Tailor Made Tours
Do you wish to explore and discover China at your own pace, or go to a special place not covered in our group tours? Emperor Tours will design a holiday which takes care of every detail for you - allowing you to simply unwind and enjoy the fantastic history and culture China has to offer, in a package designed by you!
We can arrange all forms of travel, such as flights, trains, coach or boat, and any level of accommodation, from the highest luxury hotel to just a clean and comfortable guesthouse. We also provide special meal arrangements and any particular excursions and activities you desire in your personal itinerary.
Design and enjoy your own personalised holiday now by clicking on the enquiry button below and entering your details. Alternatively, call us to discuss your plans with one of our friendly staff. Whatever your requirements and ideas, our staff will be happy to arrange it all for you.
For example, a tailor-made tour of the Silk Route would be as follows:
Day 1 – London Heathrow to Beijing
Depart from London Heathrow airport for scheduled flight to Beijing.
*We can also arrange departures from your local airport.
Day 2 - Beijing
Arrive at Beijing Capital Airport and transfer to 4* hotel in city centre. We will be treated to a welcome cocktail while checking in.
Later tour to the Temple of Heaven - the famous landmark of Beijing where emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the God of Heaven and prayed for good harvest.
Tonight a welcome dinner is prepared for you in a local restaurant. (L/D)
Day 3 - Beijing
We start our tour this morning with a visit to Tiananmen Square – the largest public square in the world. Walking through the Gate of Heavenly Peace (with late Chairman Mao’s huge portrait hanging over the gate), we enter the magnificent Forbidden City – which served as imperial palaces for 24 emperors since the 15th century. This massive palace compound never fails to impress.
In the afternoon the tour continues to the enchanting Summer Palace - with the largest imperial garden in China, where late Qing emperors and empresses stayed between May and October, seeking escape from the pollution inside the city.
Enjoy a relaxing boat ride on the beautiful Kunming Lake. (B/L/D)
Day 4 - Beijing
Today we travel outside the city to the Great Wall at Badaling. You will be given plenty of time to explore this magnificent monument and climb to the top.
The afternoon is spent visiting the Ming Tombs - 13 Ming Emperors were buried in the basin surrounded by Tiger and Dragon Mountains. Only the Changling and Dingling tombs are open to the public. Changling, the chief of the Ming Tombs, is the largest in scale and is completely preserved. The total internal area of the main building is 1,956 square meters. There are 32 huge posts, and the largest measures 14 meters in height. It inhumes Emperor Zhudi, the fourth son of Emperor Zhu Tuanzhang.
The evening is time to relax with a traditional Peking duck banquet! (B/L/D)
Day 5 - Beijing to Xian
This morning we fly to Xian. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel in city centre. Later tour to the Ancient City Walls, originally built during the Tang Dynasty, it is the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well as being one of the largest military defensive systems in the world. We then continue to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum – a perfect place to learn the history and culture of the ancient Silk Road. (B/L/D)
Day 6 - Xian
Today we have a full day excursion to the magnificent Terracotta Warriors, built over 2,000 years ago to guard the tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang. Over 7,000 life-sized figures unearthed since 1974, this is truly one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.
We then visit the Huaqing Hot Spring, a must for every visitor to Xian. For centuries emperors came here to bathe and enjoy the scenic beauty, and it has been a favourite spa since the Tang Dynasty.
Our final destination today is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda - known as the best-preserved Buddhist temple complex, the Temple was initially built in 589, during the Sui Dynasty (581-618).
This evening enjoy a spectacular Tang Dynasty Dinner Show. (B/L/D)
Day 7 - Xian to Dunhuang
Morning flight to Dunhuang. In the afternoon we tour the Mingsha (Singing Sand Dunes) Mountain, celebrated for
the sound of the moving sand. We then take a camel ride to the Crescent Moon Lake, just like the Silk Road traders used to travel. (B/L/D)
Day 8 - Dunhuang
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we set off for a full day tour to the Mogao Caves, a complex comprising of 492 caves. They contain 450,000 square feet of murals dating from the 4th to the 14th centuries - a period which corresponds to an immense growth in international commerce along the nearby Silk Road. The caves were abandoned in the 14th century and lay untouched until the beginning of the 20th century.
Late in the afternoon we transfer to Liuyuan Station for an overnight train to Turpan. (B/L/D)
Day 9 - Turpan
Morning arrival in Turpan. Transfer to hotel and take time to rest and relax. Later our tour takes us to the Astana Graves, a burial site dating back to the 3rd century close to the ancient city of Gaochang. We then continue to the Gaochang Ruins, a city founded by the Chinese in the 2nd century B.C. as a garrison on the Silk Road. At its peak Gaochang served as the capital of Xinjiang during the Tang Dynasty. It was abandoned in 1275 for some mysterious reasons!! Finally today we visit the Flaming Mountains, which stand in the north of the Turpan Basin. Composed mainly of red sandstone, the mountains look like raging flames in the blazing sun, which gives them the name ‘Flaming Mountains’. (B/L/D)
Day 10 - Turpan to Urumqi
Today we travel by coach to Urumqi (approx. 2.5 hours) and visit the beautiful Heavenly Mountain (Tianshan) and Heavenly Lake. The southern slopes of the Tianshan have plenty of sunshine and water to make it a heaven of carpets of green grasses and bright wild flowers. Imagine riding a handsome horse through knee-deep flowers and grasses! The white snow on top of Mount Bogda and the green water of the lake form beautiful scenery, making it not only a summer resort but an ideal alpine area. (B/L/D)
Day 11 - Urumqi to Kashgar
Today we take a flight to Kashgar, an oasis city in the Uyghur Region known as “the pearl on the Silk Road”.
Upon arrival we transfer to the hotel and then spend the rest of the day at leisure. Either relax or explore this interesting city which has a history of more than 2,000 years. (B/L/D)
Day 12 - Kashgar
Tour to the Id Kah Mosque and Old Town. The mosque is the largest Islamic mosque in China, built in 1442 by the then ruler of Kashgar. Later enjoy a Uyghur style lunch with local Muslim family. (B/L/D)
Day 13 - Kashgar to Karakul Lake
Today we drive southwest along the Karakoram Highway - the highway takes you close to the border of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and ends in Pakistan. Stop at Upal village for lunch.
Continue the journey (approx. 5-6 hours) to Lake Karakul, passing the canyon of the Ghez River (checkpoint), where you will be treated with the beautiful scenery from sand dunes to snow mountains.
We arrive in Karakul in the evening. Stay overnight in a Uyghur yurt such as the original Silk Road traders used to. (B/L/D)
Day 14 - Karakul Lake to Kashgar
Wake up early to see the stunning sunrise over Lake Karakul, which is situated right under the feet of the Pamir Mountains and the magnificent Mount Muztagata, whose vast snowy flanks have been split open by colossal glaciers. The waters of the lake are a luminous blue.
We return to Kashgar in the afternoon. (B/L/D)
Day 15 - Kashgar to Urumqi to Shanghai
Morning transfer to airport for flight to Urumqi. Upon arrival we visit the Hongshan Park and Xinjiang Museum. Established 43 years ago, the museum holds more than 80,000 relics items, including rare documents, silk ware, tomb figures and mummies.
Take late evening flight to Shanghai and transfer to 4* hotel in city centre on arrival. (B/L/D)
Day 16 – Shanghai
We start the tour today with a visit to the Jade Buddha Temple, originally built in 1882 to keep two jade Buddha statues which had been brought from Burma by a monk named Huigen. The temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Fortunately the statues were saved and a new temple was built on the present site in 1928.
Later in the afternoon we visit the Old Town and the enchanting Yuyuan Garden, a place of peace and comfort in the heart of bustling Shanghai, dating back to the Ming Dynasty.
Tonight after dinner your tour manager will take you for a leisurely walk on the Bund - Shanghai’s famous waterfront, where you will be treated with the breathtaking skyline on both sides of the Huangpu River. (B/L/D)
Day 17 – Shanghai
Today you have free at leisure to do some last minute shopping and exploring. (B)
Day 18 – Shanghai to London Heathrow
Morning transfer to airport for flight home, arrive back in London same day. End of itinerary. (B)
