For some trips, it is possible to purchase an excursion package in advance of travel. This allows you to be assured of your participation in the main excursions. If the minimum number of participants in a tour package is not met, you will receive a refund and then you can easily purchase these excursions ‘on the spot’. If this trip offers an excursion package, you can see below which excursions are included in the package. If no package for your trip is displayed below then you have the option of booking the separate excursions on the spot.
Individual excursions
During your trip it is possible to participate in several individual excursions. These will be offered to you by the tour leader and you will book them through him/her. These excursions are optional and you will need to pay for them out of your pocket money. The cost of these trips is taken into account when we give our opinion about the amount of pocket money that should be taken with you.
Prices
To give you an idea of the cost of individual excursions we mention here some reference amounts based on the price level of November 2011. These amounts are subject to change and are only meant to give you an indication. Because the entrance fees often change, they are not included in the tour price (unless explicitly stated).
The price of the tour package is based on the participation of a minimum of 6 participants. Entrance fees are exclusive (unless explicitly stated). In this trip excursion package tours include the following:
Beijing - Acrobat show (tickets & transfers)
You'll visit the small Tiandi theater, where you can still experience the art of acrobatics. You sit close to the stage and may very well see, feel, and hear the extreme effort that goes into the performance. The show lasts about 1.5 hours.
Beijing - Great Wall at Mutianyu and Summer Palace (1 day)
To avoid the masses we leave early in the morning by bus to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. At the end of the morning we drive in about two hours to the Summer Palace where you can admire the "Marble Boat", or just wander around the beautiful gardens.
Includes transportation by private bus and lunch, excluding entrance fees (about 70 yuan, price subject to change).
Pingyao - Tour Wang Jia Dayuan & Shuanglin Temple (transfers only)
We set off by bus to the old aristocratic house of the Wang family. The complex covers an area of 250,000 sqm! Then we visit the Shuanglin Temple with more than 2,000 ancient sculptures, mostly from the time of the Ming dynasty.
Entrance fees (around 91 yuan, price subject to change) are not included. This excursion takes about 6 hours.
Xi'an - Tour of Terracotta Warriors, Giant wild goose Pagoda and medicine market (transfers only)
You are brought in the morning to visit the spice and medicine markets. Then you drive over one hour to the famous Terracotta Army, where you will stand face to face with the army of Emperor Qin. On the way back you drive via the Giant wild goose Pagoda back to the hotel.
Entrance fees (about 200 yuan, price subject to change) are not included. This excursion takes about 6 hours.
Yangshuo - Cruise on the Li River (including transfers, dinner and traditional fishing)
At the end of the afternoon you go with a local boat on the Li River for a boat trip through the stunning karst scenery. Just before the darkness falls you go to dinner in Xingpin and then return to the river to see the traditional cormorant fishing up close. The tour lasts approximately 5 hours.
Below is a list of locally offered excursions. The prices are based on the participation of a minimum of 6 participants, and based on a price in Chinese yuan (due to exchange rates the price can sometimes change). Entrance fees are exclusive (unless explicitly stated).
€ 18
Beijing - Acrobat show (tickets & transfers)
You'll visit the small Tiandi theater, where you can still experience the art of acrobatics. You sit close to the stage and may very well see, feel, and hear the extreme effort that goes into the performance. The show lasts about 1.5 hours.
€ 18
Beijing - Beijing Opera (only mid-class tickets)
Near our hotel in the old, cozy theater of Huguang Huiguan the traditional Beijing opera is performed. The show lasts approximately one hour and combines music, dance, acrobatics, breathtaking makeup and spectacular costumes. There are stories portrayed in Chinese history and folklore.
€ 24
Beijing - Bicycle Tour by Night
During this excursion you get a very different picture of the bustling city of Beijing. On your bike you ride for four to five hours through the city that is much cooler and quieter than during the day. You ride along the wall of the Forbidden City, now so peaceful. We also pass Tiananmen Square, where all of the buildings are beautifully lit. You witness the local "night life" and sample the local snacks from the street kiosks. If possible, we stop to visit a "sky bar" where you can enjoy a magnificent view over the city (or even buy a drink; this is exclusive).
€ 30
Beijing - Great Wall at Mutianyu and Summer Palace (1 day)
To avoid the masses we leave early in the morning by bus to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. At the end of the morning we drive in about two hours to the Summer Palace where you can admire the "Marble Boat", or just wander around the beautiful gardens.
Includes transportation by private bus and lunch, excluding entrance fees (about 70 yuan, price subject to change).
€ 22
Beijing - Hutong excursion by bike, lunch & visit Bell Tower (half day)
The word "hutong" comes from "hottog" which means something like 'source'. Villagers dug a well and then settled around it. Today we see one of several complexes of ancient hutong houses. This trip takes you to the old part of Beijing, northwest of the Forbidden City. You make a tour (approximately 3 hours) where you'll see many old houses, alleyways, a courtyard and a local market. You experience the life of the residents, participate in a local lunch and close the half day trip with a visit to the Bell Tower.
Includes: bike rental, lunch, local guide in the hutong and entrance fee to the Bell Tower.
€ 20
Beijing - Kung Fu show (including transfers and entrance)
During this spectacular show you will learn the way that a young monk lives until he becomes worthy of the title of Kung Fu master.
€ 17
Beijing - Peking Duck Dinner
Enjoy the local speciality: a dish of roast duck, traditionally served with pancakes, vegetables and a strong sauce. Peking Duck has been a part of Beijings' history for more than 600 years and the taste is really delicious!
€ 14
Pingyao - Tour Wang Jia Dayuan & Shuanglin Temple (transfers only)
We set off by bus to the old aristocratic house of the Wang family. The complex covers an area of 250,000 sqm! Then we visit the Shuanglin Temple with more than 2,000 ancient sculptures, mostly from the time of the Ming dynasty.
Entrance fees (around 91 yuan, price subject to change) are not included. This excursion takes about 6 hours.
€ 15
Xi'an - Tang Dynasty Show (tickets only)
A spectacular show of an hour with traditional dance, music and singing. Transfers are not included.
€ 18
Xi'an - Tour of Terracotta Warriors, Giant wild goose Pagoda and medicine market (transfers only)
You are brought in the morning to visit the spice and medicine markets. Then you drive over one hour to the famous Terracotta Army, where you will stand face to face with the army of Emperor Qin. On the way back you drive via the Giant wild goose Pagoda back to the hotel.
Entrance fees (about 200 yuan, price subject to change) are not included. This excursion takes about 6 hours.
€ 13
Xi'an - Traditional dumpling meal at Defachang restaurant
Enjoy a local speciality: a filled pastry dish that can be made in many different variations in form and flavour. Transfers are not included.
€ 21
Yangshuo - Boat tour of karst landscape and cycling in countryside
You go by bike to the Moon Mountain and then take a bamboo raft for a trip along the Yulong river. The tour lasts approximately 6 hours. This tour includes lunch, bike rental, raft tickets, entrance to Moon mountain.
€ 25
Yangshuo - Cruise on the Li River (including transfers, dinner and traditional fishing)
At the end of the afternoon you go with a local boat on the Li River for a boat trip through the stunning karst scenery. Just before the darkness falls you go to dinner in Xingpin and then return to the river to see the traditional cormorant fishing up close. The tour lasts approximately 5 hours.
€ 22
Yangshuo - Longsheng Rice Terraces (transfers only)
In Ping'an, the famous rice terraces of Longji (also called Longsheng) are situated. The rice terraces are sometimes very steep and stretch out over an entire mountain ridge. There is a nice (sometimes steep) paved footpath with two viewpoints. Ping'an is the area of Yao minority, known for its beautiful women with very long hair, draped around the head with a sort of knot in front. They wear black skirts and bright pink embroidered jackets.
Entrance fees (about 80 yuan, price subject to change) are not included. The excursion takes about 8 hours (depending on traffic).
€ 24
Yangshuo - Sound and light show
This spectacular show takes approximately one hour and uses the karst mountains as a backdrop. It is directed by Zhang Yimou, who along with various films, directed the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic games. This tour includes transfer and ticket for the show "Impression Liu Sanjie''.