In Pursuit of Pandas
13 days London to London
This trip offers an unsurpassed opportunity to track and view Giant Pandas in the Qinling Mountains in their natural habitat. Pandas live at high altitudes, are solitary, and excellent at evading human presence, yet land pressure means the threat of extinction. Viewing of wild pandas cannot of course be guaranteed, but in the research areas you will have the opportunity to experience the natural beauty and wildlife of China and to learn about panda protection first hand. An open mind and spirit of adventure are a must! You will be staying in basic hostel style accommodation in the main research areas.
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- Days 1 & 2. Xi'an
- Depart on the evening flight from London to the city of Xi'an via Beijing where you will be met and taken to a 4-star hotel for two nights.
- Day 3. Xi'an [B, L, D]
- Today we have included a day trip to see the Terracotta Warrior museum and the outstanding History Museum of Xi'an.
- Day 4. Yang County [B, L, D]
- Drive to Yang County where you will visit the Ibis Reserve which has the only wild population of Crested Ibis in the world. Overnight at the Ibis Protection Centre.
- Day 5. Foping Nature Reserve [B, L, D]
- After early morning birding at the Ibis Reserve continue to Foping County where you visit Shaanxi Foping National Nature Reserve Bureau and Qinling Mountains Man & Nature Educational Centre to learn more about the local projects to protect wildlife. Spend the night at Foping Nature Reserve. The Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi provide a rich and diverse range of ecosystems, and the remote location ensures the survival of many rare species including the elusive Giant Panda, Golden Monkey, Takin, Crested Ibis, Golden Eagle, and Clouded Leopard. This area boasts the world's highest density of pandas.
- Days 6 to 8. Foping Nature Reserve [B, L, D]
- Travel further into Foping Reserve where you hike through the reserve to Qinling Wild Research Centre. Your destination today will be the Sanguanmiao Research Centre where you will be based for three nights taking daily trips out with specialist naturalist guides.
- Days 9 to 10. Laoxiancheng Nature Reserve [B, L, D]
- Head to Laoxiancheng Nature Reserve where you will be based for two nights whilst you go out with specialist naturalist guides to look for wild pandas in the reserve.
- Day 11. Golden Monkey Reserve [B, L, D]
- Spend a final morning trekking for wild pandas, before departing for the Golden Monkey Reserve. Overnight at a local lodge.
- Day 12. Xi'an [B]
- Visit the Golden Monkey Reserve in the morning before returning to Xi'an for the night in a 4-star hotel.
- Day 13. Homeward [B]
- Fly to Beijing and connect with your flight to the UK, arriving later the same day.
