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• Escorted Small Groups

Dreams of Fairyland

From the deepest gorge in the world to the colourful lakes of Nine Village Valleys; from the karst limestone peaks to the poetic rivers; and from the beautiful rice terraces to the cultural heritage of ancient walled cities - this 16 days tour visits some of the best kept secrets of China rarely touched by western travellers. Some of the locations were featured on the successful BBC Wild China Program.

Tour Itinerery

Day 1: Chengdu - Jiuzhaigou (Nine Villages Valley)

Arrival in Chengdu from UK or extension from one of our tours. Fly to Jiuzhaigou where we stay for two nights.

Want to visit Beijing & Xian as well? See our Land of the Hidden Dragon itinerary

Day 2: Jiuzhaigou (Nine Villages Valley)

Known to the Chinese as "Fairyland on Earth", the jagged valleys offer a spectacular landscape and native beauty are unique in China and in the world - with over a hundred colourful lakes connected by bouncing streams & roaring waterfalls, and lush forest... You will be given the option to join with the rest of the group for a guided walk or explore the natural trail alone at your own pace.

Day 3: Huanglong Multi-colour Ponds

Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992, Huanglong consists of numerous unique landscapes created through millions of years of geological evolution. Glacial revolution, terrane structure, stratum of carbonic acid rock, tufa water and unqiue climatic conditions such as artic-alpine sunlight have created this world-famous traverine landscape. The major attraction lays in its water, which consist of various yellows, greens, blues and browns, creating wonderful multi-coloured ponds.

Day 4: Chengdu & Leshan Giant Buddha

Today's excursion is to Leshan Giant Buddha - a stunning example of a Buddha sitting at an impressive 232ft (71m) high. Dinner tonight will be an exotic Sichuan-style hot pot - where you pick and cook the meat in the boiling soup yourself!
Accommodation: 4* Yinhe Dynasty Hotel

Day 5: Chengdu - Lijiang

After a leisurely buffet breakfast we shall pay a visit to the Chengdu Pangda Sanctuary - the world's principal panda reserve and breeding centre - where we will discover all about this endangered species and get up close to watch them at play. There will be some free time in the afternoon with options to visit a local teahouse or markets before catching our flight to Lijiang.
Accommodation: 4* Wangfu Hotel

Day 6: Lijiang

The walled city of Lijiang is the jewel of Yunnan province, whose timeless heart has also been recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site. There will be a guided walking tour followed by leisurely free time enabling you to wander around this heritage city at your own pace.

Day 7: Tiger Leaping Gorge & Lijiang Countryside

After a relaxed breakfast we will take our first forage into Yunnan's rich and beautiful countryside to stop at the Tiger Leaping Gorge whose crashing tumbling water roars through one of the deepest gorges in the world. After taking lunch by the river, venture onto First Blend of Yangtze River.

Day 8: Dali

This morning a short coach ride through the rich fertile land will set the scenario for today. Visit Dali's landmark Three Pagodas and a scenic cable car ride up to the viewing terrace high up in the Cangshan Mountain gives you a bird's evey view as you gaze down at Lake Erhai. We have left your afternoon free so that you can wander amidst the cobbled lanes of this ancient walled city at your own pace.
Accommodation: 4* Asia Star Hotel

Day 9: Dali - Kunming

A morning flight takes us to Kunming, capital of Yunnan province. We will skip the usual tourist sights in the city and head straight to our hotspring resort set amidst countryside Yunnan where some of the country's best kept secrets are to be found.

On the way to our hotel we shall stop by to see China's famous Stone Forest - an immense collection of ancient limestone stalagmite like peaks which mother nature has patiently been eroding away for the last 200 million years.
Accommodation: Huquan Hotspring Resort

Day 10: Mile Hotspring

There will be no pre-arranged program for today allowing you a well deserved break in the middle of your grand journey. Some of you may want to soak into the hotspring pools of our resort hotel and pamper yourself with a traditional massage; while others may want to follow your tour manager to the Alu Caves, named as "first wonder cave in Yunnan", and the nearby Vineyard, the largest and best in the region, and taste the locally popular red wine!

Day 11: Yuanyang

An exciting day is in prospect as we head towards Yuanyang. This mountainous county, rarely touched by western travellers, is home to five ethnic minorities - Ani, Yi, Miao, Yao and Zhuang. Its rice terraces, widely praised as the most beautiful rice paddies in the country, spread across the mountains covering a total of 360 thousand square acres.

We shall do some hiking along the rice paddies alongside with the farmers and catch the famous sunset view higher up on the terraces. Overnight in a local hotel.

Yuanyang Rice Terraces -- so much so that the BBC Wild China crew has chosen it to elaborate the Chinese rice culture:
"The improbable egg-carton hills of Southern China seem to float in a sea of glistening rice paddies. This is a landscape full of surprises....But this isn't a nature park. Almost 300 million people live here, with a tradition of eating wildlife. So what forces have shaped this remarkable landscape and how do farmers and wild creatures manage to coexist among the rocks and the rice fields?" --- more on BBC Wild China (Program One)

Day 12: Yuanyang - Jianshui

Early risers may follow your tour manager to climb up a hill for the panarama sunrise over the terraces & mountains. Explore the minority tribal villages on foot and glimpses local livings.

Journey out to Swallow Caves, " the biggest and most splendid cave in Asia", where each year thousands of swallows fly here building nests and giving birth to baby swallows, hence the name.

Accommodation: 3* Zhu Family Garden Courtyard Hotel

Day 13: Guilin

After breakfast we head back to Kunming airport for our flight to Guilin. Driving through Yunnan's lush countryside is always fascinating. En-route we shall make some stops to a local villages and markets.

Day 14: Yangshuo

Today is a chance to capture the almost heart stoppingly beautiful countryside of towering karst limestone spires that seem to emerge at random out of an almost perfectly flat plain, as we take a relaxing cruise along the Li River to Yangshuo.
Accommodation: 4* Tulip Holiday Hotel

Day 15: Yangshuo

A motorised buggy ride or bicyle ride - your choice, takes us deep into the countryside to explore the paddy fields, rivers,and peaks; see farmers in their fields and roaming water buffalo .... After finishing at the mysterious Moon Hill, you will enjoy further leisure time in this picturesque town.

Day 16: Yangshuo - Onward Destination

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your connecting flight home or onward destination.

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Post-Tour Hong Kong Extension 2 Nights 3 Days
3* Cosmo Hotel --- from £299 per person (extra night fr £35/person)
4*+ Comsmopolitan Hotel or Harbour Plaza Metropolis --- from £340 per person (extra night fr £45/person)

Price include:
- Flight from Guilin to Shenzhen (shuttle bus into Hong Kong downtown approx. 2 hours)
- 2 nights at your chosen hotel (room basis only)
- Half day city coach tour in Hong Kong

* Note: the train departs on alternative dates only and takes 25 hours
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Tour Price includes:

• Escorted tour program as mentioned inc. domestic flights, land transportation, sightseeing entrance fee
• 15 nights hotel accommodation as listed above
• Daily breakfast and most lunches & dinners - 15 breakfast, 11 lunch/refreshment, 8 dinner

Tour Price exclude:

- International flights (we can arrange for you)
- Chinese visa fee (we can arrange for you)
- Travel insurance (we can arrange for you)
- Gratuities to tour manager/guide

Dates	Price (per person)	Availability
June 3	£1,595	Booked out
August 3	£1,595	Good	Book
September 13	£1,640	Good	Book
October 19	£1,640	Good	Book