International Airfare *For VIP members only (ask us for details)
Lodging
English-Speaking Tour Guides
All Ground & Water Transportation
All Activities in Itinerary Below
All Entry Fees
Breakfasts
Our tour to China starts in the international city of Shanghai. After settling in, we are taken by car to the Yuyuan Bazaar. This area offers a vibrant mix of traditional Chinese culture and stunning Ming Dynasty architecture as well as bustling markets with souvenirs and crafts and delicious local street food, especially soup dumplings (a.k.a. Xiao Long Bao). Next, we take a leisurely walk and enjoy the views along the Huangpu River towards ‘the Bund’. This waterfront features historic European architecture on one side of the river and futuristic skyscrapers on the other. The Bund is especially stunning when lit at night. After visiting the Bund, we are taken on foot to Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. It features China’s premier shopping experience with countless stores, restaurants and entertainment.
We are making a daytrip today. Firstly, we are taken by car to Wuzhen. This water town offers a glimpse into ancient life with its canals, stone bridges, traditional architecture and peaceful atmosphere. Upon arrival, we go on a boat ride in the canals. After this boat ride, we are provided with a guided walking tour of the town. After Wuzhen, we are taken by car to the ancient town of Zhouzhuang. This is an authentic, well-preserved ancient water town featuring canals, stone bridges and traditional Ming/Qing dynasty architecture. We are provided with a guided walking tour. This includes a visit to a mansion called Shenting. It is the home of a previous ruler. We find nicely designed rooms at his house, with traditional furniture. We also see a lot of copper, even on the floor. After our walking tour, we go on a boat ride in the canals. After Zhouzhuang, we are taken back to Shanghai, specifically to the Shanghai Tower. It offers unbeatable panoramic city views from the world’s second-highest observation deck. After enjoying the views, we are taken back to our hotel.
We are relocating by train to the city of Shangrao immediately followed by car to Wangxian Valley. It is essentially a mountain resort village known for its fantasy-like, relatively newly made ‘ancient-style’ architecture. It features cliffside buildings, waterfalls and building illuminations. The village makes tourists feel like they are stepping into a movie set.
We are relocating by train to the city of Hangzhou. After settling in, we are taken on foot to West Lake. We go on a walk around the lake. Next, we are taken on foot to a night market called Wulin. We recommend purchasing street food as we are provided with a guided tour in this area. After this night market, we are walked back to our hotel.
We are making a daytrip today. Firstly, we are taken by train to the city of Xianju. Immediately upon arrival, we are taken by car to the Shenxianju Scenic Area. It is known for its stunning volcanic landscape, dramatic peaks and valleys and innovative infrastructure like the Ruyi Bridge and the cliffside elevators. We are provided with a guided tour here. This includes taking the clear glass observation deck (called Nanshanding). After visiting the Shenxianju Scenic Area, we are taken back to Hangzhou by train.
We are making an excursion today. Firstly, we are taken by car to Lingyin Temple. It is known for its nearly 1,700-year history. It features ancient architecture, natural scenery and impressive Buddhist statues as well as cave temples at Feilai Peak (just up the mountain). Next, we are taken by bus to the Longjing tea plantation. The scenery along the way is quite stunning. Longjing is famous for its terraced tea fields. Next, we are taken by car back to Hangzhou, specifically to Hefang Street. This is a pedestrian street with lots of shops everywhere. We recommend purchasing street food as we are provided with a guided tour in this area. We are then taken back to our hotel.
We are relocating by flight from Hangzhou to the city of Guiyang. After settling in, we are taken by car to Qingyan Ancient Town. It is known for its well-preserved Ming & Qing Dynasty stone architecture, unique blend of Buddhist/Taoist/Christian sites, local street food, traditional crafts and historical rural Chinese life. We recommend purchasing street food as we are provided with a guided tour in this area. Next, we are taken back to town, specifically to the Taiping Road Food Market. There we are provided with another guided tour. We are then taken back to our hotel.
We are making a daytrip today. Specifically, we are taken by train immediately followed by car to Zhijin Cave. This is one of the biggest, brightest and best caves in all of China. After our tour, we are taken by train back to Guiyang. Upon arrival, we are taken by car to the Qingyun Market. We recommend purchasing street food as we are provided with a guided tour in this area. We are then taken back to our hotel.
We are relocating by train immediately followed by car to Zhaoxing Dong Village. After settling in, we are taken by car to Tang’an Dong Village. The drive itself is quite nice. Tang’an Dong Village is a 700-year-old ‘living’ eco-museum renowned for its authentic and preserved Dong minority culture as well as stunning and steep stone-terraced fields. It attracts visitors with traditional wooden stilt-style architecture, Drum Towers and a scenic hiking route. Upon arrival, we enjoy the scenic view. Next, we are provided with a guided tour of the village itself. After the tour, we are taken by shuttle back to Zhaoxing Dong Village. This is one of China’s largest and most well-preserved Dong minority settlements. This village offers an authentic, ancient and scenic experience. Key draws include its traditional drum towers, stilted wooden houses and UNESCO-listed choir performances. Note that the choir performance is not a guarantee.
We are relocating by flight from Chengdu to the city of Xining today. After settling in, we are taken by foot to the Daxin Street Night Market. There we see vibrant street food, unique snacks, shops, local culture and social life. Come hungry!
We are making a daytrip today. Firstly, we are taken by car to Xianggong Mountain. There we watch the sunrise from the highest viewpoint. There are additional viewpoints just below the highest one, which we also visit. It takes only a couple of minutes to walk to each of these lower viewpoints. We are then taken back to our hotel so we can take a nap. After our beauty sleep, we are taken by car to a wharf called Shuiedi. There we go on a bamboo rafting ride along the Yulong River. Next, we are taken by car to Silver Cave. It’s known for its spectacular crystal formations, including large silver stalactites. The lighting makes the experience that much nicer.
Next, we are taken to Xingping Town. There we are provided with a guided tour of the historic streets filled with shops and restaurants. Next, we are taken for a steep hike up Laozhai mountain to watch the sunset. The base of this mountain is within walking distance from Xingping Town. Afterwards, we are taken by car to West Street (a.k.a. Global Village or Xijie). Known for its lively pedestrian-only street, this bustling area features a mix of shops, food stalls, bars and clubs.
We are relocating by train to the city of Guilin. After settling in, we are taken by car to the Reed Flute Cave. It’s known for its stunning rock formations illuminated by colorful lights. After our tour, we are taken back to town, specifically to the base of a mountain called Chuanshan. There we hike to the viewpoint and see the Sun and Moon Pagodas. We are then taken back to our hotel so we can rest up. Later in the day, we are taken to the Riyuewan Wharf. From its viewpoint, we see Elephant Trunk Hill. This is a famous limestone rock formation that resembles a giant elephant drinking from the Li River. Next, we take a night cruise of the so-called ‘Two Rivers & Four Lakes Scenic Area’. Upon our return, we are taken by car to the downtown area. There we are provided with a guided walking tour. We are then taken back to our hotel.
We are making a daytrip today. Firstly, we are taken by car to Jinkeng Dazhai Village, which is part of the Longji Rice Terraces. The ride to reach this village is spectacular, passing by other wooden villages along the way. The whole area is famous for its vast, stunning rice terraces, rich ethnic culture and traditional wooden architecture. Once in the village, we enjoy the viewpoints and walk through the actual terraces. Next, we are taken by car followed by a shuttle ride to another beautiful viewpoint overlooking Ping’an Village. We reach this village by descending on foot along the terraces. We are then taken back to our hotel.
We are relocating by train immediately followed by car to the town of Mingshi. After settling in, we are taken on foot to Mingshi Garden. This is a picturesque rural landscape known for its karst scenery, green hills, clear rivers and paddy fields. We are provided with a guided tour there. After our tour, we are taken back to our hotel.
After checking in, we are taken to Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring. There we walk on the sand dunes. While there, we see several activities available, including ATV riding, paramotoring (like paragliding but with a motor), camel riding and even helicopter rides. You can directly pay for whichever activity/activities interest(s) you most. Many say that paramotoring is the best activity offered on site, as this 3-minute flightseeing tour gives us great views of the sand dunes. After Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring, we are taken by car to Dunhuang’s large, organized and colorful night market.
We are making a daytrip today before relocating by train to the city of Nanning. Firstly, we are taken by car to Tongling Grand Canyon. It’s known for its spectacular waterfall, tropical rainforests and karst caves. Next, we are taken to the Detian Waterfall. This is a transnational waterfall located on the border of China and Vietnam. Also known as Ban Gioc-Detian Falls, it is the largest transnational waterfall in Asia and the fourth largest in the world. It features breathtaking cascades of jade-green water flowing over multiple tiers. There we take a bamboo raft ride near to the waterfall as well as walk along both the lower-level scenic route and upper-level scenic route.
Transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport in Nanning.
If you are seeking an adventurous yet luxury tour in which you see and do it all stress-free, in which all the planning is done for you by experts, in which 5-star hotels, ground transportation, tour guides and entry fees are all included in the package, then you have come to the right place. Welcome to CharlieTheTraveler, an international tour operation company providing tailormade or packaged tours. Read some of our over 800 5-star reviews found across the Internet.
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We are open to customizing this tour to your liking, even though the itinerary we recommend is rock solid. As our tour is currently advertised, you absolutely will not find another one out there as packed with activities and attractions. What’s more, you will not find another tour out there that offers it all "FIRST CLASS," yet for a relatively low price. We have thousands of travelers taking this specific tour every year, and that's because no competitor can beat us on quality, price & substance.
All participants are required to book travel insurance within 72 hours of booking this tour. At a minimum, such insurance must cover cancellations, medical expenses, evacuations, flight loss or delays and 24/7 assistance.
A 4-installment payment plan is available, often with 0 percent interest to those with at least decent credit. Ask us for details. Our luxury-oriented and itinerary-packed “Southeast China in 16 Days” tour is available for $5,374 USD per person. This price includes all transportation, except airfare. It also includes an English-speaking tour guide, all activities mentioned in the standard itinerary and all entry fees. If you would like lodging and breakfast included for all nights on this tour, then the combined (transportation, tour guide, food, activities, entry fees and lodging) total would be $6,428 USD per person. This price is based on 2 per room and is offered to those booking at least 6 weeks in advance. Note that there is a $30 USD fee if paying by bank transfer or a 4.6 percent surcharge for payments made by credit card. We accept both forms of payment. We do not accept checks. Moving forward, to better understand your specific circumstances and wishes, and for us to accurately quote you, please tell us:
1.Do you prefer getting domestic airfare through us or directly with the airlines? You have both options. Either way, we tell you the exact flights you would need for this tour. Note there is a $100 USD ‘booking fee’ which guarantees not only booking airfare but also that a CharlieTheTraveler representative would be on the phone and/or using live chat with the airlines should there need to be a possible change to your flight(s).
2.Do you have a preference between a male or a female tour guide throughout the trip?
3.Some customers of ours who have the time combine our Northwest China tour with one or more of our other China tour packages. Does this interest you? How much time maximum do you have for visiting China?
Any airfare, alcohol, travel insurance, any government-imposed visa fees and anything not mentioned in the itinerary
Although airfare is not included in the price, we will find you the exact flights you need. Just ask.
Below are the domestic flights needed for this tour, which are included in the price:
Day 7: Hangzhou to Guiyang
After booking our tour package, we would send you screenshots of what you need to purchase (airlines, flight number and date) and you would then book directly with the carrier. You should almost never book airfare through a third party. The exception is when booking specifically international business class airfare from the United States. Sometimes this specific scenario provides a significant saving for the customer. Does CharlieTheTraveler book airfare on customers' behalf? Yes, both international and domestic. Ask us for details.
Note that CharlieTheTraveler cannot guarantee the airfare type it quotes you will be fully refundable. This is one of the reasons why we require customers to have travel insurance. Some airlines offer fully refundable airfare with a relatively low upcharge while others offer strictly non-refundable. Equally unsurprising, some airlines offer fully refundable airfare but with significant upcharges. If you are seeking airfare which guarantees cancellation without penalty, then please state this in writing when asking CharlieTheTraveler to book on your behalf.
Below are the names of the hotels where we commonly have our customers stay. Note this is subject to availability.
Nights 1 -2: Shanghai, Preferred Accommodation: JI Hotel Shanghai People's Square Nanjing Road
Night 3: Wangxian Valley, Preferred Accommodation: Yangxian Village, Wangxian Valley
Nights 4-6: Hangzhou, Preferred Accommodation: ATOUR X Hotel, Ding'an Road Subway Station, West Lake, Hangzhou
Nights 7-8: Guiyang, Preferred Accommodation: Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Hotel (Guiyang Penshuichi Subway Station)
Night 9: Zhaoxing Dong Village, Preferred Accommodation: Gunanli Designer Coffee Inn (Zhaoxing Dong Village Scenic Area)
Nights 10-11: Yangshuo, Preferred Accommodation: Mercure Guilin Yangshuo Xingping
Nights 12-13: Guilin, Preferred Accommodation: Atour Hotel (Guilin Two Rivers and Four Lakes Elephant Trunk Hill)
Night 14: Mingshi, Preferred Accommodation: Namei Mountain House
Night 15: Nanning , Preferred Accommodation: ETANG Hotel (Nanning Wuwei International Airport)
This entire tour is exclusive to you and whomever else you may book on behalf of.
Your room is exclusive to you and whomever is in your party. Strangers (meaning customers who book on the same start date but do not know each other) do not share rooms on this tour. On a side note, please let us know if you and the other person(s) in your booking want separate rooms.
Although we get customers of all ages and from several countries, our statistics show most people who book are 30 to 65 years old and from USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
We welcome your kids specifically and only when the tour is exclusive to you and your group-meaning other customers are not joining you. We define kids as anyone under 18 years old. In order to make the tour exclusive to you and your group, your booking would need to be for 4 persons or more for any of our tours except Iceland. For our Iceland tour, your booking would need to be for 8 persons or more. Regarding the cost of bringing a non-adult, we do deduct from the total based on the amount of activities you request we remove from the tour. Note that reducing the total price of the tour by removing activities is something offered for non-adults only. Adults can opt out of activities but the total price does not change.
We do not expect you to be an Olympic champion. We know some of the tour members are more fit than others…and we are well prepared for this. However, we do hope you take into consideration this is a very active tour, just like every other tour we offer.
Please let us know about any disability you have. Some disabilities would not affect you taking this tour. Others would prevent you from joining altogether. Although we want all of our customers to have fun, your safety is our first priority.
Of course. Once each day’s tour is over, you have the rest of the evening to yourself. Because our tours tend to be very active, our customers typically want to simply relax once the sun sets.
Notify us as soon as possible and we will do our very best to arrange a meeting point. Please note that we do not refund for any days or activities that you miss.
Generally speaking, you can opt out as long as we are given adequate notice. Please note that opting out of certain activities does not reduce the price of this tour.
We would do our best to keep you safe and make you as comfortable as possible, as well as make special arrangements to address your situation. Partial refunds are not offered if you cannot continue with the tour. However, most travel insurances reimburse you for such situations. This is one of many reasons why we require our customers to purchase travel insurance before taking this tour.
To confirm your tour, full payment is needed at the time of your purchase. However, refunds are offered. You will receive a full refund if canceling at least 91 days in advance from the departure date. Cancelling between 90-60 days prior to departure entitles you to a 50 percent refund. Cancelling between 59-31 days prior to departure entitles you to a 25 percent refund. Canceling 30 days or less prior to departure is not eligible for a refund. Cancellation requests need to be made by email and become effective on the date received by CharlieTheTraveler.
In the unlikely event CharlieTheTraveler needs to cancel this trip, such as because of very poor weather conditions, we will give you a full refund for the tour within 14 business days of the cancellation.
You should receive an email from us within 24 hours of purchasing this tour as well as a week before departure. The first email gives details about what to bring, how to prepare yourself, etc. The second email gives details mostly about the hotels.
Bring a raincoat for the waterfalls and water shoes for the mud bath. On a different note, you may need to bring adapters for your electronic devices.
Our tour guides/drivers are licensed, speak English and know how to bring excitement to your day. What we deliver is the complete opposite of the cookie-cutting tours the big corporations offer, leaving you in complete boredom. Although our tour guides/drivers are attentive, accommodating and engaged, they also know when to give you your private space and free time. It's a perfect balance.
All of our tours are offered in English. If you prefer another language, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Absolutely not. We make the arrangements for you.
Yes! You have your own concierge for this tour who is at your disposal. You could reach this person when you need anything.
Please visit CharlieTheTraveler.com/Tours-Terms-and-Conditions
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