Gourmet Tour of China
Summary
With it being so widely available and renowned for its excellent flavours, almost everyone will have tried a Chinese dish at some stage in their life. However, it is not until you have visited the country itself and sampled traditional Chinese cuisine that you can truly appreciate all that it has to offer. Enjoy this 13 day tour of the country that will allow to try all different variations of Chinese cooking, while also giving you the chance to take in the sights and culture. By the end of the 13 days you will be left feeling as though you have had a true taste of China, both literally and figuratively.
Duration |
13 Days
Price
From $6,854.00 per person based on 2 people sharingBest time to go
Generally speaking, the best months to visit China are in the spring or autumn months of April, May, September and October as temperatures are warm and it is fairly dry.
Day 1: UK Departure
Overnight flight to Beijing.
Day 2: Raffles Beijing Hotel
On arrival, you are met and transferred to stay for four nights at the Raffles Beijing Hotel. Enjoy the afternoon exploring the city on your own.
Day 3: Raffles Beijing Hotel (B,L)
Enjoy a morning visit to Tiananmen Square, the largest public square followed by the Forbidden City for a fascinating display of Chinese history. Lunch is at a local Chinese restaurant. In the afternoon explore the wet market and attend a cookery class in an exquisitely restored house with Chef Chunya. At Hutong Cuisine you will be taught wok and cleaver skills and make some of your favourite Chinese dishes. This evening you will take a walking food tour of Wangfujing Eat Street and Donghuamen Night Market to sample cuisine including sugar glazed hawthorns, sweet pineapple sticky rice, cumin chilli lamb kebab, malatang spicy bites and stinky tofu.
Day 4: Raffles Beijing Hotel (B,L)
A morning visit to Temple of Heaven, lunch at Lost Heaven which serves exotic Yunnan ethic flavours. In the afternoon visit the Summer Palace, one of the finest landmarks of Beijing. Afternoon at leisure.
Day 5: Raffles Beijing Hotel (B,L)
A morning visit to the Great Wall of China, one of the wonders of the world it is a must see. Lunch is served at the foot of the Great Wall at the Schoolhouse Mutianyu. This sustainable tourism project serves Western café style food with an emphasis on very fresh local produced ingredients and seasonal produce, much of it grown on site.
Day 6: Sofitel Legend People's Grand Hotel Xi'an (B)
Today take a short early morning flight to Xian. Today you will visit the Xian City Wall, Xian is the only large city in China to still have city walls. In the evening visit the vibrant night market in the Muslim Mosque area. Walk through the open air food stalls which serve juice , nuts, fruit and meat.
Day 7: Sofitel Legend People's Grand Hotel Xi'an (B)
Visit the Terracotta Warriors, one of the world’s greatest archaeological finds. Stop for lunch at the Real Love Restaurant (on own account) and continue to the Wild Goose Pagoda. This afternoon take a dumpling cooking class at Defachang Restaurant. Dumplings are the most popular food in all of China and Xi’an is famous for its dumpling banquets.
Day 8: St. Regis Chengdu (B,D)
Today take a short early morning flight to Chengdu. In the afternoon explore the Giant Panda Breeding centre which boasts one of the best Panda mating rates in the world . This evening have Hotpot dinner in the Wise and Narrow Alley. Most of the pots used in hotpot are divided into two sections. One half is filled with the spicy oil, and the other is filled with a delicious broth for those who are not a big fan of spicy foods.
Day 9: St. Regis Chengdu (B,L)
Visit the Sichuan Cuisine Museum for your a Spicy Cooking Class and see how the famous Sichuan chilli bean paste is made. Then visit the Museum of Sichuan Cuisine and learn to cook a few local cuisine dishes. Lunch will be sampling your freshly prepared food. Return to midtown Chengdu and visit Wenshu Temple, finishing with a local tea ceremony including light snacks.
Day 10: Peninsula Shanghai (B, D)
Today take a short early morning flight to Shanghai. Start with a stroll along the Bund iconic waterfront. Tonight you will have a local Shanghai Cuisine banquet dinner at Xian Qiang Fang.
Day 11: Peninsula Shanghai (B, L, D)
A morning visit to Yuyuan Gardens in the Old City followed by the Old Town Bazaar, continue onto the local food street and have dim sum lunch at Lvbolang. In the afternoon visit the Shanghai World Financial Centre for panoramic views from the observation deck of China’s tallest building. Dinner is at Hakkasan restaurant to sample Michelin Star Cantonese cuisine.
Day 12: Peninsula Shanghai (B, L)
In the morning visit the local park for a stroll , continue onto the vegetable market and interact with a native family. Lunch is at Local Family for homemade food. In the afternoon take an optional dumpling making class at the Kitchen Cooking Studio.
Day 13: Depart
After breakfast transfer by private vehicle to Shanghai Airport to depart to the UK.
Inclusions
All flights, transfers, meals, accommodation and activities as specified, local English speaking guides throughout
Exclusions
Transfers, meals and activities not specified, visas, insurance, gratuities and items of a personal nature.
Cleveland Collection tailor makes all itineraries to include highlights of your choice. Speak to one of our travel experts to create your perfect holiday based on your travel requirements.
*We try to keep our 'from prices' as accurate as possible, but please do be aware that when travelling in peak times such as Christmas and school holidays, prices shown will vary considerably.