Off the beaten tour path, some spend big on the 'duke experience'

For years, the image of the Chinese visitors to Britain has been linked with the tour bus. Groups of up to 60 are ferried around, spending no more than a few hours at iconic sites, from the Houses of Parliament to the fabled Northern waterways that inspired Chiang Yee's A Chinese Artist in Lakeland.

Bus tours still dominate inbound Chinese tourism in Britain, as most are first-timers looking for value and the comfort and convenience of Mandarin-speaking guides with local knowledge.

However, as the Chinese become richer and more well-traveled, increasing numbers of private groups are heading to Britain - many for the second or third time - and some have lots of money to spend.