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Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Warriors 4 days •

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About the Challenge

Lying over 1000km from Beijing, Xi’an is the capital city of Shannxi Province in central China, and one of the most famous and ancient cities in China. It was the imperial city for 13 Chinese dynasties, lasting over 1000 years, and the starting point of the famed Silk Road. Its old city walls are some of the best-preserved in the country. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), Xi’an was one of the greatest cities in the world with a population of over one million, and was a centre of international trade.

The focus of this trip is the incredible Terracotta Warriors, at the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Hung, 25km east of the city. Despite their world renown, the Terracotta Warriors were only discovered in 1974 when local farmers were digging a well. Buried for over 2000 years, the ranks of soldiers that can be seen today are one of the most amazing sights in China, yet were never intended to be seen by the public. Thousands of life-size terracotta figures of warriors, horses and chariots stand in battle formation, designed to follow their emperor into immortality. The figures have different facial expressions and marks of rank, and are incredibly lifelike. Originally they carried real weapons such as bows, swords and crossbows, many of which remain – and were still sharp when first uncovered.

This is a great opportunity to extend your stay after your Great Wall trek and experience what is considered by many to be the eighth wonder of the world.

When registering on this extension, a photocopy or scan of your current passport details page is required in order to book the overnight train.  Please send this with your booking ref to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. immediately after you sign up. 

This extension requires a minimum of 3 people to operate (it may be possible to operate this for 2 people but a supplement will be payable). Please contact the office for pricing and availability.

Dates & Prices

Itinerary


Dates & Prices

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When registering on this extension, a photocopy or scan of your current passport details page is required in order to book the overnight train.  Please send this to us at the same time as booking.

This extension requires a minimum of 3 people to operate (it may be possible to operate this for 2 people but a supplement will be payable).

Contact the office for pricing and availability.

NB: It is advisable to book early to guarantee availability and avoid any disappointment.

 

What's included?

  • Accommodation in good 3* hotel in Xi’an in shared twin/double room
  • Hotel breakfasts and Chinese meals in local restaurants as indicated in itinerary
  • Entrance fees to sites in itinerary
  • Overnight train to Xi’an in soft-sleeper carriage; internal flight back to Beijing
  • All transportation around Xi’an (private car or coach depending on group size)

 

What's not included?

  • Meals as indicated
  • Optional activities (eg bike hire, cultural show)
  • Personal spending, tips, drinks, etc

On the Trip

  • Your safety, and that of the rest of the group, is our highest priority. Our trips are designed and planned with safety in mind. Your crew will be equipped with communication devices (eg phones, radios and/or emergency satellite phones), medical kit and other safety apparatus appropriate to the destination. Our leaders always have access to our 24-hour emergency UK back-up. They are responsible for safety on the trip, and will make any changes to the itinerary they deem necessary, should local conditions dictate. Pre-trip administration - such as medical questionnaires and travel insurance as appropriate - is all done with your safety in mind.

Preparing for the Challenge

  • This is designed to be a challenge, and it is vital that you train sufficiently for it. We will supply you with a thorough training guide once you have registered. We expect all participants to train hard in advance, but we respect everyone’s limits and do not expect everyone to maintain the same pace. Inadequate training is likely to have an impact not just on your chances of completing the challenge, but enjoying it too - and we want you to have the time of your life!

    Our challenges attract people of all levels of experience, fitness and ability as well as all ages and backgrounds. We design our challenges so that everyone can go at their own pace: this is not a race. If you have concerns about your fitness or if you have reduced mobility please do contact us for a confidential chat about whether this challenge is appropriate for you.

    For logistical and safety reasons we sometimes need to re-group, so the front-runners may find themselves waiting for the slower ones. Please relax, and remember that this is a team effort that enables people to achieve their personal goals and earn sponsorship.

  • We plan our trips around the optimal weather conditions, but could still be exposed to bad weather at any time. It is vital you are prepared for all conditions. We provide you with a detailed packing kit-list on registration, with plenty of information, and we are always available if you need advice.

  • In the unfortunate circumstance that you need to cancel your booking, we would ask that you notify us in writing either by email or post.  Your cancellation will be considered effective from the date the notice is received. Registration, administration and amendment fees are non refundable and, depending on your payment option and how close it is to your challenge departure date, you may be liable for a cancellation charge.

    Full details of all cancellation charges may be found in the Terms and Conditions of booking.

  • We have a Passenger Portal which will give you more details of the challenge itself. It also enables you to see any outstanding information we need, the countdown to your challenge departure, see your outstanding balance, make payments and update your contact details. You can access this via the following link - Passenger Portal Log in.

The DA Ethos

  • We believe that travel is a force for good, and it should be safe and accessible for everyone to take on any of our adventures, regardless of sexuality, gender, race or religion. We are committed to ensuring our travellers face no discrimination on any part of the trip we control. However, we operate in some parts of the world that are less accepting. We encourage customers to be aware of local laws and customs in their destinations for their safety and comfort.
    We don’t tolerate any form of discrimination, violence or harassment, either between travellers or involving our leaders, partners or local people. Any behaviour that disrespects our customers, leaders or local communities, makes others feel unsafe or breaks local laws may result in removal from a trip or denying their booking.

  • We are committed to an ethos of responsible travel here at Discover Adventure; this means sustainable tourism, ethical travel, community engagement, cultural respect, wildlife protection, fair trade practices, carbon footprint reduction and more. We have been on a 30-year journey with this as one of our core principles, and it continues to evolve; you can keep up to date with what we are up to and what all of this translates into on a DA trip here.
    From 2024, we will offset our entire carbon footprint, including the flights, via a carbon credit scheme (see more here). We must do all we can to be on the right side of history. Our offsetting brings peace of mind to many of our customers, but we think it is essential that our customers are aware of their impact; with this in mind, we encourage our participants to donate to World Land Trust’s Buy an Acre project when they book an adventure.

  • Our brilliant group dynamic is fundamental to us. We have become synonymous with it over our 30 years of adventure: the supportive nature and group camaraderie are always listed as one of the trip highlights in our feedback. You’ll meet people of widely varying backgrounds, motivations and experiences. Under these unique circumstances, you are more likely to open up about your story and form lifelong friendships. You’ll likely find something that resonates with everyone in the group. This is a unique way of travelling, after all, and that’s what brings you all together.
    We have travellers from 18 – 80 across all of our challenges, with the average age of our participants being in the mid-40s.

  • Over the years, people with wide-ranging abilities have achieved personal goals on our adventures that they may have previously assumed were out of their reach.
    We must be aware of any circumstances that may affect your ability to take on the trip, whether you have concerns about fitness, health conditions or disability. This way, we can ensure we are providing the best advice and support. You will be asked to sign a medical declaration upon booking.

    Whilst we will always try our best for you, by the nature of adventure, not all of our challenges are accessible, and we are not an operator specifically offering adapted adventures. If you would like to have a confidential chat with the team about anything before booking, please give us a call or an email; we will be more than happy to help.

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