Imperial China: Xi’an to Hong Kong

You are met on arrival and taken to the five-star Ritz-Carlton for one night. In the evening you join fellow travellers for a welcome reception and a Tang Dynasty themed dinner.

Walk the ramparts of Xi'an's ancient city walls and visit the Great Mosque in the winding lanes of the Muslim Quarter. After lunch at a local restaurant, explore the Terracotta Warriors, thousands of life-sized soldiers, horses and chariots made to guard the first emperor. You then board the Golden Eagle Silk Road Express for a grand welcome dinner.

Wake in Luoyang, capital of thirteen dynasties, and visit the Longmen Grottoes, where more than 100,000 Buddhist statues are carved into the cliffs above the Yi River. Continue to the Shaolin Temple at the foot of Mount Song, birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Kung Fu, where monks still train. Back in the old town, taste local water banquet dumplings before dinner on board.

Walk a restored section of the Great Wall at Badaling, then enjoy a Peking Duck lunch at a celebrated restaurant. In the afternoon explore Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, or choose modern Beijing with the Olympic Village, the CCTV Tower and the National Museum. A relaxed dinner is served on board.

After a leisurely morning and lunch on board, ride up the Shanghai Tower, China's tallest skyscraper, for afternoon tea on the 120th floor. As evening falls, a private yacht cruises the Huangpu River past the Bund and the lights of Pudong, with dinner and fine wines on board.

In China's porcelain capital, visit the Chinese Ceramic Museum with its Song celadons and Ming vases. At the Ancient Kilns and Folk Customs Expo Area, where dragon kilns still burn, you shape, carve and paint your own piece alongside master potters.

A chartered boat carries you along the Yangtze from the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric power station, to the Gezhouba Dam. Lunch on board features freshly caught Yangtze fish and Sichuan-inspired dishes, enjoyed from the deck or the air-conditioned lounge.

After breakfast on board, visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding among its bamboo groves. Later the Sichuan Opera Theatre is reserved for your group, where performers in silk costumes demonstrate bian lian, the lightning-fast art of face-changing.

A day to relax on board. Take in the views from the Observation Car, with the largest train window in China, or unwind in the lounge with wines, cocktails and the resident pianist.

A privately chartered cruise follows the Lijiang River from Guilin to Yangshuo, past quiet villages and dramatic peaks. At sunset you board a fishing boat to watch the age-old tradition of cormorant fishing, then rejoin the train for a farewell dinner as it departs for Hong Kong.

The train arrives in Shenzhen, and you continue to Hong Kong. The afternoon is free to browse Central's boutiques and heritage streets, admire the skyline from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront or relax at the hotel. In the evening the group gathers for a farewell dinner at the hotel.

Enjoy a leisurely morning before your private transfer to the airport for your onward journey.