Stage 17: Shanghai to Xian

19 October to 1 November 2008

En route for the Terracotta Army

After a Shanghai special, the journey leads us through the green and perfumed "rice bowl of China" via Thousand Island Lake and the crane reserve at Lake Poyang. The conclusion and the climax of this stage is the old imperial city of Xian, the starting point for the old Silk Road, and the legendary Terracotta Army - one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century.

Minimum number of participants

8 people

Price of journey per person excluding flight(s):

3,999 EUR


A summary of the stage

The Shanghai-Xian stage

Day 1

Individual arrival of participants in Shanghai, organizational matters/vehicle instruction, free afternoon, optional boat trip on the Huangpu*, dinner together and overnight in hotel in Shanghai

Day 2

Sightseeing in Shanghai, dinner together and overnight in hotel in Shanghai

Day 3

Stage for the day: Shanghai – Jiande (320 km), travel beside Thousand Island Lake (known as Qingxi Lake), dinner together, and overnight in hotel in Jiande

Day 4

Stage for the day: Jiande – Duchang (320 km), travel to Lake Poyang (largest freshwater reservoir in China which has rare white cranes), dinner together and overnight in hotel in Duchang

Day 5

Stage for the day: Duchang – Yueyang (420 km), travel along China's second-largest lake, Dongting, cross what is known as "China's rice bowl" (the most fertile soil in the country), dinner together and overnight in hotel in Yueyang

Day 6

Stage for the day: Yueyang – Yichang (290 km), visit the Three Gorges Dam, dinner together and overnight in hotel in Yichang

Day 7

Stage for the day: Yichang – Fengjie (230 km), travel along the Yangtze gorges, dinner together and overnight in hotel in Fengjie

Day 8

Stage for the day: Fengjie – Zhongxian (280 km), travel along the Yangtze, visit the bright red orchid hall of the Stone Treasure Fortress in Shibaozhai, dinner together and overnight in hotel in Zhongxian

Day 9

Stage for the day: Zhongxian – Nanchong (300 km), visit a traditional tea ceremony, dinner together and overnight in hotel in Nanchong

Day 10

Stage for the day: Nanchong – Chengdu (310 km), visit the Giant Panda reserve near Chengdu, dinner together and overnight in hotel in Chengdu

Day 11

Stage for the day: Chengdu – Hanzhong (430 km), long day's drive through Sichuan province into Shaanxi province, dinner together and overnight in hotel in Hanzhong

Day 12

Stage for the day: Hanzhong – Xian (340 km), visit to a typical* Chinese opera or dance display, overnight in hotel in Xian

Day 13

Sightseeing in Xian and surroundings, including the Terracotta Army, dinner together and overnight in hotel in Xian

Day 14

Individual departure from Xian

Impressions of the stage: