Tea Tour of China

Visit China's Tea Gardens and Magnificent MountainsIf you are a tea lover and want to find out how tea is harvested, processed and turned from a simple leaf into the tea you love to drink or you would simply like to explore some of the most beautiful countryside and mountains in China, while experimenting with real proper Chinese food, then this tour would be perfect for you. Juyan, the owner of the Chinese Tea Company will take you to tea gardens, tea factories and potteries' workshop where she has developed deep friendships over the years, and explain to you all the little details that you want to know about tea cultivation and production, taste many different teas that you will never be able to find outside of China. She will also walk you through some of the magnificent and beautiful natural scenery, mountains and small valleys. Check Videos of our previous tours. TOUR DETAILS:Date: 18th April – 29th April 2019Cost: £2,650.00 per person, includes: accomodations - 3 or 4 stars hotels; meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner; domestic transportation-we will travel around by car; entrance fees and shows for scheduled activities.Deposit: £250.00 non-refundable deposit. Full payment is due by 1st March 2019. Should be not reach the requried group size and have to cancel we will refund your deposit in full. Tour cost does not include: International flights to and from Shanghai; visas arrangement, but we are happy to advise you in booking your flight to China and procuring your visa. Travel insurance, medical insuranc and immunizations; optional tours, shows, tipes and personal expenses.Tour group size: Maximum 6 people. This is a very small group will allow personal interaction, education and experience to make this a remarkable tour. How to book: If you are interested i joining this tour please email us: juyan.webster@the-chinese-tea-company.com . ITINERARY: DAY 1 (18th) – meeting up in Shanghai and travel to Yixing: Pick up everybody from airport or hotels for the one who arrive in Shanghai before 18th, and meet with your fellow travellers. We then will drive from Shanghai to Yixing. Once arrive, we will check in the hotel and then have lunch. We will have a relax afternoon by hiking a bamboo forest in Yixing and get feel of China.DAY 2 (19th) – Yixing, the pottery capital of China:Today it is all about Yixing teapots. Yixing is famous for it's unglazed clay teapots; more commonly knows as Yixing Teapots. First off, we will go all the way back into history and visit a 600 year old 'Dragon Kiln' that has been used for centuries (and is still very much in use today) to fire Yixing Teapots that are made from the Zisha clay that is only found in the hills of this area. We then go to visit one of the China's top Grand Master Yixing Teapot Masters - Dong Ya Fang and get to watch her make a Yixing Teapot and get the opportunity to make our very own Yixing Teapots with her guidance and the help from her students. This is a very unique opportunity as not only do you get expert tuition from one of China most respected Teapot masters who is also a very kind and lovely lady but you also get to make your own. While we are in Yixing we will also try the local cuisine in one of their local restaurants.DAY 3 (20th) – Mogan Mountain for Mogan Green Tea and Yellow tea:Driving to Mogan Mountain and have lunch at farmer’s factory together with their works, after the lunch we will visit their organic tea garden and the factory where you can see how a green tea is processed, maybe even a Yellow Tea if they are making on that day. We will taste different grades of green teas, but also the green teas, yellow tea and red teas that are produced from the same tea bushes. DAY 4 (21st) – Hangzhou city:Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province and one of the seven ancient capitals of China with its beautiful lake - West Lake, mountains and many attractions, it has become the world-famous destination and is known as the "paradise on earth". We will take a long walk around the West Lake and walking through the Old china Street on He Fang Street.DAY 5 (22nd) – Long Jing Village for Dragon Well Green Tea: Visiting the China National Tea Museum in the morning and then to the Longjing Village that is is known for producing one of China most famous and loved teas: Long Jing, or Dragon Well Green Tea. Longjing Village is a very beautiful and peaceful town surrounded by hilly tea terraces on each side and is very rural with traditionl-style houses. This is the real deal, no storefronts or tourist teahouses here, this is where the tea farmers work and live. Even though Longjing village it is only a stones throw away from the beautiful but busy city of Hangzhou is couldn't be more different, they are like worlds apart. Visiting our tea farmer's house and they treat us to a local, home made ameal prepared and cooked fresh by them. We sit outside having lunch that has amazing views of Longjing's idyllic tea terraces that is roamed by straw hatted tea pickers and while we wait for the food to be made and samle the latest and best harvest that they have just picked and processed. After eating and drinking tea, we will walk up to Longjing Imperial Tea Garden and then reach to tea planation and try to harvest some tealeaves for the farmer if the weather is good, enjoying the amazing scenery and peaceful surroundings. DAY 6 (23rd) – Hangzhou city to Huangshan Mountain:Drive to the foot of the Huangshan Mountains, one of the most famous moutnisn in China. After having a quick lunch, we will take the cable car to the top of the Huangshan Mountain. It will be late afternoon by the time you have checked-in to your hotel located on top of this magnificent mountain range but this is an excellent time to take a short walk in the area around the hotel itself and see some truly beautiful views. We will stay at the top of the mountain. DAY 7 (24th) – Huangshan Mountains: Today is all about enjoying the beautiful view of Huangshan mountain but also prepare to have a long walk with many steps. We would advise everyone to wake at 4am and then make the way to the edge of the mountain to watch the beautiful sunrise. After that, we will back to the hotel to have breakfast and then begin to 7km (4.3 mile) hike to the western side of the mountain. On the hike we will take in Huangshan Mountain's most spectacular views and ascend to its highest peak - Lotus Peak. Finally, we will take the cable car down to the bottom of the mountain.DAY 8 (25th) – Huangshan Mountain to Wuyi Mountains:It will be a long drive, when we arrive in Wuyi mountain area, it will be about 2/3pm. We will visit our Wuyi Rock tea farmer, meet the head of the family Master Wu. who is the sixth generation of the family processing divine Rock Teas. We will taste many of their beautiful Wu Yi Rock Teas. DAY 9 (26th) – Xia Mei Ancient Village:Xia Mei Ancient Village, the village is part of the Wuyi Mountain World Heritage Site and is where the Ancient Tea road began. After lunch at the Xia Mei Village, we will head to the river side for floating along the Nine Curves River in a bamboo boat and enjoy the gorgeous scenery and you will understand why this particular area is so well suited for Oolong tea. In the evening, we will watch “Impression Da Hong Pao” which is an outdoor theatrical performance. DAY 10 (27th) – Wuyi Mountains, the mother tree of Da Hong Pao:We take a long but easy walking-trip up into the Wuyi Mountains and visit Da Hong Pao's mother bush, which is over 350 years old growing on a cliff. We then walk further into the mountains past many, many tea gardens hosting a massive number of different Oolongs while on the way to Water Curtain Cave, you can see many small tea bushes are planted on the rock or on the side of the path where you will notice the different variety of tea bushes. Then we will back to our tea famer’s tea tasting room, we will have a proper tasting session of different types of Rock Teas and try to recognize the differences among each teas. At this point you will really taste everything in one single cup of what you have just seen, smell and feel during the long walk through the mountains. DAY 11 (28th) – Master Wu’s Rock tea planation:will follow the tea pickers to the tea planation and try to harvest tealeaves from their tea planation, you will be taught what the right leaves to pick. Back to tea factory and observe how an Oolong tea is made step by step. Then we will be back to the tea tasting room again, at this time you will learn how to brew Rock Teas in Gong Fu Tea method.DAY 12 (29th) – back to Shanghai:Visiting local tea market in the morning, this will be you last chance to pick up something to bring back home. We will have early lunch and then drive back to Shanghai Pudong International airport. You will stay at the hotel near to the airport. *The daily itinerary is subject to change due to weather condition*Please book you flight back home on or after 30th April, as we will be at the airport late in the evening.