4-Day Huangshan & Huizhou: Hongcun, Xidi & Tunxi Old Street

The Huizhou region produced two things at once: the merchants who financed it and the landscape they built in. Hongcun and Xidi, both inscribed as World Heritage sites in 2000, are the work of families made rich by salt and tea, with the water system at Hongcun laid out in 1131 and still running. Above them the Yellow Mountains were inscribed in 1990, as much for the way Chinese painting has framed the scenery as for the scenery itself.

This four-day programme pairs the two, with a night on the mountain for the sunrise and a day in the villages below. It closes with Tunxi Old Street, the merchant street in Huangshan city where the tea and ink that paid for the villages were traded.

• Hongcun, laid out in 1131 around an artificial water system, and one of the two Huizhou villages inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2000
• The Moon Pond and the South Lake at Hongcun, and the Ming and Qing houses that front them
• Xidi, the other inscribed village, with 124 surviving traditional houses along its main lanes
• The Yellow Mountains, a mixed World Heritage site since 1990, with the granite pillars and the pines that grow out of bare rock
• The sunrise from a summit hotel, and the Sea of Clouds when the conditions allow
• Tunxi Old Street in Huangshan city, the tea and ink merchants' street of the nineteenth century
• Huizhou cooking, with the stinky mandarin fish, the cured ham and the bamboo shoots of the region

• Accommodation for 3 nights at a 4-star or equivalent hotel, twin share, with daily breakfast
• Meals as listed in the daily itinerary (breakfasts and lunches as shown)
• Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver throughout
• English-speaking local guide (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian or Japanese on request)
• All entrance fees for the sites listed, including shuttle buses, eco-buses and cable cars where the site requires them
• Local handling and coordination service throughout the programme
• Bottled water (2 bottles per person per day) and audio headsets where group size requires them
• Travel accident insurance for the duration of the tour

• International air tickets and any domestic flights not listed in the itinerary
• China visa or visa-free entry documentation fees
• Meals not specified in the daily itinerary and all beverages/alcohol
• Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff (suggested USD 8-12 per person per day)
• Personal expenses: laundry, telephone, minibar, shopping
• Optional activities and any item not listed under Price Includes
• Single-room supplement if a traveller requires a room alone
• Porterage of luggage to the summit hotel is payable locally

Please read these notes before booking. The summit hotels are simpler than the city hotels and are booked by category; we confirm the exact property at the time of booking. The mountain is clouded for much of the year and the views cannot be guaranteed, with October and November the clearest months. The climb to the summit hotel involves steps and porterage; luggage is carried up by hand or by cable car, and a day pack is recommended for the mountain night.

Q: Is this tour private or shared?
A: It is a private tour for your own party, with a dedicated English-speaking guide and vehicle.

Q: Are airport transfers included?
A: Yes. Arrival and departure transfers in Huangshan are included, and your guide meets you with a name sign at the airport or rail station.

Q: Can the itinerary be customised?
A: Yes. Days can be added, removed or swapped, hotel categories upgraded, and business or school visits arranged, all before you confirm.

Q: How do we book and pay?
A: Send us your dates and group size for a same-day quotation. A deposit confirms the booking, the balance is due before arrival, and prices are guaranteed for 7 days.