| Land tour price without international airfare: CA$18,563/US$13,750 Price is per person based on double occupancy. Please scroll down for departure dates and hotel list. |
Shanghai – Luoyang – Dunhuang – Jiayuguan – Zhangye – Lanzhou – Lijiang – Xianggelila – Kunming – Chongqing – Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) – Wuyishan (Wuyi Mountain) – Xiamen – Longyan -Guangzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong
This one-of-a-kind itinerary features Northwest China’s Gansu Province, retracing the footsteps of Marco Polo on the ancient Silk Road, visiting the Mogao Grottoes and the westernmost section of the Great Wall. The trip then delves into Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, an area blessed with stunningly beautiful landscapes, rich biodiversity, and intriguing ethnic cultural heritage. The last leg of the trip takes place along the Southeast Coast, boasting a collection of natural and historical UNESCO World Heritage Sites while offering visitors a deep insight into the modernization of China over the past four decades.
This premium small-group adventure tour is physically challenging and involves strenuous walking. It is not suitable for travellers with mobility issues.
Important Features
- Expert local guides hand-picked by company owners
- Small group size – average 15, maximum 20
- No annoying forced shopping stops
- Quality meals at non-tourist restaurants
- Unlimited supply of bottled water during group activities
- Free Wi-Fi in all hotels
Meal Code: B = breakfast / L = lunch / D = dinner
Day 1/Mon: Departing for Shanghai
Your China Grand Adventure tour starts with your transpacific flight departing from a city of your choice. You’ll lose a day upon crossing the International Date Line.
Day 2/Tue: Arrival in Shanghai
Meet the driver on arrival for transfer to the hotel. You’ll have the remainder of the day at leisure.
Day 3/Wed: Shanghai (B）
Free day to rest or explore on your own.
Optional day trip to Suzhou：
After a leisurely breakfast we take a day trip to Suzhou by train (30 minutes). Ancient Suzhou is most famous for its gardens, canals and silk industry. In the late 13th Century, a Venetian named Marco Polo visited Suzhou and was very impressed by what he saw. He vividly described the prosperous silk making trade and dubbed Suzhou “Venice of the East”due to the small waterways crisscrossing the city.
Our full-day schedule takes in the historic Tiger Hill, Humble Administrator’s Garden, Suzhou Museum (designed by I. M. Pei), North Pagoda and a short canal cruise. (B/L)
Day 4/Thur: Shanghai – Luoyang (B/L/D)
This morning we board the bullet train (#G1974, 07:17/13:00) for Luoyang.
Afternoon sightseeing at the magnificent Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located 12 km south of the city centre, the historical site contains as many as 100,000 Buddhist statues ranging from 1 inch to 57 feet in height. Dating back as far as 493 A.D, these ancient sculptures carved out of cliffs on both sides of the Yi River are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art.
Day 5/Fri: Luoyang (B/L)
Morning sightseeing includes White Horse Temple (the oldest Buddhist monastery in China) and the Peony Garden across from the monastery – the site of the annual peony festival held between early April and early May. Afternoon is at leisure.
Day 6/Sat: Luoyang – Lanzhou (B/D)
We board high speed train G2003 (10:54/15:12) to Lanzhou. A major link on the ancient Silk Road, Lanzhou is the capital of Gansu Province and a key regional transportation hub for northwest China with a population of 3.7 million.
Upon arrival we visit Zhongshan Bridge (built in 1907 by Germans) over the Yellow River and the historical White Pagoda Hill across the bridge.
Day 7/Sun: Lanzhou – Dunhuang (B/L/D)
After breakfast we visit the Gansu Provincial Museum. Afternoon flight to Dunhuang (1hr 40m). Depending on flight schedule, the sightseeing in Lanzhou may be moved to Day 12.
A major link on the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang is an oasis city once known as Shazhou or “City of Sands”. The single biggest attraction of Dunhuang is the nearby Mogao Grottoes, which – along with Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang and Yungang Grottoes in Datong – form the three most famous Chinese grottoes of Buddhist sculptures, all on UNESCO’s list of World Cultural Heritage Sites.
Day 8/Mon: Dunhuang (B/L)
Morning sightseeing introduces us to the brilliant murals and sculptures inside the Mogao Grottoes, one of the most celebrated legacies of the Silk Road era. Situated at a strategic point along the Silk Route, the 492 cells and cave sanctuaries in Mogao existed at the crossroads of trade and reflect religious, cultural and intellectual influences. Today, they are still famous for their statues and wall paintings, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art.
In the afternoon, we visit Crescent Moon Lake and Singing Sand Dunes.
Day 9/Tue: Dunhuang – Jiayuguan (B/L/D)
This morning after a visit at the Dunhuang Museum, we check out and drive to Jiayuguan, a small city named after the nearby Jiayu Pass, a key post of the ancient Silk Road.
Jiayu Pass is the largest and most intact pass at the western end of the ancient Great Wall. It is known in China as the “First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven”. The fortress was built in the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century. At that time, foreign merchants from Central Asia and West Asia mostly entered China through the gate here. The pass has a complex defense system that contains an inner city, a central area, and an outer city with a moat. Standing on the towers of the pass, you can find ancient military facilities such as arrow towers, turrets, and cannons along the wall, while taking in the view of the snow-capped Qilian Mountain in the distance.
Day 10/Wed: Jiayuguan – Zhangye (B/L/D)
This morning we drive to Zhangye, a frontier city in the northwest of Gansu and one of the most important outposts on the Silk Road, historically known as Ganzhou (Campichu in Marco Polo’s journals). Nowadays Zhangye is renowned for its multi-colored rock formations known as Danxia Landforms. The naturally tinted foothills that blanket the area are so picturesque, one might wonder if they were painted by some artists manually.
We spend the afternoon exploring Zhangye National Geopark. The trails in the park are a series of leveled boardwalks allowing visitors to easily meander around the colorful sandstone landscapes.
Day 11/Thur: Zhangye (B/L)
This morning we go to the less-visited Binggou Landform Scenery Area located by the Liyuan Rivers to take in additional views of the colorful landscape.
Our sightseeing this afternoon includes Giant Buddha Temple, site of the largest reclining Buddha in China and the Wooden Pagoda nearby. The square surrounding the pagoda is popular amongst locals as a place to relax.
Day 12/Fri: Zhangye – Lijiang (B)
Today we travel by high speed train D2682 (0909/1227) to Lanzhou. Meet your guide on arrival and transfer to the airport for our afternoon flight to Lijiang.
Day 13/Sat: Lijiang (B/L)
Lijiang is home to the ethnic Naxi people whose Dongba religion and unique customs coupled with the region’s enchanting scenery combine to make Lijiang and its vicinity a fascinating place to explore. Joseph Rock, the Austrian-American explorer, geographer, linguist, and botanist, spent almost three decades researching this part of China. The old town of Lijiang known as Dayan is protected as a UNESCO-designated World Cultural Heritage Site.
After a walking tour of the old town, we set out for an excursion to Yunshanping or Spruce Meadow, an alpine pasture surrounded by old-growth forests at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Afterwards, we visit an ancient village on the way back to the city.
Day 14/Sun: Lijiang – Xianggelila (B/L)
After breakfast we embark on an overland journey to Xianggelila, primarily known as Shangri-La to westerners (3,160 metres/10,400 feet above sea level). The day-long drive covers 200 kilometres of country road snaking through scenic river valleys and high mountains dotted with villages of various ethnic nationalities. The highlight of the drive is a stop at the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the first bend of the Yangtze. The gorge is a 15 kilometre scenic canyon on the Jinsha River, a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze River. With a maximum depth of 3,790 metres, the Tiger Leaping Gorge is believed to be the deepest river canyon in the world.
Day 15/Mon: Xianggelila (B/L/D)
In his 1933 novel Lost Horizon, British author James Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided by a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. Some scholars believe that the Shangri-La story owes a literary debt to Shambhala, a mythical kingdom in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, which was sought by Eastern and Western explorers. Because of this remote association, the local authorities in Yunnan appealed to the State Council (the Chinese equivalent to the cabinet of a Western federal government) to have their county’s name changed from Zhongdian to Shangri-La (Xianggelila in Chinese pinyin) for the sake of tourism promotion. The application was approved in late 2001 and the name change soon went into effect.
We spend the morning exploring Pudacuo National Park. Stops include Bita Lake and Shudu Lake surrounded by old-growth alpine forests. Designated as a national park on June 25, 2007, Pudacuo covers an area of 1,300 square kilometres. It is the first national park in China that meets the standards established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The park contains more than 20 percent of China’s plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species, and almost 100 endangered species. It is notably home to vulnerable black-necked cranes, many rare and beautiful orchids, and Himalayan yews, coniferous trees whose extracts are a source of the chemotherapeutic drug, paclitaxel.
Afternoon sightseeing takes in a Tibetan village, the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, and a local market. Located 5 kilometres from the town of Zhongdian, the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, also known as Sungtseling, is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in 1679. Situated at 3,380 metres above sea level, it is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan province and is sometimes referred to as “Little Potala Palace” in reference to the Dalai Lama’s Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.
Day 16/Tue: Xianggelila – Kunming (B/D)
The high-speed to Kunming takes almost 6 hours (C120, 10:05/16:04) and the scenery along the route is incredibly beautiful.
The capital of Yunnan Province, Kunming is known as the “city of eternal spring” due to its temperate climate. Sitting at 1,900 metres above sea level in the middle of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Kunming long profited from its position on the caravan roads through to Southeast Asia, India and Tibet. During the Second World War, Kunming became the terminus on the Chinese side of the famous Burma Road and also served as an airbase for the Allied Forces.
Day 17/Wed: Kunming – Stone Forest – Kunming (B/L)
Enjoy a full-day excursion to Stone Forest. Located 126 km southeast of Kunming, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is a massive collection of gray limestone pillars created by water erosion. The tall rocks bear a strong resemblance to stalagmites, or trees made of stone.
Day 18/Thu: Kunming – Chongqing (B/L/D)
Our morning sightseeing includes the historic Western Hill Scenic Area and Huating Temple. The afternoon train to Chongqing takes 4 hours and 46 minutes (G2866, 14:20/19:06).
Day 19/Fri: Chongqing (B/D)
Free morning to relax. Afternoon sightseeing takes in the People’s Square and Ciqikou, a historical waterfront district known for its porcelain production during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Day 20/Sat: Chongqing – Wulong – Chongqing (B/L)
Enjoy a day trip to the renowned Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, northwest of Chongqing (2-hour drive). Our sightseeing there includes Baodingshan Rock Carvings and Beishan Rock Carvings as well as Dazu Rock Carvings Museum.
Day 21/Sun: Chongqing – Huangshan (B)
Morning flight to Huangshan. Visit Tunxi Ancient Street upon arrival.
Known among the Chinese as the loveliest mountain in their country, Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) astounds visitors with its striking low-hanging clouds, distinctly shaped granite rocks, and twisted pine trees. The jagged range consists of more than 70 knife-like peaks with the highest one reaching 1,864 metres above sea level. Vegetation on the range is thickest below 1,100 metres (3,600 ft), with trees growing up to the timberline at 1,800 meters (5,900 ft). Huangshan is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography.
Day 22/Mon: Huangshan Scenic Area (B/L)
Free morning to relax.
Afternoon sightseeing at Hongcun, a key component of the UNESCO World Heritage Site collectively known as Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui. The traditional village represents a type of non-urban settlement that largely disappeared or was transformed during the last century. The street plan, architecture and decoration, and the integration of houses with comprehensive water systems are unique surviving examples.
Day 23/Tue: Huangshan Scenic Area (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we drive to the mountain and reach one of the peaks by cable car, thus beginning our full day exploration of the mountain. Located in the southern part of Anhui Province, Huangshan is a marvel: within an area of 154 square kilometres there are as many as 72 peaks, whose names indicate the shapes they resemble. In 1990, the UNESCO inscribed Huangshan a World Natural and Cultural Heritages Site. The beauty of Huangshan lies in its “four wonders”: pine trees with shapely foliage, peculiarly shaped rocks, the sea of clouds, and hot springs.
Day 24/Wed: Huangshan – Wuyishan (B/L/D)
This morning we board the bullet train for Wuyishan (1 hour 20 minutes).
The UNESCO inscribed Wuyishan, or Wuyi Mountains, as a World Heritage Site in 1999 and describes the mountains as “the most outstanding area for biodiversity conservation in south-east China and a refuge for a large number of ancient, relict species, many of them endemic to China.” The serene beauty of the dramatic gorges of the Nine Bend River, with its numerous temples and monasteries, many now in ruins, provided the setting for the development and spread of neo-Confucianism, which has been influential in the cultures of East Asia since the 11th century. In the 1st century B.C. a large administrative capital was built at nearby Chengcun by the Han dynasty rulers. Its massive walls enclose an archaeological site of great significance.
We spend the day exploring the wonders of nature at Yixiantian, Huxiao Crag and Tianyou Peak Scenic Area.
Day 25/Thu: Wuyishan (B/L)
Sightseeing at Mount Wuyi continues. Visits to Xiamei Village and a local teahouse for refreshments are on the agenda. Activities scheduled for today include a 2-hour ride on a bamboo raft down a river snaking through spectacular scenery.
Day 26/Fri: Wuyishan – Xiamen (B/L/D)
After breakfast we ride the bullet train (D2325, 08:30/12:11) to Xiamen, a historical seaport city formerly known as Amoy in the West. Our afternoon sightseeing focuses on Gulangyu Island where major attractions include Shuzhuang Garden, Piano Museum, Haitian Tanggou and Longtou Road. A lot of Western style buildings were erected on Gulangyu when Xiamen was run by the British as a treaty port from 1842 and 1912. An expatriate community of Europeans and Japanese made up a large percentage of residents on Gulangyu before the communists took over China in 1949. Today Gulangyu is a popular vehicle-free tourist destination with beautiful beaches and meandering streets lined with old colonial villas.
Day 27/Sat: Xiamen – Yongding Tulou – Xiamen (B/L)
After breakfast we embark on a day trip by high-speed train to Longyan (1 hour each way) to visit Chuxi Hakka Earth Buildings located in the town of Xiayang, Yongding County. The complex consists of 5 round and 31 square earth buildings, representing the best of Fujian Tulou (earth buildings), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our tour includes the showpiece, Jiqing Lou, and Hakka History Museum.
Day 28/Sun: Xiamen – Guangzhou (B/L)
Ride the high-speed train (4 hours) to Guangzhou this morning.
Guangzhou, formerly known outside China as Canton, is the capital of Guangdong Province and a mega-city of immense wealth. We spend the afternoon exploring Guangdong Provincial Museum.
Day 29/Mon: Guangzhou (B/L)
Our full-day sightseeing takes in Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Yue Xiu Park and the Chen Family Temple, and Shamian Island where many European styled buildings exist due to its colonial history.
Day 30/Tue: Guangzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong (B/L)
The early morning train ride to Shenzhen takes only half an hour.
As a very young city, Shenzhen doesn’t offer much to the international visitor seeking a rich history, but driving around with a guide explaining the metamorphosis of Shenzhen from a small fishing village four decades ago to an incredibly prosperous mega-city today is a fascinating experience. Once you know the story of Shenzhen, you’ll find it much easier to wrap your head around the rapid rise of China. Shenzhen ranks as China’s third largest city with a metro population of 23.3 million and an economy rivalling that of Austria (2020 GDP US$433.3 billion).
Late in the afternoon we cross the border into Hong Kong.
Day 31/Wed: Hong Kong (B/L)
Hong Kong (meaning “fragrant harbour”) is one of two special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China, along with Macau. The transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China was completed in 1997. Comprising more than 260 islands, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated territories in the world, with 7.4 million residents of various nationalities in a 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq mi) territory.
Our morning guided sightseeing begins with a ferry ride across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central, the heart of Hong Kong’s business district and home to the regional headquarters of many multinational financial services corporations. Consulates general and consulates of many countries are located in this area, as is the government of Hong Kong.
We then proceed to Victoria Peak located in the western half of Hong Kong Island. Also known as Mount Austin or The Peak among locals, Victoria Peak, with an altitude of 552 meters (1,811 feet), offers sweeping views over Central, Victoria Harbour, and the surrounding islands.
After stopping by Repulse Bay, we dine in a nice restaurant for our farewell luncheon. Repulse Bay is a long stretch of beautiful sand beaches, over which the stately residences of Hong Kong’s rich and famous overlook.
The afternoon is set aside for you to explore on your own.
Day 32/Thu: Returning Home (B)
Transfer to the airport on your own for return home flight. Taxi to the airport costs about US$30 and is highly recommended for couples and families.
| City | Nights | Hotel | Category |
| Shanghai | 2 | Amara Signature Shanghai | luxury |
| Luoyang | 2 | Courtyard by Marriott | luxury |
| Lanzhou | 1 | Hyatt Regency Lanzhou | luxury |
| Dunhuang | 2 | Dunhuang International | luxury |
| Jiayuguan | 1 | Youth International or similar | 1st class (best available) |
| Zhangye | 2 | Huachen International or similar | 1st class (best available) |
| Lijiang | 2 | Hilton Garden Inn | 1st class (best available) |
| Xianggelila | 2 | Shangri-La Resort | luxury |
| Kunming | 2 | Sofitel Kunming | luxury |
| Chongqing | 3 | Dekin Hotel Chongqing Jiefangbei | luxury |
| Huangshan | 3 | Crowne Plaza | luxury |
| Wuyishan | 2 | C&D Resort Wuyishan | luxury |
| Xiamen | 2 | Pan Pacific | luxury |
| Guangzhou | 2 | Crowne Plaza | luxury |
| Hong Kong | 2 | Harbour Grand Kowloon | luxury |
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Dates & Prices
discount available
| Depart (Mon) |
Return (Thur) |
Land Only* CA$/US$ |
Single Supplement CA$/US$ |
| 2025 | |||
| 31-Mar | 01-May | $18563/$13750 | $4442/$3290 |
| 05-May | 05-Jun | $18563/$13750 | $4442/$3290 |
| 12-May | 12-Jun | $18563/$13750 | $4442/$3290 |
| 19-May | 19-Jun | $18563/$13750 | $4442/$3290 |
| 01-Sep | 02-Oct | $18563/$13750 | $4442/$3290 |
| 06-Oct | 06-Nov | $18563/$13750 | $4442/$3290 |
* Land Only price excludes international airfare. Please contact us for a fare quote.
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What the tour price includes:
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What the tour price excludes:
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