Arrive early and explore this majestic former Imperial, but now very modern city. Experience where the Qing Emperor of China played tennis in the Forbidden City. Fly a kite in Tiananmen Square and experience the tastes, sounds and nightlife of Beijing. Join the rest of your worldwide travellers in the afternoon at the nominated hostel. Then we 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, the quintessential image of China. Today we'll explore one of the more modern and intact sections before heading back to Beijing. On return we'll head to a Pharmacy originally established to serve the Royal Court of the Qing Dynasty in the 16^th Century, and get an overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine. You can also enjoy a 30 min foot massage here for 20 RMB! Returning to the hostel many plan their night ahead, which could include dining like an Emperor at a restaurant of your choice. Near to our hostel are many great places to explore so actually deciding which one can be a hard choice. 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 it means you pay another entrance fee it could make you feel like Genghis Khan himself. Those not so intrepid 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.

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 we'll stop at the National Sports Stadium, otherwise known as the "Birds Nest." The site of the Beijing 2008 Olympics also includes the "Water Cube" and indoor sport centre (entry 50 RMB). After this we'll return to our hostel before you could head out to explore the city by night. Perhaps enjoy a night at the Beijing Opera or the amazing Acrobatics, all of which our guides can help you with. 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.

Free days to check out the town by yourself or set off with the group to famous Laoshan Mountain. Water from Laoshan is exclusively used to make China's most famous beer - Tsingtao (or Qingdao) and its a sacred Buddhist site as well. Returning via the originally German built Beer Factory the tour ends with a fresh beer! A great place to kick back, but you should also get out and explore it's long history. The best place to do this on day 2 would be exploring "Old Qingdao", part of the former German concession, rich in history & German architecture.  Perhaps hit the beach (in summer) with a book or go for a swim (there are indoor pools for winter!). Often the group gets together at the hostel for our grand roof top BBQ!  We're sure that your time will fly by as you kick back and enjoy this cosmopolitan seaside city.

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 then 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 quick train to Zhengzhou. Zhengzhou is somewhat larger and busier then Qufu. Explore the city in the afternoon on foot, but consider joining the group for dinner as we've uncovered some of the better local restaurants. The local food street is also a highlight as well and there are a few good bars in town for those looking for activities after dinner.

You board the Dragon Bus for the nearby Shaolin, well known as magical Village known the world over for its Monks & Monasteries, and recently the remake of Karate Kid!  This day gives you a few choices, with first of which should be prebooked (requires min. 4) so you can spend a half day in a Kungfu Academy with a Master of Kungfu.  During this  activity you will learn the basics of this martial Art (300 RMB).  if not you should explore the working Temples of Shaolin (entry 100 RMB), which should see you viewing a real Kungfu exhibition given by students of this ancient martial art. Another amazing option is to climb the nearby Shaoshan Mountain (entry 40 RMB) for a birds eye view of the village below.  All this before we head off for Luoyang in the late afternoon, where you stay overnight. 

So this day had to come, it's not over as there is much more to see! Hit the streets and explore the City Wall, Bell and Drum towers and the city's old quarter including the Great Mosque.  However, remember that with the completion of your Pass you should have decided where you're to heading next?  Ask your Tour Leader about Train bookings, which can be made through us back to Beijing, Shanghai and even Nanjing.  Airfares?  head to the front page of our website and check out the great deals you can get for flights on the largest and cheapest web based booking site.  The fully integrated C Trip booking system is a secure site and accepts ALL International Credit cards.