Pandas and elephants: twin centre China and Thailand holiday

Itinerary in brief: 

• 3 nights Beijing
• 2 nights Shanghai 
• 2 nights Xian 
• 2 nights Chengdu 
• 3 nights Phuket 
• 2 nights Elephant Hills 
• 3 nights Krabi 

Day 1: Depart UK

Depart the UK from your chosen airport.

Included: International flights

Day 2:  Arrive China

Upon arrival into Beijing you will be met by your guide and taken to your hotel, checking in for three nights.

After you have settled into your hotel, you can head to explore a little yourself, either enjoying the hotel's historic surroundings or relaxing before you head out to discover Beijing tomorrow. 

Included: Transfers, 4* hotel 

Day 3:  Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City

After breakfast you will be met by your guide and driver, and your day will begin by exploring the Temple of Heaven, where Ming and Qing emperors performed annual rituals for good harvests. You will see people starting their day with Tai Chi, meditation, or practising Chinese calligraphy.

Next, you'll head to the Forbidden City, the imperial palace for 24 emperors. Wander through its 980-acre complex, marvelling at golden-roofed halls and intricate architecture. You'll also get the opportunity to visit Tiananmen Square before heading back to your hotel. On your journey back, why not ask your guide for some restaurant recommendations, as you really can’t beat a local perspective when it comes to food!

Included: Breakfast, touring, 4* hotel     

Day 4: Great Wall of China

After breakfast, you will be met by your guide and driver, and will travel to the Great Wall of China to witness one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, as well as a UNESCO world heritage site. Here you can take time to admire the rugged scenery and hike along the wall. You will be visiting the Mutianyu section of the wall and will be able to see the early morning sunrise and take some once in a lifetime photographs.

Placed on the highest ridges, the wall offers an excellent view to the north, and allowed the guards to watch out for alarm fires in case of barbarian intruders. The wall extends to more than 6000 kilometres, and during the Ming Dynasty, it was restored and expanded to its height, width, and length we see today.

In the afternoon you'll visit the Summer Palace, an imperial garden where you'll find Kunming Lake, Longevity Hill and elegant pavilions. It's a peaceful place to explore after the vast and epic views at the Great Wall this morning. Head back to Beijing for your final night - why not head out for a delicious meal of roast duck for dinner?

Included:  Breakfast, touring, 4* hotel    

Day 5:  Train to Shanghai

This morning, you'll hop on the train to Shanghai, speeding across the country and arriving in Shanghai, ready to explore China's most cosmopolitan city. 

Included: Breakfast, train tickets, touring, 4* hotel          

Day 6:  Shanghai 

Spend the day exploring Shanghai with your guide, starting in the French Concession where you'll wander along its café-lined streets and admire the colonial architecture. Stop in at Jing'an Temple before tucking into a traditional xiaolongbao lunch, a delicious local specialty of soup dumplings filled with aromatic pork. 

Enjoy a tea ceremony in the Yuyan Harden before strolling along the waterside walkway at the Bund and gazing up at the Oriental Pearl Tower. Why not finish your day with rooftop cocktails by the Huangpu River, where you can gaze across to Pudong’s futuristic skyline.

Included: Breakfast, touring, 4* hotel     

Day 7:  Train to Xi'an

Leaving Pingyao behind, you'll hop on the high speed train to Xi'an, home to the famous Terracotta Warriors. The afternoon is yours to enjoy the city - why not explore the Muslim Quarter, known for its vibrant street food like handmade noodles and mutton rolls.

Included: Breakfast, train tickets, touring, 4* hotel          

Day 8:  Xi'an

Spend the day exploring Xi'an. China's imperial capital for more than 1,000 years, this city gives a unique insight into ancient China. Spend the morning learning about the army of 8,000 terracotta warriors, standing in their battle tunics by the tomb of China’s first emperor. Admire the life‑sized, intricately detailed statues, horses, and chariots, each placed to guard Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife.

In the afternoon, you'll head out to discover the city beyond the warriors - admire the Ming Dynasty walls and stop off for panoramic photos by the Drum Tower. Learn about Buddhist culture at the Wild Goose Pagoda where you'll get some of the best views over the city. 

Included: Breakfast, touring, 4* hotel  

Day 9:  Train to Chengdu

After breakfast, you'll take the train south to Chengdu, where you'll meet your guide and check in to your hotel. The afternoon is yours to explore the city - why not head out to discover bustling markets and mouth-watering street snacks? Chengdu is the capital of spicy Sichuan province, famous for its tongue-numbing hotpots and kung pao chicken.                

Included: Breakfast, train tickets, touring, 4* hotel          

Day 10: Chengdu 

Giant Pandas are the big draw of this southwest city, which has an out of town breeding centre that’s home to more than a hundred of these adorable bears. Spend the morning admiring these beautiful creatures before heading back to Chengdu to mingle with the locals in traditional teahouses or challenge them to a game of chess in People’s Park.

In the afternoon you'll visit the Leshan Giant Buddha, carved into the cliff overlooking the Min River. Head back to the hotel for another meal of delicious Sichuan cuisine.

Included: Breakfast, touring, 4* hotel  

Day 11: Fly to Phuket                

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the airport, ready for the flight to Phuket in Thailand. On arrival, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel, checking in for three nights. Why not head straight to the beach for a oceanfront cocktail?

Included: Breakfast, transfers, international flights, 5* hotel       

Days 12 & 13: Phuket 

The next few days are free for you to spend as you choose. You’ll be staying at The Slate Hotel, right on the beach so you’ll be able to spend most of your time relaxing on the sands or snorkelling in the warm water. If you do fancy straying from the comfort of your hotel, why not hop in a taxi down to one of the busy beaches for a dinner of fresh seafood under the stars?

On Day 13, we’ve included a boat tour of the surrounding islands. You’ll be picked up at 8am and head off to discover the quiet and natural beauty of southern Thailand. Travel by speedboat across the Andaman Sea to the six scenic Phi Phi islands. The journey to Phi Phi takes around 45 minutes, jetting past spectacular limestone karsts that jut from the blue seas. Sit back and relax while you sail past Maya Bay, famous for the setting of the Hollywood film ‘The Beach’.

Continuing around the islands, you’ll visit Phi Phi Lay Cove and Monkey Beach, with wide stretches of sand with swaying palm trees and colourful fish filling the water. During the day you’ll enjoy lunch at Tonsei Bay before spending the afternoon cruising around Bamboo Island, leaping from the boat to snorkel in the Andaman Sea.

Included: Breakfast, Phi Phi Islands day tour, 5* hotel         

Day 14: Travel to Elephant Hills Camp 

When you arrive at Phuket airport, you’ll be picked up and driven to Elephant Hills Camp in Khao Sok National Park. During the journey, you’ll get glimpses of tropical rural life in southern Thailand.

After lunch, you’ll set off on a relaxing jungle canoe trip down the Sok River, passing limestone mountains and cliffs covered with exotic tropical vegetation. Sometimes, you can see hornbill birds flying high overhead or reptiles basking in the sun on the riverbanks, so keep your eyes peeled. You’ll be floating through one of the last areas of primary rainforest in Thailand, a world that has changed little in thousands of years.

Next, you’ll get out of the canoe and head over to the elephant park, where you can learn about Thai elephants and the Elephant Hills elephant conservation project. During this amazing Elephant Experience, you’ll have the chance to interact with the elephants and learn the secrets of their mahouts. You will prepare and feed them one of their daily meals and then watch them bathe, before helping to scrub and wash them clean. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really experience the Asian Elephant, this part of the world’s largest land animal!

Next, you’ll head back for a hot shower in the unique bathroom of your luxury safari tent. Relax and enjoy the panoramic views of the surrounding jungle-covered mountains. You’ll be 100% immersed in nature. Your luxury safari tent has a comfortable bed, reading lights, hot water and a western-style toilet. All the doors and windows are covered with mosquito netting as well as canvas flaps, so insects and reptiles can get to you in the night. It’s real luxury in the heart of the rainforest!

Included: Breakfast, transfers, all meals at Elephant Hills, luxury tent accommodation 

Day 15: Elephant Hills Camp 

This morning, you’ll wake up to the sounds of nature. By the time the sun comes up and the mist over the rainforest-covered mountains clears, you’ll hear the territorial morning calls of gibbons echoing down the valley.

Today, you’ll explore Cheow-Larn-Lake by long-tail boat, cruising through emerald waters past towering limestone mountains. It’s no wonder that this region is called the “Guilin” of Southern Thailand. Cheow-Larn-Lake is a little-known wonder and natural habitat for wild elephants, rare Asian ox, various monkey species, amphibians, reptiles and even tigers and leopards. It’s also home to hornbills and hundreds of other tropical birds, making it one of the most important areas of rainforest in South East Asia.

Next, you’ll head to the floating Elephant Hills Rainforest Camp. Situated deep within the national park it’s second Elephant Hills property in the area. When you arrive, you’ll settle into your luxury tent, with a private en-suite bathroom, solar and wind-powered electricity and hot showers. You’ll find all the conveniences of a modern hotel room, with totally unspoilt nature right on your doorstep. You can sit back and enjoy the surrounding views of Cheow-Larn-Lake whilst enjoying a fabulous Thai buffet lunch.

After lunch, you’ll set out to explore the on foot. It’s an excellent opportunity to explore the ecology of one of the world’s oldest rainforests and learn about a huge variety of exotic plants and animals. You can spot birds such as the hornbill in the canopy high up above, hear gibbons calling to their mates, see macaque or a leaf monkey swinging through the branches and watch beautiful butterflies flutter around. Every day is different in the rainforest.

When you return to the rainforest camp, you can watch the sunset over the limestone mountains from the deckchair in front of your tent. Dinner will be served shortly after dark. After that, you’ll be alone with the intriguing sounds of nature under a starlit sky.

Included: All meals at Elephant Hills, luxury tent accommodation

Day 16: Elephant Hills Camp

Wake to the sounds of the rainforest on your 3rd day and relax on your lakeside balcony or go for a refreshing morning swim! After breakfast head out with your guide on a canoe safari spotting birds and monkeys high up in the trees whilst marvelling at the silence of your surroundings.

Enjoy lunch at your floating camp before being collected and driven to Krabi, checking into your hotel for 3 nights. 

Included: All meals at Elephant Hills, luxury tent accommodation

Days 17 & 18: Krabi

You’ll have two full days to enjoy blissful relaxation in Krabi; pretty beaches, towering karsts, turquoise water and spectacular views. It’s the perfect, secluded place to de-stress after your wedding – just relax by the pool or on the relaxed beach with a cocktail and a good book. After a few days, if you want to get out and do some activities there are lots to choose from in this area – whether you want to kayak through the ocean, snorkel or even go rock-climbing if you’re feeling particularly adventurous!

Included: Breakfast, 5* hotel 

Day 19: Depart Thailand

Spend one final morning strolling along the beach before being driven back to the airport for your flight home. 

Included: Breakfast, transfers, international flights         

Day 20: Arrive UK