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Tour Code: S-501

China & Holy Tibet Tour

12 Days Standard of Beijing - Lhasa - Xian - Shanghai

Luxury | Standard | Budget
Starting from
$2069 per person!
Day by Day Itinerary

Departure: Daily


Forbidden City, Beijing
Photo by our clients Mr. Geoffrey Suranyi & Ms. Margaret Ann Baker with their feedback

Day 01Entry Beijing

Our guide will expect you outside the customs of Beijing Capital Airport and transfer you to the 4-star Holiday Inn Central Plaza, the best Holiday Inn Hotel in Beijing. The rest of the day is at your own leisure to have a good rest or explore the city. For dinner on your own arrangement, we have some suggestions around our hotel.

Meals: No meals
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Central Plaza

Day 02Beijing

Your Beijing tour starts from the world's largest city square, Tiananmen Square. During the past 500 years, the square has seen many changes and development of China, and has become an important venue for national ceremonies. After a short stroll around the square, you will come to the Forbidden City, the largest imperial palace complex in the world. Namely the Palace Museum, it boasts vast imperial architecture and precious historical items between 14th and 20th century. To ensure that you can taste the authentic Chinese food instead of the mass-produced food at the tourist eateries arranged by most agencies, we will offer you an a la carte lunch at a famous local Cantonese cuisine restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Heaven, the imperial alter for the emperors to worship for good harvest. In the evening, a lively Chinese Kung Fu Show is waiting for you at the Red Theatre. Combining modern acrobatics and dances, the show will present you a new idea about Chinese martial art.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Central Plaza


Sacred Way, Beijing
Photo by our client Mr. Pam Corbin with his feedback

Day 03Beijing

In the morning, you will climb up the famous Badaling Great Wall, which is the best-preserved China Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. Standing on the wall, it will be exciting to see the majestic views of the wall winding along the roiling mountains and punctuated by the solid beacon towers. Rather than shopping site restaurants arranged by other agencies, we will offer you a Sichuan cuisine lunch at the best local restaurant for your energy supplement.  After lunch, we will drive you back to the city center, while on the way back to downtown, you will have a short stay at the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium), the major venue for 2008 Olympic Games, and take photos with the huge nest. In the afternoon, visit China's largest imperial garden, the Summer Palace, which is renowned for the perfect combination of natural landscape and gardening design. You can see beautiful scenery of lakes, mountains, islands and trees, as well as traditional Chinese garden construction of long corridors, pavilions, bridges and halls.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Central Plaza

Day 04Beijing - Lhasa

In the early morning, our tour guide will pick you up from your hotel and take the only one available flight to Lhasa. Upon your arrival at Lhasa, our local guide will be waiting for you at the airport and transfer you to the 4-star Gang-gyan Lhasa Hotel. Relax for the rest of the day to adapt yourself to the high altitude.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Gang-gyan Lhasa Hotel


Sera Monastery, Lhasa
Photo by our clients Jan and Eduardo Ferrada with their feedback

Day 05Lhasa

Your Tibet tour starts from Tibet Museum, which is the first modernized museum in Tibet. The cultural relics and handicrafts displayed in the Tibetan style exhibition rooms reflect the long history and glorious culture of Tibet. Then visit the Carpet Factory, where you will learn about the unique manufacture of the Tibetan carpet. After lunch, proceed to the Sera Monastery, one of the three largest monasteries in Lhasa City. The monastery is famous for large collection of Buddhist scriptures, statues, and frocks. The traditional Tibetan buildings and decorations are also very impressive. Then visit the Norbulinka Park, which is the summer resort of the Dalai Lama and considered “the Summer Palace in Tibet”. Wandering inside the Norbulingka Park, you will feel amazed by the unique architectural style of Tibetan palaces and the beautiful landscape of lakes, hills, and plants.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Gang-gyan Lhasa Hotel


Our clients in Tibet
Photo by our client Mr. Max Garrick with his feedback

Day 06Lhasa

The highlight of your Tibet tour comes today - you will visit the Potala Palace. Initially built in the 7th century, and reconstructed around 17th century, Potala Palace is a masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. It is composed of two parts, the Red Palace as the center and the White Palace as the wings. The main building is 110 meters (361 feet) high, capped with golden roofs and decorated with colorful murals and golden Tibetan Buddhist decorations, which presents typical Tibetan flavor. After lunch, visit the Jokhang Temple, which is famous for the unique building. The 4-storey main building is covered with gilded bronze tiles on the roofs and carved with graceful sculptures of human beings and animals on the beam, where the Nepal and Indian style were blended into traditional architecture of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). Then walk to the bustling Barkhor Street, which shows the original look of Lhasa. You can see the traditional buildings, small stores selling local handicrafts and snacks, and unique restaurants. Finally, there is a visit to the Tibetan Traditional Medicine Hospital to learn about the famous Tibetan medicine.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Gang-gyan Lhasa Hotel

Day 07Lhasa - Xian

In the morning, you will take a special visit to a Tibetan family to learn about the life of local people. Then take a flight to Xian. Our guide will expect you at the airport and transfer you to the 4-star Grand New World Hotel. The rest of day is free for you to have a good rest or wander around by yourslef. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Grand New World Hotel 


Figure of the terracotta warrior, Xian

Day 08Xian

Your Xian tour starts from the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, which is regarded as the eighth wonder of the world. You will be impressed by the lifelike figures and horses, as well as the exquisite Bronze Chariots and Horses and weapons. To avoid the low-quality tourist eateries near the site, we will offer you a delicious a la carte lunch at the best local restaurant with nice surroundings. After lunch, get back to downtown and pay a visit to Shaanxi History Museum, which is one of the best museums in China and well-known for the large collection of cultural relics. Only a few minutes' drive, you will come to the landmark of Xian, Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Built in 652, it is a 64.5-meter-high (211.6 feet) seven-storey pagoda used to house the sutras and Buddhist figurines brought from India. The traditional Dumpling Dinner is to be served tonight. At the same time, the fancy Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Performance will bring you back to the dreamy and prosperous Tang Dynasty of 1,300 year ago. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch, Dumpling dinner
Accommodation: Grand New World Hotel


Chinese women in the countryside

Day 09Xian

In the morning, you will visit the City Wall of Xian. Surrounded by deep moat and dense trees, the firm and high wall circles the old town of the city. The City Wall, originally worked as the military defense system when it was built, now becomes an important landmark of Xian. If time permits, you can either walk or have a short bicycle tour around the City Wall on your own. Then visit a local family with home-cooked lunch and learn more about the local's daily life in Xian. In our family visit tour, we can also provide Chinese food cooking class for our distinguished clients for free. After the homely cooked a la carte lunch, visit the Great Mosque, one of the largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China. The highlight of the mosque is that it was built in traditional Chinese style of flying eaves, painted columns and carved beams rather than Islamic domes and minarets, which is an outstanding production of Chinese architecture and Islamic culture.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked a la carte lunch
Accommodation: Grand New World Hotel

Day 10Xian - Shanghai

The tour in the ancient Xian will come to an end today and our tour guide and driver will provide our comfort hotel-airport transfer for you. When you are in Shanghai, another tour gudie will warmly welcome you at the airport and will help to the check in at the hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to have a good rest or explore the city on your own. For dinner on your own arrangement, we have some suggestions around our hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Ya Fan Long Men Hotel


Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai

Day 11Shanghai

Your Shanghai tour starts from Shanghai Museum, which is especially famous for the collection of bronze vessels in Shang and Zhou dynasties (about 3,000 years ago), ceramic objects of different historical periods and ancient paintings and calligraphy works. Then visit the Yuyuan Garden, one of the most famous classical gardens of southern Yangtze area. Around noon, we will specially serve you an a la carte lunch at a famous local restaurant. Although you have quite enjoyed Chinese food through the trip, we believe that you are beginning to miss your western meal now. After lunch, you are able to visit the famous Nanjing Road, the Bund area and an old street in Shanghai. As one of the most bustling commercial street in Shanghai, Nanjing Road enjoys the same fame as the Fifth Avenue in New York, the Champs Elysees in Paris, the Oxford Street in London, and the Ginza in Tokyo.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch
Accommodation: Ya Fan Long Men Hotel

Day 12Shanghai Exit

Our comfortable private drive will take you to Shanghai Airport today. Our guide will help you handle the boarding card and then say farewell. Should you wish to continue visiting China instead of going back home right away, we suggest you choose our City Package for an extension tour.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

  • 2012 Price
Based on per person and in U.S. dollars, valid from Jan. 1st, 2012 to Feb. 28th, 2013
Season Group Size 2-5 travelers 6-9 travelers 10 travelers & above
High season
(Mar 1st-Nov 30th)
Double Occupancy
$2659
$2249
$1999
Single Occupancy
$3109
$2699
$2399
Shoulder season
(Dec 1st, 2012-Feb 28th, 2013)
Double Occupancy
$2529
$2119
$1879
Single Occupancy
$2879
$2459
$2149
Shoulder season
(Jan 1st-Feb 29th)
Double Occupancy
$2469
$2069
$1829
Single Occupancy
$2769
$2369
$2059

For our quotation inclusions & exclusions, booking and cancellation terms, please read Terms and Conditions.

Small Group Tour CHINA TIBET ODYSSEY for similar itinerary with the lowest price. 

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