9-day Backpacking Tour of China | Beijing – Shanghai

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9 days / 8 nights - £509

Get a taste of China as you travel between two of its biggest cities. From the capital city (the centre of politics and loads of history), to Hangzhou- a scenic and relaxed pace settlement - to the most populated city in the world, famed for its nightlife and fascinating colonial past. This mini-trip rapidly encompasses both China’s urban and rural sides. See below for tour details - contact us with any Qs!

Itinerary

Day 1-4: Beijing

Camp out under the stars on a remote section of the Great Wall. After an unforgettable sunrise, head back to the city for more history, culture and food. Learn about Beijing

Day 5-6: Hangzhou

A breath of fresh air after the bustling capital city. Explore the ancient waterfront town, hike your way to the top of Jiuyao Mountain and venture into the luscious Misty Forest.

Day 7-9: Shanghai

With a fascinating modern history and sizzling economy, Shanghai dazzles as an epic place for nightlife, Western comforts, getting lost and much, much more. Learn about Shanghai

Day 1-4: Beijing

Meet your group and Adventure leader at Beijing Spring Time Hostel at 10 am
Join them for the mandarin Lesson.
It’s time for the Mandarin Challenge! Use your freshly learned Mandarin to complete challenges around Beijing’s ancient streets and alleyways. The winning team earns a prize.
Mandatory meal at a local farm to obtain permission to access the locals only sections of the unrestored Great Wall
Unmissable Attraction – Hike on totally unrestored sections of the Wall before setting up camp on a deserted section of the wall to watch the sunset on one of the Wonders of the World (Please note, due to cold weather before end of April and after September, we stay in a guest house near the Wall instead of camping, but still return to the Wall to watch sunrise in the morning)
Unmissable Attraction – Sunrise on the Wall
Return to Beijing
Optional: A stunning Chinese Acrobatics Performance performed by young talents recruited from around China
Enjoyed exclusively by royalty in ancient times, taste Beijing’s signature dish Peking Roast Duck
Optional: Take a walk through the globally recognized, Tiananmen Square
Optional: Visit the Forbidden City. The largest palatial complex in the world, the grounds boast 980 buildings and a history of housing 24 different Chinese royalty
Optional: Go to Jingshan Park for a bird’s eye view of the three palaces: Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square.
Test your bargaining skills in the Fake Goods Market!
Optional: Go to the Temple of Heaven, the largest complex dedicated to heaven worship in the world and where ancient sacrifices were made to bring bountiful harvests
Optional: Visit Nanluo district, one of the best-preserved historical areas in Beijing. It is famous for its hutongs and siheyuan courtyards as well as the bars, cafes and handicraft shops
Enjoy a free day before heading to your next destination
Optional: Visit the 798 art district, the Summer Palace, or any other highlights of Beijing
Board night train to Hangzhou

Day 5-6: Hangzhou & Shanghai

Head to West Lake for a relaxing boat tour
Optional: Learn about China’s trade history with visits to the China National Tea Museum or the National Silk Museum
Hike up Jiuyao Mountain to catch the sunset over West Lake
Enjoy a delicious group dinner back in the city centre
Optional: Explore Hangzhou old town
Have a big breakfast ready for more activities
Head to Misty Forest for a hike around the Nine Creeks area
Return to the hostel to freshen up, grab lunch and check out
Take a private transfer Hangzhou Station for your train to Shanghai
Arrive in Shanghai and take the metro to the hostel
Optional: Experience the city’s nightlife with the Shanghai Drunken Dragon Pub Crawl! (Only available on Saturday. If you arrive on a different day, then you can enjoy our alternative activity, a cruise on the Huangpu River by night)

Day 7-9: Shanghai

Optional: Take the bus to ZhuJiaJiao Water Town, a Chinese equivalent to the Italian Venice
Take the bus back to Shanghai
Enjoy the night Chinese-style by going out for some Karaoke at KTV
Spend your free day as you please! As your Adventure Leader for suggested activities or look in your Little Red Book for inspiration
Optional: Spend your free day releasing your inner child at Shanghai Disneyland
Mandarin Lesson 4: Today your lesson is run by professional teachers from Mandarin Garden Chinese Language School!
Optional: Walk to the Yu Gardens and back a bustling historical site of a former dignitary lavish family quarters
Optional: See People’s Square, before heading on to the World’s busiest shopping street, Nanjing Road. Afterwards, go for a walk along the bund, a hub of global architecture. To finish off, head to the top floor of a skyscraper to enjoy some champagne whilst sitting in a hot tub.
Optional: Stroll through the former French Concession to hear a little bit about Shanghai’s international history, visit a secretive propaganda history museum, take in the sights of the ultra-modern Shanghai financial district, take a local ferry cross the famous Huangpu river from east to the west of The Bund and finish off the afternoon by visiting TianZiFang a local artisan’s lane that blends the chic and traditional
Optional: For the daredevils, head to the top of Jinmao Tower and brave the Skywalk! Or just go up and take in the panoramic views
Optional: Go to VUE bar to view the city skyline from a rooftop jacuzzi!
Optional: Take in the bright city lights from the water with a night cruise down the Huangpu River
On day 9, optional activities will finish at approx. 19:00. Say goodbye to your group and finish up your tour with The Dragon Trip. We wish you safe travels!

Departures Dates

Departing	Finishing	Price	Status
23rd Mar, 2019	31st Mar, 2019	£509
25th Mar, 2019	2nd Apr, 2019	£509	FULLY BOOKED
30th Mar, 2019	7th Apr, 2019	£509
1st Apr, 2019	9th Apr, 2019	£509
6th Apr, 2019	14th Apr, 2019	£509
13th Apr, 2019	21st Apr, 2019	£509
15th Apr, 2019	23rd Apr, 2019	£509
22nd Apr, 2019	30th Apr, 2019	£509
27th Apr, 2019	5th May, 2019	£509
4th May, 2019	12th May, 2019	£509
13th May, 2019	21st May, 2019	£509
20th May, 2019	28th May, 2019	£509
27th May, 2019	4th Jun, 2019	£509
1st Jun, 2019	9th Jun, 2019	£509
3rd Jun, 2019	11th Jun, 2019	£509
8th Jun, 2019	16th Jun, 2019	£509
10th Jun, 2019	18th Jun, 2019	£509	FULLY BOOKED
15th Jun, 2019	23rd Jun, 2019	£509
17th Jun, 2019	25th Jun, 2019	£509
22nd Jun, 2019	30th Jun, 2019	£509
1st Jul, 2019	9th Jul, 2019	£509
8th Jul, 2019	16th Jul, 2019	£509
13th Jul, 2019	21st Jul, 2019	£509	FULLY BOOKED
15th Jul, 2019	23rd Jul, 2019	£509
20th Jul, 2019	28th Jul, 2019	£509
27th Jul, 2019	4th Aug, 2019	£509
29th Jul, 2019	4th Aug, 2019	£509
3rd Aug, 2019	11th Aug, 2019	£509	FULLY BOOKED
5th Aug, 2019	13th Aug, 2019	£509
12th Aug, 2019	20th Aug, 2019	£509
17th Aug, 2019	25th Aug, 2019	£509
19th Aug, 2019	27th Aug, 2019	£509	FULLY BOOKED
24th Aug, 2019	1st Sep, 2019	£509
26th Aug, 2019	3rd Sep, 2019	£509
2nd Sep, 2019	10th Sep, 2019	£509
9th Sep, 2019	17th Sep, 2019	£509
14th Sep, 2019	22nd Sep, 2019	£509
16th Sep, 2019	24th Sep, 2019	£509
23rd Sep, 2019	1st Oct, 2019	£509
28th Sep, 2019	6th Oct, 2019	£509	FULLY BOOKED
30th Sep, 2019	8th Oct, 2019	£509	FULLY BOOKED
7th Oct, 2019	15th Oct, 2019	£509
14th Oct, 2019	22nd Oct, 2019	£509
19th Oct, 2019	27th Oct, 2019	£509
21st Oct, 2019	29th Oct, 2019	£509	FULLY BOOKED
28th Oct, 2019	5th Nov, 2019	£509
4th Nov, 2019	12th Nov, 2019	£509
11th Nov, 2019	19th Nov, 2019	£509
21st Mar, 2020	29th Mar, 2020	£509
23rd Mar, 2020	31st Mar, 2020	£509
30th Mar, 2020	7th Apr, 2020	£509
6th Apr, 2020	14th Apr, 2020	£509
13th Apr, 2020	21st Apr, 2020	£509
18th Apr, 2020	26th Apr, 2020	£509
20th Apr, 2020	28th Apr, 2020	£509
27th Apr, 2020	5th May, 2020	£509
4th May, 2020	12th May, 2020
11th May, 2020	19th May, 2020	£509
14th May, 2020	22nd May, 2020	£509
23rd May, 2020	31st May, 2020	£509
25th May, 2020	2nd Jun, 2020	£509
1st Jun, 2020	9th Jun, 2020	£509
6th Jun, 2020	14th Jun, 2020	£509
8th Jun, 2020	16th Jun, 2020	£509
15th Jun, 2020	23rd Jun, 2020	£509
20th Jun, 2020	28th Jun, 2020	£509
22nd Jun, 2020	30th Jun, 2020	£509
29th Jun, 2020	7th Jul, 2020	£509
6th Jul, 2020	14th Jul, 2020	£509
13th Jul, 2020	21st Jul, 2020	£509
18th Jul, 2020	26th Jul, 2020	£509
20th Jul, 2020	28th Jul, 2020	£509
27th Jul, 2020	4th Aug, 2020	£509
3rd Aug, 2020	11th Aug, 2020	£509
8th Aug, 2020	16th Aug, 2020	£509
10th Aug, 2020	18th Aug, 2020	£509
17th Aug, 2020	25th Aug, 2020	£509
22nd Aug, 2020	30th Aug, 2020	£509
24th Aug, 2020	1st Sep, 2020	£509
31st Aug, 2020	8th Sep, 2020	£509
7th Sep, 2020	15th Sep, 2020	£509
14th Sep, 2020	22nd Sep, 2020	£509
19th Sep, 2020	27th Sep, 2020	£509
26th Sep, 2020	4th Oct, 2020	£509
28th Sep, 2020	6th Oct, 2020	£509
5th Oct, 2020	13th Oct, 2020	£509
12th Oct, 2020	20th Oct, 2020	£509
19th Oct, 2020	27th Oct, 2020	£509
26th Oct, 2020	3rd Nov, 2020	£509
31st Oct, 2020	8th Nov, 2020	£509
2nd Nov, 2020	10th Nov, 2020	£509
9th Nov, 2020	17th Nov, 2020	£509
16th Nov, 2020	24th Nov, 2020	£509

Price includes:

Bilingual Adventure Leaders
Accommodation (hostels, guest houses, and 1 night camping)
Transport within China
All unmissable activities (see itineraries)
Please note: Accommodation is in dorm rooms as a standard.
Upgrade options (to single, twin, or double rooms) are available - please contact us for more information.

All our hostels have WIFI

Upgrades, extras & payments

Need hostels booked for after your trip ends? We are more than happy to help - just let us know what you need!
A deposit is required to make a reservation, with the balance due one month prior to departure (unless booking with one of our promotions, for which specific balance due dates may apply). The deposit is £200 GBP / $300 USD / $300 AUD / €300 EUR.
For customers making payment from the UK: please note that when you are making a payment into our US dollar account you must request your bank to send the money directly to our US dollar account at HSBC UK. Otherwise they may use an intermediary bank resulting in an added wiring fee charged to you of $25.00.
Late booking customers must understand that they may be sat separately from the rest of the group on trains, and may have to be booked into a separate dorm room. No bookings can be accepted within 18 days of a trip departure date.
If you would like to alter your trip itinerary from the one provided to you by us then please let us know more than 30 days before your trip departs so that we can make your trip the perfect one for you! When you let us know that means we can relay all information to our on the ground staff and make the appropriate arrangements. Some such requests from previous Dragon Trippers are: I would like to skip Macau and go directly to Hong Kong from Fujian, I don’t need accommodation in Shanghai because I am staying with a friend, I would not like to camp on the wall and instead want to stay in regular accommodation, I would like to take a flight instead of a train for certain legs of the trip. Please let us know more than 30 days in advance. If you do not let us know in advance The Dragon Trip will not be responsible for assisting you, or for providing reimbursement for accommodations or transportation not used.
Room and train upgrades for the entirety of this route are available. Room upgrade requests must be communicated to the Dragon Trip before the start of the trip. Customers wishing to upgrade once the trip has started must do so independently. Train upgrades are unavailable once train tickets have been booked, train upgrades only apply to over-night trains.
Room upgrades are $200 USD. On Day 5 (Hangzhou) there is no option for room upgrade). In Beijing everyone will get twin rooms, those who have paid for an upgrade will receive a superior room. Train upgrades are $110 USD.
The Dragon Trip provides, upon request, airport transfers. In Beijing and Shanghai, the price is GBP 40 for a pick up or drop-off. This will be in private transportation (up to 3 PAX). If you’d like a bilingual guide to meet you and ride with you from the airport to your destination, or vice versa, it is GBP 40 extra for a pick up or drop off (up to 3 PAX). In Guilin, Xi'an and Chengdu, the price is GBP 30 for a pick up or drop-off. This will be in private transportation (up to 3 PAX). If you’d like a bilingual guide, it is GBP 30 for a pick up or drop off (up to 3 PAX). This service is not available in Hong Kong.

Other

Please take note if you wish to use your own camera/phone to take photos and videos that is absolutely fine. However, The Dragon Trip runs a no drone policy for our China trips.
You will receive a wristband which will have a phone number on it for you to call in emergencies.

All train tickets in China must be purchased through a central booking centre which means there is always a small chance that you may not be seated together with the person that you have booked the tour together with. If you or your PAX has a seat that is not next to the group’s our Adventure Leaders have a process to help you switch your tickets, so that you are seated next to the group. (In some train stations, the Adventure Leader will be able to board the train even when they won’t be travelling themselves. In this case, they will switch you or your PAXs tickets with a local so that Dragon Trippers can sit together. In the case that our Adventure Leader cannot board the train, they will be able to explain in Mandarin over the phone to a conductor, or directly to a local passenger to help switch seats so that Dragon Trippers may be seated together.)

To book or find out more, contact us

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