China Tours

Essential China

The Great Wall, sprawling for more than 3,600 miles is magnificent in both scale and detail. The Terracotta Warriors, an army sculpted for the emperor, guarding the underworld in perfect unison. The sublime limestone karst landscapes of Guilin, the giant pandas of Chengdu, Beijing's Forbidden City and the Summer Palace are all astonishing World Heritage Sites that should be part of every journey to China. Explore the breadth of their wonder, taking in cultural legacy and architectural enormity, but we will also reveal the dynamic cultural aspects of China found in alleys, markets, galleries and tea shops.

All our China tours are fully tailored to your interests and specifications.

Culinary China

Join Los Angeles impresario Neal Fraser for this once-in-a-lifetime journey across Indochina’s culinary capitals. Explore China's culinary capitals Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong from exotic street eats to world-class venues, visiting markets, and enjoying cooking classes and time with premier chefs, including Paul Pairet of Ultraviolet. Take a sushi class with a Michelin-starred chef in Tokyo, explore the heart of kaiseki in Kyoto, master soup dumplings in Shanghai and perfect dim sum in Hong Kong. Cook in Bangkok’s most iconic kitchen, meet the chefs behind renowned restaurants, and wander into legendary street food haunts. Building on two decades of culinary tours in Indochina, the Iron Chef experience honors the people and places behind the cuisine, showcasing how the region’s best food is the ultimate expression of both a time and a place.

If you can't make this trip, design your own culinary journey with us, inclusing other wonderful destinations in Asia, such as Vietnam.

Iconic China: The Five Destinations of Contrast

In a country of contrasts there are five destinations that most symbolize the diversity of destination and experience. This two-week tour connects them, immersing you in what feels like five different countries. Start in Hong Kong, exploring the vibrancy beneath the skyscrapers and neon. Visit the pandas in Chengdu and acquaint yourself with rural customs. Explore the roof of the world and spend a few days in the heart of Tibet, on the Himalayan plateau. Then descend to the best historic capital, Xi'an, home of the Terracotta Warriors, before finishing this luxury China tour in modern capital Beijing. Along the way, you'll discover an astonishing number of natural and cultural highlights.

These five destinations provide a sweeping overview of China, yet still allow you to fully admire the intricate details. We do have other suggestions, dependent on your interests. Perhaps Shanghai? Yunnan? Guilin? Maybe a few handpicked destinations for couples or families? All our China tours are fully tailored to your interests and there are many iconic destinations we can choose from.

China Family Luxury Tour

So much in China is unique. On this tour you take giant footsteps across the Great Wall, before taking a toboggan back down. You learn Kung Fu with a Shaolin Temple master and discover the serenity of the ancient craft. Hug a baby panda in Chengdu, play ping pong in Zhengzhou, try tai chi beneath the Temple of Heaven, drift down a remote river in a bamboo raft, and cycle through the rice paddies of Guilin. Packed full of inventive activities, this 12-day family tour offers a personalized slant on the wonders of the country. It's not just about the destinations, but what you do when you get there.

Family travel requires careful planning and an intimate attention to detail. All our China tours are fully tailored to your interests and specifications.

The Many Splendors of Yunnan

Yunnan doesn't feel like the rest of the China. This is the corner of the minority tribes, the home of 8th-century villages, a province where landscapes have been unchanged for thousands of years. Explore mystical old towns like Lijiang, cruise along the bends of the Yangtze River, immerse yourself in remote villages, and discover the solitude of old Tibetan temples. Spending a week in Yunnan, this handcrafted tour perfectly complements China's most traditional destinations, particularly major cities like Shanghai. It's a journey that takes you through the Himalayas, past lush swathes of rice paddies, to a tradition that most of the world doesn't know about.

On this tour you enjoy a Naxi music ensemble performance and a hike along Tiger Leaping Gorge. But this may not be to your interest. There's much more you can do as all our China tours are fully tailored to your ideas and specifications. Contact us to receive a full and personalised itinerary.

Old and New Capitals: Beijing and Shanghai

Beijing may be the new capital but it's been around for over 3000 years. Xi'an may be the most famous old capital yet it's been revitalized by contemporary luxuries. These two cities were the headquarters for 19 ancient dynasties, the major bastions of power for the world's oldest continuous civilization. This nine-day tour explores both in intricate detail. Enjoy exclusive behind-closed-doors access to the Terracotta Warriors and Great Wall. Connect the dynasties at majestic temples and palaces. Watch the flag being raised in Tiananmen Square, discover rare Islamic structures, bike along the world's longest city walls, and take a master class in tea.

Both cities are home to unmissable sights. They're also both a haven for the unusual and unique. You could spend a year exploring and not see it all; our customizable tours use expert guides that unravel the side to Beijing and Xi'an you most want to see. All our China tours are fully tailored to your interests and specifications.

Roof of the World: An Intimate Journey Into Tibet

Tibet dazzles, an isolated world where monks wander barefoot and Himalayan peaks stand above ancient monasteries. It's one of the world's great bucket-list destinations, such intimacy and originality found at every turn. This exclusive six-day tour connects the major highlights, introducing the roof of the world, visiting the notable sights of Lhasa and Tsedang. Stroll through Potala Palace, find solitude at Trandruk Monastery, and be inspired by the peaceful equanimity of the people. You're always immersed, enveloped by the lifestyle and traditions of a land that still clings to its ancient ways. Don't come to point and shoot the camera. Come on this luxury Tibet tour to discover a land's raw authenticity.

Travel restrictions do have an impact on the private Tibet tours we can offer. However, these tours can still be customized to your requests and wishes.

Extravagance of the East: Shanghai and Hong Kong

Capitalist design is tempered by Oriental order and harmony in Hong Kong, a land of old meeting new, a magical archipelago trapped between the past and the future. You'll go on a treasure hunt through the backstreets, explore food and feng shui, and find a serenity beneath the skyscrapers. Shanghai excites the imagination, a city of colliding centuries unlike no other on the planet. There are so many angles here; contemporary art, tea shops down old-world alleyways, a maze of canals predating Venice, the view from the 132nd floor. While both cities are wonderfully distinctive, there's a trademark exoticism and extravagance to them both, something that keeps them high on so many travel bucket lists.

This trademark tour combines three nights in Hong Kong with three nights in Shanghai. All our tours are customized and you may choose to only explore one of these cities, a quick three-day layover on a longer trip to Indochina. From hotels to activities, the journey is tailored to you.

Landscapes and Outdoor Adventure of Southern China

Culture and history often takes centerstage on China luxury travel. Which helps keeps the natural world a well-kept secret. In Guilin, a landscape of limestone karst and rice paddies creates new definitions of green. Mist swirls around the rugged peaks of the Yellow Mountains. Deep in Yunnan, Tiger Leaping Gorge and the postcard-perfect town of Lijiang are found amongst Himalayan folds. These are just some of the landscapes explored on this luxury China tour. You'll cycle into rural China, walk across ancient hills, and spend three days cruising down the mighty Yangtze, a tranquil interlude to the outdoor adventures.

In the south of China you'll find some of the world's most inspiring natural landscapes, World Heritages Sites that offer various means of exploration. But you might also seek to explore the north, or travel onwards to the Tibetan Plateau. All our China tours are fully tailored to your interests and specifications.

Authentic China

China has an astonishing 50 World Heritage Sites. Yet it's not just a destination of the past. What's happening in China today is just as compelling, with visitors exploring a fascinating era of unprecedented sweeping change.

A trip to China can begin with exploring the massive capital city, Beijing, one of the eight wonders of the world, where the historic gems include the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace. In Shanghai, visit the historical sites that should not be missed (Jing'an Temple, Jade Buddha Temple, and Yuyuan Garden), modern icons (Jinamo Tower, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Center), and elegant water towns (Zhujiajiao).

Yet the great experiential experience comes from what's found between the lines. Ebullient markets, dynasty remains, emperors' excesses, barefooted monks wandering through temples. Nothing is clear cut and it's the contrasts that make China so special. With expert guides, you'll find the places that question the preconceptions of China.

At the same time, experiencing China is also about the people you meet. From artists to architects, dancers to designers, we connect you with some of the country's most intriguing locals. On our escorted China tours you'll share tea with new friends, try street food with thought-provoking strangers, and gain an alternative insight into the country.

Luxury China Tour

China has pushed the global boundaries of luxury travel in recent years. Many of the world's finest luxury hotels have opened their doors, including prestigious properties such as the Aman Summer Palace and the Waldorf Astoria Beijing with its very own hutong villa.

As China continues its rise towards having the largest luxury market in the world, the results from the country's insatiable demand for all things bespoke are everywhere. Michelin-star dining in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing; a flourishing arts scene; world-class designers; high-end shopping districts bringing opulent products from around the globe.

The little details are planned into all our luxury China vacations, from the world's finest Peking Duck to exotic streets in the east, and private shopping arrangements with China's couture star designers and top tier artists. Personal encounters with the famously gregarious and welcoming Chinese are always facilitated, providing deeper insight into the country.

We've been pioneering luxury China travel for over two decades, immersing travelers in its authenticity and intimacy. Luxury China is about the fine hotels and contemporary opulence. It's all about the opportunities to go off the beaten track, meeting and sharing with the people that have made the country what it is.

View our China in luxury trip itinerary

Something Different

• Shanghai is the city of the future and we can arrange introductions with contemporary artists and new generation entrepreneurs.
• No visit to Beijing is complete without a glimpse of old city life; walking along the hutong (historic alleys), sampling famed Peking Duck and taking in the colorful opera.
• The old town of Lijiang remains a labyrinth of wooden houses (their upturned pagoda roofs hung with scarlet lanterns) and cobbled streets, laced by a network of tiny streams and canals.
• If you're coming with children, stop to visit the country's famous giant pandas in Chengdu. They're in a semi-wild setting and there are more pandas to see than in the zoos.
• In the far northwest of the country, Kashgar is one of the world's great trading posts, where the currency is still measured in sheep and donkeys.
• vNew five-star hotels allow deluxe China tours to go off the beaten track, taking in destinations that are yet to get crowded: bamboo forests in Anji country, The Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces, the seven ancient capitals of China.
• Learn the origins of kung fu by stopping in Songshan, a place of historic schools, temples, and forests of pagodas from a movie set.
• Cycle across the City Walls of Xi'an, one of our favorite experiences from luxury China travel.
• Szechuan opera is a kind of burlesque cabaret, with dancing, shadow puppets, Chinese comedy, colorful costumes and the bizarre magic art of face changing.

Luxury Family China Tours

China delights in the unique. Pandas munching on bamboo, barely five meters away. The baffling statuesque figures of the Terracotta Warriors, each with a distinctive facial expression. Avenues dotted with stars in Hong Kong. It's a country where every moment feels different, whether riding an elevator to the 130th floor or walking in alleyways lit by lanterns. It's hard to think of more fascinating country for children to experience.

China family vacations can come with their challenges. Cultural overload and extreme exoticness make China a relatively adventurous choice, yet one that always rewards.

There isn't a standardized family China tour. With such diversity of experiences and destinations, this is the country for tailoring the itinerary to specific interests. More importantly, we believe that a memorable family China vacations comes from providing a certain familiarity. Local contacts provide your family with 24-hour in-country support, guides and hotels are chosen from 20 years of experience, while unique activities help your children feel comfortable exploring.

The Grand Tour

Embark on the ultimate personalized, private adventure through Asia, divided among five of the region’s most unique and captivating destinations.

Design your own Grand Tour itinerary, with our recommendations, choosing where to go and how long you'll explore each location. Explore Tokyo, Asia's busiest capital, sublime Kyoto, historic Beijing, bustling Shanghai, cosmopolitan Hong Hong, and the magnificent highlights of Thailand. Discover the landscapes, cuisine, and distinct cultures at the heart of each country.