A US$100,000 family adventure through China

Ready to book the trip of a lifetime with your family? One that trumps all others? This $100,000, ultra-luxury tour of China may just be the most extravagant way to see the country yet

Private jets, helicopters and yachts are just some of the luxuries the Mongol hordes didn’t have when they were knocking at the doors of the Qin Dynasty, but all three and more are available to travelling families embarking on the exclusive Journey Through China programme. Kicking off this month in partnership with Imperial Tours, three epic cultural, culinary and family travel highlights are being curated by The Peninsula hotels in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, offering the chance to explore each locale via private jet, helicopter and yacht… as well as the occasional chauffeured Rolls-Royce. The Peninsula’s “Family Tour” itinerary is packed with experiences to captivate your kids’ attention and ignite their imagination, with activities and events designed to draw the family closer together. Simple pleasures are made spectacular, such as table tennis with a former Chinese Olympian, or a fun cooking class with one of the hotel chain’s top chefs, and something that surely must be on all of our bucket lists… feeding baby pandas. The trip commences July 15 with a Rolls-Royce transfer from the private-jet terminal to your Beijing hotel, which is your base for the bulk of the trip’s cultural experiences. Your little budding history buffs will see iconic sites come alive with a expert-guided tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City before a hands-on artsy experience with one of the city’s leading contemporary artists. The remaining few days in the city will be dotted by pedicab tours of the bustling city streets, a Great Wall tour, the aforementioned Ping-Pong lesson and kite flying at the Temple of Heaven. After a quick private-jet transfer, Shanghai is next with a traditional market visit and cooking lesson in the unique French Concession area in the city and a curated treasure hunt that doubles as a fun history lesson, before a magical day out at the Shanghai Disney Resort, with full VIP access. Your little ones may think the trip has peaked at this point, but will be wowed even further with a day out to the iconic Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, and a helicopter tour high above the city, and Ocean Park and panda experiences, as well as pink dolphin viewing from a private yacht. To say that we’ve scratched the surface in terms of the activities on offer is a vast exaggeration. When you and your family are not gallivanting around on another adventure, having culinary lessons or learning sports and traditional Chinese games, full hospitality and five-star service is available at the Peninsula hotels. From the lavish breakfasts in Beijing to high teas and free long distance VoIP calls in Shanghai and complimentary US$100 spa credit in Hong Kong, there’s an overabundance of choice – and a very strong risk of setting the bar way too high for your next family holiday. The Family Tour is priced at HKD 792,760 ( approx. $ 102,120) for a family of four, which includes 10 nights of hotel accommodation, 10 breakfasts, nine lunches and one dinner, tours, guides and transport links. www.imperialtours.net/imperial/private-jet-tours