 |
ITINERARY |
 |
 |
Day 1 West Coast - Beijing
Aboard your transpacific flight to Beijing.
Day 2 Beijing
Upon arrival in Beijing, China's capital, you will be greeted and escorted to the Capital Hotel (or similar).
Day 3 Beijing (AB,L,SD)
After breakfast, visit Tiananmen Square and the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City, home of Chinese Emperors for more than 500 years. After lunch, visit the Summer Palace, taking a leisure stroll while admiring the thousands of ancient murals along the Long Corridor and a boat ride on the Kunming Lake (weather permitting). Enjoy a fabulous welcome banquet featuring the famous Beijing Duck in the evening.
 Day 4 Beijing (AB,L)
The highlight today is an excursion to the Great Wall. Enjoy the dramatic vistas and marvel at the Wall as it climbs and descends steep ridges and narrow valleys. Continue on to visit a cloisonn factory on the way to lunch. After lunch, visit the Ming Tombs starting with a stroll along the Sacred Way guarded by the stone statues; then onto the Chang Ling Exhibition Museum.
Day 5 Beijing - Lhasa - Tsedang (AB,L,D)
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Lhasa, Tibet. Upon arrival on an average altitude of 12,000 feet, you will be greeted with a traditional Tibetan welcome ceremony. Immediately transfer to Tsedang in the Yarlung Valley, known as the "Birthplace of Tibetan Civilization" and the "Valley of Kings". Visit Tradruk Temple, considered the oldest in Tibet. Legend has it that King Songtsen Gampo killed 5 dragons here and constructed a temple to commemorate the site. Also visit Yumbulagang, originally built in 127 AD when Nyatri Tsenpo, first king of Tibet, is said to have descended from the heavens. Check in to the Tsedang Hotel (or similar).
Day 6 Tsedang (AB,L,D)
This morning, ferry across the Yaluzabgu River, the highest river in the world, to visit the Samye Monastery. Built in 761, Samye's buildings are arranged in the shape of a mandala representing Buddhist cosmology. Inside the main temple are Tibetan, Chinese and Indian artworks depicting legends and events from Tibet's history.
Day 7 Tsetang - Yamdrok Lake - Gyantse (AB,L,D)
Today drive to Gyantse, a town southwest of Lhasa. Visit scenic Yamdrok Lake enroute, one of the four holy lakes of Tibet. On arrival in Gyantse, check in to the Gyantse Hotel (or similar).
Day 8 Gyantse - Shigatse (AB,L,D)
Start your tour with a visit to the Palkhor Monastery, built in 1414 and located at the western end of the Changge Range in the county. This is a monastery that embraces all sects of Buddhism, which is rare in Tibet. By the monastery stands the resplendent Palkor Pagoda. This nine-story pagoda is 32.5 meters high and has 108 doors. Its 77 Buddhist halls house some 100,000 statues of Buddhas. So the pagoda is also famous as the "100,000-Buddha Pagoda". Continue on to Shigatse, a 500-year-old cultural city of 11,400 feet above sea level. Upon arrival, check in to the Shigatse Hotel (or similar).
Day 9 Shigatse - Lhasa (AB,L,D)
Shigatse is the site of Benchen Lamas' residence in the Tashilunpo Monastery, established in 1447, where the fourth Benchen Lama and his successors resided and conduct political activities. Covering a floor space of 300,000 square meters, the monastery is enshrined with the world's largest gilded bronze Buddhist statue, the 22.4 meter high status of Champa. Continue drive to Lhasa, where you will check in to the Lhasa Hotel (or similar).
 Day 10 Lhasa (AB,L,D)
Today's sightseeing begins with the 7th century Jokhang Monastery, one of Tibet's holiest shrines. This is the main destination for pilgrims traveling to Lhasa from throughout Tibet, and you'll see pilgrims prostrating themselves in front of the temple. Your senses will be assailed by the smell of yak butter lamps, the smoke of incense and the sounds of chanting. Barkhor (Eight Corners) Street, circling around the monastery, is an important meeting place and marketplace. In the afternoon, your visit will take you to the cliff top Drepung Monastery. Built in 1416, it is one of the largest monasteries in Tibet.
Day 11 Lhasa (AB,L,D)
The highlight of today's tour features the Potala Palace, which rises majestically from the face of sacred Putuo Hill. First built in the 7th century, it was damaged in the 8th century. It was then reconstructed in the 17th century by the 5th Dalai Lama, becoming the political and religious center of Tibet. Continue your visit to the Norbulingka Palace, the Summer Palace of Tibetan Kings, and Sera Monastery, a large monastery of the Gelukpa sect.
 Day 12 Lhasa - Chengdu (AB,L,D)
This morning, transfer to airport for your flight to Chengdu. Upon arrival, visit the Panda Breeding Research Institute. Follow the trails through the bamboo forest and observe pandas in their natural habitat. This evening enjoy a performance of traditional Sichuan style opera. Overnight at the Yinhe Dynasty Hotel (or similar).
Day 13 Chengdu - Shanghai (AB,L)
This morning, visit the museum at Sanxingdui, site of a mysterious ancient civilization dating back 3,000 years. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai - "Paris of the Orient". Afternoon sightseeing features the bustling shopping street of Nanjing Road, and The Bund, famous promenade along the Huangpu River. Check in to the Central Hotel Shanghai (or similar).
 Day 14 Shanghai (AB,L,D)
This morning, you will visit the Shanghai Museum, China's most up-to-date museum showcasing the country's ancient glory. In the afternoon, pay a visit to the Jade Buddha Temple, renowned for its huge statue of the Buddha carved from a single piece of white jade; and the Yu Garden, famous for its rock gardens, pavilions, halls and ponds, and Old Shanghai Bazaar, with shops filled with all manner of interesting curios.
Day 15 Shanghai (AB)
Spend today at leisure to explore this vibrant city on your own. Perhaps take an optional tour to one of the nearby picturesque water towns, known for their winding canals, arched stone bridges and well-preserved architecture from Ming and Qing Dynasty.
Day 16 Shanghai - West Coast (AB)
Farewell to Shanghai. Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the USA. |
|
|
|
|
