Chinatowns around the world
08/02/2019 · By Lorna Heatley
It’s not rare for an immigrant community to band together in foreign countries and make a home-away-from-home.
Read moreSave up to £500pp on Worldwide 2025 holidays when you book by 31st October 2024.
2025 Tour code: CYG25
About the tour
Uncover an incredible blend of breathtaking modernism and beautiful imperial history on a tour of China's ancient and modern wonders.
Step into history during visits to the iconic Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall of China while in Beijing. Travelling by high-speed rail, explore ancient Xi'an and its astonishing Terracotta Army before admiring gorgeous panda cubs in Chengdu.
A three-night cruise along the mighty Yangtze reveals the remarkable feat of engineering of the Three Gorges Dam, while Shanghai shimmers as a spectacular contrast between old and new.
Unforgettable Experiences
What’s included
Itinerary
Meeting our Tour Manager and fellow travellers at London Heathrow, we board an overnight flight to the Chinese capital, via Hong Kong, ready to discover the spectacular sights of this fascinating and ancient country.
Shrouded in myth, legend and warring dynasties, the history of China stretches back more than 4,000 years. This lengthy past has left indelible marks on this intriguing and often mysterious country in the form of its remarkable landmarks such as the Great Wall of China and Beijing's Forbidden City. Connected by ultramodern bullet trains, the country's gleaming cities reflect the recent rapid development, while the natural wonders still shine through, especially the towering limestone cliffs of the Three Gorges and its celebrated wildlife - including the adorable giant panda.
Meaning 'northern capital', Beijing has been the principal city of many dynasties throughout history - most notably the Ming and Qing from 1403 to 1644. As such, it brims with ancient marvels as well as being a shimmering, modern world city.
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Reviews
4.8 / 5 · 20 reviews
Mr M Robinson
Submitted 12 Oct 2019
Excellent well organised tour with minimal hassle at terminals as porterage very effective. Excellent tour guide throughout and very informative local guides. Highly recommended. Only disappointing feature was the Yangtse river trip where vessel was a bir dated and shabby and service quality - particularly in restaurant - rather patchy..
Collected by Great Rail Journeys
Mr C Bell
Submitted 05 Oct 2019
Great itinerary, fantastic tour manager.
Collected by Great Rail Journeys
Mrs P Battman
Submitted 01 Oct 2018
Full on but ticked all the 'China boxes'
Collected by Great Rail Journeys
Mr P Moore
Submitted 19 Jun 2018
We had a terrific time, with an excellent group of travellers. The tour was certainly full on and we managed to see all the major sights in China and many more besides. Travelling by bullet train meant no long delays at airports and lots of room to enjoy the relaxation. Most hotels were excellent and when there was a complaint our tour guide John dealt with the problem promptly. As usual a great experience we will certainly be travelling with Great Rail again in the future.
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Mrs S Leach
Submitted 27 Nov 2017
Overall well organised tour , good hotels , good local guides .
Collected by Great Rail Journeys
Mrs H Brackpool
Submitted 20 Nov 2017
Holiday was good. Local guides very good. Overall the tour was a success, although tiring. The journey back was a bit of an ordeal. Due to a hold up in Shanghai. We missed our connection at Hong Kong. This connection would have been very tight if all on time. We had trouble trying to contact our taxi driver due to the time difference of Eight hours behind . This caused some extra concern. A direct flight from Heathrow to Beijing and out of Shanghai to Heathrow would have made the holiday better. Shanghai to Hong Kong then to Heathrow put at least six hours on Our journey home.
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