Hong Kong & Shanghai Tour

Package Overview

Hong Kong and Shanghai are two of China’s most cosmopolitan cities, and their thriving arts’ cultures and complex histories have made them locations for the exchange of ideas between very different worlds. Discover the art and culture of these two cities on this new tour, exploring their traditional and contemporary art and architecture, private gallery districts, culinary traditions and major collections. The tour also includes guided visits to Art Basel in Hong Kong, the premier contemporary art event in the Asia-Pacific region, in which more than 200 private galleries showcase their wares.

Get to know
Exceptional modern and contemporary art, presented by many of the world’s leading galleries
The unique histories of China’s most cosmopolitan cities, from ancient pasts to colonial heritage, and their emergence as modern cultural capitals
Traditional Chinese art and architecture, from temples and calligraphy to porcelain and painting
Old meets new: contemporary Chinese art in Shanghai’s commercial galleries, which represent many of China’s most innovative artists
The culinary traditions and fine dining of Hong Kong and Shanghai
HIGHLIGHTS

Guided visits to Art Basel in Hong Kong, the leading art fair in the Asia-Pacific region
Shanghai’s premier galleries and museums, including the Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai Art Museum, and Nanshi Power Station of Art
Exploring renowned art districts, such as the Bund and M50, with their fantastic and evolving exhibitions
Take a step back in time at traditional temples and gardens, including the Po Lin Monastery and Ming Dynasty Yuyuan Gardens
Experience Hong Kong’s thriving food culture, from markets to haute cuisineReturn international/domestic air travel unless those flights take place during the tour
Special taxes and airport levies that can only be paid in cash at the destination. We will advise you of these charges (if any) before you depart
Costs involved in obtaining visas for countries visited, where required
Travel insurance. We require all participants to have comprehensive travel insurance. A typical policy for one of our tours will cost from $160 upwards, depending on your age, pre-existing medical conditions, the countries you are visiting and the overall length of your trip
Lunches and dinners not specifically mentioned as included in the itinerary
Personal expenses such as laundry and phone calls
Costs associated with any activity mentioned as “optional” in the itinerary, or any suggested free time activity

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Day wise Itinerary

• Day 1 : Arrive

  Flights from most Australian cities arrive in Hong Kong in the late afternoon or early evening. We meet in the hotel for an introductory talk and then enjoy dinner. Overnight Hong Kong.

  • Meals & Drinks : Dinner

• Day 2 : Hong Kong and Art Basel

  Hong Kong’s extraordinary history, from its early foundations, to its growth as the centre of British trade and finance in Asia and its transfer back to China almost twenty years ago, is evident everywhere. This morning we explore the island’s history and culture through a tour of Central – originally Victoria City – whose architecture ranges from British Colonial through to stunning buildings designed by I.M. Pei and Norman Foster. After a break for lunch, we have a guided visit of Art Basel HK, at which well over 200 internationally respected commercial galleries, mostly from the Asia-Pacific, showcase their wares. After our guided visit, there is time for independent exploration, and you may want to visit some of the other sections of the fair, which are dedicated to large-scale sculptures and installations by international artists. Overnight Hong Kong.

  • Meals & Drinks : Breakfast

• Day 3 : Po Lin Monastery and Contemporary Art

  Despite its modernity, Hong Kong retains close links to its ancient culture. This morning we travel by coach to the Po Lin Monastery, a Buddhist temple founded by three monks in the early 20th century. The traditional Chinese Buddhist architecture of the temple is beautifully situated with views across the bay, over which gazes a 34-metre-high bronze Buddha. In the afternoon, we continue exploring the contemporary art on display in and around Art Basel, taking in a selection of the year’s best offerings. Evening at leisure. Overnight Hong Kong.

  • Meals & Drinks : Breakfast

• Day 4 : To Shanghai

  This morning take the short flight to Shanghai. After checking into our hotel, we tour the Bund district. This district, where the British, American and French settled as their main point of contact with mainland China, gave Shanghai its reputation as the Paris of the East. After a group lunch, we explore the colonial architecture along the river front is well preserved, and it remains the most fashionable place to be seen in Shanghai, not least for the views it offers across the skyline of Pudong. Our tour concludes with a visit to Yu Garden, the private garden of Shanghai’s 16th-century rulers, and today one of the best examples of Ming-era garden design. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Shanghai.

  • Meals & Drinks : Breakfast, Lunch

• Day 5 : Art and Architecture in Shanghai

  Shanghai’s museums have collections befitting the cultural capital of one of the world’s largest economies. After a talk in the hotel this morning, we visit the Shanghai Museum, whose collection of ancient art ranges from 10th-century bronzeware, to Ming dynasty furniture, and porcelain and lacquered wood from across the ages. After a break for lunch in the area, we visit the Aurora Museum, the private collection of the Aurora Group’s chairman, housed in the company’s headquarters which was designed by Tadao Ando. After our visit, we take an architecture tour of the Pudong, where teams of internationally acclaimed architects and engineers have given the city its new, futuristic landmarks, such as the twisting form of the 632-metre-high Shanghai Tower and the Pearl Radio Tower. In the late afternoon, there is the option of visiting the Rockbund Art Museum, a contemporary art gallery housed in what was originally the museum of the Royal Asiatic Society. Evening at leisure. Overnight Shanghai.

  • Meals & Drinks : Breakfast

• Day 6 : Suzhou

  Today we visit Suzhou, the Shanghai region’s most beautiful watertown. The town – sometimes called the Venice of the East – is famed for its well preserved traditional architecture and for its extensive canal systems, which were the main form of transport in trading centres along the Yangtze Delta. After touring the town, we have lunch in a traditional restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit some of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed gardens of Suzhou, which in addition to their beauty give insight into hundreds of years of Chinese garden design. Evening at leisure. Overnight Shanghai

  • Meals & Drinks : Breakfast, Lunch

• Day 7 : Contemporary Art in Shanghai

  Art has been central to Shanghai’s growth as a modern cultural capital. Today we explore Shanghai’s fantastic collections. In the morning we visit the China Art Museum, an extraordinary collection of modern and contemporary art. The core of the collection is the old Shanghai Art Museum, which rebranded in 2012 when it moved to the China Expo building – an impressive red structure that resembles a traditional Chinese crown. In the afternoon, we visit the nearby Power Station of Art, whose utilitarian architecture on the banks of the river have been transformed into an excellent venue for temporary exhibitions, followed by a visit to the West Bund Long museum. This museum contains part of the largest private art collection in China. We return to the hotel via M50 – a creative space housed inside a former cotton mill. After returning to the hotel, there is time to relax before we have a farewell meal in an excellent restaurant. Overnight Shanghai.

  • Meals & Drinks : Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 8 : Departure

  The tour ends after breakfast in the hotel. If you have booked your international travel through Academy Travel, we will include a transfer for your outbound flights.

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Inclusions

• Hotel
• Sightseeing
• Any flights mentioned in the itinerary that take place during a tour
• Land travel by private air-conditioned coach. Where appropriate public transport is also used for short distance travel on some tours
• All accommodation in hotels or apartments as stated in the itinerary
• Breakfasts, lunches and dinners specifically stated as included in the itinerary
• Drinks at welcome and farewell meals. Other meals may not have drinks included
• Background talks on tour, site notes and online resources
• Services of tour leader throughout tour
• All entrance fees to sites mentioned in the itinerary
• Local guides at some sites
• Tips for drivers, local guides and restaurants for included meals
• Airport Transfers
• Tours begin either at the arrival airport or the first hotel, depending on the itinerary. If you have booked your international flights with Academy Travel and arrive before the tour commences, we will provide airport to hotel transfers to the closest main city on your arrival, and to the closest airport at the end of the tour. These may be either individual or group transfers.

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Exclusions

• Return international/domestic air travel unless those flights take place during the tour
• Special taxes and airport levies that can only be paid in cash at the destination. We will advise you of these charges (if any) before you depart
• Costs involved in obtaining visas for countries visited, where required
• Travel insurance. We require all participants to have comprehensive travel insurance. A typical policy for one of our tours will cost from $160 upwards, depending on your age, pre-existing medical conditions, the countries you are visiting and the overall length of your trip
• Lunches and dinners not specifically mentioned as included in the itinerary
• Personal expenses such as laundry and phone calls
• Costs associated with any activity mentioned as “optional” in the itinerary, or any suggested free time activity

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Terms & Conditions

Payment Terms & Methods :
* Some Advance Percentage of total booking amount
* Airfare/Transport fare to be paid full at one time in advance.

Cancellation & Refund Policy :
* Upon cancellation, refund will be made after deducting the Retention Amount.
* Retention Amount varies as per the number of days left before your package start date.

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

This Tour is Offered by

Academy Travel View Profile

0 / 5

• Level 1, 341 George St Bank of New South Wales Building, NSW, Sydney, Australia
• XXXXXX0023 View Contact
• XXXXXXXXXX@academytravel.com.au View Mail ID

About Academy Travel

Contact Agent Plan A Trip Text Me

Interested in This Tour?

• Requests are send directly to the tour operator
• We recommend to request quotes from 3 operators