China Photo Tour

In some years we run this itinerary in reverse order due to availability in the key locations – this would mean starting in Chengdu and ending in Shanghai.

​Day 1: Arrival in Shanghai
Flights arrive in Shanghai. After transferring to the hotel, there may be some time in the afternoon to head out into the field to photograph Reed and Vinous-throated Parrotbills. Night in Shanghai.

Day 2: Shanghai – Sanming City – Dangzhou Village
We take a morning high-speed train from Shanghai to Sanming, then drive for two hours to the mountainous Dangzhou Village. We’ll spend time photographing the endemic Elliot’s Pheasant from a hide, with a chance to also find Silver Pheasant. If conditions allow, there may be an evening outing to try to photograph the elusive and rare White-eared Night Heron. Night in Dangzhou.

​Day 3: Dangzhou Village
We spend another morning at the Elliot’s Pheasant hide, then set out in search of the Blyth’s Kingfisher. Other possible bird sightings include Huet’s Fulvetta, Gray-sided Scimitar-Babbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, Rufous-faced Warbler, Fork-tailed Sunbird, Gray Treepie, and Chinese Hwamei, among others. Night in Dangzhou.

​Day 4: Dangzhou – Jianou City
After a few more hours of photography here, if needed, we drive for three hours to Jianou City. We spend the afternoon at Li Mountain at a hide where we hope to shoot Cabot’s Tragopan. Night in Jianou City.

​Day 5: Li Mountain
We spend at least part of the day photographing birds at the tragopan hide. If we have successfully captured good shots of the tragopan, we can spend time searching for other species outside of the hide. Night in Jianou City.

​​Day 6: Jianou City – Wuyuan
If needed, we may return to the tragopan hide in the morning, then drive to Wuyuan Village. If time allows, we will search for Scaly-sided Merganser. These birds typically winter here, but some individuals may remain until mid-April. Night in Wuyuan.

​Day 7: Wuyuan
We start the morning at a hide to photograph Pied Falconet, then spend time looking for species including Short-tailed Parrotbill, Green Shrike-Babbler, Moustached Laughingthrush, Spotted Elachura, White-crowned Forktail, and Gray-headed Parrotbill. We have a second night in Wuyuan.

​Day 8: Wuyuan – Dongzhai
We take the high-speed train to Xinyang, then drive for one hour to Dongzhai National Nature Reserve. In the afternoon we visit a hide for the endemic Reeves’s Pheasant. Night in Dongzhai.

​Day 9: Dongzhai
Target species today include Reeves’s Pheasant, Crested Ibis, Collared Crow, Yellow-bellied Tit, Silver-throated Tit, Yellow-browed Bunting, and Crested Kingfisher. We have another night in Dongzhai.

​Day 10: Dongzhai – Quan Shui Wan
After a final opportunity to photograph Reeves’s Pheasant, we drive to Quanshui Wan in the afternoon (4.5 hours). We’ll spend three nights here.

Days 11-12: Quan Shui Wan
We have two full days of bird photography around Quan Shui Wan. Main targets include the endemic Golden Pheasant and Koklass Pheasant. Other notable species include Chukar, Chinese Thrush, Masked Laughingthrush, and Yellow-throated Bunting.

Day 13: Quanshui Wan – Chengdu – Wuzhi Mountain
This is a travel day as we drive for two hours to Luoyang Longmen Station, then take a high-speed train to Chengdu (4.5 hours). After arrival, it is a four-hour drive to Wuzhi Mountain, where we spend the next two nights.

Days 14-15: Wuzhi Mountain Nature Reserve
We leave early each morning to reach the best feeding stations for bird photography. Target species include the endemic Sichuan Partridge, Slaty Bunting, Emeishan Liocichla, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Temminck’s Tragopan, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, Silver Pheasant, and Red-billed Leiothrix. Other notable species we may find along the trails include Spot-breasted Parrotbill, Ashy-throated Parrotbill, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, and Chinese Babax.

​​Day 16: Wuzhi Mountain – Chengdu
After one last morning here, we drive back to Chengdu and spend the night.

​​Day 17: Departure
The tour concludes today with transfers to the airport. No photography is planned for today.

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​Trip Considerations

PACE: Moderate. Expect early breakfasts in order to reach the birding locations at the ideal time. Lunch will be either at local restaurants, in the field, or at the hides. When possible, there will be optional breaks before or after lunch. Mornings and afternoons provide the best opportunities for wildlife activity.

PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. Much time is spent in hides, though when not in hides we will undertake short walks to search for other species. These walks will generally be on easy tracks and trails.

CLIMATE: Warm in the lower elevations, cool to chilly in the mountains.

ACCOMMODATION: All city accommodations are excellent. In more remote areas, amenities may be limited, but all lodgings provide hot water showers. Western-style (“sit-down”) toilets are available in nearly all hotels, while eastern-style toilets are becoming less common. Most hotels offer Wi-Fi, however, service may be unreliable at times.

FOOD: Western-style food is generally not available on this tour. However, the local food is usually superb, and some past tour participants have mentioned the food as being a highlight of the trip.

PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a Phototour, meaning that photography is the top priority. Approximately 90% of our activities will take place in hides (blinds) or at fruit feeders. The hides we visit have revolutionized Asian bird photography, providing opportunities to capture elusive and secretive species that have become accustomed to these feeding sites—offering once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities. Feeder locations provide the best conditions for photography, as the birds are more accustomed to human presence. For hide photography, lenses ranging from 300mm to 500mm are the most useful. Photographers seeking tightly cropped portraits may prefer a 600mm lens.

Other Information

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. A VISA IS REQUIRED. You must obtain your visa from a Chinese embassy or consulate well in advance of the tour. Our office staff will provide needed support documents for you to get your visa.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers, local guides, and hotel/restaurant staff; accommodation from night of day 1 through to night of day 16; meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 17 (if you have a very early flight, you may miss the included breakfast); safe drinking water throughout; green tea is also typically provided with most dinners and some lunches at restaurants; Tropical Birding tour leader with audio gear from the afternoon of day 1 to evening of day 15; local bilingual Chinese guide(s) throughout; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they arrive at the same time); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary in a suitable vehicle with driver; entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the itinerary).

​WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader; tips for luggage porters in city hotel; flights; visa and passport fees; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included.