
China - Mountains, Monkeys & Terracotta Warriors
Tour Code: CHN06A 15-day wildlife tour of China's Shaanxi and Sichuan Provinces in search of an exciting range of mammals and birds, and including a visit to the famous Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an.
This tour showcases the provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi, in the mountainous heart of central China. Nothing here is ordinary, not the culture, nor the wildlife, nor the scenery. We begin the tour by admiring the incomparable Terracotta Warriors, the world’s largest collection of pottery figurines, with over 8,000 hand-crafted soldiers, all unique, as well as numerous horses and chariots. Only discovered in 1974, this archaeological treasure-house near the city of Xi’an, is over 2,000 years old! Next, we visit Foping Nature Reserve home to one of the most beautiful primates in the world, the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Entering Sichuan, the views become more and more dramatic before we finally reach a height of 4,500 metres at Balang Mountain, home to Grandala, Tibetan Snowcock and other sought-after montane birds. On the way we will explore Tangjiahe Nature Reserve by day and - excitingly – by night in search of birds such as Tawny Fish Owl and Little Forktail, plus mammals including Golden Takin, Hog-nosed Badger and Chinese Leopard Cat! At Wanglang Nature Reserve and Jiuzhaigou National Park the lakes, rhododendron forests and bamboo stands teem with wildlife and delights will be around every richly scenic corner. Wolong National Nature Reserve is also fabulous for many high-altitude birds and mammals. There are even Giant Pandas in these mountains, although we will have to visit a reintroduction centre near Chengdu to see them!
- Visit the Terracotta Army of Xi’an
- Spend time with the Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys of Foping
- Spectacular mountain scenery
- Early morning & evening spotlighting walks & drives
- Search for mammals including Chinese Serow, Golden Takin, Chinese Ferret Badger & Tufted Deer
- Birds including Golden Pheasant, Grandala, Little Forktail and the rare Asian Crested Ibis
- Visit the Dujiangyan Giant Panda Centre
- Led by expert naturalist guides
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Highlights
Paul Stanbury
Paul graduated in Environmental Science in 1995 and joined the Naturetrek team in January 1996. His keen interests in birds and travel began when aged seven and the intervening years have taken him to many parts of the world. Paul has always had a particular interest in North American wildlife, a fascination which led him to spend the second year of his degree course studying at Western Washington University near Seattle, where he developed a detailed knowledge of the Pacific North-west and its birds. He has also travelled widely in Europe and Africa, and spent three months backpacking around South East Asia from Borneo to Thailand. At present, Paul lives in Petersfield, Hampshire, only 30 minutes from the Naturetrek office in Chawton where he is based.
Outline Itinerary
Food & Accommodation
All included in the price from dinner on Day 2 to breakfast on Day 15.
Throughout the tour we will be staying in simple, but comfortable, tourist hotels with private facilities. A limited number of rooms for single occupancy are available at the single supplement rate quoted on our website and in our brochure.

Paul Stanbury
Paul graduated in Environmental Science in 1995 and joined the Naturetrek team in January 1996. His keen interests in birds and travel began when aged seven and the intervening years have taken him to many parts of the world. Paul has always had a particular interest in North American wildlife, a fascination which led him to spend the second year of his degree course studying at Western Washington University near Seattle, where he developed a detailed knowledge of the Pacific North-west and its birds. He has also travelled widely in Europe and Africa, and spent three months backpacking around South East Asia from Borneo to Thailand. At present, Paul lives in Petersfield, Hampshire, only 30 minutes from the Naturetrek office in Chawton where he is based.
China may be the most populous country on Earth, but there are still corners of this vast and beautiful land where the wildlife reigns supreme. Spectacular national parks and reserves, such as Tangjiahe, Foping and Jiuzhaigou, protect some the country's most exciting mammals and birds, as well as some truly awe-inspiring landscapes. The provinces of Shaanxi and Sichuan lie in the mountainous heart of China, at the foot of the great Tibetan Plateau. Here, forested hills and high alpine meadows are home to some of Asia’s most soughtafter mammals including the rare Golden Snub-nosed Monkey and Golden Takin, plus many colourful birds such as White-throated Redstart and Blue Eared-pheasant. Indeed, in a few select corners of the most remote and inaccessible reserves, China’s star inhabitant, the Giant Panda, still roams free! These two provinces are also rich in cultural, as well as natural, history and no visit to the region would be complete without time in the company of Xi'an’s Terracotta Warriors, one of the world’s great archaeological treasures!
This new tour commences with a flight to the city of Xi’an and a visit to the Terracotta Warriors which date back 2,000 years to the reign of China’s first emperor. Moving on, we will visit Foping Nature Reserve to view its Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys, one of the most bizarre – but at the same time beautiful – species of primate. Then we will cross into Sichuan, stopping to view the endangered Crested Ibis en route, for three nights at Tangjiahe Nature Reserve. Here, on a series of day walks and night drives, we will look for Tufted Deer, Hog-nosed Badger and perhaps even Chinese Leopard Cat, plus Tawny Fish Owl and Little Forktail. After two nights in Wanlang Nature Reserve, on Sichuan’s northern border, and a further two nights in the spectacular Jiuzhaigou National Park, we will move on to Wolong Nature Reserve for a 3-night stay. Here we will ascend Balang Mountain to 4,500 metres, where we will be rewarded with the most dramatic of views and, hopefully, find both Tibetan Snowcock and the stunning Grandala. Although visitor access to the habitats of wild Giant Pandas is no longer permitted, we will end our tour with a visit to the Dujiangyan Giant Panda Centre, near Chengdu, a facility that specialises in the rehabilitation of captive-born pandas with the goal of reintroducing them into the wild.
Please contact us on 01962 733051 for details on what extensions either pre or post tour are available for this Tour.