Where to Stay
Every captivating tailor-made itinerary needs a perfect base. Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any adventure.
-
Our Team
Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
-
Our Tour Experts
We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
-
Heroes and Heroines
The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou
A city of contrasts, Shanghai has two distinctly different faces, one old and one new, and is evolving at a rapid pace. It is a dynamic place with an extremely exhilarating pace and lifestyle.
Appearing to have leapt straight from its 19th-century splendour of merchant’s offices, banks and hotels that were built along the famous Bund, to the glass skyscrapers now appearing on the newly reclaimed land of Pudong on the opposite river bank.
Old Shanghai
The old parts of the city are worth a visit where beautifully designed hidden gardens such as the Yu garden, a typical Chinese courtyard style garden, are tucked away down the many side alleys and traditional street markets still occur where locals trade fresh produce and handicrafts among other more tourist orientated items.
Old and new seem to blend effortlessly in Shanghai, and a day’s travel can include sampling traditional Chinese dumplings from a small street stall to gazing at one of the many magnificent skyscrapers from an opulent restaurant.
What's nearby?
Shanghai is a vibrant city with a fabulous museum, ancient temples and gardens, good nightlife and international cuisine including Shanghai’s own famed seafood making the city a firm favourite for all who visit. Shanghai is a city that never sleeps.
Close by and easily visited for the day are numerous pretty water towns, crisscrossed with intricate canals and attractive stone bridges. Suzhou is famed for its silk weaving trade and is also home to a number of beautiful traditional gardens. Other water towns include Hangzhou with its tranquil west lake and lavish temples, Zhouzhuang, one of the oldest in the country and Luzhi, often less visited and home to around 41 well preserved ancient stone bridges of different style and size.
The newly introduced Shanghai – Kumming High-Speed railway has been newly introduced since 2017. A total journey time of 12 hours, passing through four provincial capitals.
Take a side trip to Huang Shan
Reached by air and rail from Shanghai or overland from Hangzhou, Huang Shan or Yellow Mountain is well worth a visit. The Huang Shan mountain range is made up of 72 peaks and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pine trees jut from unusually shaped granite rocks and towering mountains rise above seas of cloud giving the whole area a truly ethereal feel. There are some wonderful walking trails or cable cars ascending the mountains. Hot springs are also abundant in the region and nearby traditional villages give a taste of rural Chinese life.
Experiences
What do you really love doing? We curate your itinerary especially for you.
China
Amanfayun
Hidden in a picturesque valley, a short drive from Hangzhou, Amanfayun is surrounded by tea fields, natural forest, quaint villages and a pilgrimage circuit of five significant Buddhist temples. Many of the 47 rooms, suites, and…
China
Banyan Tree Hangzhou
Banyan Tree Hangzhou sits within China’s first wetland reserve, home to a wealth of plant and bird life. The 72 rooms and villas are designed like a Jiangnan-style town, with slate grey tiled roofs and are…
China
Alila Anji
Alila Anji is tucked away in a little know area of China, south west of the buzzing city of Shanghai. The peaceful lakeside setting, surrounded by mountains, tea plantations and bamboo forests is an area dedicated…
China
Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao
This renovated building houses a 600-year-old Ming Dynasty courthouse as the hotel lobby and a theatre from the Qing Dynasty at the heart of the building. Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao is certainly not lacking in history or…
Idea
China
Highlights of China including Yangtze Cruise
This classic holiday encompasses many of the highlights China has to offer, including Beijing and Xian as well as a Yangtze cruise and the beautiful karst limestone peaks of Guilin. A great first holiday to China with a fabulous mix of Chinese…
Idea
China
Highlights of China including Yangtze Cruise
This classic holiday encompasses many of the highlights China has to offer, including Beijing and Xian as well as a Yangtze cruise and the beautiful karst limestone peaks of Guilin. A great first holiday to China with a fabulous mix…
Meet our experts
A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.
Paul Craven
Paul is the Conde Nast Traveller chosen Specialist for Central Asia and the Silk Route.
Being from a family with Army connections I can from an early age remember travelling. From camping in Europe and then later being sent to boarding school when we lived in Germany at the age of eight, complete with shorts, long socks, a cap and my suitcase. In appearance not too dissimilar to the children evacuated to the countryside during the blitz.
Talk with our experts
- 01285 880 980
Clare Higginson
It was my passion for languages that first encouraged me to leave the UK behind and grab my rucksack. Since then, it’s been a mixture of intriguing cultures, jaw-dropping landscapes and the wonder of seeing animals in their natural habitat that sees me continuously extending my travel wish list.
Talk with our experts
- 01285 880 980
Explore other regions
Chengdu and giant pandas
Home to many of China’s natural wonders, wildlife preserves, archaeological sites, and historical buildings.
Xian
Chang An, as Xian was once known, was the start of the Silk Road to Europe through Persia and the Subcontinent.
Beijing
In the North of the country, it is a veritable metropolis of epic proportions and offers more than just the entrance to…
Guilin and The Li River
Guilin's charm lies in its magical scenery which has inspired poets and artists for thousands of years.
Yangtze Cruises
There's are few better way to experience China's stunning landscapes and ancient culture than on a Yangtze cruise.
Lijiang, Shangri La and Yunnan
Yunnan, meaning 'Beautiful clouds in the South' is one of China's most diverse and naturally beautiful provinces.
Tibet
Tibet still exudes a magic that is hard to emulate.
The Silk Road
The Silk Road was the most well known international trade route for the Chinese Empire
Pingyao and Datong
Easily reached by train from Beijing, Pingyao was China's most important trading city during the late Ming and Qing dynasties and is…
Hong Kong
Great shopping, accessible beaches, local history and culture, sky-scraping modern architecture and a wide choice of restaurants.
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?
Featured in the press
