Our clients at Beijing Forbidden City

Day 01Arrival in Beijing

Our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area at Beijing Airport and transfer you to hotel. The rest of your day is free.

Day 02Beijing

Visit the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. The Beijing Duck Dinner is served at a famous restaurant followed by a lively Peking Opera performance at the Liyuan Theatre.(B+L+D)

Tips: Peking Opera is indispensable when you tour Beijing, for it is the quintessence of Chinese culture. The repertoire is mainly related to the significant historical events, fairy tales in the preceding dynasties, emperors, great beauties etc. The complete plot is performed through stylized actions, singing, dancing, acrobatic fighting, mime and dialogues by actors. The English sub-titles are shown on an electronic board alongside the stage and can help you comprehend the plot of the opera. There are basically four types of roles, sheng (male), dan (young female), Jing (painted face male) and chou (clown male or female). Each character is vividly presented. The facial make-up is rich and interesting; you can see how the actors wear make-up in the dressing room  when you enter the theater.

Day 03Beijing

Visit the Badaling Great Wall. To avoid having lunch at shopping site restaurants, you will be driven to have Sichuan food at a local popular restaurant. Visit the Sacred Way, the Ming Tomb in the afternoon. On the way back to downtown, drive by the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium) - you will see it at a distance from your vehicle. (B+L, D is included for luxury series)

Differences:
Luxury Series: an a la carte dinner is served at a famous Cantonese cuisine restaurant in the Wangfujing area. 
Standard Series: We prefer to leave this dinner on your own since it is easy for you to find some good Chinese restaurants or western-style ones in this metropolis. Also you may ask for some useful suggestions from your local guide or the hotel reception.
 
Descriptions:
Great Wall - The Great Wall of China, with a length of about 6,300 kilometers (3,915 miles), is one of the greatest miracles in the world. Like a huge dragon, Great Wall winds up and down across mountains, grasslands, deserts and plains, stretching from the Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu in the west of China to the Shanhaiguan Pass near the eastern seaside of the country. The Great Wall which we arrange for you - Badaling - is the most excellent section on the “neck of the huge dragon”.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Xian

Day 04Beijing - Xian

Visit the Summer Palace and the lovely pandas in Beijing Zoo. Take a flight to Xian and transfer to the hotel. (B+L, D is included for luxury series)

Differences
Luxury Series: we have arranged a buffet dinner for you at your hotel this evening.
Standard Series: we would like to leave this dinner on your own. You may have dinner at your hotel by yourself or ask for your guide's suggestion.

Descriptions:
Summer Palace - The Summer Palace is a fantastic resort for visitors to admire the peaceful landscapes and magnificent architectures of the royal garden in China. Visitors may go to the Front Hill Area where most ancient constructions are located. The first construction you visit may be the Hall of Dispelling Clouds (Paiyundian). It is regarded as the most spectacular architectural complex of the Summer Palace. The Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) used to celebrate her birthday here every year.

Day 05Xian

Visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. To avoid having the poor food at the site, you will take highway back to downtown to have lunch at a well known Cantonese cuisine restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the City Wall. This evening you will be entertained with the marvelous Tang Dynasty Show.(B+L+D)

Differences
Luxury Series: you will have Tang Dynasty Dinner and Show at Tang Dynasty Palace (Add: No.75, Chang'an Road, Xian).
Standard Series: you will enjoy Dumpling Banquet and Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show at Shaanxi Opera Theatre (Add: No. 165, Wenyi Road, Xian).
 
Descriptions:
Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum - In the museum, there are two large bronze chariots which also attract most visitors' eyes. The two bronze chariots were unearthed in 1980. After over two and a half years of extensive restorations, they were exhibited in public, labeled Chariot No. 1 and No. 2. 
 
Xian City Wall - The existing City Wall of Xian that was started in early Ming Dynasty represent the best preserved, perhaps the oldest and largest Chinese city walls. It encircles a small but central 12-square-meter part of Xian, which is six times smaller than the Chang'an city of the Tang Dynasty.

Our clients in front of the Potala Palace, Lhasa

Day 06Xian - Lhasa

Visit the Hanyangling Museum, the Mausoleum of Western Han Emperor Liu Qi on the way to the airport. Take a flight to Lhasa where the altitude is 3,650 meters above sea level. Transfer to the hotel and acclimatize yourself to the high altitude. Dinner is served at your hotel.(B+D)

Tips: For clients who travel to Tibet with us, we will handle the Tibet Travel Permit for you. The travel permit is checked and issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau and is usually issued two weeks prior to your entry in Tibet. Therefore, when planning the tour to Tibet, please make sure there is adequate time to obtain the permit.

Day 07Lhasa

Visit the Tibet Museum and the Carpet Factory. After having a western-style lunch, go head to visit the Sera Monastery and the Norbulingka Park. The a la carte dinner will be arranged for you at a local best Sichuan cuisine restaurant.(B+L+D)

Descriptions:
Tibet Museum - Tibet Museum is the treasure house of Tibetan cultural relics and a gem of Tibetan civilization. It houses more than 30,000 pieces of exhibits, Besides the precious collections, the museum has the cultural gallery, handicraft shop and other service facilities, it is a good place to relax while visiting the exhibitions.
 
Sera Monastery - The Sera Monastery, whose full name is Sera Theg-chen-glin, is located in a beautiful and serene place ringed with willow trees and murmuring streams. Since ancient times, it was the place where the living Buddhas and eminent monks preached. Leaning against a hill and facing water, the lofty golden roof looks brilliant and splendid against the azure sky.

Tibetan people Photo by our client Mr. Max Garrick

Day 08Lhasa

Visit the magnificent Potala Palace. After a western-style lunch, visit the Jokhang Temple, the thriving bazaar of the Barkhor Street and the Tibetan Traditional Medicine Hospital. Dinner is served at your hotel.(B+L+D)

Tips: When you visit the tourist sites in Lhasa, you should obey the rule of walking clockwise. Of course, the guide will lead you well. Taking photos is definitely forbidden in the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple. In other monasteries, you need to pay the extra fee if you want to takes photos. The fee is charged per camera and the price for a video camera is much higher. There are lots of stands and shops along the Barkhor Street. The unique Tibetan atmosphere is permeated here. The Tibetan rugs, incense, clothing, Buddhist statues and many kinds of beautiful Tibetan decorations are easily to be found. You may pick something as souvenirs for your friends and families.

Descriptions:
Potala Palace - It is the transliteration of Potalaka in Sanskrit with the meaning of Buddhist Shrine. It is the masterpiece of the ancient Tibetan architecture. It was initially built in 641 in memory of the intermarriage of the ruler of Tubo kingdom Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng from Tang Dynasty. Some expansions and additions made it the present scale. It has been the dwelling place for Dalai Lamas in succession ever since the reign of the fifth.
 
Jokhang Temple - One of the famous landmarks of Tibet is the Johkang Temple, which was built more than 1,300 years ago. Now it has become the center for some important Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies or activities. 

Day 09Lhasa - Gyangtse

Transfer to Gyangtse. Stop off at the Yamdrok Yumtso Lake and the Karola snow mountain. Transfer to the hotel upon arrival. Visit the Palkhor Monastery and the Gyangtse Old Street. Dinner is served at your hotel.(B+L+D)

Tips: 
Different from the metropolis like Beijing and Shanghai, Tibet is permeated with mystery and national characteristics. You will not find the usual “big-city” amenities in this remote area.  It takes longer to transfer from one place to another, so you will spend a lot of time on the vehicle if you explore further in Tibet. But enjoying the fascinating natural scenery along the way should make for a pleasant journey! 
 
Descriptions: 
Yamdrok Yumtso Lake - Yamdrok Yumtso means "the jade lake in the upper pastureland" or "swan lake" in Tibetan. It is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet and regarded as the transformation of goddess according to the mythology. It is shaped like a fan, spreading to the south but narrowing up to the north. Many devout followers will come here for pilgrimage.

Day 10Gyangtse - Shigatse

Transfer to Shigatse and check in at the hotel. Visit the Tashilunpo Monastery and the New Palace of Panchen.(B+L+D)

Descriptions: 
Tashilunpo Monastery - As the largest Yellow Hat sect monastery in Tibet, it is the seat of the Panchen lamas. It houses the largest copper Buddhist statue with a height up to 26 meters in the world. The golden roofs and white walls can be clearly seen standing at the entrance.
 
New Palace of Panchen - it is famous for the summer palace of the tenth Panchen Lama (1938-1989). There are three gates for the palace, and you will see the splendid palace interior after passing through two gates. There you will see a number of precious cultural relics including the famous mural.

Our clients at the Everest Base Camp, Tibet Photo by our client Mr. Max Garrick

Day 11Shigatse - Dingri

Transfer to Dingri and check in at the Everest Hotel. Visit the Sakya Monastery and Lhatse city on the way. Dinner is served at your hotel.(B+L+D)

Tips: The best time to visit Tibet is from May to Oct. The climate near Everest Base Camp is so harsh that it is hard for the visit from Nov to next Apr. The heavy snow in winter may easily block the road. It takes about 6 to 7 hours driving from Shigatse to Dingri. The food is far from good, so we advise you to take some snacks or fast food with you. Tibet is not as developed as other cities in China, so you must psyche yourself up for your Tibet adventure. 
 
Descriptions: 
Sakya Monastery - a Buddhist monastery in Tibet. The Mongolian architecture is different from the other temples in Tibet. There are as many as 84,000 scrolls including works of literature, history, arts, philosophy and mathematics. It was thought as the sign that Tibet was brought into Chinese domain officially.

Tibetan pupils

Day 12Dingri - Everest Base Camp - Dingri

Transfer to the Everest Base Camp and visit Rongbuk Monastery. Return to Dingri. Dinner is served at your hotel.(B+L+D)

Descriptions: 
Rongbuk Monastery - the highest monastery in the world, which lies at the foot of the Rongbuk Glacier at 5,100 meters above sea level. It is the sacred threshold of Mt. Everest with the most fabulous view in the world. There is only a distance of 10 kilometers (6 miles) between Rongbuk monastery and Everest Base Camp.

Day 13Dingri - Shigatse

Drive back to Shigatse and transfer to the hotel. Dinner is served at your hotel.(B+L+D)

Tips: It is our suggestion that you should wear warm clothes when you go further in Tibet, because it is pretty cold near Yamdrok Yumtso Lake. The temperature differs greatly from the morning till night. Sunglasses, sunblock, sunbonnet and drinking water are also essential, because you will get exposed in the open air for a long time, but the nice scenery will not make the long journey boring.

Day 14Shigatse - Lhasa

Return to Lhasa and transfer to the hotel. You will be very tired after two days travel so spend the rest of the day recovering from the fatigue of the drive. Dinner is served at your hotel.(B+L+D)

Day 15Lhasa - Shanghai

Proceed to the next stop after having a Tibetan family visit. Take a flight to Shanghai and transfer to the hotel.(B+L)

Tips: When you visit a Tibetan family, please do not step on the threshold, which is regarded impolite. Tibetan people believe that sticking out one's tongue means respect rather than ridicule and it is etiquette to put one's palms together when meeting. So do not be upset when someone makes the gesture in front of you. You may have heard of celestial burial. Just on the hill back of Sera Monastery is where the local Tibetans hold celestial burial. Tibetans are averse to visitors for that. You are advised not to approach it even if you are just very curious and bear no malice.

Exterior of Shanghai Museum

Day 16Shanghai

Visit the Shanghai Museum and the Yuyuan Garden. For the afternoon activities, we have different arrangement for our luxury and standard series, please see the following differences. Tonight a memorable a la carte dinner is served at Central Hotel, whose restaurant Wang Bao He has a history of around 260 years and is the best place to serve Shanghai Cuisine. The dinner will be followed by the Portman Acrobatic Show at the Shanghai Centre Theatre.(B+L+D)

Differences
Luxury Series: after lunch we will transfer you to the Bund area, where you will take a cruise tour on the Huangpu River. The cruise will start at 14:00, reach the Wusongkou pier and then get back to the Bund at 17:00. We will then leave you some free time to explore the Bund area on your own.
Standard Series: you will be taken to visit the Bund along the Huangpu River and the famous Nanjing Road, and then a local family visit is scheduled.
 
Descriptions:
Shanghai Museum - The museum is a noted art gallery of the nation located in the city center, possessing about 120 thousand pieces of cultural relics that range from the Paleolithic Age to modern times. Bronze, ceramic wares, calligraphic and painting masterpieces of different dynasties gathering here are the most highlighted part of the museum. 
 
Yuyuan Garden - The Yuyuan Garden is a bright pearl of the South classical gardens. Inside the garden are zigzag bridges over flowing streams and clear pools, pavilions, towers and terraces with their shadows reflected in the water. The buildings in the garden are decorated with exquisite brick designs and wood carvings.

Day 17Departure from Shanghai

Today we will transfer you to the airport for the return flight. Have a pleasant trip home!(B)

B-- Breakfast     L-- Lunch     D-- Dinner