Arrive early and explore the majestic Imperial, but now very modern city. Walk from the hostel to the nearby Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City. Do you know you can also fly a kite in Tiananmen Square? Perhaps just experience the tastes, sounds of Beijing by walking down the renovated Qianmen "Old Street". Return to the hostel in the evening & join the rest of our worldwide travellers, perhaps head to the bar and enjoy a welcome drink before deciding where to go for dinner.

An early start awaits, but so does the Great Wall. As the quintessential image of China, we'll explore one of the more modern and intact sections before heading back to Beijing. On return we'll head to the Chinese Medicine Pharmacy established to serve the Royal Court of the Qing Dynasty in the 16^th Century. Here you'll get an overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the option of a 30 min foot massage! Returning to the hostel, rest your legs for the night ahead! Some go on to dine like Emperors at some of the nearby local restaurants. There are many great places to explore, so deciding which one is best can be the hardest decision. After dinner hit one of the many bars of this modern metropolis.

In the morning, we board the Dragon Bus and head for the more secluded "as is" section of the wall.  Individually this day trip would cost around 50 USD from the hostels! First stop is the Simatai section of the Great Wall, which will enable you to gauge its enormous presence. The option to hike from Simatai to Jingshanling, past 14 Wall watch towers, is available and although means you pay another entrance fee it could make you feel like Genghis Khan himself. Those not so intrepid may join the Bus for Jingshanling before driving through the mountains to the Royal Summer Palace city of Chengde. Famous for its "Summer Palace" more than three times the size of its Beijing sister, Chengde is a great place to relax, enjoy the fresh air and take in this city at your leisure.
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The Royal Summer Palace of Chengde is more than 5.2 sq sq km in size & houses so much culture & history you could spend the entire day there. This is the exact Palace where the Qing Dynasty Emperor ceded control of Hong Kong to the British. The Palace also includes a full size replica of the Potala Palace of Tibet & Puning temple, which can be added as an additional tour. The summer air also makes this a pleasant city, so does the friendly locals and the fresh locally picked fruits. A group dinner at a local restaurant should follow and as there is only one (western) bar in the town the night is often continued there and results in a very enjoyable time for all.

After breakfast we return to Beijing. On arrival in the capital we'll stop at the National Sports Stadium, otherwise known as the "Birds Nest". The site of the Beijing 2008 Olympics includes the "Water Cube", where you can take part in a simulated Gold medal presentation (120 RMB). After this the bus will return to the hostel. Those up for it often head on out to explore the city by night, but thats "Your Choice". Consider the Beijing Opera or the amazing Acrobatics, which our guides can help you organise. Perhaps just kick back and relax with a DVD in the hostel or on your laptop.

Rising in the morning we transfer to the railway station where we'll take the "bullet" train to Qingdao. This train is the one that "independent travellers" often hear "no ticket" on their attempt to secure one! No such problems while travelling with Dragon Bus. So wave goodbye to Beijing as we hit speeds in excess of 200 km/h for Qingdao! On arrival we transfer to the hostel, where most head straight for its amazing roof top bar! Qingdao is renowned for many things, and just two are its Beer and Beaches. This former German concession town has some amazing seafood restaurants as well, one of which we generally attend as a group.

The first day is yours to do with as you please. However, you must join the optional trip (260 RMB) to the famous Laoshan Mountain. Water from Laoshan is exclusively used to make China's most famous beer & its also a sacred Buddhist site.  Returning via the originally German built Brewery the tour often ends with a fresh beer! Qingdao is a great place to kick back, but you should also get out and explore it's long history. A great place to explore is "Old Qingdao", previously part of the former German concession, rich in history and German architecture. The hostel will tonight be the place to be for a roof top BBQ, after which some hit the town, and perhaps karoke!! 

In the morning we take a direct intercity coach to Qufu, which takes you along the coastline and before inland to the hometown of Confucius, Qufu. On arrival, don't waste any time, head out and explore one of the many gardens, parks or find a great little restaurant for a bite or even a jug of local beer.  Consider hoping on one of the many 3 wheel rickshaws for the journey around town, which at around 1 USD per trip is well worth it!  Qufu has a good supermarket to stock up on supplies.  Great City to capture some black and white photos as well, and plenty of friendly locals. The hostel can also be a good place to kick back, play the Wii game on hand or read a book (poker anyone?) as you won't find any trendy bars or new age Cafes in this town.

Qufu is the hometown of Confucius, however a great city to perhaps experience some "Real China." No gleaming skyscrapers, but plenty of history. In the morning explore the city and then the Confucius family mansion, Confucius Temple and the forest where you'll find the tomb of Confucius. Tickets can be bought as one or individually and with English signs its easily explored and understood as well. The city is easily explored on foot, which is perhaps the best way to do it.

Awake in the morning at your own pace or get up early and join the locals in some exercise. After lunch we'll head to nearby Yanzhou for the train to Nanjing. We'll arrive in Nanjing in the late afternoon and transfer to the hostel. On arrival at the hostel, kick back and relax or head to its cafe bar for a drink. The night time is when the Chinese come out and Nanjing has some great places to explore various cuisines. A great gem that we've found is a restaurant specialising in dishes from Nepal & Tibet, so if you can't make it to Tibet, don't worry you'll be able to get a taste of it at this restaurant. There are numerous bars near the hostel as well including one of the better "Expat" bars where Dragon Bus are always welcome. 

The former capital of the Republic of China, Nanjing is still a historical, but also modern city. Second only to Shanghai in terms of economic output it has numerous modern and historical sites. The 600 year old city wall should be explored as should its excellent museums (entry prices vary). Dragon Bus provides plenty of options here in Nanjing and as the city is a great walking city this includes some walking guides. Consider hiring a boat on the lovely and centrally located Xuanwu Lake to paddle your cares away (perhaps not in winter!). The famous Purple Mountain is a must see as is the Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum, located at the foot of the beautiful Purple Mountain.

Setting off after breakfast to the ancient & beautiful town of Yangzhou, one town also off the "tourist" trail. Yangzhou boasts sites such as Slender Western Lake & Da Ming Temple which is a Ming Dynasty tomb surrounded by some of the most beautiful gardens you will ever see. Entry to these sites is your own choice, but with Yangzhou boasting a worldwide famous rice dish a group dinner is often undertaken. Yangzhou is also considered the best place in China to indulge in a foot massage, which of course you can enjoy one as the group normally heads there directly after dinner!

Renowned for its beauty, Suzhou is a famous garden city laced with wonderful gardens and pagodas. Of the sites in Suzhou, several are UNESCO listed as World Heritage sites, so you should re-join the bus as we travel around them (30 RMB), which is a full afternoon. The city is also an important location for a world famous silk industry which we'll directly experience the following day. However perhaps of equal importance is it's "Bar & Restaurant Street", one of the best in China, so most of the group make tracks for the Shi Qian Jie Lu and explore it's bars and restaurants.

In the morning you'll head off to explore an ancient, but not over run, small canal town. Your entry is included into this amazing Venice style canal city, where you can take boat rides or just explore it on foot. In the afternoon you'll re-board the bus for Shanghai. On arrival in Shanghai and after checking in hit the streets of Shanghai on foot as the area where we stay allows easy access to the most exciting parts of Shanghai. Many head out and party in this amazing city. Shanghai is the commercial hub of China and a great place to spend a few extra days! The Shanghai World Expo has set this city on fire and combine that with its wonderful nightlife, what can we say? Blending Eastern & Western cultures this city should be an ending highlight.