Essential China Tour – 11 Days 10 Nights

• On arrival into Beijing Capital International Airport, meet & greet by your representative.
• Transfer to your pre-booked hotel, spend the rest of the day exploring this incredible city on your own.
• Overnight in Beijing

• After breakfast, transfer to visit the world’s largest city square, Tiananmen Square.
• Make your way across the road to the magnificent Forbidden City, a culturally historic landmark in China, which was the former residence of Chinese royalty and courtiers for five centuries.
• After the Forbidden City tour, exploration continues with a visit to the Summer Palace. Appreciate the beautiful gardens and imagine the lifestyle of royalty and courtiers who enjoyed this summer resort during imperial times.
• A stopover at Beijing’s stadium and pool – the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube – built for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics – provides a modern contrast to China’s ancient history.
• Return to the hotel. Overnight in Beijing.

*Note: Your tour guide may adjust your itinerary due to closure of the Forbidden City each Monday.

• Heading to the Mutianyu Great Wall, en route, visit the famous local food market Sanyuanli where you can stock up on fruit and snacks for today’s trip.
• Continue on and enjoy the drive to explore the Mutianyu Great Wall. Take a pleasant and comfortable round-trip cable car transfer over the picturesque scenery, then walk the wall to take in the Ming dynasty guard towers and sensational views.
• On return to the city in the afternoon, exploration continues with a visit to the Confucius Temple and Imperial College Museum then, stroll through Wudaoying Hutong.
• Overnight in Beijing.

• Start today with a visit to the remarkable Temple of Heaven.
• Transfer to the Beijing West railway station, check in and travel by high-speed rail train to Xi’an.
• On arrival at the Xi’an North Station, your local tour guide will meet and escort you to your hotel.
• Overnight in Xi’an.

• Today’s tour highlight is the world-renowned Terracotta Army.
• Return to the city and explore Xi’an’s ancient City Wall, currently the largest and best-preserved wall of its type in China.
• For a change of pace, take in the quiet of Xi’an’s Great Mosque – the oldest and largest Islamic-mosque in China and find food of every flavor in Muslim Quarter, which is bustling with authentic eateries and travel souvenirs.
• Today’s final destination is Xi’an’s famous Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square.
• Return to your hotel.
• Overnight in Xi’an.

• After breakfast, take you to visit the Shaanxi History Museum, Wild Goose Pagoda
• Then, you’ll be driven to the airport for the flight to Lhasa.
• Upon arrival in Lhasa, your local guide will meet and transfer you to the hotel.
• Overnight in Lhasa

*Note: Your tour guide may alter your itinerary as the Shaanxi History Museum is closed on Mondays.

• Experience a little of Tibet’s mystery by visiting the Dalai Lama’s former residence, the holy Potala Palace, located in the city’s centre.
• Comprised of the central Red Palace and rooftop White Palace, you will wonder at the Buddha statues, Thangka, murals and traditional Tibetan holy scriptures.
• Move from the Potala Palace to the Jokhang Temple, considered the spiritual heart of Tibet. View the solid gold statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, visited by Tibetan pilgrims for centuries.
• Proceed to Barkhor Circuit and be carried along with locals and tourists enjoying the atmosphere and markets. Here you can source mementos from your travel adventures.
• The final destination for the day is the Ani Tsankhung Nunnery.
• Overnight in Lhasa

*Note: Taking photos and videos, wearing skirts, short pants, sunglasses and hats are all prohibited inside the palace.

• Discover Norbulingka, where you will learn about the production process of Thangka, a uniquely Tibetan scroll painting on silk or cotton.
• Move from Norbulingka to the Drepung Monastery, which sits highest among the Gelugpa monasteries.
• Sample a true taste of Tibet when you visit the magnificent Sera Monastery and watch the monks practice their physical form of debating which involves an unusual amount of hand slapping and pushing.
• Overnight in Lhasa.

*Note: Monk Debating is held every day, excluding Sundays between 3.00pm and 5.00pm. For a close view of this unique event, early arrival is recommended

• After breakfast, you will be driven back to the airport in Lhasa to board your flight to Shanghai.
• On arrival, you will be picked up and escorted to the hotel by your local guide. The rest of the day is free for you to explore and relax.
• Overnight in Shanghai.

• Commence your tour of Shanghai with a visit to the Shanghai Museum, walk along The Bund, Nanjing Road and visit Yuyuan Garden; then stroll around the nearby Chenghuangmiao bazaars and make a worthwhile detour and visit the Shikumen Museum in New Spot (XinTianDi) for a true taste of old world Shanghai.
• Make the most of your afternoon by wandering the quiet streets of Dongping Road or Sinan Road in the Former French Concession, where you will find the essence of classic Shanghai.
• Overnight in Shanghai.

*Note: As the Shanghai Museum is closed to public on Mondays, a visit to the Shanghai History Museum is arranged as an alternative.

• After breakfast at the hotel, drive you to the airport for your flight home.
• End of services

*Note: For small group tour travelers, a transfer service from your hotel to Hongqiao or Pudong Airport can be arranged on request.