Day 1London
Fly from London to Beijing today.
On arrival you will be met by your guide and taken to your hotel, with the rest of the morning to relax. In the afternoon start exploring the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.
The Temple of Heaven is one of Beijing's most impressive sites. If you can rise a little early you'll also be able to see Beijing's pensioners doing Tai-Chi here. Take in the Summer Palace in the afternoon.
You`ll leave the city today to see one of China`s iconic sites - The Great Wall. You`ll be taken a few hours out of the city in order to escape the crowds and see the wall at its best.
Have time at leisure before taking an overnight train to Xian, once capital of China and the start of the ancient Silk Road. It is also possible to fly between the two cities.
This morning head out to Xian's star attraction - the Terracotta Warriors. Even if you've read about them nothing can prepare you for the sheer scale and number off warriors found - not to mention the Herculean effort it must have taken to produce them.
Today fly onto Guilin, with time to explore this southern city on arrival.
This morning you`ll be taken on a relaxing cruise up the River Li, to drink in Guilin`s justifiably famous limestone scenery. Arriving into Yangshuo at lunchtime you`ll be met and taken to your hotel. Yangshuo is a small town set right amongst the pretty limestone karst scenery.
You leave the town of Yangshuo this morning and head to an even smaller place - the village of Longji. The village is set around centuries old rice terraces, and a visit here will give a small taste of rural life in China.
In the morning explore the pretty rice terraces. In the afternoon transfer back to Guilin's airport and fly onto Shanghai. There you'll be met and taken to your hotel.
Explore China's second city.
Continue to explore Shanghai under your own steam.
Today you'll be taken to the airport in time for your return flight to the UK.