- China Escorted Tours
- In Pursuit of Pandas with Hong Kong City Stay
Once teetering on the brink of extinction in the 1980s due to widespread habitat loss, China's beloved giant panda has made a remarkable comeback due to sustained efforts to save this lovable creature. On this unforgettable tour you'll witness the inspiring story of their survival and the ongoing work to protect these gentle icons of wildlife preservation. Then, step back in time as you explore the imperial grandeur of Beijing’s Forbidden City, walk along the ancient stones of the Great Wall, and marvel at the awe-inspiring Terracotta Army in Xi’an.
Towering skyscrapers form the backdrop to Hong Kong's busy harbour whilst the street markets that fill the teeming alleys remain untouched by western influences. Explore Hong Kong and Kowloon at your own pace during this extension.
Depart on your scheduled, overnight flight to Chengdu.
On arrival in Chengdu, you will be met by a local guide and transferred to your hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with Chengdu's giant pandas on one of the highlights of this tour Panda valley also know as Chengdu’s Field Research Centre for Giant Pandas, where conservation efforts focus on preparing pandas for a more natural living environment. The valley replicates a natural habitat, helping these remarkable animals develop essential survival skills. In addition to its ecological enclosures for giant pandas, the centre also features free-range areas for the charming red pandas. Next, take in centuries-old pagodas and buildings on a visit to picturesque Jiezi Ancient Town. Return to Chengdu for a flavourful Sichuan dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Your second memorable panda experience takes you to the Panda Conservation Centre, where you'll be rewarded with a close-up viewing of baby and adult pandas lounging in enclosures built to imitate their natural habitat. Enjoy a morning to observe them at play before continuing on to the Shu Brocade Museum where you can marvel at this intricate method of embroidery. See parents playing Cupid at Matchmaker's Corner in the People's Park then sample fragrant, local teas at a traditional tea house before returning to your hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Experience China's high-speed rail network as a bullet train carries you to Xi'an. After check-in and lunch at your hotel, delve into the sights of Xi'an as you stroll along the ancient city walls, built as fortifications in the 14th century. This evening, enjoy a taste of tradition as you feast on traditional Shui jiao dumplings and watch a riveting Tang Dynasty dance performance.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, uncover the extraordinary craftsmanship of the Terracotta Warriors, an 8,000-strong army created so that no two warriors look alike. Explore these cavernous underground vaults then witness how replicas of these figures are skilfully crafted at the Art Ceramics and Lacquer Exhibition Centre. This afternoon, transfer to the station for your train to Beijing, with the remainder of the day to relax after checking into your hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Marvel at one of mankind's greatest feats as you stroll the UNESCO World Heritage Site the Great Wall of China, taking in a mere portion of this formidable structure which took over 1,800 years to construct. Access the wall at the Juyongguan Pass, which also boasts beautiful waterside temples and towers. After lunch, explore the intricate pieces on display at the Jade Museum then take in the ancient royal residence of the Summer Palace. This evening, an entertaining Chinese acrobatic show rounds off the day.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Discover Beijing's long, imperial history on today's full day city tour. Explore Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public square, under the watchful eye of Chairman Mao's large, central portrait. From here, enter the vast Forbidden Palace and wander its 9,999 rooms and chambers before travelling onward to the tranquil UNESCO listed Temple of Heaven. Later this evening, dine on fragrant Peking duck and enjoy an outdoor dance performance.
Breakfast
Depart Beijing in the morning and fly to Hong Kong (via Shanghai). On arrival, you will take the shuttle to the hotel.
Breakfast
Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a day at your leisure.
Breakfast
Enjoy a day at leisure to experience Hong Kong at your own pace.
Breakfast
You will be picked up at your hotel in the morning for your return flight to the UK.
Use discount code TOUR200 at the checkout to save £200 per person on selected tours departing in September 2026, October 2026, November 2026 and December 2026
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Fabulous holiday from start to finish! Flights were very good and the guide Emma in Chengdu was so helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. Anna, the guide in Xian also very knowledgeable and friendly. Hotels, meals all excellent, and the excursions were fantastic, along with plenty of time allowed in all locations. A small group of nine was a bonus as we ended up good friends. Couldn't find a fault with anything! Thank you.
P Mace
05 DecemberFantastic tour, a real value for money. The national and local guides are a real find. Excellent commentary on their respective subjects.
Howard Surman
01 FebruaryLoved the trip, and our two guides in China were excellent. Particularly liked our guide taking us to the People's Park in Chengdu. Full of locals doing what they do in their time off - very interesting and good to see life as it is.
Amanda Cunningham
16 DecemberAn amazing trip, couldn't fault it - awesome sites to see. Great guides. All the hotels used were excellent.
Diane Wood
26 OctoberThe order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-today itinerary as printed; however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions
Please note lighters and aerosol cans are not allowed planes, trains or sights of special interest, such as Tiananmen square, Forbidden city, The Temple of Heaven, Terracotta Warriors, Three Gorges Dam, and the Wild Goose Pagoda.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
For all tours departing in 2026, no visa is required for British Passport Holders.
If you are departing in 2027 or later, you will require a visa to visit mainland China. We recommend you organise this 2 months before travel. If you’re 14 to 70 years old, you must apply for a visa in person at a visa application centre. If you’re aged 13 and under or aged 71 and over, you can only apply online.
You must provide biometric data (scanned fingerprints) for your application. There are visa application centres in London, Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh. The details of their opening hours are on their websites. The Chinese Embassy has further information on visa categories and how to apply. The application process takes approximately 4 – 10 working days and the cost depends on the visa and class you choose.
You will require extra documentation for your application that you can request from us from 2 months before departure. They may ask for the Agency Licence Number which is China International Travel Service Ltd: 911100001013930695. We work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. When calling the Travel Visa Company they will advise you of any changes to the fees or the procedure, they will also advise you of all the information they will require to apply for the visa.
We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding these.
You will need to fill in an arrival card online before travel for all travel dates. This can be done on the NIA’s official website https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/. To complete the form you will need to have your passport number and visa number. Once the form is complete you will either need to print out the QR code or have the QR code available on your phone.
Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you.
If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0333 188 0407, quoting HX313.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
This tour is accessible to most people with a good level of fitness and able mobility. It involves climbing steep stairs and getting on and off coaches and boats. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
The currency in China is the Renminbi, known as RMB or CNY. It is often referred to as the yuan. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. US Dollars are widely accepted in China should you want alternative currency.
The currency in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Dollar. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK, however ATM's are available throughout Hong Kong.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £300 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.
Tipping
It is customary to tip your national guide, local guide and driver approximately 40CNY per person per day. Your national guide will collect this for your convenience on the first day of your tour, approximately CNY320 per person for the total duration. Tips are collected in Chinese Yuan.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10 and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.
Your add-on to Hong Kong is not escorted. Your time in Hong Kong will be at your leisure. Transfers are included.
Please note the Bullet Train has restricted carry-ons: Aerosol spray cans containing hairspray, hair gel, styling mousse, insecticide and air freshener must be under 100 ml (3.5 fl oz).
Power banks without a 3C certification mark, spray cans of any form and lighters are not allowed on trains or planes.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and China. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours. Unlike the western world, Chinese people do not normally pre-heat their plates and food can be presented at a variety of temperatures, which is a typical Chinese way of doing things.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Bottled water will be available at shops and hotels.
If you are travelling within the below Chinese Public Holidays, please note that celebrations last for several days and during these times some businesses will be closed and coach, air and train travel may be affected. Tourist attractions will be open but may be crowded. Chinese New Year is sometime between January & February. Golden Week public holidays fall annually between 1st – 4th of May and 1st – 7th of October.
On your arrival in Shanghai you will be met by a representative from our local agent, China Travel Service, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/local representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries. China Travel Service: Address: 15F CTS (HK) Grand Metropark Hotel Beijing, No.338 Guang’an Men Nei Streeet, Xicheng District Beijing, China Office Telephone Number: 0086 10 85908336 / 0086 10 85908341
Hong Kong City Stay:
For your arrival transfer, after clearing customs and collecting your bags, please proceed to the arrival hall, you will see the transfer driver holding a sign "Mercury Holidays".
In case you are unable to see the sign please call or Whatsapp the driver for assistance - +852 9179 8676
Hong Kong City Stay:
For your departure transfer from the hotel to the Airport you need to be waiting in the hotel lobby at your designated pick up time as informed.
Please find below the emergency contact details for China Travel Service:
During Office Hours: 0086 10 85228340 / 0086 10 85228722
After Office Hours: Ms. Linda Liu (Mobile): 0086 13911043036
Ms. Starling Wang (Mobile): 0086 13810153047
Ms. Faith Guo (Mobile): 0086 13716796859
Hong Kong City Stay: Please find below the emergency contact details for HK Target Travel: Mon-Fri: 09.00 - 17.30, Sat: 09.00 - 13.00 Closed Sunday and Hong Kong public holidays Office: 00852 2312 1812 Emergency: 00852 9432 5300
Email: queenie.c@targethkg.com
For arrival - Driver contact details Scott : +852 9179 8676
