| 14 Days China's Minorities No Shopping Tour (Tour code: PMCGG14) | |
| Themes:Nature, minorities | |
| Destinations: Chongqing - Guiyang - Leishan - Zhaoxing - Tongdao - Ping'an - Guilin - Dahebei | |
| From: $2845 |  |
| Destination | Chongqing |
| Activities | Right after you have arrived in China and have met with your private English-speaking tour guide your adventures begin at the local zoo which is home to several Giant Pandas, the national animal of China. From the zoo you continue to Ciqikou Old Street to see this former port area, now a charming spot with old houses and speciality shops. Later it is time to check in at your hotel and rest. |
| Attractions | Pandas in Zoo, Ciqikou Old Street |
| Meals | Lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Chongqing - Leishan |
| Activities | China's amazing coutryside in Guizhou Province awaits. After breakfast you go to the airport to take a flight to Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province. Although Guiyang is a charming city the province's real charm lies in the lush regions to the east, where endless rice fields, green mountainsides and clear rivers make a beautiful backdrop to your experiences when visiting the minority peoples of Guizhou. From Guiyang you drive to the town of Leishan about three hours away, and after arrival check in at your comfortable hotel. |
| Attractions | Guizhou's stunning countryside |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Leishan |
| Activities | Not far from Leishan lies the Miao Minority village of Wudong. The Miao are known for their traditional silver headgear and colorful attire, which you will experience first-hand here. After lunch you continue to the somewhat larger village of Xijiang, famous for being home to a thousand families. The village is nestled in between mountainsides and a river with hundreds of rice fields all around. You spend the afternoon exploring the village, and also see a performance of traditional dances, before returning to your hotel in the evening. |
| Attractions | Wudong Miao Village, Xijiang Miao Village, Miao performance |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Leishan - Zhaoxing |
| Activities | Today you drive farther south. The goal is Zhaoxing Village, a tranquil and charming Dong Minority village in the southern part of Guizhou Province. The drive takes about five hours through fantastic scenery, and after arriving in the afternoon and having checked in at your charming wooden village hotel you can explore wonderful Zhaoxing. |
| Attractions | Guizhou's stunning countryside, Zhaoxing Dong Village |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Zhaoxing |
| Activities | Zhaoxing is a gem of a village, boasting five of the famous Dong-style drum towers and many little pavilions and narrow walkways. The whole day is free to explore the village and its surroundings, or, if you feel like it, your guide can lead you on a hike to nearby Tang'an Village, another Dong village that lies on the mountain top above Zhaoxing. |
| Attractions | Zhaoxing Dong Village |
| Meals | Breakfast |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Zhaoxing - Tongdao |
| Activities | Not many tourists come to Zhaoxing, but when leaving Zhaoxing and heading for Hunan Province you will also enter a part of China that almost never sees any foreign tourists. This area is known as the birthplace of the Dong, and as you drive the six hours to reach Tongdao you will see little villages and the Dong way of life all around you. On the way you stop at a farmers restaurant to taste the indredibly good dishes here, and also take a stroll at a small White Cloud Temple, before reaching Tongdao in the afternoon, and then check in at your hotel in the middle of town, not far from the interesting night market. |
| Attractions | Guizhou and Hunan's stunning countryside |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Tongdao |
| Activities | Tongdao's surrounds are the original home of the Dong. You begin the day by driving the short distance to Huangdu, knowns as the capital of the Dong, a very charming village nestled at the bend of a river. You walk through the village and enjoy seeing the locals going about their daily lives. Then it is on to a true gem, Yutou Village, an incredibly charming place hidden away in the mountains near the road. Yutou is still very traditional, and you will likely meet the village elders sitting in one of the drum towers passing time while the younger people tend the fields. Lunch today is traditional Dong food, one of the best ways to dine in China. In the afternoon you return to your hotel and rest. |
| Attractions | Hunan's stunning countryside, Huangdu Dong Village, Yutou Dong Village |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Tongdao - Ping'an |
| Activities | Before leaving Tongdao behind and heading for the rice terraces of Ping'an in Guangxi Province you first go to Ten Thousand Buddha Mountain, an area where it is said that the Dong were born millenia ago. Hundreds upon hundreds of hills dot the landscape and the view from the top of the mountain, reached by hiking up, is fantastic. After lunch the drive to Ping'an takes about three hours, and at Ping'an you also need to hike up to the village from the parking lot. Porters will carry your luggage. Once arrived and checked in you can enjoy the sight of the rice terraces at dusk. |
| Attractions | ten Thousand Buddha Mountain, Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | Non-graded Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Ping'an |
| Activities | Today the whole day is free to explore on your own. There are several different hikes that will take you to various viewpoints from where you can see the incredible view of the thousands of rice terraces, the closest one just 20 minutes from the hotel. You can also just relax in the village and enjoy a quiet day with coffee and the view. |
| Attractions | Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces |
| Meals | Breakfast |
| Accommodation | Non-graded Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Ping'an - Dahebei |
| Activities | After breakfast you leave Ping'an and walk down the mountain to the parking lot where you transportation is waiting to bring you to the lowland near Guilin. The scenery around Guilin is famed for the green limestone hills popping out of the rice fields everywhere. Your destination today is the tiny village of Dahebei south of Guilin, a tranquil place by the Li River. Your transportation will bring you to nearby Xingping, and from here you cross the river in a small river boat to reach your hotel in Dahebei Village. After check in you can explore the village on your own or with the assitance of your guide. |
| Attractions | Guangxi's stunning scenery, Li River, Dahebei Village |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | Non-graded Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Dahebei |
| Activities | You have a relaxing day ahead of you. The morning offers a bamboo raft ride on the Li River to see famous Nine Horses Hill not far downstream, and you also take in the fishing village of Yucun, before heading back to Dahebei after lunch. The rest of the day is free to relax in the village, or maybe take a river boat across to Xingping to take a stroll along the village's Old Street, lined with centuries old houses. |
| Attractions | Li River, Nine Horses Hill, Yucun Village, Xingping Old Street |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | Non-graded Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Dahebei - Chongqing |
| Activities | Nearby Yangshuo is known for West Street, a busting collection of shops, cafes and restaurants near the Li River. Leaving Dahebei you go to Yangshuo to have some free time on West Street, before you head for Guilin Airport in the afternoon to catch your flight back to Chongqing. Once arrived your guide brings you to your hotel for check in and rest. |
| Attractions | Yangshuo's West Street |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Chongqing |
| Activities | For centuries pilgrims traveled along the Silk Road and into China. Many of these brough the word of Buddhism with them, and in the town of Dazu, two hours' drive from Chongqing, lies the incredible Dazu Buddhist Caves, a collection of more than 50.000 religious carvings of Buddhist images that took hundeds of years to complete. On today's excursion you go to Dazu to experience first hand the jaw-dropping work that are the caves. In the afternoon you return to Chongqing, and have the rest of the day free to explore on your own. |
| Attractions | Dazu Buddhist Caves |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Chongqing - home |
| Activities | A wonderful journey through some of the most remote places of China is coming to an end. After breakfast you leave the hotel in time to take your return flight back home. |
| Attractions | None |
| Meals | Breakfast |
| Accommodation | Not incl. |
| Price information | |
| 2-3 person group: $3250/person
4-6 person group: $2845/person Luxury upgrade: not available
|
|
| Price including |
| Domestic flights as in itinerary
Train travel as in itinerary Private English-speaking guide Private ground transportation as per itinerary Accommodation as listed Entrances as listed Meals as listed Chinese travel accident insurance Guaranteed no shopping stops |
| Price not including |
| Flights to/from China
Personal expenses Tips for guides and drivers Anything not listed in itinerary |
| Important tour information |
Luxury Upgrade Policy: A luxury upgrade option is available with many of our tours. In accordance with our quality benchmark, upgrade options are divided into four categories: 1. Available - upgrade possible at all destinations in tour itinerary. 2. Partially available - upgrade not possible at one or more destnations in tour itinerary. 3. Not recommended - available or partially available, but not recommended (see Hotel Policy). 4. Not available - luxury upgrades are not possible on many of our trademark specialty tours to remote or developing regions. These tours are deeply genuine and authentic.
Keeping our guests' comfort in mind, we prefer to stay in a 2* or 3* hotel in or close to the attraction, rather than a 4* or 5* hotel much further away. Genuine China Tours' all-encompassing hotel policy is that we will never pick a hotel only because of its price. All our partner hotels must live up to a strict quality test that includes: 1. Geographical location - the location of our chosen hotel is of great importantce, both in large cities, where traffic congestion can play a vital role in the handling of the tour, and also on tours to remote villages, where the right choice of village or hotel can mean a world of difference to the tour. 2. Quality of hotel - including room size and cleanliness, quality of breakfast, ease of getting in/out and more. 3. Local environment - local environment should include local sights (when possible), be in the vicinity of local markets/night markets (if any) and have access to shops and convenience stores (if any). 4. Design and layout of hotel - we prefer hotels with history and atmosphere, especially if these have relevance with the sight(s) at the destination. 5. Value for money - any hotel must pass requirements 1-3 and 5. If a hotel passes all five requirements it becomes a Priority Hotel.
Also important: 1. Please perform a thorough health check before traveling. If your health is not good enough please refrain from traveling. Most major tourist destinations in China have good health care services, but on tours to remote or high altitude destinations you should make sure your health allows you to travel to these destinations. Genuine China Tours will bear no responsibility in case of any accident, relapse or discomfort. 2. Disabled persons should be accompanied by by their own aid instruments or an accompanying person. Genuine China Tours can not provide aid instruments. 3. While traveling please adhere to instructions from your guide and stay clear of any dangers and/or annoyances. 4. Genuine China Tours reserves the right to refuse participation on a tour if the traveler is deemed unfit to participate or will be a nuisance to other travelers. 5. On tours to remote areas or high altitude areas accommodation and restaurants may not be up to standart. You should be prepared for this if choosing a tour to these areas. 6. Please make sure to bring items that may be necessary, like windproof jacket, umbrella, sun screen (sun lotion), health related articles, items of personal nature etc. 7. On speciality tours to remote regions, Tibetan areas and mountainous regions Genuine China Tours will bear no responsibility if tour itinerary is changed due to government policies, weather or any other influencing factors outside GCTs control. |
| Genuine China Tours is an officially registered travel agency operating under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Guests are required to follow rules and regulations set forth by existing laws of the country, including behavior respectful of local customs and manners. Tour designs and quotations may not be used in connection with other travel agencies. Genuine China Tours cannot be held responsible for any inconvenience caused by weather, traffic, government policies or other situations outside GCTs control. |