Tours of China

Kunming to Hong Kong and the Buffalo God Festival

Tour Map of Kunming to Hong Kong and the Buffalo God Festival

Journey across southern China from Kunming to Hong Kong and explore ethnic minority villages, vast 1000 year old rice terraces, and modern cities where ancient China still has more than just a foothold. Experience the Buffalo God Festival, in the company of the Miao tribal people, and explore stone forests, high waterfalls, small villages and a relaxing cruise along the Li River past beautiful and unusual landscape.

Captivating China, with Yunnan Province

Tour Map of Captivating China, with Yunnan Province

China is perhaps best known for its populous cities, where skyscrapers effortlessly mingle with ancient temples and beautiful city gardens. Yet, travel away from the cities and you enter stunning scenery of water towns, rivers and lakes and karst peaks, sculpted by water movement spanning millennia. Bordering a number of neighbouring countries, Yunnan Province has a diverse set of beautiful landscapes and cultures. Spend time in Kunming - the heart of Yunnan - before a three-night stay in UNESCO World Heritage listed Lijiang. In addition, experience a visit to Chengdu, home of the Panda Breeding Research Institute, as the final stop on this discovery of China’s highlights.

Get beyond the tourist façade of the countries you visit. Focus on the local culture, past and present, and discover the lifeblood of any country – its people. Discovery and culture tours uncover different ways of life, and offer the opportunity to meet and sometimes stay with local people or tribal groups. Our discovery tours explore cultural sites – both ancient and modern – and help you learn about the people and their culture. Visit the remote tribes of Ethiopia’s Rift Valley, live the nomad life in desert camps or meet the local people of the high Andean altiplano in Peru. There’s no better way to get to the true heart of a country than through its people.

Along The Yangtse

Tour Map of Along The Yangtse

On this trip we cruise through the dramatic gorges of the Yangtse River. We explore the cosmopolitan cities of Hong Kong and Shanghai and the rice paddies and villages of rural China. We admire the spectacular karst landscapes at Guilin and the Buddhist sculptures at Baoding Shan. We also enjoy a boat ride along the River Li and explore the rice terraces of Longji.

Festivals engage all your senses, with their noise, colours, smells and tastes – the variety, the fun and the sheer spontaneity are part of the whole experience. You can simply enjoy people-watching, or find yourself being drawn into all the festivities and immersing yourself in local life. At Explore we have a wide range of fabulous festival tours. Some are planned specifically around a certain festival, for example the Harbin Ice Festival tour in China which takes place every February. Others are tours that run all year round but with certain departures arranged to coincide with an annual festival, for example the Nadaam Festival in Mongolia or the Pushkar Camel Fair in India, which we visit in July and November respectively. Africa is also rich in tradition and festivals abound, perhaps the most famous being Timkat in Ethiopia, celebrating Epiphany and re-enacting the ritual of Baptism. In the Americas you can take part in Brazil’s most spectacular extravaganza, the Rio Carnival, or witness the ancient Inca Inti Raymi festival in Peru. To visit a country and meet its people during a festival can be an experience second to none: you will bring home not just life-long memories of colour, music, dancing and fun but also a richer understanding of the traditions and beliefs that make the country what it is.

Tribes and Festivals of Southern china

Tour Map of Tribes and Festivals of Southern china

We take an extraordinary journey into the mountains of southern China to witness the traditional lives and centuries-old festivals of the minority tribes of the Guizhou region. We’ve timed our visit to coincide with four exciting village festivals. During these colourful and photogenic celebrations everyone turns out in their most spectacular traditional costume to enjoy singing, dancing and traditional sports. For a rare and fascinating insight into the lives of a traditional Miao family, we spend two nights living with them and learning about their customs and traditions. Our tour will be led by China aficionado and Explore tour leader of the year 2010, Richard Beal.

Excellent value, amazing prices, quality experiences. Simple and clean hotels, guesthouses and hostels chosen for location and character. Affordable public and private transport for maximum cultural interaction. Plenty of optional activities tailored to your interests and budget.

Popular with 18-30-somethings. Yolo trips are built for those who want to take on the planet in a fun and affordable way with a small group of like-minded travellers. Skip the oversized tour bus and truly connect with your destination. Hit the highlights without giving up the freedom to mix it up according to your own tastes.

Shanghai to Hong Kong Fujian Adventure

Tour Map of Shanghai to Hong Kong Fujian Adventure

It’s in the spaces between Shanghai and Hong Kong that you get a true taste of what China has to offer. Don’t believe us? Just take the Fujian tulou, for example – better yet, on this 10-day trip, you’ll get to stay in those famous Hakka roundhouses yourself and really get a sense of rural Chinese culture. Additionally, there’ll be time to take the perfect hike in the beautiful Wuyishan area and hit up a few of the major cities as well. China can be difficult to navigate on your own, so let us take the planning off your shoulders and leave you free to simply enjoy the ride.