Get the full experience of modern, rural and cultural China on this sensational small-group adventure.
Get a taste of China on this cultural and ice-filled adventure. Travel from modern Shanghai to old Beijing, exploring bustling Xi'an on the way with the Great Wall and Terracotta Warriors just a couple of highlights on offer. Delve beneath the surface of this massive country, discovering gourmet delights and learning about Chinese lifestyles and traditions. Then embrace the frozen glory of a Chinese winter and head north-east to experience the Harbin International Ice & Snow Festival in all its winter wonder. From Beijing head to the remote north of the country to discover a city shaped by Russian as well as Chinese culture and experience a festival that’ll take your (frozen) breath away.
Like everything it does, China’s ancient history is on an epic scale – see it when face-to-face with thousands of Terracotta Warriors (or thousands of local tourists at the Forbidden City!)
Exploring the narrow alleyways of Shanghai's nearby water town of Xitang, you can imagine a life long lost to modernity
Escape to the countryside, overnight near the Great Wall at a family run guesthouse, and see this iconic structure without the masses
Built to accommodate Russian engineers working on the Trans-Siberian Railroad in the 19th century, discover Harbin’s Russian and Jewish heritage on a guided walking tour
Experience Harbin’s International Ice and Snow Festival, a vast winter wonderland of the biggest and most elaborate ice sculptures in the world
Tour the festival with a local guide during the day and again at night, when the frosty re-creations of famous buildings, monuments and characters are lit up in technicolour
Train travel is intrinsic to Chinese life. Bunk up with locals and other travellers on an overnight sleeper train from Beijing to Harbin, and experience a high speed train back the other way
This trip travels on overnight hard sleeper trains on sections of the journey. Train travel in China may not be entirely luxurious, but it's certainly one of the best ways to come face-to-face with the country and its people. It's the main form of transport for locals, so take the chance to interact.
The trip covers a fair amount of ground to enable you to see some of China's biggest cities and main highlights, so be prepared for some long travel days.
We pack a lot in, in a short amount of time, so if you have some time to spare we highly recommend extra time in Shanghai and Beijing.
Temperatures in northern China in January are extremely cold, especially in Harbin. It can easily get as low as -35° C. As you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors exploring the city and the festival, it’s vital that you pack extremely warm clothes, including a coat, hat, gloves, scarf, boots and thermals.
Trip departures are unavailable.
There are currently no scheduled departures on our China Highlights & Harbin Ice Festival trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.
1. A Single Supplement is available on this trip, excluding overnight trains.
2. A scanned copy of the personal details page of your passport is required at time of booking or no later than 30 days before departure in order for us to purchase your train tickets.
3. Temperatures at this time of year in Harbin can be well below freezing. Please ensure you bring appropriate clothing and footwear.
4. Overnight train accommodation on this tour is in 6-berth ‘hard-sleeper’ class. Bedding is provided and wash basins and toilets (squat/western) are available in each carriage, but there are no shower facilities.
5. An upgrade to Soft Sleeper class is available on this trip.
6. Please note while traveling through mainland China you will not be able to access some popular internet websites.
7. As this is a combination trip, your leader and group composition may change in Beijing.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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