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

60 CHINA MEAL PLAN: 22 breakfasts, 21 lunches & 21 dinners ACCOMMODATION Suzhou 1 night 4 ★ Garden Hotel Hangzhou 2 nights 4 ★ Culture Plaza Hotel Shanghai 2 nights 4 ★ Ocean Hotel Yangtze Cruise 4 nights President Cruise Chengdu 2 nights 4 ★ Tianfu Sunshine Hotel Lijiang 1 night 4 ★ Hexi Hotel Dali 1 night 4 ★ Landscape Hotel Kunming 1 night 4 ★ Jinjiang Hotel or 4 ★ Yinruilin International Hotel Guilin 2 nights 4 ★ Days Inn or 4 ★ Plaza Hotel Yangshou 1 night 4 ★ New West Street Xi’an 3 nights 4 ★ Jianguo Hotel or 4 ★ Titan Times Hotel Beijing 3 nights 4 ★ Beijing Royal Grand Hotel or 4 ★ Great Wall Hotel DAY 1: UK TO SHANGHAI Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight. DAY 2: SHANGHAI TO SUZHOU D On arrival in Shanghai you will be met by your local guide and transferred to Suzhou for dinner. DAY 3: SUZHOU TO HANGZHOU B/L/D After breakfast depart for Suzhou, the Garden City of China. On arrival, visit the Master of the Nets Garden, one of the finest oriental gardens, as well as the local silk mill. Take a stroll around Guanqian Street. Continue onto Hangzhou. DAY 4: HANGZHOU B/L/D Enjoy a relaxing boat trip on the scenic West Lake and marvel at the Six Harmonies Pagoda. Spend the afternoon in Qing Hefang ancient walking street. DAY 5: HANGZHOU TO SHANGHAI VIA ZHUJIAJIAO B/L/D Depart Hanzghou to visit the ancient water village of Zhujiajiao, with its arched stone bridges and quiet alleyways. Continue to Shanghai to visit the French Concession and the arts area of Tianzifang. Next visit to the magnificent Bund, followed by a walk along Nanjing Road, the main shopping area in Shanghai. Tonight, take in the beautiful scenery on a night cruise along the Huangpu River. DAY 6: SHANGHA B/L/D Visit the Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum and the Xintiandi entertainment district. DAY 7: SHANGHAI TO YANGTZE CRUISE B/L/D Transfer to Shanghai and fly to Yihcang. Following dinner in Yichang, you will board your ship for the Yangtze River cruise. DAY 8: YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE B/L/D Cruise upstream to reach your first shore excursion - Three Gorges Dam. DAY 9: YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE B/L/D Take a morning tour of the Shennong Stream before continuing on to the two other Gorges; the prettiest Wu Gorge, and the shortest, Qu Tang Gorge. An optional tour of the White Emperor City will be available in the afternoon. DAY 10: YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE B/L/D Today, enjoy a shore excursion to Fendgu Mount Shaunggui Scenic Region before sailing past the Fengdu Ghost City. With nearly 2,000 years history, this is believed to have been the place where souls go to pass three tests before entering the afterlife. DAY 11: YANGTZE RIVER TO CHENGDU B/L/D You will disembark your ship at Chongqing and travel, by bus or bullet train, to Chengdu. Stroll around the People’s Park, the ancient streets of the Wide and Narrow Alleys, and Jinli Old Street. DAY 12: CHENGDU B/L/D Spend the morning experiencing a once in a lifetime trip to the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Centre, home to one of China’s largest habitat of pandas. Stroll around the enclosures, take photos and try to spot the lesser-known Red Pandas. DAY 13: CHENGDU TO LIJIANG B/L Fly to Lijiang, a famous remote, ancient town with breath-taking scenery. Visit the Pool of the Black Dragon which, built in 1737, affords stunning views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. DAY 14: LIJIANG TO DALI B/L/D This morning takes you on a cable car ride to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the region’s tallest mountain and the most southern glacier in the northern hemisphere. You will also visit Yufeng Temple and Baisha village before driving to Dali. DAY 15: DALI TO KUNMING B/L/D Visit a family of the Bai minority group before heading on to the Three Pagodas of Chong Sheng. Following some time walking around the Old Town, you will take the Bullet train to Kunming DAY 16: KUNMING TO GUILIN B/L Today’s excursion is to Stone Forest a UNESCO-listed area with incredible limestone formations. You will be From the cosmopolitan cities of Beijing and Shanghai to the remote ancient town of Lijiang, and the stunning Li River in Guilin, this extended tour visits the most iconic sights as well as discovering the hidden treasures of China. Suzhou GRAND TOUR OF CHINA 25 days from £2,899pp TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ✔ Full-day city tours of Shanghai and Beijing ✔ The Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and the Summer Palace ✔ Chengdu Panda Breeding Centre ✔ Yangtze River cruise, sailing past the Three Gorges ✔ Tour of Xi’an and visit to the 8,000-strong Terracotta Army ✔ The mountainous cities of Lijiang and Dali ✔ Ancient water village of Zhujiajiao ✔ Cable car ride up Jade Dragon Snow Mountain ✔ Scenic Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo CRUISE TOUR PACE: To book or for further information visit your local travel agent or call us FREE on 0800 408 0556