Discovery the Mysterious China from East to West
Ni Hao, welcome to Beijing, the iconic city as well as the capital of China! You will be met by local tour guide at the arrival hall of Beijing Airport and escorted to check in your hotel in downtown by a private comfortable vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to relax. If you want to explore nearby, feel free to get some practical suggestions from your tour guide.
Arrival Ideals: At present, there are many international and domestic flights to Beijing. Besides, you can take a high speed train to this capital city from Shanghai (5-6 hrs), Xian (5.5 hrs), Guangzhou (8-9.5 hrs), etc.
After breakfast, start to explore the historical face of Beijing with a brief visit to Tiananmen Square which is now the largest city plaza in the world. Tiananmen Gate on the northern square was the site where the Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Stepping into the Tiananmen, you will see one of the world’s 5 most important palaces – Forbidden City, a huge palace complex of more than 9,000 rooms where 24 emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties used to live in. Pass through various doorways to admire the magnificent and well preserved buildings decorated with yellow glazed tile roof, white marble base and splendid colorful paintings.
After lunch, drive to the outskirts of Beijing to spend an enjoyable time in Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China. Stroll around ancient pavilions, mansions, temples, bridges and corridors. Feast your eyes on the vast lotus in Kunming Lake and the colored paintings in Long Corridor.
Optional activity: Option 1: In the Evening, you can watch a wonderful Kungfu Show in the Red Theater (Hong Ju Chang) which usually starts at 19:30. Option 2: You could enjoy the well-known Beijing Opera at Liyuan Theater to appreciate the classic Chinese art performance, 19:30-21:00.
Woo's group visited Tiananmen Square
Forbidden City Photographed by Our Customer
Summer Palace Shot by Our Guest Nguyen in 2017
After breakfast, drive about 70km to witness one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Great Wall. Visit the Mutianyu, a less crowded yet well-preserved segment of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty. It will more than live up to all of your expectations! You’ll take a cable car to ascend the Great Wall, then hike the most beautiful and interesting part of Mutianyu. It's a wonderful experience to climb up its rising towers to enjoy scenic views and take brag-worthy photos of the wall wriggling along mountain ridges. After the exciting time, descend Mutianyu Great Wall by cable car. (Note: If energy permits, you can hike up or down which takes about 40 minutes to climb steps. Please tell your likes to your travel consultant.)
Continue your trip to Sacred Way, a 7-kilometer-long passage leading to the Imperial Tombs of 13 Emperors of Ming Dynasty. The Emperor, known as the Son of the Heaven, who came from Heaven to his country through the Sacred Way, also would return to Heaven through this road. Take a walk through the largest archway in China and Great Palace Gate and you’ll see the magnificent stone guard of 12 sets of mythical animals and 12 officials. Then drive back to Beijing city and take a short stop at the Beijing Olympic Village to view its famous Bird’s Nest and Water Cube from the outside.
Optional activity: After the whole day’s tour, treat yourself a great dinner to taste the famous Peking Roasted Duck at Quanjude.
Mutianyu Great Wall Shot by Our Customer Kim
Our customers visited Bird's Nest in 2019
Sacred Way: the road leading to Ming Tombs
After breakfast, drive to the imperial site – Temple of Heaven. It was originally used to pay homage to Heaven and pray for harvest, now becomes a bustling place for locals to take part in traditional activities, such as Tai Chi, dancing, kite flying, water calligraphy, etc.
Then, get back to central city to hop on a rickshaw to experience Beijing Hutongs – small alleys made of neighboring quadrangle dwellings. Shuttle among different Hutongs to feel the old Beijing life style, meet various antique shops and small boutiques, feel the historical changes of Beijing, also pay a visit to a local family’s home in the traditional Hutongs.
Till now, your Beijing tour is about to end. Your tour guide will see you off at the Beijing West Railway Station for your high speed train to Xian (about 4.5-6 hours). Be picked up by your tour guide at Xian North Railway Station, and escorted to your hotel in Xian. The rest of today is on your own to explore this ancient capital of China.
Temple of Heaven in Beijing Shot by Our Customer in 2018
Hutong Shot by Our Customer Taylor
After breakfast, drive about 40km to discover one of the greatest man-made wonders in the world – Terracotta Warriors and Horses, built by the first emperor Qin Shihuang to protect his afterlife. Over 8, 000 life-size warriors, horses and chariots, buried in 3 pits more than 2000 years until uncovered by local farmer in 1974, forms an ancient military army with complete battle unites, such as infantry, cavalry, etc. Standing in front of these figures, one can’t help being amazed not only by the ambition of Qin Shihuang but also the fabulous artistic skills of ancient Chinese artisans.
After lunch, return back to Xian to have a leisure time at the Bell & Drum Tower Square, where stands the biggest and most intact Bell Tower and Drum Tower in China. Then, head to the Great Mosque, a very special place made of a group of buildings, including storeys, towers, pavilions and palaces, with Chinese style decoration outside and Muslim style decoration inside. It is followed by a relaxing wandering around bustling and lively Muslim Community, a place to try different local snacks and explore Muslim culture.
Optional activities: Enjoy a wonderful Tang Palace Dance Show after a hearty dumpling dinner.
Terracotta Warriors
Muslim Community
After breakfast, head to Da Cien Temple, a famous Buddhist sutra translation place in Tang Dynasty. Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the most famous building in the temple. With a height of 64.5 meters, the pagoda was built by the famous Buddhist master Xuanzang to reserve classic scriptures he bought from India in early Tang Dynasty. (Xuanzang, the prototype character of Tang Seng in the novel of Journey to the West).
Note: it charges extra 30 RMB to climb up the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Following is an educational visiting to Shaanxi History Museum. Ramble in the modern exhibition halls to appreciate relics, such as porcelains, paintings, currencies from Zhou to the Tang periods (1100BC to 907 AD). (Note: Shaanxi History Museum may be replaced with other activity or attraction because of crowding tourists during July ~ early September and China’s National Day during Oct.1-Oct.7. You may check details with your travel consultant.)
In the afternoon, take a wonderful stroll on the Ancient City Wall, the largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in China. Enjoy panoramic views of modern Xian and walk leisurely on the well-maintained city wall which is 12 meters high and 18 meters wide with a total circle of nearly 14 kilometers.
Optional activities: Take a relaxing cycling on the Ancient City Wall.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda shared by Our Customer
Our customers' group visited Xian Shaanxi History Museum
Our customers enjoyed biking on Ancient City Wall
Today is free until your guide escorts you to catch flight to Lhasa (about 3hrs). Upon arrival, Your tour guide is ready to pick you up at the arrival hall, and escort you to your hotel in Lhasa downtown. Enjoy the stunning views along the driving. After check in, the rest of today is for you to acclimate to the high altitude and weather of Lhasa. Avoid strenuous physical activities which may cause high altitude sickness.
After breakfast, start an incredible day of exploration in Lhasa city. The grandiose Potala Palace is the first site to discover. Having gone through more than 1300 years of historical changes, the colossal Potala Palace still dominates over the skyline of Lhasa city. Climb up the sacred steps to get inside the Red Palace and White Palace to explore the marvelous interior which is full of exquisite Thangkas, numerous Buddha statues, vivid wall painting and other works of Buddhist art.
In the afternoon, firstly visit the holiest Buddhist temple in Tibet – Jokhang Temple where the 12-year-old-like Shakyamuni statue is consecrated. As the spiritual center of Tibet, Jokhang Temple attracts hundreds of devoted pilgrims to worship. Outside the door of Jokhang Temple is the famous pilgrimage circle – Barkhor Street. Join the faithful Tibetans in colorful attires in walking the circle around Jokhang Temple.
Potala Palace
Meet with Tibet locals at Barkhor Street
Jokhang Temple
After breakfast, we start our day with a visit to the summer palace of Dalai Lamas – Norbulingka Park. The luxuriant trees and flowers, cool ponds and comfortable palaces make Norbulingka the best place for summer retreat. Then drive about 5km westward to Drepung Monastery. The monastery used to play a crucial role in Tibet Buddhism as the school of Dalai Lamas. In its heyday, there were more than 10,000 monks living and study in the monastery. As you walk further, immense temples, chapels leap to your eyes one after one.
We will then go to visit another featured Sera Monastery. This six hundred year-old monastery is famous for its grand ceremony of Buddhism debating apart from its beautiful temples with sensational icons, murals and history.
Monks at Drepung Monastery Entrance
Norbulingka Park - A Beautiful Tibetan Style Garden
Monks Debating at Sera Monastery
Today is free for you to explore Lhasa city until your tour guide transfer you to catch your flight/train to next destination.
Extension Trip Idea:
If you want to spend more days in Tibet, you can add a day tour to Namtso Lake, or take a trip to explore Mount Everest which will cost you about 4 days to finish. The most remote Mt. Kailash trekking can be done in about 10 days from Lhasa.
Leaving Idea:
From Lhasa, you can directly fly to Kathmandu, but the schedule is not daily. You can also take flights or trains to Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xining, Shanghai among which Chengdu has most frequent flight schedules, usually about 10 flights each day.
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