Jiangsu is a long, narrow province hugging the coast south of Shandong. Low-lying, flat and wet, it is one of China’s most fertile and long-inhabited areas. Today, much of it is industrial sprawl, but there are a few gems among all the new factory towns; provincial capital Nanjing is one of the country’s great historical cities, while ancient Suzhou is famous throughout China for its gardens and silk production.
Visiting the region, you find yourself in a world of water. The whole area is intensively drained, canalized, irrigated and farmed, and the rivers, canals and lakes which web the plain give it much of its character. The traditional way to travel here was by boat, with the Grand Canal once navigable all the way from Hangzhou in Zhejiang province to Beijing. The province’s other great water highway – the Yangzi River – connects Nanjing with Shanghai, ensuring that trade from both east and west continues to bring wealth to the region.
Tailor-made travel itineraries for China, created by local experts

8 days / from2208 USD
Sichuan Specialities: Chengdu, Temples and Pandas
Discover the Buddhist history and the natural wonders of Sichuan. From bustling Chengdu and its giant pandas, to the national parks and lake districts of Sichuan Province, to the giant Buddha statue at Leshan, this trip is perfect for those who want to discover this culturally rich part of China.
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5 days / from838 USD
Family Time in Guilin and Yangshuo
This 5-day family trip is a magnificent opportunity to experience the beautiful outdoor settings of Guilin and Yangshuo. Walk, cycle and raft through awe-inspiring scenery, including dramatic limestone karst mountains, and learn about the everyday lives of the Zhuang and Yao ethnic groups.
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8 days / from1962 USD
Sichuan Family Adventure
Sichuan is home to a rich and vibrant culture, stunning scenery and wildlife, and delicious cuisine. Spend time with Chengdu's giant pandas, trek around Mount Qingcheng, stand in awe of the world’s largest Buddha at Leshan, and much more, all with this exciting trip, which is perfect for families!
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8 days / from2479 USD
Tantalising Tibet
Tibet, known as the Rooftop of the World, is one of the most spiritual and atmospheric places on earth: ancient monasteries are carved into the mountain and festooned with colourful prayer flags. Discover the secrets of this uniquely spiritual land with this once-in-a-lifetime trip.
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5 days / from1992 USD
Hong Kong Deluxe
Hong Kong makes a memorable introduction to the Chinese world. Glamorous, hectic, exciting and spectacular, with fabulous food, nightlife and shopping, this is a place like no other. Explore the city at your own pace, enjoying life’s little luxuries at every turn.
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4 days / from535 USD
Hong Kong in a Nutshell
A teeming, exotic and alluring metropolis, Hong Kong is uniquely rich in both cultural diversity and contrasts. In fact, there is so much packed into Hong Kong, it can be hard to know where to start, which is where this unique trip comes in.
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9 days / from2137 USD
The People and Cultures of Guizhou
Discover the fascinating people and cultures of Guizhou, one of China's most diverse regions. Learn about the everyday lives of the Zhuang and Yao ethnic groups, whilst you enjoy their colourful customs and traditions, and pass through awe-inspiring scenery such as otherworldly rice terraces.
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14 days / from3346 USD
The Mystical Worlds of Shangri-La & Tibet
A perfect introduction to the mystical worlds of Shangri-La and Tibet. From the breathtaking plateaus and valleys, to the historical Buddhist monasteries and villages, this trip provides a unique insight into the culture and traditions of the Tibetan people.
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16 days / from5521 USD
Along the Silk Road
Travel along the Silk Road, and discover the best of China with this fascinating in-depth trip. Starting in Beijing, experience the Forbidden City, the Yellow River, the Great Wall of China, Heavenly Lake, the Terracotta Army of Warriors and much more, all with this unique, detailed trip.
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11 days / from3462 USD
The Best of China
From well-preserved tombs to The Great Wall, this tour of China packs in all the essentials. From the bright city lights of Beijing and Shanghai to breathtaking rolling landscapes, meandering rivers and ancient treasures, there’s much to delight all visitors to China.
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7 days / from1465 USD
China's Old Water Towns
The area around Shanghai is home to some of China's best-kept travel secrets. Ancient water towns – picturesque towns constructed on a network of canals, featuring classical weeping gardens and romantic arched bridges – grace the area. Explore China's old water towns on this unique trip.
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12 days / from2436 USD
Cultural China and Majestic Yangtze River Cruise
China is a vast and varied land, seemingly full to the brim of mega cities, dramatic limestone mountains and endless countryside. This trip takes in the best the country has to offer, visiting the historic cities of Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, before cruising down the Yangtze River.
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11 days / from2841 USD
Incredible Yunnan
Culturally rich and ethnically diverse, Yunnan is one of China’s most fascinating regions. Explore this scenic southwestern province, great to travel to year round, from the capital Kunming to the well-preserved ancient city of Jianshui, famous for its old walls.
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5 days / from1355 USD
Hong Kong Highlights
Hong Kong is a vibrant and appealing city, with its waterside location and towering skyscrapers, it offers the visitor modernity and tradition, the exotic and efficient. Perfect for a family break, there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained from Central to the New Territories and beyond.
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9 days / from2560 USD
Beijing and The Great Wall of China
Following a short stay in Beijing, with its awe-inspiring Forbidden City, you will venture through the majestic Great Wall lands of Changping and Simatai, and marvel in the vibrancy of the water town of Gubei, a magnificent collage of Great Wall, mountains, lakes and ancient villages.
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13 days / from4686 USD
Complete China: Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai
Following a stay in resplendent Beijing, visit the awe-inspiring Forbidden City, Great Wall, and the Terracotta Army of Xi’an. Travel into the Himalayas, before hiking to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Continue to Chengdu, home of the giant panda, before entering the mythical valley of Shangri-La.
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5 days / from1830 USD
Hong Kong Island Insights
The bustling and dynamic city of Hong Kong is brimming with opportunities to explore its colonial past and rich Chinese heritage and culture. The perfect destination for the intrepid explorer, this unique trip won’t leave you disappointed.
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11 days / from3360 USD
China and Tibet – An Unforgettable Adventure
From tombs and monasteries to world-famous squares and walls, this trip takes in both China and Tibet for an unforgettable journey. Explore Beijing and all its spectacular attractions and take in the stunning natural surroundings around Chengdu and on into Tibet.
customize ⤍Jiangsu cuisine
Jiangsu cuisine tends to be on the sweet side and is characterized by an emphasis on flavour rather than texture, and by the use of wine in cooking. That said, one of the best-known dishes, yanshui ya (brine duck), has none of these qualities. The duck is first pressed and salted, then steeped in brine and baked; the skin should be creamy-coloured and the flesh red and tender. Other Jiangsu dishes worth trying include majiang yaopian (pig’s intestines), jiwei xia (a lake crustacean vaguely resembling a lobster, but much better tasting, locals affirm) and paxiang jiao (a type of vegetable that resembles banana leaves).
Nanjing
Formerly known in the West as Nanking, NANJING – the “Southern Capital” – stands as a direct foil to the “Northern Capital” of Beijing, and the city is still considered China’s rightful hub by many Overseas Chinese, particularly those from Taiwan. Its current prosperity derives both from its proximity to Shanghai and from its gateway position on the Yangzi River, which stretches away west deep into China’s interior. With leafy, shaded avenues and a laidback air, it’s one of those cities that’s perhaps better to live in than visit, though a wealth of historic sites means that it’s well worth a few days of anyone’s time.
Nanjing’s city walls
Though Nanjing was walled as many as 2500 years ago, the present city wall is basically the work of the first Ming emperor, who extended and strengthened the earlier walls in 1369–73. Built of brick and more than 32km long, construction followed the contours of the country, skirting Xuanwu Lake in the north, fringing Xijin Shan in the east, and tracing the Qinhuai River (which doubled as a moat) to the west and south. The wall was mainly paid for by rich families resettled here by the emperor: one third of it was “donated” by a single native of Wuxiang in Zhejiang province. Its construction employed 200,000 conscripts, who ensured that the bricks were all the same size and specification, each one bearing the names of the workman and overseer. They were held together, to an average height of 12m and a thickness of 7m, by a mortar of lime and glutinous rice paste.
The original structure, of red rock in places, is still plainly visible along a 300m section of the wall at the so-called Shitoucheng, in the west of the city between Caochangmen Dajie and Fenghuang Jie. You can see it from bus #18, which runs outside the walls between Xinjiekou and the west train station.
The Taiping Uprising
One of the consequences of the weakness of the Qing dynasty in the nineteenth century was the extraordinary Taiping Uprising, an event that would lead to the slaughter of millions, and which has been described as the most colossal civil war in the history of the world. The Taipings were led by Hong Xiuquan, failed civil-service candidate and Christian evangelist, who, following a fever, declared himself to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ. In 1851, he assembled 20,000 armed followers at Jintian village, near Guiping in Guangxi province, and established the Taiping Tianguo, or Kingdom of Heavenly Peace. This militia routed the local Manchu forces, and by the following year was sweeping up through Hunan into central China. They captured Nanjing in 1853, but though the kingdom survived another eleven years, this was its last achievement. Poorly planned expeditions failed to take Beijing or win over western China, and Hong’s leadership – originally based on the enfranchisement of the peasantry and the outlawing of opium, alcohol and sexual discrimination – devolved into paranoia and fanaticism. After a gigantic struggle, Qing forces finally managed to unseat the Taipings when Western governments sent in assistance, most notably in the person of Queen Victoria’s personal favourite, Charles “Chinese” Gordon.
Despite the rebellion’s ultimately disastrous failure and its overtly Christian message, the whole episode is seen as a precursor to the arrival of Communism in China. Indeed, in its fanatical rejection of Confucianism and the incredible damage it wrought on buildings and sites of historic value, it finds curious echoes in Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution.
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Dr. Meiborg Christa Maria & Kiessling Andreas
We are very satisfied with the tour - Tour gudie, driver and the agency (Wendy). Always felt safe and well protected! Thank you!
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