*Ultimate China

B: breakfast    L: lunch   D: dinner

Day 1 Beijing D
Arrive in Beijing and transfer to the 5*Grand Hotel for a three-night stay in rooms overlooking the rooftops of the Forbidden City itself.
Welcome dinner.

Day 2 Beijing B/ L/ D
This morning head for Tiananmen Square, a vast expanse where half a million people can gather, overlooked by the mausoleum of Chairman Mao and the Monument to the People’s Heroes. Walk into the Forbidden City to explore some of the thousands of halls, courtyards and pavilions of the imperial palace. Afterwards, stroll around Jingshan Park, once part of the palace gardens and beautifully laid out. Tonight enjoy an exhilarating performance of Kung Fu.

Day 3 Beijing B/ L/ D
Drive to a less-crowded section of the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu. Here, the wall winds across jagged mountain tops, and you can walk along a well-restored section for about a mile and a half, passing watchtowers and battlements, admiring the rugged scenery. Returning to Beijing, visit the manicured gardens of the Summer Palace, created by an ambitious minister to curry favour with the Empress Cixi with money intended for the navy. This evening enjoy a Peking Duck dinner, a speciality of the court of the Ming emperors.

Day 4 Beijing, Xian B/ L/ D
Visit the striking Temple of Heaven, its circular main building representing Heaven, its pillars representing the months, hours and seasons, and rectangles symbolising Earth. After admiring this masterpiece of Ming architecture fly to Xian, China’s first capital and eastern terminus of the Silk Road, for a two-night stay at the 5* Sofitel Hotel.

Day 5 Xian B/ L/ D
Thousands of individually-crafted and near life-sized clay soldiers still stand guard over the tomb of China’s first emperor after 2,200 years, along with their clay horses, chariots and weapons. Back in the city centre walk along the ancient city walls, 40ft high and up to 60ft thick, with a moat, ramparts, battlements and fortified gates.

Day 6 Shanghai B/ L/ D
Fly to Shanghai to stay for two nights at the 5*Broadway Mansions Hotel in rooms overlooking the Bund and Huangpu River. This afternoon, admire the Jade Buddha Temple, its beautiful white jade statues decorated with emeralds, diamonds and agates. Later, stroll along the Bund, passing grand European-style 19th century buildings on one side, and the futuristic skyscrapers of the Pudong district on the other. Tonight attend a spectacular Acrobatic Show and marvel at the skill and daring of the artists.

Day 7Shanghai B/ L/ D
Step into the past today, exploring the delightful Yuyuan Garden that is one of China’s most perfect examples of the art of landscaping, its ponds, pavilions, paths and plants carefully designed to create a series of unfolding views. This garden was laid out over 400 years ago by an official for his aged parents, and it has changed little since. Then visit the  impressive Shanghai Museum that is home to an immense number of China’s greatest ancient treasures - bronzes, ceramics, paintings, crafts, calligraphy, furniture and paintings. Spend the evening in the charming and fashionable Xintiandi district, whose characteristic shikumen buildings have been restored and now house restaurants and bars, galleries and boutiques.

Day 8 Yangtze Cruise B/ L/ D
Fly to Yichang and embark Century Diamond for an unforgettable and luxurious four-night cruise through the most scenic sections of the Yangtze Gorges. Unpack in your spacious stateroom and relax on your private balcony as the ship sets off tonight.

Day 9 Yangtze Cruise B/ L/ D
This morning disembark to see the ambitious Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric power station ever, and the ship progresses through the five locks to cruise onwards through the once notoriously dangerous Xiling Gorge. Despite the higher water levels, Xiling remains dramatically beautiful, myths and legends lurking around every rocky corner.

Day 10 Yangtze Cruise B/ L/ D
Explore a tributary today on a scenic excursion by small boat through Dragon Gate to the Lesser Three Gorges. Rejoin your ship to sail beneath the forbidding, misty cliffs of Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge, the shortest and narrowest of them all, with an optional shore visit to the temple of White Emperor City.

Day 11 Yangtze Cruise B/ L/ D
The ship continues her leisurely progress upstream, with a shore visit to Snowy Jade Cave to admire its bizarre rock formations. Take part in the onboard activities, watch the scenery glide by and enjoy fine dining aboard Century Sky.

Day 12 Guilin B/ L/ D
Disembark after breakfast at Chongqing and fly to Guilin, an impossibly beautiful region of karst mountains, rice fields and winding rivers. Stay overnight at the 4*Sheraton Hotel.

Day 13 Yangshuo B/ L/ D
Take the renowned Li River Cruise to Yangshuo. The vistas from the boat are endlessly fascinating–the banks of the river are lined with swaying phoenix bamboo, women in coolie hats wash clothes and buffalo bathe, and in the distance are numberless limestone peaks shrouded in mist and covered in pine trees. On arrival in Yangshuo, explore the busy handicraft stalls along West Street, and check in to the 5* Yangshuo Resort for a two-night stay in a deluxe room. Tonight attend a spectacular son et lumiere show, a dramatic open-air performance in a stunning setting.

Day 14 Yangshuo B/ L/ D
Today explore Silver Cave inside one of the karst mountains, where a clear underground river wends its way past shimmering stalagmites and stalagtites. Later visit Jiuxian Garden Village, undergoing a unique conservation and regeneration project to preserve its culture and Ming-dynasty architecture.

Day 15 Departure Guilin B
Fly from Guilin to next your destination..