With Chinese New Year fast approaching (8th February) and a new BBC2 China Season on our screens, now is the perfect time to book that once in a lifetime trip to the Land of the Red Dragon. The Dragon Trip, an adventure and educational tour-operator, is making travel in China easier, cheaper and more exciting than ever.

If you're inspired to camp on the Great Wall of China, visit the world's biggest panda breeding centre in Chengdu or learn kung-fu with monks at the Shaolin Temple, The Dragon Trip's escorted adventure tours can make that a reality. Their envy-inducing itineraries cover all of the above plus major sites and numerous off-the-beaten-track locations, ensuring visitors get a comprehensive and immersive experience. The tours are all hosted by local, bilingual Adventure Leaders who are dedicated to showing visitors a side of China they might otherwise miss. Groups are small (the average size is 15) and guests stay in sociable hostel accommodation while travelling, making it easy to bond.

Tours vary from eight to 25 days, so travellers can pick the tour that suits their requirements. Some of the other highlights on offer include visiting the ancient Terracotta Army in Xi'an, a trip to Beijing's sprawling Forbidden City, cruising along the Yulong River on a bamboo gondola and visiting the hot springs in Yangshuo.

The Dragon Trip has a strong respect for local culture with various activities on offer including cooking lessons, Mandarin lessons and learning traditional dances from locals in Fujian.

Examples of tours on offer include:

•             The flagship Hong Kong to Hong Kong tour (25 days; from £1,380pp)

•             Beijing to Beijing (18 days; from £1,055pp)

•             Hong Kong to Chengdu (8 days; from £430pp)

The company's flagship 'Hong Kong to Hong Kong' tour (25 days, from £1,380pp) is a full circuit of China that covers a combination of the countryside in the West and the cities of the East, a great way to see China in under a month. Those with less time to travel can join an eight day tour from Hong Kong to Chengdu starting from £430pp.

On the Shanghai to Shanghai trip (18 days, from £1055pp), visitors start in Shanghai, then head to Yangshuo, following The Dragon Trip's backpacker trail all the way back to Shanghai. Highlights of this tour include the pandas in Chengdu, the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, and bamboo rafting in Yangshuo.

Please visit www.thedragontrip.com to see the full list of tours.

Editor's Notes

The Dragon Trip was founded in 2010 by backpacker Ramsay Kerr, a Brit who grew up in Hong Kong. The company was established to provide affordable backpacking adventure tours of China to people who can't speak Mandarin, and to show guests a different side of China. 

Five years later, The Dragon Trip now supply tours to STA Travel, GAP 360, Asia Venture, TUI PLC and CRCC Asia. The Dragon Trip has established itself as the UK's leading operator of school trips to China.