Southeast China (15 days)

Shanghai – Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) – Wuyi Mountain (Wuyishan) – Longyan – Xiamen – Guangzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong

Featuring high-speed rail for inter-city travel, this unique itinerary boasts a collection of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, both natural and historical, while offering you a deep insight into China’s modernization of the past four decades. This tour includes strenuous hiking at multiple locations; travellers with mobility issues (hip or knee surgery etc.) would not be able to keep up with the group.

Important Features

• Small group size – average 15, maximum 20.
• Inter-city travel by high-speed train (first class).
• No annoying forced shopping of any kind.
• 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/Thu: Departing for Shanghai
The exciting China tour begins with your transpacific flight departing from a gateway of your choice. You’ll lose a day upon crossing the International Date Line.

Day 2/Fri: Arrival in Shanghai
Meet the driver on arrival for transfer to the hotel. You’ll have the balance of the day at leisure.

Day 3/Sat: Shanghai (B/L/D)
With a population of 24 million (2015), Shanghai is China’s biggest city, which delights the visitor with its futuristic skyline and historical landmarks. Rapid economic growth in the past 30 years has turned Shanghai into a leading global city that has exerted a significant influence over commerce, culture, finance, media, fashion, technology and transport.

Following the tour orientation, we visit the Jade Buddha Temple that is located in an old neighbourhood, then the famous waterfront promenade known as the Bund, and finally the Yu Garden in the old town centre. We wrap up the day with a drive through the glitzy financial district of Lujiazui on the opposite side of the Bund across the Huangpu River.

Day 4/Sun: Shanghai (B)
Free day to explore on your own. We recommend the Shanghai Museum and the Urban Planning Exhibition Center nearby. The Shanghai Museum is a great place to explore on your own (audio guide available for a fee), and is frequently cited by visitors as one of the best of its kind in China, displaying an impressive collection of artefacts amassed throughout the country.

Day 5/Mon: Shanghai – Yellow Mountain (B/L)
After a leisurely breakfast we ride the high-speed train (2 ½ hours) to the city of Huangshan, namesake of the famous mountain literally meaning Yellow Mountain.

Known among Chinese as the loveliest mountain in their country, Yellow Mountain inspires visitors with its striking low-hanging clouds, distinctly shaped granite rocks and twisted pine trees.  The jagged range consists of more than 70 knifelike 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.

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 6/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 kilometers 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, sea of clouds, and hot springs.

Day 7/Wed: Huangshan – Wuyishan (B/L/D)
This morning we board the bullet train for Wuyishan (1 hour 20 minutes).

The UNESCO which inscribed Wuyishan, or Wuyi Mountains, as a World Heritage Site in 1999 describes that “Mount Wuyi is 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.”fujian china tour to xiamen and yongding tulou mud houses

We spend the day exploring the wonders of nature at Yixiantian, Huxiao Crag and Tianyou Peak Scenic Area.

Day 8/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 also include a 2-hour ride on a bamboo raft down the river snaking through spectacular scenery.

Day 9/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. 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 10/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 11/Sun: Xiamen – Guangzhou (B)
Ride the high-speed train to Guangzhou this morning. Enjoy the break-taking scenery on this 4-hour rail journey.

Guangzhou, formerly known outside China as Canton, is the capital of Guangdong Province and mega-city of immense wealth. We spend the afternoon exploring Guangdong Provincial Museum.

Day 12/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 13/Tue: Guangzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong (B/L/D)
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 culture and 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 so much easier to wrap your head around the rapid rise of China. Shenzhen ranks as China’s third largest city with a permanent population of over 17 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 and enjoy a delicious buffet dinner in the hotel.

Day 14/Wed: Hong Kong (B/L)
Hong Kong (meaning “fragrant harbour”) is one of the two special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China, along with Macau. Comprising more than 260 islands, the territory is located on the eastern side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong Province in the north and facing the South China Sea in the east, west and south. Hong Kong was a dependent territory of the United Kingdom from 1842 until the transfer of sovereignty to the People’s Republic of China in 1997. The Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Hong Kong stipulate that Hong Kong operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2047, fifty years after the transfer. Under the policy of “one country, two systems”, the Central People’s Government is responsible for the territory’s defense and foreign affairs while Hong Kong maintains its own legal system based on English common law, police force, monetary system, customs policy, immigration policy, and delegates to international organizations and events.

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, Central is home to the regional headquarters of many multinational financial services corporations. Consulates general and consulates of many countries are also located in this area, as is the government of Hong Kong.

We then proceed to Victoria Peak. If the line-up at the tram station is too long, we would ascend by our own private vehicle. Also known as Mount Austin or The Peak among locals, Victoria Peak is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island with an altitude of 552 meters (1,811 feet). The peak offers sweeping views over Central, Victoria Harbour and the surrounding islands.

After stopping by Repulse Bay, we retreat to 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. The local guide will be glad to give you some advice on what to do. Shopping on Nathan Road not far from the hotel is a nice past-time. Although what’s available at the storied Stanley Market on the southside of Hong Kong Island can be found on Amazon or AliExpress nowadays, a visit may still be worthwhile, especially if you can find another couple to share a taxi with you.

Day 15/Thu: Returning Home (B)
Transfer to the airport on your own for return home flight. The transfer is easier than you think and the guide will be glad to explain the details to you. Taxi to the airport costs about US$30 and is highly recommended for couples and families. The alternative is using the hotel’s free shuttle to get to the Airport Express Train Station in Tsim Sha Tsui and ride the dedicated train to the airport for HK$90 (approximately US$12 as of early 2022). The train departs every 10 minutes between 6:00 AM and midnight, reaching the airport in 21 minutes.

Dates & Prices
discount available

Price based on double occupancy. See Terms & Conditions for cancellation penalty. Scroll down for what the tour price includes and excludes.