15 Days Beijing, Xining, Tibet Train, Lhasa, Chengdu and Shanghai

Itinerary

Day 1 Home City – Beijing

Your journey begins with an overnight transpacific flight across the International Date Line.

Day 2 Arrival Beijing

Meet & transfer to the hotel

HOTEL: CHANG AN GRAND HOTEL or similar

Day 3 Beijing (B. L. D)         

Full day tour to Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace & Temple of Heaven. This evening: enjoy a cultural show

HOTEL: CHANG AN GRAND HOTEL or similar

Day 4 Beijing (B. L. D)         

This morning we’ll visit the exterior of Bird Nest & Water Cube

Then we continue to the Great Wall at Badaling & Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Tomb with Sacred Way. If time permits, we’ll visit a Jade Carving Factory

HOTEL: CHANG AN GRAND HOTEL or similar

Day 5 Beijing / Xining by air  (B. L. D)

Take morning flight for Xi’Ning

Upon the arrival, transfer to the hotel

Afternoon city tour including Taer Monastery - the cradle of the Yellow Hat Sect in Tibetan Buddhism

Hotel: QINGHAI HOTEL or similar

Day 6 Xi’Ning - Express Train to Tibet (B. L. D)

Morning tour to the Provincial Museum & the Residence of General Ma Bufang - a warlord in the 1940’s. This evening, we’ll board the Express train for Lhasa and start our adventure in Tibet.

Overnight on Train (Soft Sleepers, 4 pax per cabin)

Day 7 Arrival Lhasa (B. L. D)

The Tibet Railway runs 1,956 kilometers from Xining to Lhasa and is the world's longest railroad built atop a plateau. Construction started on June 29th, 2001 and opened to traffic on July 1st, 2006. The Golmud-Lhasa section extends 1,142 kilometers, with the highest elevation being some 5,072 meters above sea level at Tanggula Range, making it the highest railway in the world.

Arrival Lhasa in the evening

Hotel: BRAHMAPUTRA or similar

Day 8 Lhasa (B. L. D)

Morning tour to Norbulinka - the Summer Palace for Dalai Lhama

Afternoon visit Potala Palace –the UNESCO world heritage sites

Evening: enjoy Tibetan Dance Performance

Hotel: BRAHMAPUTRA or similar

Day 9 Lhasa (B. L. D)

Morning visit the golden-roofed Jokhang Monastery--Tibet’s holiest shrine. It commemorates the marriage of Tang princess Wencheng to King Songtsen Gampo 1,300 years ago, and houses a pure gold statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni brought to Tibet by the princess. After that strolling and shopping along the Bakhor street-a Tibetan Bazaar, and pilgrim circuit area too.  Afternoon tour to Sera Monastery-the only place that you are allowed to see the monk’s kitchen, and the spectacular scripture debating

If time permits, we’ll visit a Tibetan Hospital or a local School

Hotel: BRAHMAPUTRA or similar

Day 10 Lhasa / Chengdu by air  (B. L. D)

Transfer & fly to Chengdu

Afternoon: excursion to Dujiangyan - Ancient Flood Control & Irrigation System

HOTEL: TIBET HOTEL or similar 

Day11 Chengdu  (B. L. D)

Today’s highlight is the visit to Giant Panda Breeding Center where you’ll see this lovely creature up close and learn its habitat and evolution.

Then we tour to the mysterious Sanxingdui Museum – A great discovery for the whole nation after terra-cotta warriors in the 20 years. The huge number of excavated bronze ware brings the world a puzzle of the Chinese history. It is another UNESCO world heritage site. If time available we visit Local Tea House, Pavilion of River View

HOTEL: TIBET HOTEL or similar 

Day12 Chengdu / Shanghai by air  (B)

Transfer & fly to Shanghai. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel for check-in.

Free at leisure

HOTEL:GALAXY HOTEL or similar

Day13 Shanghai  (B. L. D)

Today’s sightseeing includes the Bund, the 16th century Yu Garden and Shanghai Museum with its remarkable collections of national treasures of ancient stone carved statures, bronze, ceramics, paintings, and calligraphy. In the evening, enjoy the Shanghai Acrobatic Show – an unforgettable experience.

HOTEL:GALAXY HOTEL or similar

Day 14  Shanghai (B. L)

We’ll visit the Shanghai World Expo. The theme is to show all new creational hopes, concepts, designs, technologies, and present the world a successful, splendid and unforgettable best gallery collection, a full potential of urban life in the 21st century as a significant one for urban evolution. (If the EXPO is not available, we’ll tour to Zhujiajiao – an ancient water town and Jade Buddha Temple.)

HOTEL:GALAXY HOTEL or similar

Day15:  Shanghai – Home City (B)

Free time in the morning to explore or relax. Say goodbye to Shanghai as you board your transpacific flight home.