Highlights of China

Our holiday begins with a flight from London Heathrow to Beijing, arriving into the bustling city on Day 2. We spend the day exploring Beijing on a guided tour. We visit Tiananmen Square, the location of the now infamous 1989 uprising and, at over 4 million square feet, the largest city square in the world.

We continue to the Forbidden City - a palace and garden complex once inhabited by the Chinese royal family, and now preserved as a testament to China's long history. The incredible complex was built on a grand scale, with 980 buildings spread over 180 acres. The rest of the day is free, ahead of a delicious dinner of authentic Peking duck tonight.

This morning begins with a rickshaw tour of Beijing's hutongs, or backstreets, known for their association with the city's history. Each narrow, maze-like street shows the real community between neighbours, as each home is connected with the other.

Later, we enjoy a highlight of our holiday, with a visit to the iconic Great Wall of China. We visit the Mutianyu section of the wall, one of the best-preserved, oldest, and most visited parts of this world-famous structure. After time to explore this magnificent piece of ancient engineering at our own pace, we return to Beijing, pausing en-route at the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube - examples of Beijing's modern architecture - for a photo opportunity.

Leaving the capital behind this afternoon, we board the high-speed train to Shanghai. On arrival, we're met by a local guide who takes us on a sightseeing tour. We discover the iconic Bund waterfront, part of the city's famously futuristic architecture. Afterwards, dinner is served at a local restaurant.

We continue our tour of Shanghai with a visit to some of the city's hidden attractions. Yu Garden is an oasis of peace amidst Shanghai's lively streets, situated in the older quarters of the city. The gardens feature ornate pavilions and tranquil pools filled with brightly-coloured fish, as well as decadent halls with traditional winged roofs. We also visit the Old City of Shanghai and the Yuyuan Bazaar, a busy shopping quarter adjacent to the city's oldest street.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we stop by the former French Concession, a beautiful neighbourhood with a distinctive European character.

This morning, we transfer to Maoping, enjoying China's excellent high-speed rail service from Shanghai to Yichang. This evening, we board the Century Sun or Glory cruise ship for a journey through some of China's most dramatic and beautiful scenery, on the Yangtze River. The longest river in Asia, the shores are lined with soaring peaks, craggy cliff faces, and verdant, tree-covered slopes.

On Day 7, our scenic Yangtze River cruise continues with a shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam. This hydroelectric gravity dam is not only a fantastic renewable resource for the people of China, it is the largest of its kind in the world and produces record-breaking amounts of electricity. Later, our ship passes through the striking Xiling Gorge, a place of incredible natural beauty.

On Day 8 the ship continues through the Wu Mountains today, passing the Qutang and Wu Gorges, two of the famous Three Gorges, both renowned for their scenery.

On Day 9 we visit Shibaozhao Pagoda, atop which sits a spectacular ancient Buddhist temple, surrounded by lush greenery. For the rest of the day, enjoy free time to relax and soak up the scenery on board. This evening we celebrate the end of our cruise as we

Our cruise comes to an end today and we disembark in Chongqing, where we board the high-speed train to Chengdu. On arrival, we take in the city's highlights on a guided tour, seeing the Wenshu Monastery and lively Jinli Street.

On the morning of Day 11, we enjoy a visit to the Panda Research Centre, where more than 120 giant panda cubs have been born over the years. We continue with lunch at a local restaurant. Following this, we transfer to Xi'an, the ancient former capital of China, by rail.

Today we visit the incredible Terracotta Warriors, discovered on the outskirts of Xi'an in the 1970s. Later, we return to the city for a guided tour, taking in a wealth of ancient sites including the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and the Great Mosque. Tonight, sample some local specialities at a dumpling banquet, the perfect way to end our explorations of this wonderful country.

Today we board our flight from Xi'an to London Heathrow, travelling via Beijing