of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. In the evening you'll have the chance to visit the Star Sun home for people with disabilities and to volunteer. Then it's time for a night out Chinese style!

This morning we board the public bus to DengFeng, the closest village to the Shaolin Temple. The rest of the day if free to take an optional kung fu lesson & show at a local children's Home run by the Shaolin Temple. Here the monks teach the children to be kung fu masters. All proceeds go directly to the children's home. We also have a second Mandarin lesson to help brush up on your language skills.

The day is free to explore more of Dengfeng and it's surrounding. You can visit the world famous Shaolin Temple and watch the masters of Kung Fu perform their amazing feats set amongst the beautiful temple courtyards. We'll take a hike to Dharma cave, spiritual centre for Buddhist pilgrims, before we board the overnight train to Beijing.

This morning we're up early to take the bullet train to Beijing, we'll arrive by late morning. Late afternoon we visit one of the wonder of the world, the Great Wall of China. To obtain permission to access the locals only sections of the unrestored Great Wall, we enjoy a mandatory meal at a local farm. We'll then hike on totally unrestored sections of the Wall where we set up camp on a deserted section of the wall. In the evening we take in sunset in this ancient and dramatic setting (Please note, due to cold weather before the end of April and after September, we stay in a guest house near the Wall instead of camping, but still return to the Wall to watch sunrise in the morning. Between April and September monsoon rain may also mean we are unable to camp on the wall.).

After sunrise on the Wall we return back to Beijing. Back in Beijing the rest of the day is free for you to explore at your own leisure or try one of the many optional tour available (see the Options tab for all available local options). Perhaps you could visit the Olympic Bird's Nest Stadium, or enjoy the incredible Beijing Acrobatics Show. For dinner tonight there is a chance to taste Beijing's signature dish Peking Roast Duck, enjoyed exclusively by royalty in ancient times.

Today is a full free day to see more of Beijing like Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. In the evening you could explore the WangFuJing night market where you can push your taste buds to the limit and sample many foods you'll have never tried before, like scorpion, bugs and more.

Our last day in Beijing is free to do some more sightseeing or perhaps test your bargaining skills with a visit to the Fake Goods Market. Finally we board the overnight train to Hangzhou.

After arriving in Hangzhou this morning, transfer to your hostel for a late breakfast. We hope you slept on the train! Next, we’re off to the famous West Lake, ready to take a stunning boat tour to one of the Lake’s beautiful islands. Once you’ve checked in this afternoon,you'll have some free time. If you’re keen to stay vertical, why not check out China’s National Tea Museum, or the Lingyin Temple? This evening, it’s an unmissable hike up Jiuyao Mountain to see the stunning sunset from there. Before you head back down to street level for dinner and a free evening to explore. Make sure you check out Hefang Road – the most famous ancient street in town!

This morning you have time to take a hike through misty woods to the Nine Creeks. Returning to the hostel for lunch we then catch the bullet train to Shanghai where we transfer via metro to your hostel.

After a lazy morining, you'll have a Mandarin Lesson. This extra special class will be held by professional teachers, all the way from the Mandarin Garden Chinese Language School. Later in the day, there is an option to join a visit to the Yu Gardens , a busy historical site, formerly the site of a lavish family home. You could also visit People's Square before heading to the worlds busiest shopping street 'Nanjing Road' In the evenings, you can enjoy Shanghai's lively bar scene, and perhaps try out the largest bar crawl in China "the Drunken Dragon Pub Crawl". If you're looking for something a little more sophisticated try sipping champagne in a hot tub on the rooftop of a skyscraper, taking in Shanghai's spectacular skyline.

Today is another free day in Shanghai. There's lots to do to keep yourself busy, with plenty of sightseeing and shopping on offer. Alternatively you can let us do it for you and choose to take one of the many optional sightseeing tour available (see the Options tab for all available local options).

This morning you have the option of joining a stroll through the former French Concession to learn about Shanghai's international history. You can visit the Propoganda Museum and take in the famous city scapes of the ultra modern Financial District. You could also make a visit to TianZiFang, a local artists lane blending chic and traditional styles.

For any daredevils in the group, you could head to the top of Jinmao Tower and brave the sky walk!

In the evening, you’ll take in the bright city lights from the water with a night cruise down the Huangpu River

It’s time to leave Shanghai and head to a new region – Fujian. You’ll take the bullet train to Longyan. After around 6 hours on the train, you’ll arrive and transfer deep into the verdant tea-growing hills. On the way, visit a mud roundhouse – these are the traditional homes of the local Hakka peoples. This evening, you’ll arrive at your guesthouse, ready for a relaxing night in after a long day of travel.

This morning we take a walking tour around the UNESCO World Heritage Site and enjoy exploring the neighbouring round-houses and the stunning countryside. We will also sample the locally grown tea in a traditional tea ceremony, and swim in a local lagoon. Later in the day we take time to visit a tea factory and surrounding plantations where you can see tea being made and buy some from the factory itself.

We start the day with a cycling tour to a nearby village famous for its beautiful rivers and mountain scenery. The afternoon if free to relax and enjoy the natural surroundings and chat to the friendly locals.