In Pursuit of Pandas - Private Tour

The 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

• Insect repellent and sun cream
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Waterproof, lightweight jacket
• Binoculars
• Camera and charger
• Loo paper for public WCs
• Personal toiletries
• A multi adapter travel plug - The electricity supply is 110V or 220V. You will need a special three pin plug adapter
• Personal first aid kit containing travel pills, rehydration powder, plasters, stomach settlers, antiseptic creams, aspirin etc
• Sunglasses and hat
• Ruck sack
• Long sleeve shirt and long trousers
• Swimwear
• Anti-bacterial hand sanitiser