China Intensive Cruise: Beijing, Shanghai & Hong Kong

Incheon serves as a transport hub for neighbouring Seoul, with a cruise terminal and the country's main airport. Seoul is a captivating capital city, a dynamic metropolis where you can still find tea shops and temples amongst the skyscrapers and neon signs. The culinary scene here is superb, from mouthwatering street food to world class haute cuisine, and the excellent public transport system makes it easy to get around. Incheon itself also has some interesting history; it was here, in 1950, that UN Forces launched a daring raid behind enemy lines in the early stages of the Korean War, and halted the North's seemingly inexorable advance.

Home to 11 million people and an astonishing six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Beijing is an exhilarating introduction to China’s distinctive history, society and culture. Feast your eyes on the majestic Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, along with spectacular modern architecture such as the iconic Bird's Nest Stadium.

Dalian is an eminently liveable city on the Yellow Sea coast, blessed with a pleasant climate, excellent beaches and a noticeable lack of pollution compared to many Chinese cities. At the centre of Dalian is the vast Xinghai Square, the biggest in the world at a mind boggling 1,760,000 square metres.

Booming Shanghai has long been China’s most outward-looking, cosmopolitan city, as evidenced by the fascinating mixture of European and Asian architecture. The Bund, a riverfront promenade flanked by grand colonial era buildings, is the city's most famous thoroughfare, while the Pudong financial district lights up the city skyline at night with its futuristic towers.

Hong Kong is a striking mix of ancient and modern, Chinese and British, and there is a lot more to the city than just skyscrapers and high finance. It's also a fantastic destination for foodies, a melting pot of culinary influences from around Asia and beyond.