China: From The Great Wall To Tibet

Nin Hao! Welcome to Beijing! On arrival at Beijing airport, your private guide will welcome and escort you to check-in your hotel.Your guide will help you with luggage and hotel check-in, and ensure your arrival in Beijing is worry-free.

Today’s tour starts at the Tiananmen Square, the largest public squares in the world and which is the entrance to the Forbidden City. Continually, go to the Forbidden City, the ancient royal palace served as the political center for more than 500 years. The expert guide will escort you and show you some interesting places you would never find by yourself before climbing the coal hill in the Jingshan Park behind it for wonderful panorama view of the Forbidden City.

After lunch at local restaurant, you will have a chance to take a local rickshaw ride through the ancient hutongs alleyways to look for the real culture of Beijing. You may see local artist painting operatic face or making dough figures in the alley. If lucky, you may also see locals play mahjong, a tranditional Chinese board game, in their local courtyard.

Your dinner will be served in a local Beijing roast duck restaurant. You will learn how to eat the famous Beijing roast duck in the correct way. You can also watch the chef’s professional cutting skills of the thin crispy skin and firm meat, as the chef will slice the cooked golden duck by your table.

After breakfast, head to the Temple of Heaven. A 15th century architectural masterpiece and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is most revered spiritual monuments of ancient China and once reserved for emperors to worship heaven and pray for good harvests. You can see locals greeting the sun with their daily Tai Chi and other morning exercises in the park. Take some photos or you can even join them!

Drive about 2 hours to the Mutianyu Sections of the Great Wall to witness one of the world’s most spectacular sights. Afternoon will be the best time to avoid the crowds in Mutianyu. After lunch, you will take a cable car up to the wall and enjoy amazing views as it snakes across the hills and mountains.You can glide down the wall on a toboggan or see more of this section by cable car,if lucky, you may see the beautiful sunset along your way.

In the morning, visit the Summer Palace, built by Emperor Qianlong in Qing Dynasty as a gift to his mother in 18th century. Have a pleasant stroll through the tranquil long corridors to enjoy the full flavor of China.

In the afternoon, take a flight to Xi’an. Your guide and driver will greet you and escort you to the hotel. 

Today you will visit the magnificent Terracotta Warriors buried with the First Qin Emperor more than 2,000 years ago. The life-sized magnificent Terracotta Warriors are great man-made pieces of work. After the visit, you will have the opportunity to learn how to make the mini clay Terracotta Warriors (optional) with your own hands in a local artisan’s cave dwelling.

Your city tour will begin with a visit to Shaanxi History Museum, one of the best museums in China. It houses more than 370,000 piece of items including pottery, paintings, murals, as well as gold, silver & bronze objects and it must not be missed. Then go to visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 AD. It is a traditional Chinese-style architecture combined with Buddhist historic statues, murals, and scriptures. It is the landmark of the ancient capital city. 

Continue your visit to tThe best-preserved Ancient City Wall. It has been guarding the old Xian for more than 600 years. Walking along the wall and you will enjoy the wonderful view of the city, or you can rent a bicycle to cycle around the all. 

At the end of today, take a chance to stroll around the Muslim Street, where all the shops and restaurants are operated by Muslims. This colorful street is packed with shops selling a large variety of interesting local delicacies, snacks and souvenirs.Here you will also have the opportunity to visit Gao’s Courtyard, which is a traditional Chinese dwelling located in the Muslim quarter. It exhibits ancient paintings, calligraphy, porcelain, pottery and demonstrations folk art. You will enjoy a fantastic shadow puppet play with fork music.

The rest of the day is free at your leisure.Please remember to have a good rest today and well prepare your equipment, because you will enter Tibet in the following morning, where is a high altitude region with an average elevation of around 4,500 meters.  

Tibet is a wonderland with its fascinating holy mountains and lakes, primeval forests, rare plants and animals, unique folk customs, brilliant art and culture. The natural and human landscape makes Tibet different from any other tourist destinations in the world. Today you will fly to this wonderland. On your arrival to Lhasa, you will be met by our private guide and transferred to hotel.

The rest of the day is free at leisure to acclimatize yourself to the high altitude. Remember to drink plenty of water and get plenty of sleep for the long journey ahead.

Start your day with a visit of Jokhang Temple, located in the old part of Lhasa. Jokhang Temple is one of the holiest temples in all of Tibet. Then have a walk around the Bakhor Street, the most famous local market back in the day, and where today you can pick up an array of souvenirs. In the afternoon visit the famous Potala Palace built in the 17th century by the 5th Dalai Lama, which is the former winter home of the Dalai Lama and the greatest monumental structure in Tibet.

Today's itinerary includes a visit to Drepung Monastery. Once upon a time, it was the world's largest monastery, with more than 10,000 monks living in its four walls. The monastery was unfortunately destroyed, but its remnants remain for us to see today, especially in the numerous narrow alleys between the monks rooms which give the impression of a small typical village. End your day at the Sera Monastery, built in the 15th century by Jamchen choji Sakya Yeshi, and famous for its Buddhist philosophical debates. They take place every day between the monks, except on Sundays.

In the morning,you'll set off for Gyantse,Shigatse via La Kampa(4,700m). You will be amazed by the holy Yamdrok Lake, with its turquoise colour and snow-capped mountain lining the horizon. To top it off, you'll pass by magnificent valleys and exquisite Tibetan villages. Why not stop off at Karo La glacier(5,150m) for a stroll.

Upon arrival at Gyantse,Shigatse, it's on to Kumbum's stupa,before your visit of Palkhor Choede's Monastery.It is the biggest stupa in Tibet and very different from other monasteries. Built as a Tibetan monastery, its structural style is very unique, reputed as the lord of Tibetan stupas. In addition, it is known not just for its architecture,but also for its ancient sculptures and paintings.

After breakfast, drive to Tashilunpo Monastery. Painted in red and white, the buildings in the kloster stand closely together in terraced rows, offering a grand and majestic view. Tashilunpo Kloster represents the Tibetan super architecture art in the Last Tibetan spirit. The Kloster attracts thousands of Buddhists and tourists from domestic and abroad to travel and worship every year.

After lunch at local restaurant, drive about three hours back to Lhasa.

Free at leisure in the morning, and then transfer to the airport for the flight to Chengdu. Upon arrival in Chengdu, be met and transfer to the hotel.The rest of the day is free at your leisure.

You will arrive in Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding this early morning, and this period is the most active time of the pandas in a day. Take a look at those adorable animals and see the their feeding. If you wish, you can also hold the pandas or take photos next to them (optional).

After say goodbye to those adorable pandas, you will head to Wenshu Temple, a fairly typical large Buddhist monastery which dates back to the Tang dynasty (618-907) and is named after a monk who lived there. It is the most important Zen temple of the area which possesses relics and attracts pilgrims. Afterwards you can stroll around the famous Jinli Old Street (550 meters long).The buildings along the street are all built in the Qing Dynasty style. You will find many bars, snack stores and souvenir shops. 

Free at leisure until your guide meet with you and escort you to the airport for your flight home.