Discover Luxury China Holidays

China’s colossal size, lightning-fast development and language hurdles means a holiday to China can be hard to tackle as an independent traveller. But travelling in China need not be daunting, and Ampersand’s tailor-made holidays to China provide just the right amount of self-exploration and guided touring, combining ultra-luxury at the very best hotels, local experiences at boutique hotels, with cultural adventures accompanied by truly incredible and knowledgeable guides.

China is the third largest country in the world, and three times larger than India, so there is little doubt of the plethora of experiences on offer. The difficulty is knowing where to begin... It is also an essential stop for anyone hoping to learn more about the direction the world is taking this century. No first tailor-made tour in China is complete without visiting the truly unique city of Beijing, a juxtaposition of ancient and modern, where you can get lost in the hutongs, can't help but be impressed by the vastness of the Forbidden City and the scale of the Great Wall of China, and then travel south to the buzzing metropolis of Shanghai to learn of its colonial past and its lightning fast development taking China into the future. Thereafter you are spoilt for choice between travelling to Xi'an to view the magnificent Terracotta Warriors, delving into Yunnan or Guangxi provinces for trekking and jaw-dropping natural beauty in the mountains, following the majestic Yangtze River or Huangpu River, eating your way through the spices of Sichuan province and Chengdu as well as visiting the Giant Panda Breeding Centre, or going to Hangzhou, the fabled city on West Lake.

Visit the far northeast which you will see shares cultural similarities with Russia, and Harbin is wonderful to visit in the winter when you can walk through life-sized, intricately carved ice palaces. The western provinces of China will take you back to the times of the Silk Road and ancient civilisation and where the people have more in common with central Asia. For ultimate off the beaten track trekking, the Tibet region is the place to go. Due to political sensitivities, it requires a special permit to visit, which we are very experienced at organising. Retaining a unique culture which stretches back to ancient times, it is a culturally fascinating destination, but also its geographical location, means the high-altitude scenery is truly stunning. For something more urban, beyond the mainland, there’s the exhilarating Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, with infamous shopping, cuisine and a dazzling skyline that even the most city-weary traveller will be blown away by. And cross the sea to Macau, where you can wander Portuguese-built streets, and see the unique blend of culture. There is something to interest anyone and plenty to learn from your holiday in China; from the way the country is being shaped in the mega-cities to the way the country used to be through its beautiful calligraphy, tea ceremonies and classical music – much of which is still practised today, and we can organise for you to learn from the masters in their craft.

Our travel advice for anyone planning a first trip to China would be to incorporate a journey on a high-speed train, to spend an afternoon at a traditional teahouse, to learn calligraphy from a master and to visit a park in the early morning to watch locals practising tai chi, square-dancing, or singing rousing traditional songs. Chinese cuisine must also play a big part in your tour in China – the vastness of the country means that the style of cuisine varies greatly from region to region, from the numbing-spicy food of Sichuan, the warming soups and roasted duck of the north, the dim sum of Guangzhou and Hong Kong, to the cumin-infused lamb dishes of the western provinces.

We believe experiences like these will make you fall in love with the country, just as much as the sights will. We are constantly bowled over by China – its beauty, ancient history, mouthwatering cuisine and powerful present are all intoxicating, but what we feel is most fascinating is the unexpectedly fun and agile sense of humour of its people. The best piece of advice we can give is to avoid trying to do too much; this is a massive country and deserves to be visited more than once.

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