Sichuan holiday, Explorer
| country: | China |
| location: | Sichuan |
| departures: | 2008: 24 Aug, 14 Sep |
| price: | From £825 (22 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $265. We can arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
From Yangshuo in the south, with its karst needle peaks and green paddy fields, to the spectacular Tibetan Plateau of Western Sichuan, we see some of the best scenery China has to offer.
There’s plenty of activity as we cycle through the paddy fields, have the option to trek with horses in the mountains and trek along the Great Wall. In addition we visit some of China’s most exciting sights - the Terracotta Warriors, the Forbidden City and the Tibetan monastery in Xiahe. Please note that this exciting trip goes miles off the beaten track and passes through some remote areas which have little in the way of tourist infrastructure.
Conditions may be fairly basic, but for those who are prepared to forego a few creature comforts, it offers the chance to see some of China’s best scenery.
There’s plenty of activity as we cycle through the paddy fields, have the option to trek with horses in the mountains and trek along the Great Wall. In addition we visit some of China’s most exciting sights - the Terracotta Warriors, the Forbidden City and the Tibetan monastery in Xiahe. Please note that this exciting trip goes miles off the beaten track and passes through some remote areas which have little in the way of tourist infrastructure.
Conditions may be fairly basic, but for those who are prepared to forego a few creature comforts, it offers the chance to see some of China’s best scenery.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Hong Kong. Arrive Hong Kong |
| Day 2: | Hong Kong - Guilin. Free morning in Hong Kong before a short afternoon train to Shenzhen. Overnight train to Guilin. |
| Day 3: | Yangshou. An afternoon class in the Chinese language will prepare you for the rest of the trip. |
| Day 4: | Yangshou. Enjoy a free day. |
| Day 5: | Yangshou - Chengdu. We fly to Chengdu. |
| Day 6: | Chengdu. A free day to explore this city, the provincial capital of Sichuan. Enjoy the famous teahouses, spicy local cuisine and tranquil parks and temples. In the evening there is the option to attend the Sichuan opera. |
| Day 7: | Mt Qingcheng. A day excursion to this picturesque holy Taoist mountain, thought to house the secret to long life and a great place for hiking. |
| Day 8: | Chengdu. A full free day to enjoy the city before we set off on our jeep safari. You can discover Chengdu’s famous teahouses and spicy cuisine or relax in the tranquil parks and temples. |
| Day 9: | Chengdu - Kangding (jeep safari). A morning visit to the Giant Panda research base, before we begin our jeep safari into the dramatic snowy mountains on the edge of Tibet. We spend the night in Kangding, where the Han Chinese way of life meets the Tibetan. |
| Day 10: | Kangding - Tagong (jeep safari): A morning excursion to explore the incredible scenery around Kangding. In the afternoon we continue our drive through the grasslands, surrounded by snow capped mountains, to Tagong. |
| Day 11: | Tagong - Danba (Tibetan homestay): There’s time to explore Tagong before we continue on our jeep safari through this remote region of nomadic herdsman to the lush river valleys of Danba. Here we stay as guests for two nights in a Tibetan home. (D) |
| Day 12: | Danba (Tibetan homestay): A full day for leisurely exploration of the villages and countryside in our jeeps. Discover beautiful stone buildings, imposing watchtowers and distinctive ethnic customs of the Danba area. (BD) |
| Day 13: | Danba - Barkam (jeep safari): We complete our jeep safari through China’s ‘Wild West’ in the town of Barkam. |
| Day 14: | Barkam - Langmusi: We travel by private bus through northern Sichuan to Langmusi. There’s time to explore this beautiful town with its colourful Tibetan population and ancient monasteries. |
| Day 15: | Langmusi – Grasslands: We continue by private bus to the remote Ganjia grasslands, where we camp in beautiful scenery, with yaks and sheep to keep us company. (D) |
| Day 16: | Xiahe: After a morning in the grasslands we continue to Xiahe. In the afternoon we visit Labrang Monastery, one of the most important for Gelukpa (Yellow Hat) Tibetan Buddhists. (B) |
| Day 17: | Xiahe - Lanzhou - Xi’an: Early risers can follow the Pilgrim’s Route around the monastery, through wafts of aromatic juniper smoke at this atmospheric time of the day. Later we travel by bus to Lanzhou and board the overnight train to Xi’an. |
| Day 18: | Xi’an: Morning arrival in Xi’an and guided tour of the Terracotta Warriors. |
| Day 19: | Xi’an – Beijing: A free day to explore the Great Mosque, city walls or other attractions. Overnight train to Beijing. |
| Day 20: | Beijing: Visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. A free afternoon to explore further. |
| Day 21: | Beijing: Visit a lesser visited section of the Great Wall with an option to hike for 3-5 hours along the crest of the wall. |
| Day 22: | Beijing: Tour ends. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This trip gives travellers an exceptional opportunity to explore the scenery and culture of rural China and the Tibetan Plateau as we travel way off the beaten track. Originally part of Tibet, China's Sichuan Province has suffered many years of repression and has seen little or no tourist money. Using local hotels and often public transport the unique one-to-one style interactions with real people are endless. We stay in many small family run hotels and simple guest houses in remote areas where money from tourism is channelled straight back into the community.
In Songpan there is an option to take a locally arranged horse trek into the mountains, camping overnight with local guides. At Xiahe travellers are encouraged to learn about the Tibetan lifestyle and their religious way of life and in Chengdu we visit the panda research centre where entrance fees are ploughed back into the preservation of these endangered animals. In Langmusi we support the Yangzha School for Tibetan children, which is run and partly financed by a local Tibetan. Donations from travellers are matched by The Imaginative Traveller and presented to the school on an annual basis. Travellers are given information about the school and encouraged to donate left over currency and those who wish can visit the children. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |