Beijing. O/N Beijing

Beijing - Today, your tour guide will meet you in your hotel lobby in Beijing at 8:00 am. Your first stop will be Tiananmen Square.

Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang) - At Tiananmen Square, you can capture stunning photos of the Tiananmen Tower, Monument to People’s Heroes, and Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao. Located in the heart of Beijing, Tiananmen Square has been the site of numerous historical events and gatherings over the centuries. Today, it hosts grand celebrations, military parades, and welcoming ceremonies for foreign dignitaries. Visitors can also admire the towering Monument to People’s Heroes and the solemn Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao. Traditional structures like the Tiananmen Tower, Zhengyang Gate, and Qianmen Arrow Tower are also present.

Forbidden City-The Palace Museum - Next, you will cross the Tiananmen Tower to visit the Forbidden City, the residence and administrative center for 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 - 1911). The Forbidden City, the largest and best-preserved ancient wooden complex in the world, served as the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is divided into the Inner Court and Outer Court by the Palace of Heavenly Purity, with the Outer Court used for state affairs and the Inner Court as the living quarters for the imperial family. The complex also functions as a vast museum, showcasing over a million national treasures.

Mutianyu Great Wall - Upon arriving at the scenic area’s parking lot, you will take an electric car to the entrance and then a chairlift to the 14th watchtower. Enjoy a leisurely hike on the wall for about 2 hours, ending with a toboggan ride down. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, built and restored in the early Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), is renowned for its beauty and historical significance. Your professional guide will provide insights and answer any questions about the Mutianyu Great Wall.

Beijing - At the end of the day, you will be escorted back to your hotel in Beijing.

Beijing. O/N Beijing.

Beijing - In the morning, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel to continue your Beijing tour.

Temple of Heaven - Your first stop will be the Temple of Heaven, the largest group of royal ceremonial buildings in China. Emperors used to hold annual sacrificial ceremonies here to worship heaven and pray for good harvests. Today, it is a large park where you can see locals exercising and engaging in recreational activities.

Back Lakes (Hou Hai) - Next, you will visit Beijing Hutong, where you will take a rickshaw ride through the old alleys and visit a Hutong family to experience traditional Beijing life. The area is filled with popular restaurants, cafes, and local food stores, making it a great place to have lunch and taste local cuisine. After lunch, you can stroll around Houhai Lake and explore more of the Hutong area.

Lama Temple (Yonghegong) - After visiting the Hutong, you will be driven to the Lama Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Beijing. The temple combines architectural styles from various ethnic groups, including Han, Manchu, Mongol, and Tibetan. Opened to tourists in 1981, it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and pilgrims each year.

Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) - A 30-minute drive will take you to the Summer Palace, known as the museum of ancient royal gardens. Your expert guide will show you around the garden, which mainly consists of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. The Long Corridor, 728 meters (796.2 yards) long, links Longevity Hill with Kunming Lake and features exquisite murals and melodious music.

Beijing - At the end of the day, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Beijing - Lhasa by flight. O/N Lhasa.

Beijing Capital International Airport - Today, you will take a flight to Lhasa. You may take the CA3922 flight from 14:55 to 19:10, which takes around 4 hours.

Lhasa Gonggar Airport - Upon arrival in Lhasa, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel. Your guide will assist with check-in, and you can acclimate to the high altitude at the hotel.

Lhasa. O/N Lhasa.

Potala Palace - Your morning excursion will take you to the magnificent Potala Palace. Originally built in the 7th century as an imperial palace, it was reconstructed in the 17th century and has since been the political, religious, cultural, and economic center of Tibet. The 13-story building contains over 1,000 rooms, various statues, stupas, murals, and artifacts, making it the largest treasure house in Tibet and a major attraction for travelers and pilgrims.

Jokhang Temple - After lunch, you will visit the Jokhang Temple, located in the city center. Built in the 7th century during the peak of the Tubo Kingdom, the temple is a blend of Tibetan, Han, Nepalese, and Indian architectural styles. It houses a rare life-size statue of Sakyamuni at age twelve and is a significant Buddhist worship site.

Barkhor Street - Adjacent to the temple is Barkhor Street, bustling with pilgrims and street vendors selling traditional Tibetan items such as prayer wheels and jewelry.

Lhasa - At the end of the day, your guide will escort you back to your hotel.

Lhasa. O/N Lhasa.

Drepung Monastery (Zhebang Si) - After breakfast, you will visit the Drepung Monastery, located in the western suburbs of the city. It is one of the ‘Three Great Monasteries’ and the largest in Tibetan Buddhism. From a distance, the monastery resembles a heap of rice, with its white buildings layered upon each other.

Sera Monastery - In the afternoon, you will visit the Sera Monastery, the second-largest monastery in Tibet, known for the lively debates on Buddhist doctrines among the lamas.

Norbulingka (Precious Stone Garden) - After that, you will visit the nearby Norbulingka Park, the most beautiful and largest man-made park in Tibet. Built over 200 years ago, it served as the Summer Palace for the region’s religious leaders.

Lhasa - At the end of the day, your guide will escort you back to your hotel.

Lhasa - Xi’an by flight. O/N Xi’an.

Lhasa Gonggar Airport - Today, your guide and driver will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Xi’an. You may take the MU2334 flight from 12:25 to 15:20, which takes around 3 hours.

Xi’an Xianyang International Airport - Upon arrival in Xi’an, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel.

Xi’an. O/N Xi’an.

Xi’an - In the morning, your tour guide will meet you in your hotel lobby in Xi’an at 9:00 am and transfer you to the Terracotta Warriors Museum, which is an 80-minute drive (45 km).

The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses - Your guide will have reserved tickets for you online in advance and will help you skip the line at the entrance. You will explore the museum by visiting the three excavated pits and the Bronze Chariots and Horses Exhibition Hall. Despite being buried for over 2,200 years, the clay warriors and horses remain vivid and distinct. You will spend at least two and a half hours at this remarkable site.

Small Goose Pagoda - Next, you will visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, located inside Jianfu Temple, about one kilometer south of Xi’an city proper. This pagoda, along with the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, is one of the two significant Buddhist sites from the Tang Dynasty, dating back 1,300 years. The two pagodas were symbols of Chang’an (now Xi’an), which served as the capital for ten dynasties until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Xi’an City Wall (Chengqiang) - After lunch, you will visit the ancient City Wall, one of Xi’an’s most famous attractions. You can walk or cycle around the wall, with bike rental fees paid locally. The City Wall is one of the oldest and best-preserved Chinese city walls and one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.

Muslim Quarter - Your last stop will be the Muslim Bazaar, the city’s most vibrant area. You can explore the bazaar at your own pace and return to the hotel on your own. Your guide will provide directions for returning to your hotel. The Great Mosque and the Bell and Drum Tower Square are within walking distance of the Bazaar, which also offers many boutique stores and excellent dining options.

Xi’an - At the end of the day, your guide will escort you back to your hotel.

Xi’an - Shanghai by flight. O/N Shanghai.

Xi’an - In the morning, your tour guide will meet you in your hotel lobby in Xi’an at 8:30 am and transfer you to Hanyangling, a 30-minute drive (15 km).

Tomb of Emperor Jingdi (Hanyangling) - The Hanyangling Mausoleum, built in 153 AD, is the site of the Mausoleum of Western Han Emperor Liu Qi. With your guide, you will have a close look at the thousand-year-old tombs through glass floors and walls in the tomb pits. The advanced Spectra Vision program will also recreate the life of the Western Han Dynasty from 2,000 years ago.

Shaanxi History Museum - After lunch, you will visit the Shaanxi History Museum, which houses a vast collection of artifacts spanning over a million years, from prehistoric relics to items from the 1840s. Your guide will provide detailed explanations of the exhibits.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayanta) - Instead of entering the temple, you will have a photo stop at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda for half an hour. Built during the Tang Dynasty, the pagoda was once the site where Monk Xuanzang translated Buddhist sutras. The area around the pagoda is popular with both tourists and locals, offering charming night scenes and various cultural attractions.

Xi’an Xianyang International Airport - After the tour, you will be driven to Xianyang International Airport for your flight to Shanghai. You may take the Qc8948 flight from 19:00 to 21:05, which takes around 2 hours.

Pudong International Airport - Upon arrival in Shanghai, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel (driver only, no guide).

Shanghai. O/N Shanghai.

Shanghai - Your guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby at around 9:00 am and escort you to the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, a 20-minute ride away.

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall - At the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, you can view various textual and graphic files and architectural models, providing an overall understanding of Shanghai’s development.

Yu Garden (Yuyuan) - In the afternoon, enjoy a relaxing stroll through the beautiful Yu Garden. Located in the old town, Yu Garden is famous for its intricate layout and delicate architecture. The garden’s treasure, Yu Ling Long (an exquisite jade stone), is considered one of the three most famous peaks in Southern China.

Yuyuan Bazaar - Next, visit the Yuyuan Bazaar, also known as Yuyuan Market, located outside Yu Garden in the heart of Old Shanghai City. The area features traditional Chinese buildings now used as commercial stores selling local products, snacks, jewelry, souvenirs, and antiques.

Shanghai World Financial Center - Afterwards, visit the Shanghai World Financial Center and ascend to the 100th floor for panoramic city views. The building is the world’s 8th tallest and the 4th tallest in Mainland China. The 100th floor viewing gallery is 55 meters long and the second highest observation deck in China.

The Bund (Wai Tan) - Finally, visit the Bund area, a quintessential part of Shanghai. Located on the bank of the Huangpu River, the Bund offers charming riverside scenery and unique western and gothic architecture. You will have some free time to stroll around and take photos.

Shanghai - At the end of the day, you will be driven back to your hotel, or you may enjoy your own time at Nanjing Road, which is nearby.

Shanghai. The tour ends.

Shanghai - Your guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby at around 9:00 am and escort you to Zhujiajiao water town, a 60-minute ride away.

Zhujiajiao Ancient Town - Zhujiajiao water town, known as Shanghai’s Venice, has a history of over 1,700 years and is a picturesque area with lakes and mountains. Your tour guide will accompany you to visit Kezhi Garden, Qing Dynasty Post Office, and Fangsheng Bridge. Kezhi Garden, built in 1912, features various pavilions, buildings, a lotus pond, stele corridors, and a bridge of nine turnings. The Qing Dynasty Post Office houses precious old postcards and letters, and its dragon-carved post box is still in use. Fangsheng Bridge, built in the Ming Dynasty, is the largest and longest stone arch bridge in Shanghai.

Jade Buddha Temple - After lunch, you will visit the Jade Buddha Temple, built in 1882 to house two white jade Buddha statues from Burma. The temple is a famous Buddhist shrine and an active Zen monastery, playing a significant role in promoting Buddhism through cultural activities.

Tianzifang - Later, you will visit Tianzifang, an old-style cultural block with distinctive Shikumen buildings, art studios, themed cafés and bars, and handicraft workshops.

Shanghai - At the end of the day, your guide will escort you to your hotel, airport, or train station, concluding your 10-day tour.

• Private car with a personal guide
• All entrance fees included
• Lunch provided
• Air-conditioned vehicles
• Three economy-class flights from Beijing to Shanghai

• The hotel and dinner