New Experience is now part of the multi award-winning Exodus Travels and Headwater.  As such, our guided trips are now being offered by our sister company Exodus who have 45 years experience of taking people on extraordinary adventure holidays. Please click here to visit Exodus Travels for your next guided holiday in China.

We are proud to say that like us, 97% of Exodus’ customers would recommend them to a friend: you can read feedback in their Trip Review Centre > click here. And it’s part of their mission to do things as responsibly as possible, without damaging the environment or disrupting local communities. In fact, they work with local guides, restaurants and guest houses to positively impact their communities and to help you get closer to the heart and soul of the destinations that you’ll travel to.

So, if you’re looking for adventure holidays, or are in need of some travel inspiration for your next guided activity holidays, you’re in the best possible hands with Exodus - Where Adventure Holidays Begin.

From epic mountains and desert moonscapes to the modern chic of Shanghai, and ancient civilisations to the People’s Republic, China tours are vast and varied, just like the landscape.

On a holiday here, you need to take your time to take it all in. Overland China tours give the maximum opportunity to make your trip a real once-in-a-lifetime experience and we are delighted to share these with you. 

Discover the guided trips to China offered by Exodus.

New Experience is now part of the multi award-winning Exodus Travels and Headwater.  As such, our guided trips are now being offered by our sister company Exodus who have 45 years experience of taking people on extraordinary adventure holidays. Please click here to visit Exodus Travels for your next guided holiday in China.

This is the Group Guided itinerary. If you choose the Independent Guided walking you will have more flexibility on these options, including flying directly from Beijing to Guilin bypassing Xi’an.

B L D = Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 1  Depart from the UK or other departure point.

Day 2  Arrive in Beijing – met and transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day free. D

Day 3  Day in Beijing site seeing ending with Peking Duck dinner*. Overnight Beijing. BLD

Day 4  After breakfast, depart by car with your guide to the spectacular East Qing Tombs – the resting place of the Qing Emperors. After lunch, join the Great Wall at Taiping Zhai and walk 2 hours to your hotel in Huangyaguan. Option to continue further along the Great Wall to Heaven’s Ladder. Overnight and dinner at the hotel. Ascent 145m Descent 355m 2 hours 2.5 miles. BLD

Day 5 In the morning a scenic drive of about 2.5 hours takes you to the next, and our favourite section of the Great Wall – from Gubeikou to Jinshanling. Before the walk commences, enjoy a delicious early lunch in a local restaurant. The walk is along an intact section with several diversions onto mountain trails through cultivated fields and with the outline of the Great Wall dominating the sky-line. Overnight and dinner in Jinshanling. Ascent 330m Descent 260m 4 hours 5 miles. BLD

Day 6  Your walk today from Huanghua to Xishuiyu is the most challenging but worth it! Following restored and intact sections you walk high above the Huanghua reservoir. Here you often have the Great Wall to yourself as you go up and down from tower to tower descending by mountain path to the reservoir. Here you can take a relaxing boat ride to see the Wall underwater before taking a late lunch and drive to the village of Lotus Fort, your overnight stop. Ascent 430m Descent 400m 2.75 hours 2.5 miles. BLD

Day 7  After breakfast, a short drive will take you to the next section Xizhazi and today’s walk takes you to the highest point of this part of the Wall - to Nine Eye Tower. Views are simply incredible! Overnight and dinner in Lotus Fort. Ascent 515m Descent 515m 4 hours 4 miles. BLD

Day 8  Today you walk to Mutianyu – a fully restored section. Option to go via Jiankou Great Section or from Lotus Fort. Either way, once at Mutianyu, you may continue walking with a picnic lunch or go to your hotel and take lunch then have a free afternoon. Overnight and dinner in hotel near Mutianyu. Ascent 395m Descent 330m 2 1/2 hours 2 1/2 miles. BLD

OR

Travel on overnight train at 20.00 to Xi’an by soft sleeper class offering comfortable beds in 4 berth shared compartments complete with fresh pillows and quilt, hot water for tea and toilet and washing facilities in each carriage. Services include early morning tea and dining car.    BLD

OR Travel by day on the high-speed bullet taking 4-6 hours and over 20 departures daily.

Day 9  Arrive Xi’an approx. 09.00 from sleeper service,  met by guide for breakfast in a nearby hotel before transferring to the Museum site 30 minutes’ drive from the city.  Tour of Pits 1, 2 and 3 and the Museum buildings. Lunch included.  Transfer back to Xi’an for overnight.  BLD

If traveling by high speed train, arrival and overnight adjusted to train arrival time. Day tour as above.  

Day 10  Take early morning flight to Guilin. Met and transferred to Guilin Hotel for free afternoon, overnight and dinner (dinner not included). B

Day 11  After breakfast transfer to the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces at Longji/Ping’an taking lunch en route at a Yao Restaurant. In the afternoon climb to viewpoint 2 for first views of the terraces followed by optional walk to Zhuang Village. Overnight and dinner Ping’an hotel. Ascent 130m Descent 110m 2 hours 3 miles. BLD

Day 12  Hike over the mountains, through Bamboo forest and rice terraces to Tiantouzhai/Dazhai. Rest of day free. Overnight and dinner Tiantouzhai Hotel.  Ascent 525m Descent 340m 4.5 hours 5.75 miles. BLD

Day 13  In the morning, a circular walk leads through the terraces and bamboo forests with the help of a local guide who knows the intricate network of pathways so well! Take lunch at Jin Keng Hotel then rest day free. Overnight and dinner at Tiantouzhai Hotel.  BLD

Day 14  Return to your driver at Dazhai village (1 hour) passing by locals busy in their fields and ladies working at their looms. Transfer to Yangshuo, taking about 3.5 hours with lunch en route. In the afternoon, hike along the pretty Yu Long River to the ancient village of Jiu Xian before arriving at the hotel for overnight and dinner. Ascent 5m Descent 365m 1 hour 2.25 miles and Ascent 35m Descent 45m 2 hours 4 miles. BLD

Day 15  Set off this morning through the jungle and magnificent karst landscapes on a wonderful hike exclusive to New Experience Holidays! A short transfer takes you to the start of the walk in Chengshan Village. This walk takes you through 2 sections of the jungle, firstly over thumb hill, followed by a short road section before you re-join a jungle path to Maojia Village, just north of where you ended your walk yesterday. Enjoy a picnic in this tranquil setting before return to your hotel for a relaxing afternoon or climb 800 steps to the top of Moon Hill for more fabulous views.  Overnight and dinner in your chosen hotel. Ascent 261m Descent 258m 3 hours 4.6 miles (not including the optional walk to the top of Moon Hill). BLD

Day 16  Your delightful stay in southern China ends today with a very memorable walk from Shangnei to Xingping along the Li River.  Wandering this trail along the riverside, you pass through orange groves, small riverside villages and rich, fertile fields abundant with produce. This walk is enhanced even further by a raft crossing at Quanjiazhou Village, as the trail switches between the karst hills from one side of the river to another.  The walk ends at picturesque Xing Ping – a colourful boat and river raft terminus. Your driver meets you here to transfer back to your hotel for dinner and overnight. Ascent 380m Descent 500m 5 hours 9.25 miles. BLD

Day 17  Transfer to the airport for your flight to Hong Kong or other gateway city and onwards home. B

*Optional extras for Independent guided walking.


Group guided walking - Special Departures This holiday has a fixed itinerary and departure dates and although you may enjoy the company of other walkers, a group holiday does not offer the flexibility and choices of our independent holidays. Extra nights may be added at the beginning and end of the itinerary in the hotel of your choice.
We provide experienced, English speaking hiking guides who accompany you throughout your stay and tend to everything in support of your trip.  With their extensive knowledge of the regions, you will eat in the most authentic local restaurants and have personal guides around key historical sites.

Included Accommodation in homestays (Great Wall) and 3-4 star hotels or equivalent Meals where indicated on itinerary Beijing - City Tour of Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square and more. Beijing - Peking Duck Dinner in Beijing Xi’an – guided day and lunch at Terracotta Warriors Xi’an - Evening tour of Muslim Quarter and Dumpling Dinner

Independent guided walking  Walking in China with New Experience Holidays is different from most companies which only feature group holidays with fixed itineraries.  We provide an experienced, English speaking hiking guide for individual clients with the support of a private driver. They accompany you throughout your stay and tend to everything in support of your trip.  With their extensive knowledge of the regions, you will eat in the most authentic local restaurants, have luggage transferred with you in the car, and have a personal guide around key historical sites. We are able to feature Chinese Homestays and special hotels which generally cater for individuals travellers.  
We feel that China has now developed tourism to the point where it is no longer necessary or as beneficial to be part of a group.  However, due to language difficulties and considerable cultural differences, a guide is still essential to ensure one receives the most out of a journey through China. This does increase the price, but actually not by a great amount and offers the traveller all the following benefits:
Flexibility can be introduced into your itinerary in the walking and places visited. Walks can be modified according to weather or your energy levels! The walking pace will be yours alone – no need to wait for others or speed up. Dining can be in more select restaurants with dishes ordered to your specific tastes. Road transfers (some up to 4 hours) will be by comfortable air conditioned car as opposed to mini bus or coach. Your guide can explain about history, culture, flora and anything of particular interest to you with the opportunity to have personal conversations on his culture. No chance of cancellation of a holiday due to insufficient group numbers.

Optional Extras for Independent guided walking Extra Hotel Nights in Beijing Hotel Upgrade in Beijing City Tour of Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square and more. Tour to the Summer Palace Peking Duck Dinner Xi’an Terracotta Warriers Add-on Upgrade to higher grade hotels in Guilin area Extra nights in Hong Kong, Longji, Yangshuo or Guilin City Tour Guilin Train Travel Guilin to Hong Kong (reduction) 

Walk Grading Guided - Easy to Moderate (some sections of the Great Wall may be challenging to some)

Price in GBP£ Price in USD$

New Experience is now part of the multi award-winning Exodus Travels and Headwater.  As such, our guided trips are now being offered by our sister company Exodus who have 45 years experience of taking people on extraordinary adventure holidays. Please click here to visit Exodus Travels for your next guided holiday in China.

Charms of China Guided Trek

Included			Not Included
ü	Accommodation and meals as indicated in the itinerary		û	Drinks with meals
ü	Transfers between the airport or railway station and the first/last hotels		û	Lunch & dinner in Beijing (optional extra)
ü	Local air or train fares as indicated in the itinerary		û	China Visa
ü	Personal English guide and driver		û	Travel Insurance (required)
ü	Route notes & walking map
ü	Cost of couriering documents overseas
ü	Cost of international bank fees

Please note the above dates are when the holiday starts. Your departure date of when you fly out may be a day earlier due to the flight duration depending on where you are flying from. 

All prices are valid for 2022

Prices are per person in USD / US $ and are based on sharing a twin/double standard room. Prices do not include flights.

Dates	Nights	2 Travellers	4 Travellers	Special Group Departures	Single Room Supplement
All Year *	15	3489	2948	2754	480

Flight and train costs between holidays will be quoted to your needs. i.e. Beijing to Xi’an and Xi’an to Beijing.

This includes all internal air travel, tours/special dinners as indicated in itinerary.

* Supplements will apply for nights during main Chinese holidays:-

Spring Festival	3 Jan – 4 Feb
Qingming Festival	4-6 April
Labour Day	1-3 May
Dragon Boat	29 May – 3 Jun
Moon Festival	3-5 Oct
National Day	1-7 October

On other smaller holidays, supplements may apply. UI08

Price in GBP£ Price in USD$

This map is for illustration purposes only and we cannot be held responsible for its accuracy.

Beijing - Grand Hotel Beijing - 5 Star

Beijing - Hotel Jade Garden - 4 Star

Beijing Traditional View Hotel - 3 Star

The Great Wall Trek

Xi'an - Bell Tower Hotel - 4 Star

Xi'an - The Grand New World Hotel - 3 Star

Guilin

Availability Information

Travelling to the north of China is at its very best from mid April to mid June and mid September to mid November.  Up to early April it is still very cold and the land bare of anything green.  As Spring progresses, late April sees blossom trees covering fields and mountainsides as trees begin to leaf. From mid September to early November the landscape changes from green to beautiful autumnal colours and temperatures soften.

Guilin is warm all year round with high temperatures and most rainfall from June to early September. During April and May the vibrant green of the foliage intensifies and is offset by brightly coloured tropical flowers. From May onwards the rice terraces are waterlogged and the shoots sprout bright green creating a stunning spectacle through to the harvest in October.

Please note our best to go information is generally referring to the walking which may fall in the early or late season in some places. This may mean that not all tourist facilities will be open at the time you visit.

When to book your walking holiday in China - China - Charms of China - Discover the Highlights of China

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
N/A	N/A	N/A	Best	Best	Good	OK	N/A	Good	Good	Good	N/A