Once your flight lands in Beijing Capital International Airport, our professional guide and driver will meet you at the exit and transfer you to your hotel. There is no sightseeing arranged today so you can rest to recover from jet lag or do some expedition on your own.
Your tour starts with a visit to theTiananmen Square, a land mark of Beijing. It is one of the largest public squares in the world. A few minutes walking from the square, you will get to the Forbidden City(also called Palace Museum), which was the political and ritual center of China for more than 500 years from mid Ming Dynasty to the end of Qing Dynasty. After that, you'll move to the Temple of the Heaven which was used for the annual ceremonies of the emperors to pray for good harvest in Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Forbidden City
Temple of Heaven
This morning, please be prepared for the Great Wall hiking. What is included in the tour is a visit to the most imposing and best preserved section ofthe Great Wall and Mutianyu. This section is also less crowded. The roundtrip cable car will be arranged. You can do some hiking on the wall to enjoy the great view of the landscape. Drive back to Beijing downtown and stop on the way for a visit to the Changling Tomb, the biggest one the Ming Tombs.
Mutianyu Great Wall
Changling Tomb
In the past two days, you see much magnificent architecture left by Chinese ancestors. Today you get the chance to take a rickshaw to visit Hutongs (small alleys), see the common civilian's traditional lifestyle and gain insight into ancient Chinese customs. Discover what the city was like before the skyscrapers go up. In the afternoon, take a high speed train to Xi'an.
Hutong Alleyways
Bullet Train in China
Xi'an had been the capital city for dozens dynasties. It contains many historic ruins and museums hence it was called the birthplace of Chinese civilization. Your visit in Xi'an begin with the Shaanxi History Museum, which gives a miniature overview of the thousands of years of Chinese history and the splendid ancient cultures of olden times. Followed is a visit to the Big Goose Pagoda, one of China's best examples of a Tang-style pagoda. After that, you will move to the old City Wall, built during the Ming dynasty. It shaped like a rectangle with a perimeter of 14km. It takes 4 hours to take a round by walking.
Big Goose Pagoda
Xi'an City Way
Followed is a visit to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. The clay-made life-size statues were buried to guard over the soul of Qin Shi Huang, the first unifier of China. In the afternoon, you'll visit the Banpo Museum of Xi'an, built in 1957 at the Banpo site (about 6000 years ago in the Neolithic age). It is like crossing the time to reproduce the living scenes of ancestors, but also to understand the unique tomb system and primitive pottery and colored drawing art at that time.
Terracotta Warriors
Banpo Museum
You will be greeted by your Tibetan guide once you arrive in Lhasa airport. From airport to Lhasa city is 68km, around one hour and half drive will take you to the holy city Lhasa. Afterwards, free time for relax, have a good rest and drink more water to acclimatize the high altitude on the plateau. Overnight in Lhasa.
Lhasa Gonggar Airport
Barkhor Street
Today is your first day of sightseeing on the high plateau, so we have purposely arranged only to visit Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace. Potala Palace is the worldwide known cardinal landmark of Tibet. The massive structure itself contains a small world within it. Mostly it is renowned as residence of the Dalai Lama lineages (Avalokiteshvara). Jokhang Temple is the most scared shrine in Tibet which was built in 7th century and located at the heart of old town in Lhasa. The circuit around the Jokhang called Barkhor Street is a good place to purchase souvenirs. Both of them are the focal points of pilgrims from entire Tibetan world, multitudinous pilgrims are circumambulating and prostrating in their strong faith. Afterwards stroll on the narrow streets of Lhasa old town to meet local people and visit their markets.
Potala Palace
Jokhang Temple
About 8km west of central Lhasa is the Drepung Monastery, once world's largest monastery with about 10,000 monks. This day's sightseeing begins with these white monastic buildings piled up on the hillside. Walking up to the hill is a pleasant thing, an easy break from the solemn ambience inside the halls and chapels. At the plat roof of hillside, you can have very good views of the whole Lhasa city and the distant mountains. Drepung is one of Lhasa's two great Gelugpa monasteries, the other is Sera Monastery. Around 5km north of central Lhasa, Sera may not be as grandiose as Drepung, but is more serene surrounded by many small temples. The 'Buddhism Scriptures Debating' in Sera is very famous.
Drepung Monastery
Sera Monastery
Take the morning flight to Chengdu. Met by your guide and check in hotel. In the afternoon, you'll go and experience the leisure life style of local inhabitants at People'sPark, where you can also find a great teahouse with nearly a hundred years history. Today's sightseeing activity ends up with a stroll along the famous reconstructed district-Jinli Street, crammed with craftsmen, snack stalls and souvenir shops.
Teahouse at People's Park
Jin Street
In the morning, drive about 18km north of Chengdu to Panda Breeding and Research Base, the home to dozens of giant and red pandas. You may have a chance to see tiny newborns in the nursery if you visit in autumn or winter. Then, we'll visit Wenshu Monastery which is Chengdu's best preserved ancient architecture tracing back to Tang Dynasty. This peaceful temple is dedicated to the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, with a atmospheric low murmur of chanting from resident monks and Buddhist followers. Take flight to Shanghai in the late afternoon, upon arrival, meet your guide and be transferred to hotel in Shanghai.
Panda Base
Wenshu Monastery
Morning, we start with a visit to Shanghai Museum, the magnificent 4-story building is home to one of the most impressive collections in the country, guiding you through the pages of Chinese history. Next comes the Yu Gardens, a fine example of Ming garden design built in the 16th century. In the evening, we will have a tour to one of modern Shanghai's most iconic structures-Oriental Pearl Tower. Overlooking the spectacular panorama of China's prosperous financial center from the view deck is unmissable. Today's activities end up with strolling along the Bund-the symbolic of colonial Shanghai and the city's Wall Street, you will get amazed in front of the majestic Huangpu River and the dazzling neon-lit beacon from skyscrapers of Pudong. Stay overnight in Shanghai.
The Bund
Oriental Peral Tower
Today, airport transfer and say goodbye to China. Thanks for traveling with us. Hope to be at your service next time.
※What is a Private Tour?
A Private Tour Package means you will have your own private guide, driver, and vehicle for your own disposal. You don't have to share the vehicle with others even if you are a single traveler. You would have full attention of your guide and driver. Our professional guide would love to share local culture, knowledge and stories.
Your private guide would also help you make an easier, comfortable, flexible and enjoyable tour. You can stop on the road to get a rest or take pictures during the drive. You have the flexibility of changing the visiting order of attractions or extending the visiting time at some tourist sites.
We will arrange the private airport or train station pick-up and see-off for you. Upon your arrival, you can find our guide waiting at the pick-up area, holding a name sign, welcome you with a warm smile. You will be transferred to hotel.
When traveling with your family or friends, a private tour would be your first choice.
※Accommodation Choices
For private tour, we can arrange hotels according to your requirements. There are options of budget guesthouse, 3 star hotel, 4 star hotel, high-end luxury hotel or bouquet heritage hotel. If you have your own preferred hotel, just let us know, we will help you with the booking, everything would be arranged as per your interests.
※Meal Choices
Our tour packages generally include breakfasts. Meanwhile, lunches and dinners are optional to be arranged either by yourself or by us.
It's easy to find nice restaurants in China, and you could also ask for suggestions from your guide. They always know where you can find something tasty.
The price would be different according to different food:
1. If you choose noodles, around RMB 15-30 per person.
2. If you like some fast food like KFC, around RMB 25-40 per person.
3. If you prefer some food at a decent restaurant, around RMB 70-150 per person.
