Deposit Information:

The deposit and the fees for the optional Protection Plan or Cancel Fee Waiver [CFW] coverage are due at time of booking. Your deposit is £350.

Terms and Conditions:

For additional information pertaining to our Tauck Journeys, including Cancellation Information and Booking Conditions, click here to learn more.

At the time of booking, please have the following information ready:

• Tour Name and Departure Date Desired
• Traveler Name(s):  Please have first and last names as they appear on the passport or driver's license.
• Traveler's Address(es)
• Traveler's Phone Number(s)
• Emergency Contact Information: This would be a relative or friend whom we could contact during the tour in the event of an emergency. Please provide their name and phone number(s).
• Interest in purchasing a travel protection product (US and Canada)
• Interest in extending your trip by staying in a Tauck recommended hotel before your trip begins or after it ends
• Interest in our specially negotiated airfares.

Regarding your final payment:

Final Payment is due as specified on the invoice. Bookings without full payment at this time may be subject to cancellation without notice. 

Customer Protection: Our UK-based agents comply with the bonding requirements of the Civil Aviation Authority and provide full financial protection for the package holidays that we sell in the UK. For flight-based holidays, this is through the Air Travel Organiser's Licence (details of which are available from the UK-based agent with whom you book). When you buy a package holiday that doesn't include a flight, protection of your monies paid to our UK-based agent will be provided by way of a bond.

Tauck Care and Global Response

Keeping our guests safe and secure has always been of paramount importance at Tauck. While we cannot predict or prevent events outside of our control, we have learned to expect the unexpected. In fact, we've planned for it and have safeguards, protocols and teams in place to deal with any eventualities. You'll travel with a comprehensive, built-in support system that starts with the care and local knowledge of our Tauck Directors and extends to our network of partners around the world, including hoteliers and transportation companies.

Our Global Response Team stands ready to respond to situations around the world. Over the past two decades, they have successfully led us through a variety of challenges around the world, from weather events, high and low water on rivers, work stoppages and more. We are well prepared for Covid. We provide assurance and comfort in knowing that help is readily available if and when it's ever needed.

Land Journeys:

Tauck has worked closely with our supplier partners around the world to deliver the comfort and safety you expect. The following are just some of the enhanced protocols we have put in place for Covid to provide you with the peace of mind you expect:

We are limiting guests numbers across all of our journeys

• Upon arrival, health questionnaires and temperature checks may be required

• Guest can expect to wear face coverings in group settings and when mandated by our suppliers and governments

•  Proper physical distancing will be implemented on motor coaches, during dining and sightseeing

•  High-touch areas in hotels and on-tour transportation, including motor coaches, will undergo enhanced cleaning

These protocols may vary by destination and will evolve over time. Please check for the latest updates at tauck.com/travel-updates

All U.S. citizens require a valid passport to enter China, and that passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel. (Please note that although adult passports are valid for a full ten years, children's passports require renewal every five years.) Your passport must also contain at least one blank visa page according to the Chinese government, but we recommend at least two blank pages.  If you are a United States citizen and do not have a valid passport, please contact the closest U.S. passport agency or consult the U.S. State Department web site for detailed information on how to obtain or renew your passport here.

In addition to a valid passport, and as noted in the Journey Confirmation you received confirming your reservation, U.S. citizens are also required to have a visa to enter China.  (Please Note: this visa must be processed within six months of your arrival). Your Journey Confirmation also indicated various options on how to obtain your visa.  To review (and if you are currently within the parameters of the timeframe noted above), you may elect to work with VisaCentral (a visa-assistance provider) to obtain your visa, with another visa-assistance provider of your choosing, or by working directly with the Chinese Embassy or Consulate.  (If you opt to work with VisaCentral, their services are available online, click here for more information.)

PLEASE NOTE: To secure a visa for China, an "invitation" must be extended to each visitor.  Tauck will provide these invitation letters to VisaCentral or they will be provided to you by Tauck upon request if you are using another visa-assistance provider.  For assistance in obtaining your invitation letter, contact our Journey Preparation Team at Journeypreparationteam@tauck.com.

International maritime security guidelines require that your passport information be provided to us prior to your embarkation. You need to provide this information to us as soon as you book your cruise or boarding may be denied. Once you board the ship, your passport will be held by the purser until you disembark.

Non-U.S. citizens should check with the Chinese Embassy or Consulate to determine necessary travel documents.

It is a good idea to carry a photocopy of the photo page of your passport in a place other than with the original, and to leave a copy of all your travel documents with a friend or relative at home.

TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN AS A GUARDIAN: If you are traveling as the guardian of a child/children, we strongly suggest that you carry a letter from both parents of the child authorizing emergency treatment in the event of illness or accident. For travel abroad, many foreign countries have specific entry requirements for children under 21 who are traveling internationally without BOTH parents. (These requirements are in response to the increased incidence of children being abducted and taken abroad.) PLEASE NOTE THAT TAUCK IS NOT RESPONSIBLE for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for children traveling without both parents.

AIRFARE: Airfare to and from this destination is not included in the journey cost. If purchasing your air elsewhere, it is very important to provide us with your confirmed arriving and departing flight information no later than 3 weeks before your arrival date. Flight information can be submitted to Tauck (or verified, if you've already provided it) in the My Account section of Tauck.com.

TAUCK AIRPORT TRANSFERS are included at the start and end of the journey between the airport and the Tauck hotel. Airport transfers are available for any pre tour or post tour hotel stays immediately consecutive to the tour, providing flight information is received in the Tauck office no later than three weeks in advance. Details on locating your transfer upon arrival to the tour start city will be included in your final documents.

AIRLINES and CHECKED LUGGAGE: Due to space limitations during your Tauck journey, we ask that you please limit your checked luggage to one average-size suitcase per person. Besides complying with the Tauck restriction noted above, you should also be sure to research and comply with all airline baggage restrictions relating to your flights to and from your Tauck journey. Airlines have become much more strict in enforcing size and weight limits in recent years, and are free to revise luggage policies without notice. Researching and complying with airline luggage restrictions is the responsibility of the guest, and Tauck cannot be held responsible for any costs or disruptions to travel caused by the failure to research and comply with airline policies. PLEASE NOTE that if you are booked on a tour that includes on-tour flights, the checked luggage weight restrictions for these flights may be lower than the weight restrictions for your international flights.

Special Luggage Restrictions for this Tour

Due to strictly enforced weight restrictions on intra-China flights, luggage weight per person must not exceed 44 lbs (20 kg) and you are permitted only one piece of checked luggage. Luggage exceeding the allowable weight is subject to excess baggage charges, which can result in a considerable additional expense. The charge for overweight baggage can range from $1 to $5 USD per pound, per flight sector. It is your sole responsibility to pay for any excess baggage charges.

Regulations within most airports require that you handle your own luggage through customs. On these occasions, luggage carts will be available.

The Chinese government has strict regulations regarding carry-on luggage as well. The maximum allowable weight is 11 lbs (5 kg), and the maximum allowable dimensions are 22" by 15" by 8" (55 cm 38 cm by 20 cm). THESE DIMENSIONS INCLUDE ALL WHEELS, HANDLES, ETC. If these dimensions are exceeded, the carry-on will be checked. This requirement is enforced by the airport, not the airline, and is done before you go through to passport control or the gate.

On on-tour flights, the following additional items are allowed:

• One small size handbag / purse
• One coat or blanket
• One umbrella or one walking stick
• One pair of crutches
• One small camera \ binoculars

Checked Luggage - General

Besides complying with the Tauck restriction noted above, you should also be sure to research and comply with all airline baggage restrictions relating to your flights to and from your Tauck journey. Airlines have become much more strict in enforcing size and weight limits in recent years, and luggage exceeding airline standards for size or weight may result in expensive overage fees or other consequences.

Airlines are free to revise luggage policies without notice, and certain airlines have different baggage allowances for different classes of service. Researching and complying with airline luggage restrictions is the responsibility of the guest, and Tauck cannot be held responsible for any costs or disruptions to travel caused by the failure to research and comply with airline policies.

Tauck luggage tags will be provided by your Tauck Director on Day 1 of your itinerary. Please do not attach a Tauck luggage tag to any carry-on items, as the Tauck tags designate luggage that is to be handled and transferred by ground operators and hotel staff during your journey.

Carry-on Luggage – General

Although oversize bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.

For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and that you bring only those items you need handy during the day such as make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or on the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may be inaccessible during daytime travel.

HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

The local water is not potable and we will supply bottled water or water in thermoses throughout the tour.

There is a physician on board the riverboat who is qualified in both western and Chinese medicine. The riverboat does not carry a defibrillator. Customary charges are in effect for medical care.

If you have a medical condition that might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify us as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.

Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling. If you will not be covered under your current policy, we strongly suggest that you arrange for adequate coverage while on tour.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Some of the countries visited on this itinerary may require travelers to provide proof of vaccination against certain diseases in order to enter the country.  These requirements are subject to frequent change as outbreaks occur and subside in different areas, and it is therefore crucial that you obtain the very latest information on entry requirements as you prepare for your journey.

For the most current information, please consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by clicking here and the World Health Organization (WHO) by clicking here. You may also wish to visit the web sites for the embassies of the countries you will be visiting.  Besides providing details on vaccination requirements, these sites can also provide information on vaccinations that may be recommended (but aren't required) and other potential health issues for which no vaccines are available.

Any decisions relating to your health, of course, should not be based solely on information provided by a web site. It is critically important that you consult with your personal physician prior to your journey to obtain any required vaccinations and to review any optional recommendations offered by the CDC or other sources.

Please be sure to discuss your journey with your physician at least four to six weeks in advance of your departure, as certain vaccinations take time to become fully effective.  Also, be certain to ask your physician for proof of any vaccinations you receive, and to pack this proof along with your other travel documents in your carry-on luggage (not in your checked luggage).

Researching and complying with vaccination entry requirements for the countries visited on this itinerary is the responsibility of the traveler and not Tauck. Tauck is therefore not responsible for any expenses incurred or disruptions to travel caused by improper or incomplete vaccinations, or by the failure to provide proof of required vaccinations.

If you do not obtain the necessary vaccinations and proper documentation, you may be denied entry into one or more countries, or temporarily quarantined until the necessary vaccinations are administered, or until proper documentation is provided.

SPECIAL DIETARY REQUESTS

The restaurants, hotels, caterers and numerous other partners we work with all do their best to accommodate special dietary requests from Tauck guests. However, given the diverse nature of those food providers (from small wineries to grand hotels to world-famous restaurants in more than 70 countries worldwide), some of our partners are better able than others to accommodate such requests. We therefore cannot guarantee that all dietary requests can be accommodated at every meal. Also, please note that where dietary requests can be accommodated, choices will frequently be limited.

SAFETY

Airline Disinsection

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a guidance letter that requires airlines and travel agents to disclose to consumers countries that require the use of insecticides by airlines. rel="noopener noreferrer" Please click here for more information.

MOBILITY

To enjoy this tour, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surfaces and stand for extended periods of time. This is a rigorous journey that covers 1,065 miles (1,714 km), and includes five on-tour flights and a riverboat cruise. The benefits are many and require the effort to match. Various modes of transportation will be used to highlight different aspects of China's culture and geography, including airplane, riverboat, sampan, trishaw, aerial lift and funicular.

Much of the sightseeing can only be accomplished on foot and it is strongly suggested that you pack sturdy, comfortable walking shoes that have already been broken-in in order to appreciate fully what China has to offer.

Depending on the water level in the Yangtze River at different times of the year, it may be necessary to walk over several pontoons and climb up approximately 50 to150 steps without handrails in order to reach the motorcoach.

Although there is no significant altitude change from location to location, the air quality is poor in Beijing and in most of the cities visited. In the summer months, it is hot and humid throughout China and Asia.

There are no restrooms on the motor coaches in China and there are no laws regarding disabilities similar to those found in the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Therefore, restrooms at some of our destinations do not have western commodes and are not stocked with soap or paper towels. We suggest you bring tissues, handkerchiefs, soap leaves and antibacterial lotion. The hotels do have western commodes as well as soap and paper towels. Some hotels have washroom attendants; it is customary to tip these attendants.

The local water is not potable and we will supply bottled water or water in thermoses throughout the tour.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN AND MOBILITY ISSUES:  This Tauck itinerary cannot accommodate oxygen tanks, wheelchairs or motorized scooters.  Oxygen tanks are strictly prohibited in many foreign countries on regional flights aboard small aircraft, such as those intra-tour flights featured on this Tauck journey.  Likewise, the very limited cargo capacity on such flights prohibits the transport of wheelchairs or motorized scooters.

Guests should also bear in mind that the infrastructure in many foreign countries, particularly in developing countries, often presents severe and even insurmountable challenges for those with walking difficulties or other mobility issues.  The responsibility of the Tauck Director is to ensure that the larger group enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing individual assistance to any one guest.  Guests requiring such individualized assistance must be accompanied by an able-bodied companion who can provide it.

WEATHER

The climate of China is temperate, which is similar to the United States. Expect cool, sometimes cold, weather in Beijing in spring and fall with temperatures ranging from 40-65 ºF (4-18 ºC). During the summer months, the temperatures are warm and generally range from 75-85 ºF (24-29 ºC).

The average temperature in Hong Kong rarely dips below 60 ºF (16  ºC). From April through October, you may expect temperatures to vary between 65 and 85 ºF (18 and 29 ºC).

Temperatures in the Three Gorges region (Yangtze) and Guilin average 65 ºF (18 ºC) in April and May and 80 ºF (27 ºC) in June, July and August. Temperatures return to about 65 ºF (18 ºC) in October.

Please note that although it does appear to be quite rainy in some areas of the tour at different times of the year, the rain is often intermittent. It is entirely appropriate to encourage travel during these months.

To determine current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website by clicking here.

We have partnered with New Headings, an experienced online provider of travel gear, to assist you in selecting the appropriate gear for this destination. Their Tauck-exclusive website is accessible at necessarygear.com. Please note that while Tauck has an affiliation with New Headings, this is only one option for travel gear. You may wish to look into other outfitters for your travel needs.