Grand Tour of China
Accommodation
Beijing – the four-star Mercure Downtown (www.mercure.com) is located to the east of Tiananmen Square, close to Beijing’s central business district. The hotel has two restaurants: an all day dining buffet and a la carte restaurant with western and Asian cuisine with an open kitchen, as well as a Cantonese restaurant. There is also a friendly bar in the main lobby area. Leisure facilities include a large indoor heated pool, fitness centre, steam bath and jacuzzi. The 373 comfortable air-conditioned rooms all have shower, hairdryer, minibar, safe, flat-screen TV, tea/coffee-maker and free wifi.
Xian – Wyndham Hotel (https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/wyndham-grand/xian-china/wyndham-grand-xian-south/overview) is located in the Business District and near the Terracotta Army, this hotel provides luxury accommodation and easy access to local restaurants and attractions. There is a bar/lounge for drinks and coffee shop for snacks, there is a nice restaurant that offers local and international cuisine. Wifi is available in the lobby areas only. The 320 rooms of the hotel are well furnished and have all the modern facilities including air-conditioning, minibar, safe, fridge, and tea /coffee making facilities.
Guilin – the four-star Bravo Hotel (www.guilinbravohotel.com/) is centrally located close to Guilin’s main shopping and pedestrian areas and overlooks the attractive Ronghu Lake. The city’s night market is about a 10 minute walk away and there are also some pleasant paths along the tree-shaded lakeshore which is beautifully lit at night. The hotel’s Patio Café offers all-day dining with Chinese and western cuisine and there are also two speciality Chinese restaurants. Facilities include a lobby bar (with free wifi), small open-air pool and fitness centre. The 329 rooms (some with lake view, which cannot be guaranteed) all have bath, shower, hairdryer, air-conditioning, safe, minibar and satellite TV.
Shanghai – the four-star superior Central Hotel (www.centralhotelshanghai.com) is most aptly-named as it’s located in a prime position right on Jiujiang Road, the Oxford street of Shanghai and the pedestrianised thoroughfare that links People’s Square with the Bund, the colonial centre of the city. Rising 27 stories above the bustling streets below, the hotel has an elegant lobby bar and an excellent all day dining café with a wide selection of western and Asian cuisine, as well as highly-regarded Chinese restaurant specialising in local Shanghai cuisine. The 313 air-conditioned rooms are very comfortable and have bath/shower, hairdryer, safe, TV, minibar, tea/coffee-maker and offer spectacular views of the Shanghai skyline.
Price Includes
The price of this holiday is per person, based on two people sharing a twin room with single rooms available at the relevant supplement. Price includes flights to and from Shanghai; 14 nights’ accommodation in four-star hotels including 3 nights on board a five-star Yangtze cruise ship; daily breakfast, 9 lunches & 5 dinners; all tours and entrance fees as described; all transfers; all touring as mentioned; all local accommodation taxes and airport/flight taxes; four domestic flights and two rail journeys; hotel porterage of one item of luggage per person and the services of a Riviera Travel tour manager.
Included excursions are: guided tours of Beijing, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, Xian, Guilin, Chengdu and Shanghai; visits to Panda Breeding & Research Centre, the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army and museum, the Longshen Rice Terraces; Li River cruise and visit to Yangshuo
Not included: Chinese visa - see visa and health information
Things to note:
- Itinerary may be subject to change depending on domestic flight timings and Yangtze & Li river water levels.
- All included lunches and dinners are Chinese meals and are set menus of several courses and dishes shared around tables of 6-10 persons, one local beer or soft drink is normally included as is unlimited Chinese tea. Breakfasts are buffet style with western food options.
- Hotel beds can be ‘firm’ in China and rooms are normally twin-bedded. Requests for double beds can be made but not guaranteed in advance.