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Today China is a bewildering blend of modern mega-cities, high-speed bullet trains, ancient monuments and traditional life. Beijing's epic Forbidden City is a stone's throw from the Great Wall, the ancient town of Pingyao and the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an. Travel the Three Gorges on a Yangtze cruise, visit the pandas in Chengdu, explore the stunning national parks of central China or spend time experiencing the lush paddies and limestone peaks of the south. Beautiful Yunnan Province is home to charming small towns and spectacular mountain scenery or, for the more adventurous, the Silk Road can be followed as it snakes through the deserts of the west. For something completely different, Tibet has retained its sacred Buddhist traditions and remains unlike anywhere else in the country. With our knowledge and experience we can help to create a unique holiday to China that is tailored exactly to your requirements.
15 days from £3985 per person
View Itinerary18 days from £4590 per person
View Itinerary13 days from £3990 per person
View ItineraryChina is a mammoth land of unlimited options and opportunities. Northern China is home to the country’s most popular attractions including Beijing’s Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace, the Great Wall and Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an. Further south, the mighty Yangtze River glides through central China. Cruise this majestic waterway navigating the Three Gorges Dam then explore Shanghai and the water towns that surround the metropolis. Futuristic Hong Kong is the gateway to southern China with its karst scenery, terraced landscapes and striking tulou roundhouses. South West China is framed by snow-capped mountains and has a proud regional identity. Lijiang and Shangri-La have much traditional charm whilst the city of Chengdu in Sichuan is the best place to spend time with Giant Panda. Spiritual Tibet is a mesmerising and remote land whilst the more adventurous could follow the famed Silk Road eventually crossing the Torugart Pass to Central Asia.
Due to its sheer size the weather in China varies considerably from place to place. In the north, including Beijing, winters are cold with temperatures hovering close to freezing until March. Spring and autumn are the best time to travel as it is warmer and the risk of rain low. Summers can be hot with July and August experiencing some rain. Central China, including the Yangtze River and Shanghai, have long humid summers with high temperatures. Winters are shorter than in the north but still cold. Although there is occasional rainfall, spring and autumn remain good times to travel. The south is hot and humid from April to September and winters are cooler although not as severe as the north. Yunnan and south west China can be visited year round with most rainfall between June and August. Conversely, late spring, summer and early autumn are the ideal times to visit Lhasa and Tibet.
Capital: Beijing
Main Language: Mandarin / Cantonese
Time Zone: GMT + 8
Currency: Yuan Renminbi (CNY)
In general, when it comes to hotel options, visitors to China will be spoilt for choice. Virtually all major cities in the country have a selection of modern internationally owned hotels which offer every expected facility and amenity. In Beijing and Shanghai, principally along the Bund and in the French Concession, there are also a few good hotels with character. Elsewhere in China, though, heritage properties are limited. Accommodation in Yunnan Province, and especially the historic centre of Lijiang, tends to be smaller, atmospheric and traditional. In the mountains north of Lijiang there are also some very comfortable lodges. With the exception of Lhasa which has good quality hotels, accommodation in remote Tibetan towns is locally owned and basic. The same is true for the majority of the Silk Road where most hotels are clean, comfortable and simple.
4 October 2018
The Silk Road stretched from the far east of China to the Mediterranean Sea – a twisting, shifting caravan route which threaded its way between mountain and desert linking cities in the name of commerce. The highly prized and valuable commodity...
I was lucky enough to be given a three month career break and wanted to do some extensive travelling in Asia. I emailed a number of travel companies with a request to prepare a tailor made tour across certain specific dates. Pettitts were the first to reply and from that moment on provided a superb service. Initially there were a number of changes requested to the itinerary, but they were able to accommodate all changes and flex the programme according to our needs. The countries visited were China, Mongolia, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Nepal and Bhutan. Pettitts have clearly identified high quality international partners given that we were impressed with all travel guides in each country.
Pettitts assisted with all questions we had during the planning of the trip and were very quick to get in touch with us on the one occasion they needed to during the trip. Pettitts were excellent and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Their service was first class and I would be more than happy to use their services again.
SG - China, Mongolia, South Korea, Central Asia, Nepal and Bhutan - July 2018
Our team have first-hand knowledge of our destinations and are on hand to give you all the impartial advice you need. If you’re struggling to know which is the best destination or style of holiday for you, or you can’t find what you’re looking for on our website, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to inspire you.
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