Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: TBA - Beijing. Welcome to China! Upon arrival in Beijing, we will be taken to your hotel. As the capital of China, Beijing has a long history with an abundance of historical and cultural heritage-we cannot tear us away! Balance of the day is at leisure.
Day 2: Beijing. Today we will start the day with a trip to the largest public square in the world: Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is regarded as a symbol of China and capable of holding one million people. Then we'll head to the Forbidden City, which consists of more than 9,000 rooms and covers an area of 72 hectares. Forbidden City is the largest and the best-preserved Imperial Palace in the world. After lunch, we take a short drive to the Temple of Heaven, which was built specifically for worship of heaven and prayers for good harvests during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The entire complex is a treasure trove of ancient Chinese architectural designs and arts and was listed as UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage in 1998. Tonight, enjoy a Beijing Duck Dinner. Includes: (B, L, D)
Day 3: Beijing. Get up early in the morning and drive about one hour to Badaling Great Wall, China's most spectacular sight extending more than 3,700 miles across China and most often visited for China tour. It is one of the best preserved sections and the highest point of the Great Wall. For lunch we'll sample simple some delicious cuisine in a local restaurant. Then head to one of the Mind Tombs. Ming Tombs are the general names for the mausoleums of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), located 50 kilometers north from Beijing City. They were fully recognized by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in 2000. When the night falls, we will return to the hotel. Includes: (B, L)
Day 4: Beijing. We will start the day with a unique Hutong Trishaw tour in the morning. Hutongs are a kind of ancient city alley or lane that is considered an informal symbol of the Beijing city. We can also visit local residents and taste some delicious local cuisine while taking the hutong tour. Our next stop is the Summer Palace, which was listed as UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage in 1998. With its elegant overall arrangement, magnificent buildings and attractive scenery, the Summer Palace is the most splendid imperial garden in China built in 1750. Includes: (B, L)
Day 5: Beijing - Lhasa. The tour guide will transfer us to the airport and help us board the plane to our next destination-Lhasa. With an average height of 4,000 metres above the sea level, Tibet is reputed as the "Roof of the World" and the "Third Pole of the Globe". Lhasa offers breathtaking monastery sights, Tibetan Buddhist Culture, colorful ethnic minority custom, which should not be missed! We rest in order to acclimatize to the high altitude in preparation for the next few days' tour. Includes: (B, L)
Day 6: Lhasa. Today we will start the day with a trip to the highlight of Lhasa - Potala Palace, the symbol of Tibet. Potala Palace functioned as the traditional seat of the Tibetan government and the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. Because of its spectacular buildings, unrivaled constructions, devotional atmosphere and outstanding artworks, Potala Palace have a strong appeal to tourists all over the world. For lunch we'll sample delicious cuisine in a local restaurant. Then we'll head to the Sera Monastery. As the last of the three principal Yellow Sect monasteries to be built in Lhasa, Sera Monastery is an important spiritual center for Buddhist monks. It has been listed as one of the national cultural relics since 1982. Then we pay a visit to Tibetan Family. For dinner time, we will be entertained with the marvelous Tibetan Dance and Song Show while we are enjoying the local specialty. Includes: (B, L, D)
Day 7: Lhasa. We'll start from the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism - Jokhang Temple. The temple is a combination of Han, Tibetan and Nepalese architectural techniques and thus completely different from others. Jokhang Temple houses many historical relics, including statues of King Songtsen Gompo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Bhrikuti Devi (Nepalese). Then we will stroll along the Barkhor Street, built in the heart of Lhasa surrounding the Jokhang Temple. It is an essential pilgrim route for centuries on which pilgrims tramped out around Jokhang Temple. In addition, it is "must" for souvenir-hunting tourists. Shops and stalls are built all around the street.
After lunch, we will also pay a visit to Drepung Monastery, the largest and the most powerful of the three major Yellow Sect monasteries in Lhasa. It houses a great number of splendid murals, exquisite sculpture and other precious treasures.The evening is left for us to stroll amongst the shops and old houses of Lhasa. Includes: (B, L)
Day 8: Lhasa - Xian. Feel free at leisure until be met at the lobby of the hotel and transferred to the airport to Xian. Upon arrival in Xian in the afternoon, we will be greeted and warmly welcomed by our guide and drive to the downtown hotel. The rest of the day is on our own to explore the city. Includes: (B)
Day 9: Xian. Today we will visit what has been called the 8th Wonder of the World - Terra Cotta Soldiers Museum, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed there. After lunch, we will visit the Bell Tower. Originally built in 1348, the Bell Tower in Xian is situated in the very heart of the city and is the most well-preserved and best-known one in China. We will also visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is one of the most famous Buddhist pagodas in China and initially built in 589. Includes: (B, L)
Day 10: Xian - Shanghai. We will depart Xian in the morning to head to Shanghai, the largest and most prosperous metropolis in China and known as the "Paris of the East". Having arrived at noon, we first freshen up at the hotel before taking some tours. Firstly, we will visit the Bund, where the great foreign commercial houses and banks built their imposing office buildings before 1930s. We then stroll along the Nanjing Road, which is considered as one of the World's Seven Great Roads in the 1930s and always mentioned in travel guides as a must see of China tour. Here along its 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles), we will find over 600 shops that on average are visited by some 1.7 million people each day. If you like shopping, do not miss it! Includes: (B, L)
Day 11: Shanghai. Today we will start the day with a trip to the elegant classic Chinese garden: Yu Garden. Yu Garden has quite a few scenic courtyards dotted with baroque rockery, pools and flora, all connected by corridors and passageways and cultural relics. We then proceed to Oriental Pearl TV Tower, with an astonishing height of 468 meters, ranks as the world's third tallest TV tower, after the 553-meter CN Tower in Toronto and the 535-meter Moscow TV Tower. Then we will take a walking tour of the Old French Concession, the area of Shanghai once occupied by French in the mid-19th century. It offers unparalleled examples of old lane houses, apartments, garden houses and villas which remain untouched in mid-19th and early 20th century European styles. Includes: (B, L)
Day 12: Shanghai - TBA. The tour guide will transfer us to the airport and help us board the plane to our next destination. Our wonderful China tour ends. Includes: (B)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Tibet permit fee
- Entrance fees to all the scenic spots as listed above in the itinerary
- Hotel accommodations with breakfast as specified (If there is no Western breakfast available, we have to arrange Chinese one instead)
- All meals as specified in the itinerary. B=Western or Chinese breakfast, L=Chinese lunch in a local restaurant, D=Chinese dinner in a local restaurant
- Internal flights including taxes and fuel fee and train/bus tickets as listed in the itinerary
- Professional local guides and drivers in each destination city
- Private Transfers between airports, docks, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing in each destination city by the private air conditioned car or van
- Luggage Transfers between airports/docks and hotels
- Arrangements for the planning, handling, operational and communication charges
- Government taxes
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
Tibet
Pilgrimage/Spirituality
Cultural Journey
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