China: the Celestial Kingdom

China is the fourth largest country in the world and boasts an incredible variety of peoples and places, cultures and landscapes.  Its rich historical legacy bears witness to more than 5,000 years of civilisation, and stretching across its northern reaches, from the Gobi Desert to the Yellow Sea, can be found one of Mankind's greatest architectural wonders - the astonishing Great Wall of China, built in the 3rd century B.C. to keep out the barbarian hordes.

The capital Beijing is the natural gateway to this vast and fascinating land and itself possesses must-see attractions such as the Forbidden City, the exquisite Temple of Heaven and the Imperial Summer Palace.  The ancient city of Xi'an (formerly Chang'an, the eastern terminus of the famous Silk Road) is home to the amazing army of Terracotta Warriors, more than 8,000 life-size statues that were discovered as recently as 1974.  The cosmopolitan city of Shanghai near the eastern seaboard has grown remarkably in the last few decades and looks set to become East Asia's leading business city; nearby can be found the garden cities of Hangzhou, Suzhou and Wuzhen.

The Yangze River, one of the world's great waterways, threads its way through the heart of the country, from the Himalayas in the West to the East China Sea. 

In the south the surreal mountains of Guilin recall the poetic landscapes of traditional Chinese paintings, while to the west and north lie the lands of minority peoples like the Tibetans and Uigurs, and the age-old cities that line the Silk Road, recalling the journeys of Marco Polo and other great travellers of the past.

There is simply so much to see, and it would be impossible to cover the ground in one visit. We have assembled below a selection of carefully crafted sample itineraries to give you an insight into this fabulous destination...but don't forget we can adjust them to suit your own personal plans.