Our adventure tours are now the best way to see the highlights of China, designed to provide travellers on a limited budget (who can’t speak Chinese) an incredible backpacking tour around the country. We focus on: Unmissable attractions – the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors and the Panda Breeding Research Centre to name just a few!
Off-the-beaten-track locations – visit soup kitchens, orphanages and crystal clear lagoons in bamboo forests Electrifying nightlife – Vue Bar, with its hot tub on the roof of a skyscraper in Shanghai, the Drunken Dragon Pub-crawl, or the Hong Kong Pub Crawl Giving something back – Volunteering at soup kitchen or visiting the Kung Fu orphanage near the Shaolin Temple Everyone’s tour is different, but expect to be amazed seeing a side of China that is vastly different than what you had imaged. Dig deep into this amazing country and see the local side of China that would be difficult to see travelling solo. WHY THIS TRIP? You’re choosing pretty much the best value in China backpacker travel…
We take you to see the absolute best of China. All-encompassing, packed itineraries give you access to the top must-see sites you’ve read about, as well as all the hidden, off-the-beaten-track destinations you haven’t. Experience travelling with an amazing group of like-minded people – not just those travelling with you, but our expert, fun-loving guides too! They’ll show you their part of China their way. Give something back by volunteering in the local community. We have an excellent commitment to safety – we do the hard work keeping you safe, so you can enjoy yourself to the full. Environmentally friendly and sustainable travel – we want these stunning places to exist for future generations.
HONG KONG | DAY 1 Hong Kong is an exciting and vibrant city of dramatic contrasts, combining culture of the Eastern and Western. Packed with all sorts! YANGSHUO & GUILIN | DAY 2 - 5
Yangshuo is one of the best bits of China; towering karst mountains, a carpet of green, fertile fields and a never-ending list of adventure activities. CHENGDU | DAY 6 - 8
Chengdu is the heart of Western China… With so much countryside surrounding it, so many attractions and incredible food, you won’t have a spare minute! XI'AN | About Xian | DAY 9 - 10 Xi’an (pronounced ‘hsee an’) is China’s History book and the time you spend in this city will give you a taste of the country’s hugely varied cultural background. SHAOLIN | About Shaolin DAY 11 - 12 Dengfeng is home to the world-famous Shaolin Temple, so of course your time at this destination will be packed with everybody (amiably) kung-fu fighting!
BEIJING | DAY 13 - 16 The country’s capital, and one of the most historic and culturally rich cities in the world, Beijing is one of the best places to visit in China! You can fill your four days in the city with the following activities…
HANGZHOU & MOGANSHAN | About Moganshan DAY 17 - 18 Hangzhou and Moganshan are areas renowned historically as a retreat for the wealthy, and will deliver a breath of fresh air as you travel between two of China’s most happening cities. SHANGHAI | About Shanghai DAY 19 - 21 With a population greater than that of Australia, Shanghai is the biggest city in the world. Its history, recent development and nightlife make Shanghai one of the best stops on the China backpacking circuit. FUJIAN | About Fujian DAY 22 - 24 Rich history, famous historical sites and stunning natural landscapes make Fujian a unique tourist attraction.
HONG KONG (MACAU optional) | About Macau DAY 24 - 25 The ‘Vegas of the East’ (with seven times the revenue!), your optional day-trip to Macau will be a mega contrast to the other cities you will have visited on your trip. With a rich Catholic colonial history too, there’s plenty to see and do!
What’s included?
A combination of Western and Chinese English-speaking Adventure Leaders. Free mandarin tuition for beginners Accommodation in hostels which meet Xtreme Gap Years high standards. All hostels have their own unique Chinese charm, and at the same time are safe, clean, and hygienic. All train, boat and bus tickets. Entry, transport and Adventures Leaders to some of China’s un-missable attractions, such as the Terracotta Warriors, camping on the Great Wall, and bamboo rafting down the Li River (a full list of all un-missable activities is available on individual trip pages). All taxes and charges.
What’s not included?
Flights to and from China Aside from the many free un-missable activities Xtreme Gap Year offers you, we also offer some extra activities which are great value for money, safe and fun. Food and Drink – Eating and drinking is incredibly cheap in China, but even so, Xtreme Gap Year still gives you access to a great range of discounts on food and drinks in the liveliest bars in town. Any train/bus tickets for journeys made after the trip- we provide a booking service at a cost of 30 RMB per ticket booked, on top of the price of the ticket. Any hostels for after your trip has ended- we recommend that you use Hostel World for booking hostels. We can book hostels for you, however we will charge a service fee of 150 RMB.
EXTRA INFORMATION
Need hostels booked for after your trip ends? We are more than happy to help – just let us know what you need! A deposit is required to make a reservation, with the balance due 12 weeks prior to departure for accommodations or transportation not used. Room and train upgrades for the entirety of this route are available. Upgrade requests must be communicated us before the start of the trip. Customers wishing to upgrade once the trip has started must do so independently. Train upgrades are unavailable once train tickets have been booked. Room upgrades are $780.00 (521.73) Train upgrades are $170.00 (113.71) The Yes Inn Causeway Bay has a luggage storage service that is available to use for our travellers. It is 300HKD for the duration of your tour. Please make sure to receive your receipt from the Yes Inn at time of luggage storage. If you’d like a bilingual guide to meet you and ride with you from the airport to your destination, or vice versa, it is GBP 20 for a pick up and GBP 20 for a drop off (up to 3 PAX). This service is available from and to the following airport locations: Guilin, Chengdu, Xian, Beijing, and Shanghai. All train tickets in China must be purchased through a central booking center which means there is always a small chance that you may not be seated together with the person that you have booked the tour together with. If you or your PAX has a seat that is not next to the group’s our Adventure Leaders have a process to help you switch your tickets, so that you are seated next to the group. (In some train stations, the Adventure Leader will be able to board the train even when they won’t be travelling themselves. Every group travels with a Dragon Trip emergency phone. In the case that our Adventure Leader cannot board the train, they will be able to explain in Mandarin over the phone to a conductor, or directly to a local passenger to help switch seats so that clients may be seated together.)
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Xtreme gap Xtreme Gap UK: www.xtremegapyear.co.uk / info@xtremegapyear.co.uk Xtreme Gap NL: www.xtreme-gap.nl / info@xtreme-gap.nl