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Hong Kong to Beijing on a Shoestring
13 days, Hong Kong to Beijing
Itinerary
Day 1Hong Kong
Arrive at any time.
There are no activities planned until an evening welcome meeting.
Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2Hong Kong/Yangshuo
Cross the border to Shenzhen and board a train to Guilin before transferring to scenic Yangshuo.
Arrive in Guilin by train and transfer to the nearby village of Yangshuo, nestled among the limestone karsts jutting out of the Li River. One of the most scenic regions of China, this beautiful backpacker town is a haven for activities, cultural immersion, and relaxing at cafés.
The Li River and the limestone karst mountains interspersed with picturesque riverside villages and markets make this area perhaps the best known scenic attraction in the region.
Metro
Get around underground via public transit.
Border Crossing (Hong Kong - China)
Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.
Local Train
Climb aboard, take your seat, and get around like the locals do.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Day 3Yangshuo
Enjoy free time in Yangshuo. Opt for a tai chi lesson, cooking class, or cycling tour of the area.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in Yangshuo, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like taking a tai chi lesson, indulging in a traditional massage, and checking out the Li River Light Show. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 3 HideShow
Yangshuo Tai Chi Lesson
80-150CNY per personLearn how to do Tai Chi, the local exercise regimen. Practice in any park around sunrise, and be sure to have company from locals.
Chinese Language Lesson
80-150CNY per personEnjoy a lesson in basic Mandarin and practice what you've learned with the locals.
Kung Fu Lesson
80-150CNY per personPick up some basic skills of Kung Fu and learn a bit of the history behind this ancient martial art form.
Moon Hill Entrance and Hike
15CNY per personEnjoy a hike up to Moon Hill, one of Yangshuo's most popular attractions. This karst hill has a huge hole through the middle that's shaped like the moon, hence its name. The views of the surrounding countryside from the hill are spectacular -- it's worth the climb!
Impression Liu Sanjie Culture Show
298CNY per personWhen the sun goes down, the Li River lights up for the 'Impression of Liu Sanjie' light show. The show consists of 7 episodes: the Prelude, Red Impression, Green Impression, Golden Impression, Blue Impression, Silvery Impression and the Epilogue. Each scene in the show is more spectacular and breathtaking than the last and is made up of 600 actors and actresses, colourful stage lights, and special-effect smoke systems. Watch the moonlight dance along the Li River combined with colourful lights and dancers as the show plays on!
Yangshuo Guided Cycle Tour
200CNY per personFollow the guide and cycle over the flat(ish) landscape past rice paddies, local farmers, and water buffalo. Marvel at the limestone karsts and hear the legends of how they came to be. Stop for lunch at the house of a local family for a tasty meal made from freshly grown produce.
Central Chinese Cooking Class - Yangshuo
Calling all foodies! Get an inside look at real Chinese food with a tour of the Yangshuo market to learn about the ingredients used in the Yangshuo area. Afterward, learn to cook Chinese food in a traditional Chinese farmhouse in the beautiful countryside just outside Yangshuo. After the cooking class you can sit down and enjoy the delicious dishes you have prepared.
Day 4Yangshuo
Continue to explore beautiful Yangshuo with a free day.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in Yangshuo, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like taking a tai chi lesson, indulging in a traditional massage, and checking out the Li River Light Show. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 4 HideShow
Yangshuo Tai Chi Lesson
80-150CNY per personLearn how to do Tai Chi, the local exercise regimen. Practice in any park around sunrise, and be sure to have company from locals.
Chinese Language Lesson
80-150CNY per personEnjoy a lesson in basic Mandarin and practice what you've learned with the locals.
Kung Fu Lesson
80-150CNY per personPick up some basic skills of Kung Fu and learn a bit of the history behind this ancient martial art form.
Moon Hill Entrance and Hike
15CNY per personEnjoy a hike up to Moon Hill, one of Yangshuo's most popular attractions. This karst hill has a huge hole through the middle that's shaped like the moon, hence its name. The views of the surrounding countryside from the hill are spectacular -- it's worth the climb!
Impression Liu Sanjie Culture Show
298CNY per personWhen the sun goes down, the Li River lights up for the 'Impression of Liu Sanjie' light show. The show consists of 7 episodes: the Prelude, Red Impression, Green Impression, Golden Impression, Blue Impression, Silvery Impression and the Epilogue. Each scene in the show is more spectacular and breathtaking than the last and is made up of 600 actors and actresses, colourful stage lights, and special-effect smoke systems. Watch the moonlight dance along the Li River combined with colourful lights and dancers as the show plays on!
Yangshuo Guided Cycle Tour
200CNY per personFollow the guide and cycle over the flat(ish) landscape past rice paddies, local farmers, and water buffalo. Marvel at the limestone karsts and hear the legends of how they came to be. Stop for lunch at the house of a local family for a tasty meal made from freshly grown produce.
Calligraphy Yangshuo
80-150CNY per personWatch and learn how to do calligraphy, a traditional form of writing Chinese characters using a brush and ink. See how calligraphers have evolved a richly varied tradition of calligraphic styles, which have been handed down from generation to generation.
Central Chinese Cooking Class - Yangshuo
Calling all foodies! Get an inside look at real Chinese food with a tour of the Yangshuo market to learn about the ingredients used in the Yangshuo area. Afterward, learn to cook Chinese food in a traditional Chinese farmhouse in the beautiful countryside just outside Yangshuo. After the cooking class you can sit down and enjoy the delicious dishes you have prepared.
Day 5Yangshuo/Chengdu
Transfer to Liuzhou and board an overnight train to Chengdu.
Train
Step on board the fast train from Yangshuo to the transfer station in Liuzhou.
Overnight Train (beds)
Experience overnight travel like a local. Sit back and get some well-earned (and likely much-needed) rest en route to your next stop.
Day 6Chengdu
Enjoy a free day to explore Chengdu, known for its spicy local food and the Giant Panda Breeding Centre.
Free Time
Get outside and discover Chengdu.
Optional Activities - Day 6 HideShow
Wenshu Monastery
5CNY per personWenshu Monastery definitely worth a visit during your stay in Chengdu. The monastery was first built in Tang dynasty (618-907). More than 500 pieces of painting and calligraphy by celebrities are stored in this monastery. The exquisite garden and solemn halls are other highlights of this place.
Day 7Chengdu
Opt for a day trip to Leshan to see the giant Buddha or continue exploring the vibrant city of Chengdu.
Free Time
Opt to visit Leshan and see the giant Buddha.
Optional Activities - Day 7 HideShow
Wenshu Monastery
5CNY per personWenshu Monastery definitely worth a visit during your stay in Chengdu. The monastery was first built in Tang dynasty (618-907). More than 500 pieces of painting and calligraphy by celebrities are stored in this monastery. The exquisite garden and solemn halls are other highlights of this place.
Giant Panda Breeding Center
58CNY per personVisit the popular pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, created to provide an ideal breeding environment for these endangered creatures. Learn about their life cycle and habitat and take memorable photographs of these iconic national treasures. See a number of other rare species, including the little-known red panda. Arrive in the fall for a chance to see tiny newborn pandas.
Leshan Giant Buddha Visit
See centuries-old Dafo, the largest Buddha in the world, at this UNESCO World Heritage site. Building started in 713 and this seated Maitreya was completed by 803 AD being 71 metres tall (233 ft). Opt to board a boat and head out into the Mingjiang River to get an overall view of the statue from afar. Explore carvings and temples before climbing down the path that travels from the statue’s head to its enormous toes.
Day 8Chengdu/Luoyang
Opt to see the famous pandas up close at the Giant Panda Breeding Center before boarding an overnight train to Luoyang.
Free Time
Opt to visit the Giant Panda Breeding Center or continue to explore the city.
Basic Overnight Train (beds)
Experience overnight travel like a local. Sit back and get some well-earned (and likely much-needed) rest en route to your next stop.
Optional Activities - Day 8 HideShow
Giant Panda Breeding Center
58CNY per personVisit the popular pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, created to provide an ideal breeding environment for these endangered creatures. Learn about their life cycle and habitat and take memorable photographs of these iconic national treasures. See a number of other rare species, including the little-known red panda. Arrive in the fall for a chance to see tiny newborn pandas.
Day 9Shaolin
Transfer to the holy mountain of Song Shan and visit the Shaolin Temple, the home of Kung Fu. Spend the night in a local guesthouse.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Shaolin Temple Visit
Song Shan is home to the Shaolin Monastery and Temple, the mystical birthplace of the world famous martial art, Kung Fu. First founded in the 5th century, Shaolin has been rebuilt multiple times.
Optional Activities - Day 9 HideShow
Song Shan Hike
Enjoy the natural scenery in the beautiful Song Shan National Forest Park.
Day 10Song Shan
Enjoy free day to explore the area around Mount Song.
Free Time
Get out and explore this scenic region.
Optional Activities - Day 10 HideShow
Song Shan Hike
Enjoy the natural scenery in the beautiful Song Shan National Forest Park.
Day 11Song Shan/Beijing
Transfer to Luoyang and opt to visit the Longmen Grottoes before boarding an overnight train to Beijing.
Local Bus
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Basic Overnight Train (beds)
Experience overnight travel like a local. Sit back and get some well-earned (and likely much-needed) rest en route to your next stop.
Optional Activities - Day 11 HideShow
Longmen Grottoes Visit
120CNY per personEnjoy a visit to this fantastic UNESCO World Heritage Site, with over 100,000 Buddha images carved into a mountain side. Giant panoramas featuring various images of Buddha are flanked by smaller statues that depict him in a variety of poses.
Day 12Beijing
Arrive in bustling Beijing this morning and opt to visit the famous Great Wall with free time.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in Beijing, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like shopping at the Silk Market, visiting the Summer Palace, and taking a hutong tour. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 12 HideShow
Forbidden City Tour
60CNY per personOur CEO will steer around crowds and help make the most of a visit to the Forbidden City.
Factory 798 Art & Galleries
Explore the modern art district of Beijing! Named after 798 factory which was built in 1950's, now an exhibition centre of Chinese culture and art, also the world - famous culture and creative industries centralized area. This is a place to not miss while in Beijing!
Tiananmen Square
Explore one of the world's largest public squares and the symbolic centre of Chinese power. Framed by the Gate of Heavenly Peace with its Mao portrait, Mao's Mausoleum, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum, and with elaborate flag raising and lowering ceremonies at dawn and dusk, it's a place of pilgrimage for the Chinese tourists who consider it the heart of their nation.
Mutianyu Great Wall Visit
60CNY per personClimb the rolling hills of Huairou County at Mutianyu, one of the best-preserved sections of the Great Wall. Enjoy scenic views as the wall winds along mountain ridges, and take brag-worthy photos of the wall from any of the 22 towers. The Great wall is an incredible piece of engineering stretching 6000 km west from the mountain ridges north of Beijing. It was originally constructed to protect Chinese empires from nomadic northern tribes, and even though it failed in this purpose, it's still one of the country's most remarkable achievements and an iconic destination. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is located about 80km away from the Beijing City Center. The walk is approximately 5 kilometres and will take 2 to 3 hours depending on your level of fitness.
Beijing Acrobatics Performance
Enjoy an evening of spectacular acrobatics performed by some of China’s most talented performers and athletes. This unforgettable spectacle features Chinese-style tricks, like plate-spinning, contortion, foot-juggling, and a host of circus-style acrobatics, too.
Day 13Beijing
Depart at anytime.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.