AND THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN!  GRAND TOUR OF CHINA HERE I COME!

This time tomorrow (14 August) I will be at Heathrow ready to board my flight to Beijing.

I cannot wait to join my colleagues for this once in a lifetime experience.  I feel very fortunate and extremely lucky to be chosen as part of a fact-finding team to China!

We will be reporting on every aspect of our Grand Tour of China tour which has proven extremely popular as one of our ‘Bucket List’ experiences.

There are many places that are on my own personal Bucket List and the below itinerary ticks off a fair few of these.

We will be following the 12-day Escorted Tour itinerary from Beijing to Hong Kong as follows (I’ll be reporting on Special Dietary and Mobility needs):

Day 1: We fly overnight from the UK to arrive in Beijing the following morning

Day 2: Arrive Beijing and transfer to our hotel for 3 nights.  Here we will be checking the hotel’s facilities and suitability for passengers with any dietary, mobility needs, as well as local attractions, shops, etc..

Day 3: The Great Wall is next, originally built by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang and is China’s most iconic sight.  We then journey on to the Summer Palace, the former holiday retreat of the Qing Emperors before returning to our hotel, where in the evening we will enjoy an Acrobatic Show.

Day 4:  A visit through Tiananmen Square, built under the guidance of Chairman Mao Zedong, then onward to the Forbidden City, and to the Temple of Heaven, said to be one of the most perfect examples of Ming architecture.

This evening we will be having the traditional ‘Peking Duck’ dinner, a favourite of the Emperor’s Court, and I can tell you I am really looking forward to this.

Day 5: Today we take our first Bullet Train and journey to Pingyao via Bullet Train.  Pingyao is one of China’s best preserved ancient towns and its City Walls are ten metres high!

Day 6: Today we have a morning tour of Shuanglin Temple and is a key cultural relic under state protection, then we take another Bullet Train to Xi’an for an overnight stay.

Day 7: Today we visit another iconic site  – The Terracotta Warriors!  These were built to protect Emperor Qin in the afterlife!  Tonight, after feasting on a delicious banquet of freshly made dumplings,  we will then attend a ‘Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show’!

Day 8: We board our Bullet Train for our journey to Chengdu and a visit is planned to the Little Wild Goose Pagoda, before heading to Chengdu, home of the Giant Pandas!

Day 9: One of my personal favourites this morning as we visit the famous Giant Panda Sanctuary, with its protected wilderness and breeding area.  The pandas are a Chinese national treasure!  I cannot wait to see these beautiful creatures.

Next, another adventure as we sail on the Yangtze River for a 3-night 5* cruise from Chongqing to Yichang!

Day 12: We disembark from our River cruise adventure and journey by coach to Wuhan airport for our flight to Hong Kong for an overnight stay.

Day 13: After check-out, we will have time to explore this vibrant city before boarding our flight back to the UK arriving the next morning!

It is very hot in China in August so it will be just like being in the UK?

We will be taking plenty of photos and videos, and reporting on everything and anything that will help to ensure everyone who has booked with us on this spectacular holiday will return with a lifetime of unique memories!

If you would like to know more about this fantastic holiday and check availability for April 2019, please call 08004086106 and you too could be embarking on a ‘Chinese Adventure’ followed by a Vietnam cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas!

I’ll be posting details of my amazing trip on my Facebook Page – catch up with ‘Where’s Lindy Lou’ – all will be revealed!!