CHINA DISCOVERY SAMPLE SCHOOL 7 DAYS – 2016—2017

www.nomadic-schools.co.uk [email protected] 0118 9737 011

Trip outline– Teacher version Tour overview

What you get

Highlights

Tour type

Hotel

• Flights

• Beijing

Vehicle type

Private Mini Van /

• Arrival / Departure transfer on days 1 & 7

• Temple of Heaven

coach

• Full Board: 6 Breakfasts, 5 lunches, 6 dinners

• Forbidden City

2 crew PER vehicle

• 6 nights 3* hotel

Tour rating

Easy / Moderate

• Transport in private mini van / coach

Accommodation

3* Hotel

• Services of 1 or 2 person crew (leader and driver per vehicle)

Tour start-finish

Beijing

Crew

Number on tour

35

• Summer palace • Tian An Men square • Olympic Park—Birds-nest stadium

• All entrance fees

• Great Wall

• All road taxes and tolls

• Xian by Bullet train

• Excluded

• Terra Cotta army

• Drinks

• Shanghai

• Optional activities • Visa costs

Optional Where?

Activity

Also included... •

18 years travel experience in the schools market

•

Full Public Liability, Professional Indemnity & Crisis Management Insurance cover

•

Free Travel Insurance for the students / Free teacher places / Free ipad or Kindle with your first booking

•

100% Financial Protection through ABTA / ATOL Bonding

•

All tours Fully Risk Assessed

•

Full bespoke in-house service to take the strain out of organising your tour

Price •

Student Group size: 35

•

Inc. teacher places: 3

•

Departure: 2016-2017

•

Itinerary: As quoted

£TBA per pupil Example price excludes visas, optional activities and spending money and is based on a group size of 35 students.

How much

Your itinerary Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Arrival to Beijing

Beijing

Beijing

Today is full of excitement, as after breakfast we head out of Beijing city centre and up to one of the seven new wonders of the world and The Great Wall of China. Nothing can prepare you for the sight of this magnificent structure. It is over 6000km long, 6-7 m high and 4-5 m wide. It was started more than 2000 years ago and it was only the Qin Dynasty that joined it all together, to make a structure that can actually be seen from space.

The world famous Tian An Men square awaits our visit this morning. One of the top ten largest squares in the world. We can see the entrance to the Forbidden City, along with the Monument to the Peoples Heroes, Great Hall of the People , National Museum and The Mausoleum of Mao Zedong who proclaimed here on the square on Oct 1st 1949 the founding of the Peoples Republic of China.

We will pick you up from Beijing International Airport and transfer you to your hotel. Today will largely depend on your flight arrival time, but typically we will visit the Temple of Heaven after lunch.

Included : Flight / Airport transfer / Entry fees / Guide Accommodation / Lunch / Dinner Not Included : Drinks

We head back to Beijing for lunch and a visit to the Olympic Park, home to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. We head back to our hotel for dinner and a well earned rest.

Included : Guided tour Great Wall / Olympic Park entrance / Transport / Guide Accommodation / Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Not Included : Drinks

We will visit the Forbidden City, home to many dynasties, including the Ming and Qing dynasties from 1420-1912. After lunch we will visit the Summer Palace dating back to the Jin dynasty in 1153. We have time after dinner tonight to reflect on the many sights and impressions seen today. Included : Guided tour all sites / Transport / Guide Accommodation / Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Not Included : Drinks

Your itinerary Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Xian—Terra Cotta Army

Shanghai

This may well be your highlight of your time in China, visiting the more than 8000 clay figures, only recently rediscovered by local farmers in 1974.

We have breakfast on arrival in Shanghai.

Beijing—Xian (Bullet train) We have an early breakfast today, before heading to Beijing inter-city train station to board the ‘Bullet Train’ travelling at over 300 kph to Xian. On arrival in Xian, we will transfer for a visit of the Shanxi History Museum followed by a visit to the ancient city wall of Xian.

Included : Guided tour Xian/ Bullet train / Transport / Guide Accommodation / Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Not Included : Drinks

The figures include warriors, chariots and horses, with the Mausoleum’s construction beginning over two thousand years ago and involving over 700,000 workers. It was Qin Shi Huang , China’s first Emperor that ordered the start of this ancient burial ground. We head to Xian station soon to pick up our overnight train to Shanghai.

With a population of over 24 million people, Shanghai is truly a Mega City and the economic hub of China. W will visit the Bund, the former international settlers location on the waterfront, with incredible views across to the financial city skyline. We will head up to the 88th floor of the 420 m high Jin Mao tower for an incredible birds eye view of this amazing city.

Included : Guided tour Terra Cotta Army / Transport / Guide / Overnight train

Time to reflect after dinner on an incredible week in China.

Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Included : Guided tour / Transport / Guide

Not Included : Drinks

Accommodation / Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Not Included : Drinks

Your itinerary Day 7

Depart Shanghai—UK Well our final morning has arrived and it is time to depart home :-( We will take the Meglev (magnetic rail) train back to Shanghai International airport for your flight home. Thank you for travelling with Nomadic School Tours.

Included : Breakfast / Airport transfer / Flight Not Included : Drinks

Your itinerary Before you go

What to bring • Towel Visas & permits • Torch and batteries Visas are required for British, Australian, • Camera and spare memory card New Zealand, Canadian, US and other film EU nationals for a stay of up to 60 days. • Mosquito repellent Please ensure your passport is valid for • Water bottle (water at meal times eight months from date of entry and provided) you have two clear blank pages. • Personal first aid kit, All other nationalities should contact antiseptic gel and wipes their Chinese embassy for details. Visas • Waterproof/wind proof are your responsibility so please don’t jacket forget to check! • A sturdy pair of walking shoes Vaccinations • Two spare passport photos and a It is recommended that you be vaccinatphotocopy of your passport ed for Tetanus and Polio, if you haven’t • Sun screen had a booster in the last ten years. Food • A full checklist will be and waterborne diseases are more comprovided with your joining inmon, so we recommend vaccinations structions. for typhoid (valid 3 years) and Hepatitis A (validity varies). China is not a high risk malaria area, with anti malarials not normally being advised, but please consult a physician Currency: Chines Yuan or travel clinic for further information. GBP£1.00 = CNY 8.24 Travel insurance All our passengers must be fully insured USD$1.00 = CNY 6.71 EUR1.00 = CNY 7.45 for travel to China. It is essential that CNY —CHINESE YUAN RENMINBI rates you get the correct level of cover. are subject to fluctuation. Exchange Please ensure that the policy provides adequate cover for hospital treatment, facilities are available at various bureau repatriation flights home in the event of de changes in major towns and most banks have ATMs. you being too ill to continue the trek, How much spending money is needed, personal accident, personal baggage depends largely on the individual. We and associated valuables. You must bring the policy with you as it is obliga- currently recommend an average of USD $20 - $30 per day. We can’t specify tory for joining any expedition. every sundry cost however and you’ll need to allow for expenses such as drinks, snacks and the odd souvenir. Travellers Cheques can be difficult to Luggage change en-route so we recommend you have cash for convenience and bring a Pack all your gear in a rucksack/ backpack for this type of trip. Also bring card to use in the ATM’s—most accept a daypack, to keep personal items such Visa, MasterCard, Electron, Cirrus and as your wallet, camera and water bottle. Maestro. There are ATM’s at the airport, Your rucksack/ backpack must not have which you can use upon arrival. an exterior frame. Only the soft, flexible Local prices variety is permitted. Leave your suitcase Mineral water (local brand, 500ml or 1L) at home, they’re simply not practical. Chocolate bar (local brand) Don’t overdo it! Luggage is limited to 20kgs. We will supply a full kit checklist on booking to aid your preparation.

In CHINA

Packing

Climate Although China is a small country in terms of area, there is a lot going on here in terms of weather. With a climate that is diverse and varied, China can be divided into several climatic zones, each of which are distinct and individual. In general the weather can be classified as temperate, with similar seasonal changes to the UK, but more extremes and much more varied due to the size of China and it’s topography. The weather will be very season specific.

Responsible travel Cultural awareness We cannot emphasise enough that we are travellers and therefore guests. Although we ourselves might have different views, ideas, rules and morals, it is our duty to respect and adjust where possible to the people of the region we are visiting. Never throw pens / sweets out of the vehicle. It is very patronising! Your Tour Leader will also brief you on environmental matters on the ground. Religious Awareness The Chinese Communist Party have declared China an official Atheist country, with a recent poll concluding that 61% of the population share this stand. Point. The following religions are however practised in China, Chinese Folk Religions, Taoism & Confucianism, Buddhisim, Islam and Christianity. Nomadic School Tours Association Nomadic School Tours work with and donate to the Ait Ouham Association for Development, which is a grass roots organisation that tackles local issues such as lack of education and and poor infrastructure in the Atlas mountain area of Morocco. It especially concentrates on the education and creating opportunities for girls in the Valley to further their education.

Contact Us

Visit or write

T: 0118 9737 011

Nomadic School Tours Unit 3, 24 Barkham Ride, Finchampstead, Berkshire RG40 4EU

E: [email protected] W: www.nomadic-schools.co.uk

Check our details Registered in the UK Parent company no.: 3411151 ABTA membership no.: Y3529 ATOL membership no.: 10349

“Having not used Nomadic School Tours before I must admit that I was very nervous about what to expect. Saying that, all the dealings I had had with the company and with Mark during the booking process were excellent: my questions were always answered in detail, I received everything I needed and the whole process of booking the trip was efficient and painless. Nomadic School Tours were able to accommodate our low staff to child ratio and we as a school were pleased that they were clearly ABTA bonded and sufficiently insured.

Head of Geography – King Edward V1 School