Itinerary Include flights Expand all Shanghai to Beijing Day 1 Depart London Day 2 Arrive Shanghai There will be a welcome briefing this evening.Kingtown Hotel Plaza or similar Day 3 Morning city tour; afternoon free. Evening visit to Jinmao tower for night view This morning enjoy a guided tour of the waterfront area in Shanghai, known as the Bund. This iconic area still dominates the city's life and a stroll along the water is a 'must-do'. The guided tour also includes a trip to Nanjing Road (Shanghai's Oxford Street) and a visit to the tranquil Yuyan Gardens and Bazaar. The afternoon is free for your own exploration of the largest city in China, with a population of around twelve million. Though it no longer warrants the title 'Paris of the East', many of the vestiges of Shanghai's colonial past are still apparent. In the evening take a visit to the Jinmao tower (previously the tallest building in China) for a panoramic view of the city and enjoy a drink in the Cloud 9 bar.Kingtown Hotel Plaza or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Visit to Xitang water town; evening overnight sleeper train to Xi'an Today we will spend the day visiting the ancient water town of Xitang; famous for its cobbled streets and bridges arching over the many canals. There are several well-preserved buildings from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties, and the town is a delightful place to explore on foot. We will take lunch here before the journey back to Shanghai (around 2 hours) where the evening will be free. In the evening we board an overnight train to the ancient city of Xi'an. It is recommended to buy food before the train as there is a limited selection provided on board. The train itself is of a good standard, although all facilities such as washrooms and toilets are shared with other passengers. Sleepers are four berth and bedding is provided. Overnight sleeper train Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 5 Arrive Xi'an; afternoon walk through the Muslim quarter and calligraphy lesson Xi'an is one of China's former capitals and one of the few cities in China to have retained its city walls, probably because they are so massive that no revolutionary was willing to tackle the huge task of removing them. This afternoon we will take a walking tour around the city's Muslim quarter which boasts narrow twisted streets filled with shops selling the local produce of Shaanxi Province, and cafes offering some of the most delicious snacks in China! Then on to a caligraphy lesson with a chance to learn about Chinese Art through the ages and try your hand at a few simple characters.Skytel Hotel or similar Day 6 Terracotta Warriors tour Today we visit the famous Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin. Originally four armies were planned, at each point of the compass, life-size and lifelike. Three have been found and it is assumed the emperor's successors decided enough was enough before the fourth was begun. The first pit excavated had an estimated 6,000 figures in its one army. The third pit has been opened to the public, which contains the 'command post' for the entire operation. This is one of China's great tourist attractions, and some people may find the sheer numbers of visitors rather overpowering. Lunch today is a delicious farmer's lunch; lots of seasonal vegetables, generally chicken and beef, served with homemade bread and noodles.Skytel Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 7 Morning bullet train to Beijing (6 hrs); afternoon walking tour of Hutongs This morning we take the bullet train over to Beijing. The high-speed line opened at the end of 2012 and reduces the time it takes to travel to Beijing from 13 hours to 6! Far from just being a busy metropolis, Beijing is home to some of the greatest historical treasures in China that stand testament to the Emperor's status and influence during the dynastic period. In the afternoon we take a walking tour of the city's hutongs (narrow alleys) to discover what is left of old Beijing and its traditions. There will be some free time later this afternoon and evening, either to visit the trendy 798 art district, shop on the famous Wangfujing Street, enjoy some ice skating on Houhai lake (weather dependent), or just relax in our hotel.Dongfang Hotel or similar Dongfang Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 Visit to Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City The sightseeing today will include the Forbidden City with its innumerable courtyards and temples, and the Temple of Heaven Park in the southern part of the city. We also visit Tiananmen square, the largest square in the world and able to hold over a million people. This afternoon is free; we recommend a visit to the Summer Palace, a huge park dotted with impressive pavilions and temples just outside the city which, like the Forbidden City, was once the exclusive playground of China's emperors and their concubines.Dongfang Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 9 Transfer to Mutianyu for Great Wall of China visit We leave the capital and head into the countryside to the Great Wall, an approx. 2 hour journey to the north of the city. We go to one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall at Mutianyu which is an impressive sight, snaking across mountains and valleys into the distance. This section of the Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. The wall here is upto 8.5 metres high and 5 metres wide, and has 22 watchtowers on its 2,250 metre-long stretch. There are some steep steps to navigate and clients who suffer from vertigo may find it challenging, (there is an optional cable car). There is the option of seeing an acrobatic or Kung Fu show or a trip to the opera this evening in Beijing.Dongfang Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 10 Morning flight to Harbin; afternoon walking tour of Central Avenue and St. Sophia church This morning we leave Beijing and take a 2 hour flight north to the city of Harbin, in Heilongjiang province. Harbin is known across the world for the very reason you are visiting; the spectacular Ice and Snow festival which is held there for a month every winter. The region's arctic climate provides an abundance of ice and snow, and the tradition of ice lanterns (from which the festival stems) dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911) when the local people and fisherman often made and used ice lanterns during the winter months. This afternoon we take a walking tour to discover the Russian architecture and influence in the city, starting with the pretty cobbled Central Street, and ending with the St. Sophia Cathedral which was built in 1907 after the completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway in 1903, which connected Vladivostok to north-east China.Harbin Post Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 11 Harbin ice and snow festival; evening ice sculpture exhibition Harbin Ice festival is probably the most prestigious festival featuring ice and snow sculptures, often showcasing life size characters, world famous buildings or recreating famous stories. In 2015, there was an ice Kremlin, super-sized Chinese fisherman and a seated Buddha to name a few. The sheer size and scale of the sculptures plus the detailed and elaborate lighting makes the whole festival incredibly unique and a wondrous place to visit! Today, we will be transferred to the Sun Island scenic area, on the north bank of the Songhua River, to visit the Snow Sculpture Expo. This huge competition area is an incredible place to just walk round and appreciate the work that has gone in to creating the elaborate ice and snow structures. After the visit, (approx. 2 hours) we’ll go back to the hotel for a rest before we head to the Ice and Snow World. The sun sets very early in the winter in Harbin, so you will get to see some of the most amazing ice sculptures lit up in the dark. Truly “Frozen”!Harbin Post Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 12 Bullet train to Beijing (8 hrs) Today we leave Harbin and take the bullet train back to Beijing in the morning. The train takes 8 hours, and we arrive into Beijing late afternoon, leaving time for a final farewell dinner (not included).Dongfang Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 13 Fly to London For those on the group flight to London the flight is in the afternoon, with a same day arrival into London in the evening. Meals included: Breakfast
China Nearly all nationalities require a visa to enter China, which must be obtained prior to departure. The Chinese authorities now require a letter from Exodus, confirming all your accommodation details. Along with this, you need to supply a copy of your flight details, which are on your invoice if you have booked directly through Exodus. For further information see here. It is also essential that we have a clear copy of the details page of your passport. This is required to book certain ground services in China and we cannot confirm your details with our local partners until it has been received. This must be emailed as an electronic scan to [email protected] a minimum of 8 weeks prior to your trip.
China There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. The risk of malaria is slight but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. If your trip visits Hong Kong, dengue fever is a known risk - this is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten: apply insect repellent and wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers.
Hotels and overnight train In all the cities, we stay in good, tourist class hotels with twin rooms and private facilities. Nearly all the hotels are locally rated as 3 star. Wherever possible we use hotels in a good location so that you may explore on your own without having to travel long distances to get to points of interest: this is especially important in big cities like Xi'an, Shanghai and Beijing where many hotels are miles away from anything of interest. In Xi'an our hotel is a 5 min walk to South Gate of the city walls and the Muslim Quarter while in Shanghai we are relatively centrally located, and in Beijing walking distance to Tiananmen Square. Train journeys: The overnight train will be booked in soft-sleeper class A/C, sleepers are four berth and bedding is provided. There are many excellent trains in China and the standard of seating and sleeping is usually in line with European standards. On occasion, passengers of different genders will be required to share a compartment and there will be occasions where you'll be sharing with local travellers or travellers who are not part of your group. Snacks are often offered on board (at an additional cost) but you may wish to purchase your own food prior to the journey.
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