CHINA HIGHLIGHTS 2017, Full itinerary

 

September 4   Depart NZ 11:15 pm (to be confirmed)

 Day 1    Arrive Shanghai, check in, relax, light activity, the Bund at night. Stay in Shanghai.

Day 2    Continue Shanghai sites, the old and the new: Fuxing Park, Jinmao Tower, Pudong new area, Yuyuan gardens,  evening acrobatic show. Shanghai

Day 3   Further activity in Shanghai, includes Shanghai Museum, afternoon fly to Guilin.

Day 4   Li River cruise to Yangshuo, free afternoon in idyllic Yangshuo, evening performance on water: 'Impressions of Liu Sanjie'. Stay in Yangshuo.

Day 5   A free day in Yangshuo. There is a range of activities we can select from to organise when there, including cycling, rafting, bus trip, or free time. Yangshuo

 Day 6   Bus to Longsheng (4 hours). Stay in a Yao minority village in Longji (Dragon Back Terraces).

Day 7   Wander the villages, enjoy the terraced hill landscape, travel back to Guilin.

Day 8   Spend a day in the beautiful city of Guilin, visiting Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill, Jinjiang Ming Dynasty Palace, 'Solitary Beauty Peak'. Guilin

Day 9   Fly to Xi’an, city wall, moslem bazaar, meet Shaanxi Provincial Women’s Federation, Big Goose Pagoda, evening fountain to music display. Stay in Xi’an.

Day 10   Have a free day, or join us to the countryside and learn about rural society, the rural economy and livelihoods, eat in a farmers restaurant. Xi’an

Day 11   Visit Terracotta Warriors on the way to Huashan.

Day 12   Cable car up to the 5 peaks of Huashan (lotus flower peak). Spectacular and dramatic scenery, walk the trails according to ability, descend by cable car. Huashan

Day 13   Bullet train to Beijing (5 hours) relax. Stay in Beijing.

Days 14 –16   Visit the Great Wall , Bird’s Nest, Temple of Heaven, Song Qingling residence museum, Bell and Drum towers, Hutongs, Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square,  the Forbidden City, Yonghegong temple, city parks. Stay in Beijing.

Day 17   Fly to Shanghai, transfer by bus (2 hours) to the garden city, the “Venice of the East”. Suzhou

Day 18   Visits to Lingering Gardens and Lion Grove Garden, Grand Canal, Silk museum and workshop. Stay in Suzhou.

Day 19   Travel to the water village of Zhouzhuang. Walk the cobbled streets and glide along the canals on a punt. Stay overnight in Zhouzhuang.

Day 20   Bus (2 hours) to Pudong airport for 2:30pm departure.

September 25   Arrive Auckland airport 6:45 am