Across China with 5* airline! Prague to Beijing, Chengdu (giant pandas), Xi’an (Terracotta Army) and Shanghai in one trip for only €570!

Great deal! Visit some of China’s most popular sites in one trip from Prague for only €570!

Few places on earth can match the extraordinary historical panorama on display in Beijing. There are six Unesco World Heritage Sites in this city alone (just one less than the whole of Egypt). At its heart is the magnificent Forbidden City, a royal palace on a scale like no other. Beijing is also home to sublime temples that aspire to cosmological perfection, while the city centre is criss-crossed by enchanting hútòng: ancient alleyways that teem with life today, as they did hundreds of years ago. And, to cap it all, the awe-inspiring Great Wall snakes its way across the hills north of town.

Chengdu is no great draw when it comes to major tourist sites – pandas excepted, of course – but many visitors find its laid-back pace and diversity of cultural scenes unexpectedly engaging. It could be its relaxing teahouse culture, with favourite local institutions serving the same brews across generations. Maybe it’s the lively nightlife, with a strong showing of local partiers bolstered by large student and expat populations that gather at craft beer bars and super-hip clubs. It might be the food: famous for heat, history and variety even in the cuisine-rich cultures of China; and very much a point of pride. It is, after all, Unesco’s first-ever City of Gastronomy.

Once the terminus of the Silk Road and a melting pot of cultures and religions, as well as home to emperors, courtesans, poets, monks, merchants and warriors, the glory days of Xi’an may have ended in the early 10th century, but a considerable amount of ancient the former city, survives behind the modern city. Must-sees include the Terracotta Warriors, the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi, the City Walls and the Muslim Quarter, but try to set aside time for its pagodas and museums, plus a side trip to nearby Hua Shan.

Shanghai is home to the world’s second-tallest tower and a host of other neck-craning colossi. But it’s not all sky-scraping razzmatazz. Beyond the crisply cool veneer of the modern city typified by Pudong, you can lift the lid to a treasure chest of architectural styles. The city’s period of greatest cosmopolitan excess – the 1920s and 1930s – left the city with pristine examples of art deco buildings, most of which survived the 20th-century vicissitudes assailing Shànghǎi. And there’s more: from Jesuit cathedrals, Jewish synagogues and Buddhist temples to home-grown lòngtáng (laneway) and shíkùmén (stone gate) housing, Shànghǎi’s architectural heritage is like none other.

Start planning your trip with Lonely Planet’s travel guides

Travel dates:
September – October 2019

Routing & Sample dates:
Prague – Beijing – Chengdu/ Xi’an – Shanghai – Prague (flights) Sep 16 – Sep 18 – Sep 23 – Sep 25
Chengdu – Xi’an (train) Sep 21

Baggage policy:
One cabin bag and one piece of checked in baggage per passenger.

Sample reservations:
Prague – Beijing – Chengdu/ Xi’an – Shanghai – Prague >>>

Chengdu – Xi’an >>>

Accommodation:
Nestled in the heart of City Center, 4* Xian Xingzhengyuan International Hotel is an ideal spot from which to discover Xian. The hotel lies 0 km from the city center and provides accessibility to important town facilities. This modern hotel is in the vicinity of popular city attractions such as Walmart Supercenter Luomashi Branch, People’s livelihood department Store (luomashi), Luomashi Walking Street.

Airport Transfers:
Take advantage of cheap transfers on Rideways.com>>>