- China
- Glorious China with Hong Kong City Stay
Glimpse into the future beneath Shanghai's cloud brushing skyline, cruise upon the Li River to observe China's rural heart against a backdrop of immense karsts and step back in time on a rickshaw as you navigate Beijing's ancient hutong alleys to the revered Lama Temple. Our fourteen-day itinerary showcases this magnificent country of contradictions, with unique cultural encounters allowing you to join a traditional tea ceremony or marvel at a spellbinding Tang Dynasty performance, intertwined with visits to iconic landmarks including Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors and the astonishing Great Wall of China.
Towering skyscrapers form the backdrop to Hong Kong's busy harbour whilst the street markets that fill the teeming alleys remain untouched by western influences. Explore Hong Kong and Kowloon at your own pace during this extension.
Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight to Shanghai
Dinner
Upon arrival into Shanghai you will be met by a local guide and transferred to your hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Embark on a morning tour of Shanghai, with visits to Yuyuan Gardens, French Concession, and the Shanghai Museum. After lunch, visit the Bund, followed by a stroll along the world's busiest shopping street, Nanjing Road. This evening take an optional excursion to cruise along the Huangpu River (at your own cost)
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Explore the picturesque water town of Zhujiajiao, a collection of meandering canals, bridges, and traditional homes. This afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Guilin.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast travel to one of Guilin’s most scenic spots Fubo Hill, and travel on to Elephant Trunk Hill, the hill is named after its unique shape of a giant elephant stretching its trunk into the Li River. This afternoon visit a tea plantation and learn about the different tea leaves. Take a scenic walk along the banks of one of Guilin's many lakes taking in all the beautiful views.
Breakfast & Lunch
Begin today with a peaceful cruise along the winding Li River. Having observed this charming rural landscape arrive at Yangshuo, one of China's most beautiful cities. Following lunch, explore this stunning area at leisure. There will be an optional tour this evening to watch the impression of Liu Sanjie (at your own cost)
Breakfast
Spend the day at leisure in the beautiful village of Yanghuo. You could explore the local area by foot or by bike, or simple wander the varied local markets.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Take a morning flight to Xian and explore the Ancient City Walls, an imposing defense that encircles the city, then enjoy a visit to the Wild Goose Pagoda, and stroll through the Muslim Quarter's marketplace. This evening witness an artistic performance at the Tang Dynasty Show.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Behold over 7,000 soldiers, horses and chariots crafted to protect the first Emperor of China, during your visit to the magnificent Terracotta Warriors, considered to be the 'Eighth Wonder of the World'.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning you will transfer to the airport for your flight to Beijing. This afternoon take in the beautiful royal gardens at the Summer Palace. Tonight, savour the traditional taste of Chinese Cuisine with a Peking duck dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today you will have a full day of sightseeing starting in Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City’s large palace complex. Explore the Lama Temple with numerous rooms. The temple is home to a 26-meter-tall Buddha carved out of a single piece of sandalwood and still to this day many monks and worshippers come here to burn incense. Optional evening Kung Fu Show (at your own cost)
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today's sightseeing tour will begin at the iconic Great Wall of China, built over 2,000 years ago to guard the Chinese Empire against Mongol invaders. Stop off before lunch to visit a Cloisonne factory and see how this ancient metalworking technique is used to create Jewellery, vases and other decorative items. Later, stop off at the Bird's Nest stadium used for the 2008 Olympic games and enjoy a Chinese Acrobatic show.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Start your day off with a visit to the Unesco world heritage site the Temple of Heaven. The temple was used by emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties to offer sacrifice to heaven and pray for bumper harvests. This afternoon take a rickshaw ride around the Hutong district, through the backstreets seeing how the locals live before a farewell dinner.
Breakfast
Depart Beijing in the morning and fly to Hong Kong via Shanghai, taking a shuttle transfer to your hotel.
Breakfast
Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a day at your leisure.
Breakfast
Enjoy a day at leisure for you to explore Hong Kong further.
Depart for your return flight to the UK.
Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to the local conditions or for operational purposes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times or sailing conditions.
Please note lighters and aerosol cans are not allowed planes, trains or sights of special interest, such as Tiananmen square, Forbidden city, The Temple of Heaven, Terracotta Warriors, Three Gorges Dam, and the Wild Goose Pagoda.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
You will require a visa to visit mainland China. If you’re 14 to 70 years old, you must apply for a visa in person at a visa application centre. If you’re aged 13 and under or aged 71 and over, you can only apply online.
You must provide biometric data (scanned fingerprints) for your application. There are visa application centres in London, Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh. The details of their opening hours are on their websites. The Chinese Embassy has further information on visa categories and how to apply. The application process takes approximately 4 – 10 working days and the cost depends on the visa and class you choose.
You will require extra documentation for your application that you can request from us from 2 months before departure. They may ask for the Agency License Number which is China International Travel Service Ltd: 911100001013930695. We work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. When calling the Travel Visa Company they will advise you of any changes to the fees or the procedure, they will also advise you of all the information they will require to apply for the visa.
We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding these.
Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.
Please note - spray cans of any form and lighters are not allowed on trains or planes.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves moderate days of walking on uneven paths and small hills, and getting on and off coaches and boats. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
The currency in China is the Renminbi, known as RMB or CNY. It is often referred to as the Yuan. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you depart. US Dollars are widely accepted in China should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. Most major credit cards are accepted in hotels and shopping malls in China. Small shops and restaurants may not accept credit cards as well as street vendors, so it's strongly advised to have sufficient Chinese currency with you. ATM’s are readily available in big cities and most small towns.
The currency in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Dollar. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK, however ATM's are available throughout Hong Kong.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry, extra drinks, and snacks. Approximately £400 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.
Tipping
It is customary to tip your national guide, local guide and driver approximately CNY40 per person per day. Your national guide will collect this for your convenience on the first day of your tour, approximately CNY520 per person for the total duration. Tips are collected in Chinese Yuan.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. For groups of less than 10, you will have a driver and be joined by a local guide at each location.
Your add-on to Hong Kong is not escorted. Your time in Hong Kong will be at your leisure. Transfers are included.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and China. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours. Unlike the western world, Chinese people do not normally pre-heat their plates and food can be presented at a variety of temperatures, which is a typical Chinese way of doing things.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Bottled water will be available at shops and hotels.
If you are travelling within the below Chinese Public Holidays, please note that celebrations last for several days and during these times some businesses will be closed and coach, air and train travel may be affected. Tourist attractions will be open but may be crowded. Chinese New Year usually falls sometime between January 21 and February 20. Golden Week public holidays fall annually between 1st – 3rd of May and 1st – 7th of October.
On your arrival in China you will be met by a representative from our local agent will be in the terminal, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays representative will show you to your transfer vehicle.
Hong Kong City Stay: On your arrival in Hong Kong you will be met by our driver/representative in the arrivals hall, holding a sign displaying “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays driver/representative will show you to your transfer.
For arrival - Driver contact details Scott : +852 9179 8676
Hong Kong City Stay:
For your departure transfer from the hotel to the Airport you need to be waiting in the hotel lobby at your designated pick up time as informed.
Please find below the emergency contact details for China Travel Service: Please find below the emergency contact details for China Travel Service:
During Office Hours: 0086 10 85228340 / 0086 10 85228722
After Office Hours: Ms. Linda Liu (Mobile): 0086 13911043036
Ms. Starling Wang (Mobile): 0086 13810153047
Ms. Faith Guo (Mobile): 0086 13716796859
Hong Kong City Stay Please find below the emergency contact details for HK Target Travel: Mon-Fri: 09.00 - 17.30, Sat: 09.00 - 13.00 Closed Sunday and Hong Kong public holidays Office: 00852 2312 1812 Emergency: 00852 9432 5300
Email: queenie.c@targethkg.com
For arrival - Driver contact details Scott : +852 9179 8676