China

Activity level

We consider this program to be moderately strenuous and at times physically demanding and busy. Limited internal flight schedules may necessitate travel early in the morning or late in the evening. Our days are long with a full schedule of excursions, lectures, and special events. Daily excursions involve one to three miles of walking, with tours as long as three hours on city streets, which may be uneven or cobblestone. Significant walking and climbing of stairs may also be required at some hotels, train stations, and airports. In some instances, such as at temples, steps are a necessary part of the tour and may not have handrails. September is the start of autumn in China, temperatures are beginning to cool off, although it can still be warm and humid, especially in the south. Although all the hotels and motor coaches used in this program are air-conditioned, other traditional means of conveyance and some of the museums and temples we visit are not air-conditioned.