China Highlights - Discovery Your Way! (Since 1959)

 

Tibet Discovery Tour by Train from Xining

Day 1

Place & Transport: Arrive in Beijing, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Airport to Hotel Transfer (Beijing)

Day 2

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: The Forbidden City, The Tian'anmen Square, Hutong Tours in Rickshaw
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- The Forbidden City: The Imperial Palace, home to 24 Emperors between 1420 and 1911. Great squares, halls and gates contrast with the intricate networks of side halls, gardens, courtyards and quarters for those who lived in this 'city within a city'. The exhibitions, both permanent and temporary, are also absolutely fascinating. Expect to spend at least 2-3 hours, wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
- The Tian'anmen Square: The world's largest city square and enduring symbol of China's national pride, surrounded by many imposing buildings including the Heavenly Gate (entry to the Forbidden City), Museums, government buildings and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.
- Hutong Tours in Rickshaw: A maze of historic alleyways and old single storey traditional courtyard houses, now fast disappearing. Dotted around the hutong are the Drum and Bell Towers, Tea House, and local people's houses. Your tour includes a visit with a local family.

Day 3

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: Mutianyu Cable Car(One way), Great Wall at Mutianyu, Temple of Heaven
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner at Roasted Duck at Hepingmen

- Mutianyu Cable Car(One way): This less-crowded section of the Great Wall is a pleasant drive 90km NE of Beijing. A one way cable car takes you to a good section (avoiding a very steep climb), where you can walk along the wall, through the watch towers and enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains.
- Great Wall at Mutianyu: This less-crowded section of the Great Wall is a pleasant drive 90km NE of Beijing. A cable car takes you to a good section (avoiding a very steep climb), where you can walk along the wall, through the watch towers and enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains. You can return by cable car, walk down or walk along the wall for about an hour to descend by chairlift. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
- Temple of Heaven: Situated in the southern part of the city, the temple of heaven covers the total area of 2,700,000 square meters. The temple was built in 1420A.D.it is the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would offer sacrifice to heaven and pray for good harvests. The main buildings of the temple including the Circular Mound Altar, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.The surrounding gardens are full of interesting activity, particularly weekend mornings.
- Roasted Duck at Hepingmen: In the evening enjoy the Peking Roasted Duck which is renowned as the most delicious food of Beijing

Day 4

Place & Transport: Beijing to Xining, Air China CA1207 Dep 8:20AM - Arr 11:00AM
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Beijing), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Xining), Ta'er Monastery
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Ta'er Monastery : The Ta'er Monastery is located in Huangzhong County, 26 kilometers from Xining, capital of Qinghai Province. It's the Buddhist garden buildings, combining the architectural arts of the Zang and Han nationalities. A lot of cultural relics are stored in the temple, including all kinds of instruments used in Buddhism, statues of Buddha in different poses, profound sutras and stone inscriptions in language of the Zang and Man nationalities, as well as Mongolian.

Day 5

Place & Transport: Xining to Overnight train, Train No. N917 Dep 8:28PM - Arr 9:50PM
Today's Activities: Hotel to Train station Transfer (Xining), Qinghai Lake, Cruise on Qinghai Lake
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Qinghai Lake: Qinghai Lake, China's largest inland salt water lake is at 3200 meters above sea level and is situated at the east of Qinghai province, around 2.30 hours drive from Xining. The ellipse-shaped lake looks like a huge poplar leaf sitting on the alpine prairie. Scenery in Qinghai lake varies according to seasons. Summer and autumn are the most comfortable weather conditions and the lake's scenery is most beautiful during these seasons.
- Cruise on Qinghai Lake:

Day 6

Place & Transport: Overnight train to Lhasa
Today's Activities: Train station to Hotel Transfer (Lhasa)

Day 7

Place & Transport: Lhasa
Today's Activities: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Potala Palace: Former winter home of the Dalai Lama, a vast, awe-inspiring maze of corridors and stairs leading through countless rooms of richly decorated statues, tombs, murals and antiques. You will climb past the White Palace into the Red Palace, where the file of pilgrims offering silk scarves, coins or yak butter to burn in the shrines combine to make this an unforgettable experience. Note: you need to be fit for the long stairways.
- Jokhang Temple: Smaller and more manageable than the Potala, this 4-storey, golden-roofed temple is at the heart of a rich and living Tibetan Buddhism. Many locals pray here regularly; the Temple is surrounded by Barkhor Street and thronged with pilgrims and visitors. Yak butter lamps burn in front of rich statuary that includes the Sakyamuni Buddha brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng in the 7th Century.
- Barkhor Street: Watch the pilgrims, wearing local dress from many different parts of Tibet, as they circle clockwise around Jokhang Temple with prayer wheels, or prostrate themselves near the front gate. Join the locals and visitors to shop for local goods at the colourful stalls, or relax in a coffee shop or tea house to enjoy the passing parade.

Day 8

Place & Transport: Lhasa
Today's Activities: Sera Monastery, Norbulingka, Tibetan family visit
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Sera Monastery: It is known as one of the three greatest monasteries of Tibet. As one of the three main monasteries of Lhasa, it is here that the monks "famous daily debates" take place.
- Norbulingka: Norbulingka means "Jeweled Garden". It was constructed as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama and later served the whole governmental administration.
- Tibetan family visit: Drive out through the countryside around Lhasa to one of the remaining rural villages. Life is hard here, mainly crop and stock; they sell the produce in Lhasa, with greenhouses on mud walls to extend the growing period. But the families are warm and friendly, and delighted to welcome you to their home, which usually includes several generations, and offer butter tea and a brief glimpse into a basic and traditional existence.

Day 9

Place & Transport: Lhasa to Shigatse
Today's Activities: Tashilunpo Monastery, Yomdrok Lake
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- 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.
- Yomdrok Lake: It lies within the boundary of Nankartse county, on the north bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, Lhokha Prefecture, surrounded by mountains. Beautiful Holy lake which everybody is looking forward to.

Day 10

Place & Transport: Shigatse to Lhasa
Today's Activities: The Palgor Chorten
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- The Palgor Chorten : Pelkhor Choede (Kumbum), also named Palcho Monastery, is 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 famous for the architecture, sculpture, and mural painting art. It lies about 230 kilometers (143 miles) south of Lhasa and 100 (62 miles) east of Shigatse at the foot of Dzong Hill.

Day 11

Place & Transport: Lhasa to Chengdu, Flight No. TBA
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Lhasa), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Chengdu), Wu Hou Temple, Jinli Street
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Wu Hou Temple: The Marquis of Wu, Zhuge Liang (181-234) was the outstanding military strategist immortalized in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and in the saying wise as "the Marquis of Wu". Peaceful and attractive gardens surround several halls, including one dedicated to his memory and another to that of his emperor Liu Bei, some impressive statues, a small museum, a famous Tang Dynasty stele and the classic red wall leading to Liu Bei's tomb. A delightful complex.
- Jinli Street: Once the commercial heart of the old kingdoms this ancient street has been fully restored in traditional Sichuan style. Picturesque, bustling, and cheerful, you can sample local arts and craft, traditional Chinese goods, food and delicacies, and even a Starbucks, local style.

Day 12

Place & Transport: Chengdu to Shanghai, Flight No. TBA
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Chengdu), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Shanghai), Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Half Day Tour to Panda Breed Reserve
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan: Founded in 1992, this museum occupies an area of 7000 square kilometers, and has a exhibition of the cultural relics excavated from No1 and No2 sacrificial pits of Shang Dynasty (from 16th-11th century B.C.). There are thousands of pieces of invaluable relics such as bronze ware, jade ware, gold ware, pottery, and bone ware on the exhibition, where you can get a closed look and learn more about the ancient China.
--Half Day Tour to Panda Breed Reserve: Your guide will pick you up at your hotel and transfer to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which is situated on the Axe Hill 10 kilometers from the north suburb of Chengdu City. It covers an area of 600 acres. The environment here is exquisitely designed; the air is refreshing with the bamboo growing luxuriantly and flocks of wild birds flying around. There are two Personal interactions with the pandas. One is enjoying seeing Feeding at 9am or 2pm and another is taking photo with them by donating RMB300-500 for senior pandas or RMB50-100 for minor pandas. You will be highly appreciated if can do something for them. Be transferred back to your hotel after the tour.

Note: you may need to consult with your guide about the interaction programs before you visit the pandas, so that your guide can make a reservation.

Day 13

Place & Transport: Shanghai
Today's Activities: The Bund, Nanjing Road
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- The Bund: Once the home of the foreign traders and major banks, the embankment has taken on a new vitality; lovely old European-style buildings mix with futuristic developments, chic restaurants, top end shops and bars offer plenty to see and do – and by night it's magic!
- Nanjing Road: One of the most famous shopping streets in the world. Giant shopping centres, specialist boutiques, international brands, local upmarket goods, it's all here, it's all busy and at night it really glitters. A fascinating glimpse of modern, commercial China.

Day 14

Place & Transport: Shanghai
Today's Activities: Jade Buddha Temple, Yuyuan Market, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Yuyuan Garden
Meals: Chinese Lunch

- Jade Buddha Temple: An active Buddhist temple, and one of the richest in Shanghai. The main treasures are two statues of Buddha, carved from rare single blocks of white jade adorned with precious stones. The temple is a hive of activity with monks, worshippers and visitors, and photos of the Buddhas are forbidden.
- Yuyuan Market : Located at a very busy marketplace in a complex of traditional-style buildings, backing onto Yuyuan Gardens.You can find everything there from popular local snacks and food, crafts, antiques and souvenirs to Starbucks, tea-houses and some great restaurants. There is a small (reconstructed) Temple (Chenhuang: Temple of the City Gods) in there as well.
- Oriental Pearl TV Tower: Standing by the Huangpu River with 468 meters high, Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the highest TV Tower in Asia .It is a new landmark of Shanghai in 21st century. The Shanghai History Museum is Located now just below the Oriental TV Tower at Pudong New Area. It was formally opened to the public on July 1, 2000. There you can see the three major exhibition units reflecting Shanghai's history, modern and recent revolutionary history respectively.
- Yuyuan Garden: In the centre of Shanghai next to the Yuyuan Bazaar, this exquisite old 5-acre garden is famous for its design. The paths wander across bridges, past rockeries and miniature lakes, and through pretty halls and pavilions. The trees and shrubs are planted with an eye to providing charming views, and a sense of peace and harmony.

Day 15

Place & Transport: Depart Shanghai, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Shanghai)
Meals: Breakfast

 

Featured Hotels

City Superior Class Deluxe Class Tourist Class
Beijing Crowne Plaza Beijing Sunworld Hotel Beijing Days Inn Forbidden City Beijing
Xining Yinlong Hotel Qinghai Hotel Xining Hotel
Lhasa Brahmaputra Grand Hotel Lhasa Hotel Shangbala Hotel
Shigatse Shigatse Shandong Hotel Shigatse Shandong Hotel Shigatse Shandong Hotel
Lhasa Brahmaputra Grand Hotel Lhasa Hotel Shangbala Hotel
Chengdu Crowne Plaza Chengdu Green Land Hotel Lhasa Grand Hotel
Shanghai Radisson Shanghai New World The Bund Hotel Shanghai Pacific Luck Hotel Shanghai

 

Price of this tour

Tour ClassYour Group Size 1 person 2-5 persons 6-9 persons Single room supplement
Superior Class 6376* 3896 3386 1210
Deluxe Class 5617 3516 3005 827
Tourist Class 4796 3107 2601 428

We are now giving out discount on this tour. Please input your information to find out how much you can save if you make a inquiry between September 27th to December 31st! click here for details

Can you confirm your tour before December 31st, 2008? Yes; No
Will you start your tour before December 31st, 2008? Yes; No
 

* Prices are in US dollars, for one person. Prices are for references only and may vary according to your travel time . Click here to change prices to your Currency

* Better discounts are available when traveling in low season (from November to March) or when traveling in a large group. Please Contact Us for more details.

* The Price quoted for one person includes the single "Single room supplement"

 

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