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This 10-day, 8-night tour is the perfect way to explore the highlights of China. Incorporating the three major cities of Shanghai, Xi'an and Beijing - it gives you the chance to visit some of the most iconic sights including the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, the Forbidden City and beautiful metropolis that is Shanghai.
Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight to Shanghai International Airport.
On arrival in Shanghai you will be met by your local guide and transferred to your hotel and taken out for dinner followed by an overnight stay.
With a population surpassing 25 million, Shanghai is an incredible metropolis not to be missed with architecture like no other Chinese city. Our full day tour commences after breakfast and includes visits to the scenic Yu Gardens, the traditional Old Town, Shanghai Museum and shopping in a silk factory with a break for lunch. After dinner in the city, take a night cruise along the Huangpu River, giving you the chance to enjoy beautiful views whilst meandering through the streams of water traffic.
Following breakfast you will travel by coach to the water village of Wuzhen where lush gardens, calming waterways and authentic buildings will transport you back in time to a traditional China from centuries ago. Your boat trip will journey through the stone bridges and winding canals before you retire to your hotel for dinner and your evening's stay.
After returning to Shanghai you will explore the former French Concession area as well as the nearby Tianzifang, a labyrinth of art studios and shops. Before enjoying an afternoon at your leisure your guide will take you to Xintiandi, a district known for arts, crafts and restaurants.
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Xi'an. On arrival in this ancient Sichuan city, lunch will be followed by a fascinating orientation tour showing you the highlights of Xi'an, including a visit to the ancient City Wall. Built in around 582 AD and stretching around a perimeter of 13.7km, it is China's most complete city fortification. In the evening enjoy an East meets West banquet dinner in a grand theatre followed by the colourful Tang Dynasty Show.
Test your bargaining skills in the morning in the market stalls that zigzag through the Muslim Quarter along with a visit to the Xi'an Great Mosque. In the afternoon visit the magnificent Terracotta Warriors and Horses. Taking nearly four decades to complete and over 700,000 workers, this incredible tomb was built to protect China's first emperor in his afterlife. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Beijing.
Beijing is one of the world's truly ancient capitals and an extraordinary city. One of the tour highlights is a trip to the iconic Great Wall, built over 2,000 years ago to protect the Chinese Empire against marauding Mongol invaders from the North. We've included a cable car ride to the top to explore the wall's ancient battlements. After lunch, take a stroll around the magnificent Summer Palace, followed by a traditional Peking Duck dinner in the evening.
Your final day includes a comprehensive city tour, first stopping at Tiananmen Square. This monumental landmark is not only the world's largest city centre square but also the gateway to the Forbidden City, which houses the wondrous Imperial Palace where dynasties ruled China for hundreds of years. After visiting the famous Temple of Heaven unwind and marvel at the talents of the accomplished performers in the Chinese Acrobatic Show.
Transfer to Beijing Airport for your flight back to the UK via Shanghai.
A visa is required for entry into China. We work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa for you on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. All applicants who wish to apply for a China Tourist Visa must do so in person at the Chinese Visa Application Centre in London, Manchester, Belfast or Edinburgh where fingerprint information will be collected. Fingerprints are not required for children under the age of 14 and adults over the age of 70. The visas take around 10 working days to issue and are valid for unlimited trips to China for 2 years from the date of issue. We therefore recommend that you apply for your visa 8 weeks before travel, however please be aware that your passport will be required for the application so make sure that you will not need it during this time.
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.
If booking more than 10 weeks before departure a deposit of £250pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 10 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 10 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
All flights are operated by China Eastern Airlines. Each passenger is entitled to 23kg of hold luggage and hand luggage of 5kg not exceeding 56 cm x 36 cm x 23 cm in size. A return Business Class upgrade for international legs of the tour is available from £899pp, please speak to our reservations department for further details.
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.
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.
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.
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 £100 - £200 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour, depending on how much of a bargain-hunter you are!
| Depart UK | Arrive UK | Price | Book Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Dates | |||
| 22 Jan 2021 | 31 Jan 2021 | SOLD OUT | SOLD OUT |
| 03 Dec 2021 | 12 Dec 2021 | £1519.00 | Book Now |
| 2022 Dates | |||
| 21 Jan 2022 | 30 Jan 2022 | £1649.00 | Book Now |
| 02 Dec 2022 | 11 Dec 2022 | £1499.00 | Book Now |
If you are travelling on our Hong Kong Extension on our 2019 departures, please note that you will now be staying at the 4* hotel The Cityview. Please refer to your final ticketing documentation for more information.
Yuan
11 hours
-4 °C / 32 °C
Mandarin, English
Weather can vary quite considerably throughout the year, so please familiarise yourself with the climate charts below.
No comments
I enjoyed the tour enormously although the pace was rather exhausting at times. Michael the tour guide was excellent and very patient.
All were of excellent standard. Were prefer to be able to control own heat/air conditioning.
Please continue with your SOLO tours
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Extend your stay in China by adding on this fantastic trip to visit the Pandas in Chengdu from just 449pp. This 3-night tour takes you to the Chengdu Panda Breeding Centre which is home to one of China's largest habitats of pandas.
This add-on tour must be taken at the end of the main tour.
View Tour + Extension
Towering skyscrapers form the backdrop to Hong Kong's busy harbour whilst the street markets that fill the teeming alleys remain untouched by western influences. Explore Hong Kong and Kowloon at your own pace during this extension which includes a half day city tour.
This add-on tour must be taken at the end of the main tour.
View Tour + Extension
