China Cruise Land Excursions

We are going on a cruise and will call on Xiamen - 10.00-18.00 and 2 full days in Shanghai. Would we be able to see the Great Wall and Terracota Army. Can you recommend best places to see within this limited time?

Sindy from the U.K.

Unfortunately your cruise itinerary is very tight. Xiamen is in the southern part of China, the Great Wall is in Beijing, in the north. The Terracotta Army is inland in Xian. You would have to fly to both places, so I don't recommend seeing either of them on this trip. You can easily spend two days in Shanghai, there is a lot to see and do here, there are some recommendations in our Shanghai page:

Things to do in Shanghai

In addition, you might want to visit the Shanghai Museum, we didn't since we were with the kids, not their thing, but it is one of the best ones in China.

I haven't been to Xiamen and can't give you any recommendations, but check out the tripadvisor.com forums for things to do for a day:

Activities in Xiamen Fujian

On the other hand, if you would like to give it a try, it is technically possible to do either the Great Wall or the Terracotta Warriors in one day from Shanghai, but it would mean sacrificing one of your Shanghai days.

There are flights early in the morning and returning late in the evening, check www.ctrip.com or www.elong.net for flights.

Once you land, I would recommend hiring a guide ahead of time so you can make the most of your short trip and visit a few other places. The Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Tiananmen, Hutongs etc. are all close to each other, and you could choose one of the wall sections nearest Beijing, either Badaling or Juyongguan.

You can check the forums in Tripadvisor.com there are a few guides recommended by travelers and they have their own cars, will pick you up at the airport and drop you off at the end of the day. Other way to find excellent guides is through concierge services at hotels.

It can be done but know it won't be a relaxing day, so try to get your rest on the other days of the cruise!

If I had to choose between the Wall or the Warriors, I would go with the Wall. Sometimes the Warriors go on tour and you might be able to catch them by your place, they were in London a couple of years ago.