Four Lines, One Country

Special Notes

A few things on this route follow the calendar, a reservation system or a supplier's confirmation. Here they are, told straight.

• Two airports in Beijing — Beijing Capital and Beijing Daxing are far apart and serve different airlines, so your flight number and arrival airport are included in your confirmation before the pickup is scheduled.
• Departure dates — Dates are set so that day two never falls on a Monday, when the Forbidden City is closed. If your preferred date would put it there, days two and three swap places.
• Reservation booked sites — the Forbidden City takes reservations seven days ahead, and the National Museum of China and the Shanghai Museum are also reservation only, with booking systems that work poorly with overseas mobile numbers. All three are booked by us, and whether each reservation is secured is confirmed for your order before you pay.
• The national holiday week — For departures in the October 1 to 7 holiday week, reservation availability at the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors and seat availability on the two intercity legs are verified first, and your order is confirmed only after that check clears.
• Crowds at the warriors — This site attracts very large crowds during the high season. The visit is scheduled early in the day, and your guide routes you along the pits accordingly. What we do not do is promise you a quiet hall.
• Seat class and cabin class — The standing seat class on the train and cabin class on the flight are being finalised. Until they are settled, the seat class and cabin class for your order are stated in writing in your quote, and no order is taken without them.
• Group — Private, just your party. From 1 guest. No fixed maximum party size.
• Visa window — the 30 day visa free policy currently runs through December 31, 2026. Because this is a 9 day plan, departures on or before December 23, 2026 finish inside that window; later departure dates are quoted only after the official renewal is announced.
• US passports — the US is not on the 30 day visa free list, so every US guest on this route holds a valid Chinese tourist or business visa, including a 10 year multiple entry one. The fee and the processing are your own, and we confirm visa status before any payment.
• Arrivals from southern Europe, Australia and New Zealand — nonstop service into Beijing from these markets is thin, and part of it is seasonal. Southern Europe here means Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. For your dates we check the arrival time against the day one pickup before quoting. Where a connection through another hub is needed, that sector is booked by you, or by us on request with the ticket cost still on your account.
• Departure day timing — Day nine includes a morning of touring, so your departure flight time is checked before quoting to ensure a clean drop-off window.
• Confirmation and changes — The confirmation time commitment and the change and refund terms are being finalised with our ground partners. Until they are settled, each quote states in writing its own confirmation deadline and its change and refund conditions. This route holds one high-speed train leg and one domestic flight leg, so a date change touches rail and airline inventory as well as hotels and reservations.