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Incorporating the three major cities of Shanghai, Xi'an and Beijing, this 10-day tour is the perfect way to explore the highlights of China. 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. Optional excursion (payable locally) - Jinmao Tower & ride the Airport Maglev Train.
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 €300pp 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.
Alternative flights are available, please contact us for details.
IMPORTANT: Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 10 days before departure. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you.
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.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 40. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Dates | |||
| 06 Oct 2023 | 15 Oct 2023 | €2127.00 | |
| 20 Oct 2023 | 29 Oct 2023 | €1959.00 | |
| 03 Nov 2023 | 12 Nov 2023 | €1847.00 | |
| 24 Nov 2023 | 03 Dec 2023 | €1847.00 | |
| 01 Dec 2023 | 10 Dec 2023 | €1847.00 | |
| 08 Dec 2023 | 17 Dec 2023 | €1679.00 | |
| 2024 Dates | |||
| 26 Jan 2024 | 04 Feb 2024 | €1791.00 | |
| 16 Feb 2024 | 25 Feb 2024 | €1791.00 | |
| 08 Mar 2024 | 17 Mar 2024 | €2015.00 | |
| 22 Mar 2024 | 31 Mar 2024 | €2015.00 | |
| 12 Apr 2024 | 21 Apr 2024 | €2071.00 | |
| 19 Apr 2024 | 28 Apr 2024 | €2071.00 | |
| 26 Apr 2024 | 05 May 2024 | €2127.00 | |
| 10 May 2024 | 19 May 2024 | €2239.00 | |
| 17 May 2024 | 26 May 2024 | €2239.00 | |
| 07 Jun 2024 | 16 Jun 2024 | €2239.00 | |
| 02 Aug 2024 | 11 Aug 2024 | €2239.00 | |
| 23 Aug 2024 | 01 Sep 2024 | €2463.00 | |
| 30 Aug 2024 | 08 Sep 2024 | €2351.00 | |
| 13 Sep 2024 | 22 Sep 2024 | €2351.00 | |
| 04 Oct 2024 | 13 Oct 2024 | €2239.00 | |
| 18 Oct 2024 | 27 Oct 2024 | €2015.00 | |
| 01 Nov 2024 | 10 Nov 2024 | €1903.00 | |
| 22 Nov 2024 | 01 Dec 2024 | €1791.00 | |
| 29 Nov 2024 | 08 Dec 2024 | €1791.00 | |
| 06 Dec 2024 | 15 Dec 2024 | €1679.00 | |
We have 2 rooms available on every tour date for single use where no single supplement will need to be paid. But hurry, these spaces are limited and subject to availability. If however once all the places are sold out and you are happy to share with another passenger of the same gender then let us know at the time of booking and we will endeavour to find you a travelling partner.
If the group tour departure dates and not suitable for you and you would prefer a more personal and flexible experience than you can choose to book a private guide for your tour at a reasonable supplement.
Alternative flights are available, please contact us for details.
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.
Hotels in some cases were so nice that for one night we couldn't really appreciate them.
No comments
All hotels were excellent ,clean short of nothing . Beds comfy . Beautiful . Loved all of them.
All 4 * and excellent
excellent hotel,excellent food,accommodation very good
Couldn't fault any of them
Hotels were of a good standard including the breakfasts offering a wide range of dishes from European to chinese.
A great trip we couldn't fault anything! Special thanks to Richard our tour manager who made sure i never went hungry (vegetarian).
Opt out or a lunch sandwich option would be better, three meals a day was too much.
On our departure as i went with my daughter we were not allocated seats together, one of us at one end of the plane and the other at the other end.
Excellent holiday 5 star.
Problems around breakfast . Would benefit from allocated seating (all), the use of trays (all) and a wider selection of food that appeals more to the western diet (particularly true of hotels in Shanghai).
Hotel in Wuzhen was brilliant. Hotels in Beijing and Xiang excellent
All the hotels were accommodating. One or two could do with a refreshing makeover to bathrooms.
All breakfasts had a good array and wide mix of foods and beverages.
Cannot praise the national guide Jason enough.
Our national guide Richard was outstanding - very informative, entertaining, friendly and supportive, an excellent ambassador for both China and Mercury Holidays
The hotels were excellent, providing lovely large beds, soft pillows and good quality bed linen. My bedroom at Wuzen was a little too small, but as we were only there for one night this was acceptable. The best hotel was at X'ian which also provided the best breakfast.
Richard, our guide was excellent in helping an older member of the group and dealing with the problems of two female members of our group.
The hotels were all excellent but the Passage d'Eau in Wuzhen was outstanding. We would have preferred to have two nights there and only two in Shanghai.
All the hotels were great and provided everything we could wish for.
The first hotel in Shanghai was amazing. The others were good but not as good as Shanghai.
Your reps especially Zlang Chen was exceptionally good and helpful.
The hotels were excellent in location and the standard was more than I expected. Especially in wujhen.
I had a fantastic holiday. The memories will stay with me forever
All the hotels were clean with helpful staff. There was a great choice at breakfast accommodating different diets.
Great to have some bottled water provided every day.
Head guide GRACE was excellent,felt safe and secure,she felt part of the family and was motivated and very knowledgeable,you could tell she enjoyed her job,nothing too much trouble and organized birthday cake for 3party members.Also local tour guides Christina,Kelsey,Jenny,Jack and all drivers again excellent .
Beautiful Hotels. Comfortable, clean and well equipped
very good and comfortable
1st hotel -excellent
2nd hotel - very good
3rd hotel - very good
4th hotel - looking a bit tired
No comments
Some hotels better than others. But all very good.
Hotels were all good.
Staff efficient and helpful.
All rooms clean but a couple were a little tired.Nothing worth reporting to tour guide.
Would like time in Ci'an to cycle around the city walls and see the city lights at night
Exceptional tour guide Dan very knowledgeable, enthusiastic about China, very helpful, attentive and caring.
We are very grateful for the excellent service we had received from Mercury.
Not a lot of gluten free food choice, but plenty of fresh fruit and veg available so no big problem. Our guide wad excellent in finding out what I could and could not eat
Lee and Ging were fabulous guides very knowledgeable, humorous and attended to our varied needs as a group. Probably the best holiday we have ever had.
No comments
Guides Jing and especially Ann were brilliant. Informative, knowledgeable, nothing too much trouble.
All the hotels were lovely. I really enjoyed the holiday, especially having the best tour guide Ann, and also Jing, who we had as well in Shanghai. Ann was very knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with, very good at her job. Will definitely use Mercury again have started saving already!! Holiday of a lifetime thankyou.
All the hotels were excellent, without exception
All the hotels were above and beyond my expectations.Beijing could perhaps do with A little freshen up but still excellent value. I travelled on my own but never felt alone with the cameraderi of the others in the group. I was well looked after by our excellent tour guide Alen.,
Excellent trip, covered so much sightseeing.
The whole experience was excellent due to Alan our tour guide, He was marvelous nothing was too much trouble for him and the driver.
Some of the food was more westernised than I expected , Being a foodie I felt let down that we could not try real Chinese food /dishes .
Ann Lee was an excellent guide very informative.
Very good value, meals, accommodation, and entrance to historic sites.
Good service will use Mercury again.
No comments
No comments
all 3 hotels on the tour were very good.
Must mention our guide for the tour, Grace. She really was exceptional. We have been on many tours and she was far and away the best guide we have come across in her professionalism and friendliness. She deserves high praise.
The only thing that could have made it better would be flying home directly from Beijing instead of flying from Beijing to Shanghai then flying home, a lot of time wasted and very tiring with a lot of waiting about.
No comments
Hotels in general were very good. No complaints
All hotels were top class
The quality and the service at the hotels were good, rooms were clean, spacious and had everything you needed.
The Tibet Hotel Chengdu and hotel in Wuzhen were my favourites.
Staff in Tibet Hotel could not do enough for you!
Lovely hotels
Clean and in the main well maintained. Service good. Food good.
All hotels provided good service and excellent breakfast
Brilliant with excellent tour guide.
You have changed to hotel in Shanghai from the Ocean to the Northern, due to complaints about noise at the Ocean - good decision, Northern was possibly the best hotel we stayed in. Xi'an Jianguo Hotel - the room stank of stale smoke, despite being in a non smoking floor. Hotel in Wuzhen was lovely. Breakfasts in all hotels was excellent, some better than others but couldn't be faulted.
Good hotels great breakfast selection in them all.
In Shanghai our hotel was changed from the Ocean Hotel to the Northern this hotel was gorgeous it was changed as the guide said that previous guests had said the Ocean hotel was too noisy due to the karrioki there ,also the hotel in whuezen the water village was beautiful. Xian we didn’t have long there but again the hotel was gorgeous the last hotel in Beijing wasn’t as good as the others but it was still a great hotel but this hotel for me had the best breakfasts.. The staff at all were very friendly and check in was quick free water in all the rooms with tea and coffee facilities also all the toiletries you will need along with slippers and also dressing gowns for you to use.
All the Hotels wear first class and spot on .
All three hotels were excellent. Rooms spacious and clean. Staff polite and helpful.
Breakfasts very good and catering for all tastes.
It was a great experience with Mercury Holidays. Looking forward to booking our next holiday with you.
The tour was excellent, all three guides were very informative.
The restaurants were very good as well.
It was a holiday of a life time and looking forward to my next adventure.
Max the guide was brilliant, so knowledgeable & made everyone feel comfortable, he was so caring when one got lost, would highly recommend him & the tour
Thank you
Great hotels
The guides we had were excellent. Frank the national guide made the holiday for me.
Some hotels better of good to excellent standard - However excellent breakfast and service in all.
The tour guides were excellent.
All of the hotels in the tour were excellent. The rooms were very clean, modern and outstanding.
Excellent holiday from start to finish. Simon our guide was excellent.
The price, meals and Itinerary the reason we chose Mercury Holidays.
Enjoyed all the hotels. Good breakfasts and comfortable rooms
The Yangstee River boat used was not in the best condition, was charged 2000yuen(£238) for upgraded room recommended by guide,on arrival room was disgusting, smelly and paper pealing off the wall,bathroom was mouldy around shower.and carpet was 'minging' we was told a new boat was to be used next year as that one was 10 years old and past its sell by date. However staff and food were great.
All the Hotels had excellent facilities and staff always curtious and helpfull.
All good hotels used.
All the hotel rooms were excellent.
Liked Passage D'Eau
8 Degrees out of town but Shuttle bus good
Hotels were very good standard and we could not have asked for anything else.
All very good standard and very comfortable.
Hotel choices were good.
We were very pleased with the hotels. Top marks!
Really enjoyed the visit, the tour manager and guides were very knowledgeable.
Exceeded all expectations. Nothing left to chance or could have been improved upon. Would love to go to India next if finances make it possible.
The hotels was very nice clean and tidy
An amazing tour with exceptional guides. Perfect service from quote to completion of trip.
Had a fantastic holiday, many thanks.
Having just returned from the China Discovery Tour, I thought I would share my views with you. For me it was the best tour of the four on offer. The two tour guides were very good and knowledgeable, especially Andy who had the whole group on the last two days. Western style breakfasts in the hotels and a lot of us found they were cooked ok but they were only warm to cold. Hopefully this is something you can address to the hotel management with regard for future travellers. The two tour guides Jimmy and Andy were fantastic. They were informative without giving out too much information all at once. Especially Andy for him to be able to give all that information without a crib sheet was amazing. Finally I am pleased that I decided to go to see China and its wonders and I have many happy memories. I would certainly recommend the tour to other people.
The hotels were clean and comfortable. Breakfast was excellent with choice of Chinese or Western style breakfast. The hotel in Wuzhen in particular was excellent and certainly exceeded expectations. Raddison Blu hotel in Beijing could have benefited from some new carpets but it was clean and comfortable so no complaints.
Excellent, choice of Hotels
All very good
Stayed in 5 hotels, the standard of them all was excellent.
All the hotels on the tour were great
“Exceeded all expectations. Nothing left to chance or could have been improved upon. Would love to go to India next if finances make it possible.”
Read moreDate: 15th Aug 2016
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Extend your stay in China by adding on this fantastic trip to visit the Pandas in Chengdu from just 399pp. 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
