Update (5:30pm, 3 December): 8 March is now sold out at the offer price. It's now £1249 per person.

China is a country so vast and packed full of wonders both ancient and modern that most of us wouldn't know where to begin exploring it. This 10-day tour from RT Holidays allows you to see some of the most spectacular sights, get up close to city culture and sample authentic local cuisine -- all in 5-star style and from £1099 per person.

This deal saves £300 on the regular price of a package that includes international and domestic flights, luxury accommodation, guided excursions and more. Here's a taste of what you'll get:

• International flights from London Heathrow or Gatwick, with baggage and transfers
• Internal flights from Beijing to Xi'an and on to Shanghai
• Bed-and-breakfast accommodation in 5-star hotels
• Sightseeing tours including trips to the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors
• A selection of meals, with three special banquets including a Peking duck dinner and an Imperial dumpling dinner

Starting in Beijing, the tour includes visits to the Forbidden City and peaceful Summer Palace (a former royal retreat), plus a day trip to the Great Wall of China. You'll stay for four nights at the central Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong.

Next is a flight to Xi'an, an ancient city that once marked the end of the Silk Road. Guests will explore the well-preserved city walls and pagoda, and visit the army of life-size Terracotta Warriors, buried to accompany Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife. On the second night you'll experience an Imperial dumpling dinner and a show -- we've been to this ourselves and were served several courses of delicious and intricately shaped dumplings. Accommodation is at the Sheraton North City Hotel.

After a short flight to Shanghai, guests can walk along the city's Bund -- a waterfront promenade with views of the skyline. A city tour is included, plus a visit to the Shanghai Museum and a Chinese acrobatics show. Your base in Shanghai is the riverside Sheraton Hongkou Hotel.

Please note the price does not include a Chinese visa, which is £90 per person extra.

Depart on 8 March, 2013. It's £250 extra per person to travel on 22 March; 5, 19 April; 15 November; 27 December, 2013 -- saving £150 on the regular price. Other dates have also been discounted, click here for more details, but you must phone to book this tour.