Escorted Tours 2020 & 2021 - 2nd Edition - Mercury Holidays

52 CHINA MEAL PLAN: All meals included ACCOMMODATION Shanghai 2 nights 4 ★ Ocean Hotel Yangtze Rive r 4 nights 4 ★ Yangtze Cruise 2 Chengdu 2 nights 4 ★ Tibet Hotel or 4 ★ Dorsett Grand Xi’an 2 nights 4 ★ Titan Times Hotel Beijing 4 nights 4 ★ The Landmark Hotel DAY 1: UK TO SHANGHAI Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight to Shanghai. DAY 2: SHANGHAI D On arrival in Shanghai, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to your hotel. After checking in, you will experience your first taste of the city with a visit to the magnificent Bund then a walk along Nanjing Road, the main shopping area in Shanghai. DAY 3: SHANGHAI B/L/D Following breakfast, embark on a full-day tour of the city, taking in the delights of the famous French Concession and Tianzifang, the arts and crafts enclave in the French neighbourhood. After lunch, you can saunter around Xintiandi - ‘The City’s Living Room’, a multifunctional entertainment district with unique 1920s style stone gate buildings known as “shikumen”. DAY 4: SHANGHAI TO YANGTZE RIVER B/L/D After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Yichang, where you will board your ship for your four night Yangtze River Cruise which will tour the Three Gorges Dam and breath-taking scenery along the way as you cruise upstream. DAY 5: YANGTZE RIVER B/L/D The cruise will set sail to reach your first shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam itself and the Five Stage Ship Lock viewing platform where you can see the giant ship elevator capable of lifting a 14,000 ton passenger liner! *In the afternoon, you’ll sail past the Xiling Gorge, the largest and most famous of the Three Gorges. *A ride in the elevator can be booked locally at an additional charge. DAY 6: YANGTZE RIVER B/L/D Following breakfast, you will take a tour of the Shennong Stream, a zigzagging watercourse where local inhabitants line the shore. You will then sail to Wu Gorge, the prettiest of the Three Gorges, followed by Qu Tang Gorge, the shortest. In the afternoon, there is the option to take a tour of the White Emperor City, an ancient temple perched at the top of an island in the middle of the river. DAY 7: YANGTZE RIVER B/L/D On the final day of the cruise, the ship will sail to the Fengdu Ghost City, thought to have been the place where souls must go to pass three tests to enter the afterlife. DAY 8: YANGTZE RIVER TO CHENGDU B/L/D Disembarking the ship at Chongqing, you will travel to the capital of the Sichuan Province, Chengdu. Your guide will show you around the People’s Park, where locals relax, mingle and exercise, then enjoy a stroll through the ancient streets of the Wide and Narrow Alleys which have been renovated to their former architectural glory. DAY 9: CHENGDU B/L/D Today takes you to Leshan, famous for its magnificent riverside cliff carving of a giant Buddha which is the largest stone-carved Buddhist statue in the world and is viewed from a boat on the river. Continue in the afternoon to the old town of Huanglongxi, a 1700-year-old settlement restored to retain its old- world charm. In the evening, enjoy a delicious Sichuan hot pot meal. DAY 10: CHENGDU TO XI’AN B/L/D Perhaps a highlight of the tour, today takes you to experience a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Centre, home to one of China’s largest habitats of pandas. In the afternoon, board the bullet train to Xi’an. DAY 11: XI’AN B/L/D Known to many as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, a visit to the spectacular Terracotta Warriors is an unforgettable experience. Taking nearly four decades to complete and over 700,000 workers, this incredible Home to ancient civilisations and breath-taking natural wonders. Savour the grandeur of the Three Gorges on a Yangtze River Cruise, meet Terracotta Warriors and Giant Pandas, and step inside the Forbidden City. Leshan Buddha Park WONDERS OF CHINA 16 days from £1,799pp TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ✔ City tours of Shanghai, Xi’an and Beijing ✔ Four night Yangtze River cruise and sail past the Three Gorges ✔ Encounter the giant pandas of Chengdu Panda Breeding Centre ✔ Boat trip to the world’s largest stone- carved Buddhist statue in Leshan ✔ Marvel at Xi’an’s Terracotta Warriors ✔ The Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and Summer Palace ✔ Chinese acrobatic performance and Tang Dynasty show ✔ Sichuan hot pot meal and Peking duck dinner CRUISE TOUR PACE: To book or for further information visit your local travel agent or call us FREE on 0800 408 0556