Highlights of China & Japan Tour

Depart with Cathay Pacific from London Heathrow or Manchester via Hong Kong. No matter which airport you choose, there will be no additional cost.

Alternative Airline – Emirates

Should you prefer, fly with Emirates via Dubai from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh or Glasgow for a supplement, from £100 per person.

Arrive in the wonderful city of Beijing and transfer to the conveniently located Sunworld Dynasty Hotel Beijing for our three-night stay. Previously known as Peking, China’s capital city is a historical treasure trove, boasting over 3,000 years of tumultuous history. However, it’s not only this city’s ancient monuments that attract visitors. Its imposing socialist monuments of the 1950s, along with the explosive growth of modern buildings and infrastructure, make Beijing an unmissable showcase of China's old and new. This evening, enjoy a welcome drink and dinner with your Tour Manager and fellow travellers, to become acquainted and learn more about our adventure ahead.

Today, our sightseeing tour of Beijing begins in Tiananmen Square, where Chairman Mao declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China. We continue to the nearby Forbidden City, the world’s largest palace complex and home to China’s best-preserved collection of ancient and ornate buildings, with plenty of time to explore prior to lunch in a nearby restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit the Temple of Heaven Park, where emperors once prayed for good harvests. We then discover the real Beijing as we take a rickshaw ride through its traditional alleyways and explore the famous hutongs on foot. This evening, we enjoy a classic local dish for dinner: Peking Duck, served with plum or garlic sauce, scallions, and pancakes.

Tour Highlight

China’s most iconic sight and greatest engineering triumph, the Great Wall weaves its way through 4,000 miles of northern China’s landscapes. This morning, we travel northeast from the city to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, famous for its Ming-era guard towers and the fantastic views of the surrounding mountains. We take a short cable car ride to the wall and have ample time to stroll along part of it and take in the spectacular landscapes. Following our memorable visit and lunch, we return to Beijing to spend the afternoon exploring the halls, pavilions, temples, gardens and bridges of the Summer Palace, the former playground of the royal family as they escaped the suffocating heat of summer. We marvel at this masterpiece of traditional Chinese landscaping, designed according to the principles of feng shui.

We say farewell to Beijing and board our ‘bullet train’ to Xi’an, one of China’s most famous cities with a long and fascinating history. A considerable amount of its ancient city has managed to survive alongside its modern developments. We make a stop to explore the magnificent city walls, which date back to the Ming dynasty around 1370, and enjoy incredible views of Xi’an’s old and new from our vantage point on top of the 12m-high wall. We reach the Xian Sofitel on Renmin Square later in the afternoon, our home for the next two nights. One of the delicacies in Xi’an is its fantastic dumplings, which are similar to dim sum. This evening, enjoy sampling a selection of dumplings – each are handmade into a variety of shapes and with a selection of delicious fillings.

Discovered in 1974 by a group of farmers drilling a well, the Terracotta Army is one of the most famous and spectacular archaeological discoveries in the world. Today, we explore the pits containing the terracotta soldiers, which have stood guard since 246BC when Emperor Qin Shi Huang commissioned the work for his mausoleum. Each life-sized warrior has been crafted with individual facial features and clothing and are arranged in battle formations alongside their horses and chariots. We also discover the equally fascinating Qin Shi Huang Emperor Tomb Artefact Exhibition Hall, which contains many artefacts, including a pair of bronze chariots and horses, which are displayed with some of the original weaponry. After lunch, we visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda before returning to our hotel. Later, perhaps enjoy an evening of traditional music and dance at the Tang Dynasty show, including dinner.

After breakfast, we make our way to the train station to board our high-speed train to Chengdu, in the Sichuan Province. Chengdu is renowned for its teahouse culture and its most famous inhabitants – the Giant Pandas. On arrival early afternoon, we transfer to our hotel, the charming Sheraton Chengdu Lido Hotel, where we stay for the next two nights. Later, we take a gentle stroll through Wangjianglou Park, which is often filled with dancing, song and Tai Chi. The park is also home to some of the city’s favourite teahouses, where we stop to sample the local brews and perhaps mix with the locals over a game of Mahjong.

Tour Highlight

With over 80% of the world’s giant panda population found in Sichuan Province, it’s little surprise to find the area taking the lead in conservation projects to save these endangered species. The panda is the national symbol of China, and today we visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Institute, which is home to around 120 giant and 76 red pandas. The project allows us to see these loveable and rare creatures, at close quarters in a near-natural habitat setting. Following lunch at the breeding centre, we return to our hotel to relax and freshen up. Later in the afternoon, we explore the bustling stalls and shops of the Wide and Narrow Alleys, two ancient streets restored in Ming and Qing architectural styles. We enjoy dinner in one of the local restaurants serving traditional dishes, cooked with distinctive Sichuan flavours. Later, we recommend venturing to the Sichuan Opera for a one-of-a-kind cultural performance, featuring acrobats, dancers, puppets, and the amazing ‘face-changing’ mask spectacle.

After breakfast, we take our flight to Shanghai and transfer to the Shanghai Hengshan Garden Hotel for our final two nights in China. We head out on a walking tour this afternoon to explore the enchanting former French Concession area, which to this day is still a beautiful residential and shopping district, renowned for its European architecture, buzzy cafes and tree-lined streets. We end our day with dinner at a local restaurant, enjoying regional Shanghai cuisine.

Shanghai is China’s most glamorous and prosperous city, where Chinese and Western cultures sit side by side. This morning, our sightseeing tour begins with a visit to Yuyuan Gardens, a beautifully preserved example of classical Chinese garden design from the Ming dynasty. We continue to the charming Old Town, the original centre of the city, which retains many of its traditional temples, alleyways, and buildings. Our morning ends with a walk along the Bund, on the banks of the Huangpu River. The Bund perfectly encapsulates the diversity of Shanghai, with the grandiose Art Deco architecture of the city’s former banks and trading houses on one side of the river, and the futuristic skyline of Pudong on the other. Following lunch, we travel to nearby Zhujiajiao, a picturesque ancient water town, and explore its stone bridges, canals, and Ming- and Qing-era architecture.

After breakfast, we bid farewell to China and transfer to Shanghai Airport for our flight to Osaka in Japan. Upon arrival, we transfer to the RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka, our base for the next two nights. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax or begin exploring this vibrant city at your own pace.

Tour Highlight

Today begins with a visit to Nara, Japan’s first permanent capital, where we explore the impressive Todaiji Temple, home to the Great Buddha - one of the largest bronze statues of its kind in the world. We also enjoy a stroll through Nara Park, where friendly, free-roaming deer are considered sacred and add to the peaceful charm of the area. Returning to Osaka, we enjoy free time to explore vibrant Dotonbori Street, with a chance to try its delicious street food for lunch. We then continue to majestic Osaka Castle, a symbol of the city’s rich history and resilience. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and a wide moat, the castle provides panoramic views of the city from its top floor, along with an informative museum showcasing the castle’s dramatic past and role in Japan’s unification.

We board the famous Shinkansen, or bullet train, to Hiroshima this morning, travelling on one of the fastest trains in the country with top speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. This modern city, known for its poignant history and resilient spirit, is a great spot for reflection. On arrival, we enjoy a lunch of delicious Okonomiyaki pancakes, a local speciality made with egg, cabbage and soba noodles and either meat, seafood or cheese, all grilled on a Teppan, a giant iron hot plate. Afterwards, we embark on a guided tour of the Memorial Peace Park, museum and infamous Atomic Bomb Dome, a moving tribute to the victims of the atomic bombing during the Second World War. After a thought-provoking day, we check into our hotel for the next two nights, Hiroshima Granvia Southgate, ideally located for exploring the city.

This morning takes us to the peaceful and pretty island of Miyajima, famous for its giant torii gate, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Itsukushima Shinto Shrine. After viewing the shrine, there is plenty of time to wander around the city’s pretty streets before we return to the city in the early afternoon. The remainder of the day is at leisure, but we highly recommend a visit to Hiroshima Castle, Shukkeien garden or Orizuru Tower, which are all within easy reach of our hotel.

Following breakfast, we depart by train to Kyoto, travelling in comfort through Japan’s scenic countryside. The capital of Imperial Japan for over 1,000 years, Kyoto is considered Japan’s cultural capital. On arrival, we visit the iconic Fushimi Inari Shrine, renowned for its atmospheric tunnels of more than 10,000 vermilion torii gates, each donated by individuals or businesses. We then transfer to our hotel for the next three nights, Hotel Nikko Princess Kyoto.

Tour Highlight

We begin our day of sightseeing at the impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kinkaku-Ji Temple. Fondly referred to as the Golden Pavilion, this richly decorated golden temple is a truly beautiful sight to behold. Our next stop is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the rock garden of Ryoanji Temple. The garden’s fifteen stones are cleverly arranged so that there is always one rock that is hidden from view. At lunchtime, we head to Gion, Kyoto’s famous geisha district known for its historic wooden machiya houses and narrow alleyways, where we enjoy free time to explore.

We head to Arashiyama this morning, one of Kyoto’s most scenic districts, and visit its enchanting Bamboo Grove, where there will be plenty of time to wander through the impressive towering alley of bamboo. Returning to the city, we enjoy free time for lunch near Nijo Castle, a historic site surrounded by beautiful gardens and traditional architecture, before taking part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, offering an insight into this centuries-old cultural ritual.

We journey by train and coach to Hakone today as we head to Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, famous for its hot springs and views of what is easily Japan’s most iconic image, Mount Fuji. Our first stop is beautiful Lake Ashi, a crater lake formed over 200,000 years ago, where we board our boat for a short cruise. We then take a cable car ride into the Owakudani Valley. The result of a volcanic eruption over 3,000 years ago, the area is still active with many sulphur vents and bubbling hot springs. Later, we continue to our hotel for the night, the Mars Garden Wood Gotemba. After settling into our accommodation, we dine together in the hotel’s restaurant.

This morning we explore the Hakone Open Air Museum, a fusion of art and nature with over 100 outdoor sculptures, some interactive. We then bid farewell to the stunning surrounds of Hakone as our journey continues to Japan’s vibrant capital, Tokyo, where tradition and modernity blend seamlessly. We stay at the Sheraton Miyako Hotel for our final three nights in Japan.

Our Tokyo sightseeing begins in the district of Asakusa, home to Tokyo’s oldest temple, Sensoji, founded in AD645. The approach to the temple is through the Kaminarimon Gate, which leads to the Nakamise, a shopping street that has been providing temple visitors with a variety of traditional local snacks and tourist souvenirs for centuries. After time to explore, we make our way to a local restaurant for lunch. We finish our day with a visit to the Tokyo National Museum.

After breakfast, we make our way to Tokyo Tower. Standing at 333m, it’s 13m taller than the Eiffel Tower, which was the inspiration for its design. Although surpassed in height by Tokyo Skytree in 2012, Tokyo Tower remains a beloved symbol of the city. After a brief photo stop at the impressive Imperial Palace, we continue to Japan’s most famous Shinto Shrine, Meiji Jingu. Dedicated to Emperor Meiji, the shrine sits in a large forest area that contains more than 100,000 trees, gifted by the people to their beloved emperor. The remainder of the day is free to explore further or return to our hotel and relax.

Enjoy a leisurely morning until it’s time to depart for the airport. Our flights to the UK with Cathay Pacific operate via Hong Kong. Alternatively, if choosing Emirates, you will fly via Dubai.

After 23 spectacular days, we arrive in the UK, bringing our incredible tour of China and Japan to an end.