Tours to China

China stretches from the deserts of the northwest to the subtropical karst of the south, and most first trips trace a classic arc linking Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai, now connected by one of the world's largest high-speed rail networks. In Beijing, the imperial axis runs through the Forbidden City, past Tiananmen Square to the Temple of Heaven, while restored sections of the Great Wall at Mutianyu and Jinshanling lie within a couple of hours' drive. Xi'an, the old eastern terminus of the Silk Road, is home to the Terracotta Army of the first Qin emperor, intact Ming-era city walls you can cycle along, and the Muslim Quarter with its night-time food stalls.

Beyond that arc, the landscapes become the draw. The Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo winds past limestone peaks, and the sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie rise from mist in Hunan. Chengdu pairs the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding with teahouse culture in People's Park, while Lijiang in Yunnan preserves a Naxi old town beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. On the high plateau, Lhasa centres on the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple. Near Shanghai, whose Bund faces the skyline of Pudong, lie the classical gardens of Suzhou and West Lake in Hangzhou.

Two weeks covers Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin and Shanghai at a comfortable pace; three allows Chengdu, Yunnan or Tibet to be added. Spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October) bring the mildest weather, while the national holidays in early May and the first week of October fill trains and sights. Regional cooking changes dramatically as you travel: Peking duck in the capital, biangbiang noodles and roujiamo in Xi'an, numbing Sichuan hotpot and mapo tofu in Chengdu, xiaolongbao soup dumplings in Shanghai, and Longjing tea with West Lake vinegar fish in Hangzhou.