Beijing to Lhasa Tour - 16 Days

On arriving at the airport in the capital, Beijing, a representative from the Himalayan Trekkers will greet you  and transfer you to the designated hotel. 

In the evening, explore the streets. 

As you absorb the smell and flavor of Beijing, you will be greeted by our tour manager and will be transported to your hotel. We know that you had a hectic flight, and many adventures await you. Later in the day, there will be a relaxing cyclo-rickshaw ride through the traditional old city alleyways known as the Hutongs. You cannot experience the true beauty of a place unless you have tasted the delicacies there. To soak in the flavor of China, you will be taken to a stylish Chinese restaurant that offers authentic Chinese cuisine.

The day starts with a relaxed walk around the vast Tiananmen Square before we pass through Tiananmen Gate and enter the Forbidden City. As you stand on the famous Tiananmen Square, you will have a feel of the historical significance of the place and you realize that this place has been the silent spectator of so many life-changing events of Chinese history. The Forbidden City will give you the true flavor of the Oriental. It will be possible to see the main palaces as well as some of the more private courtyards that belonged to the Emperor and his family. Our tour is followed by an impressive lunch of Imperial Cuisine – featuring recipes that were once only prepared for the Imperial family.

In the afternoon you will explore the Temple of Heaven, a place of profound cultural importance for the Chinese. A tour of Beijing would be incomplete without this place, as this allows you to have a deeper understanding of the country’s ancient philosophy, history, and religion. If there is enough time, you can visit the surrounding park, which the local people of Beijing now use for leisurely pursuits including Tai Chi and flying kites. The evening meal will feature a wide range of authentic culinary delights including Peking duck.

The day begins with a remote section of the Great Wall. This place has fewer tourists and you can take your time to discover this iconic landmark. And as you look at this huge construction, you are left with a sense of awe. Lunch in a neighboring village will be a cozy affair and then we return to the outskirts of Beijing and the Summer Palace. This is where the Emperors escaped from the sweltering summers of the Forbidden City. Before we are back to the hotel after a long day, we will stop by to see the site of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, including the well-known Bird’s Nest Stadium and Water Cube. In the evening, there will be dinner and a famous Kungfu Show. The combination of food and martial arts is unusual but quite enjoyable!

Speed is one of the important traits of modern China, and you will have a taste of it as you board the Chinese bullet train as it takes you on a speedy journey from central Beijing to Central Shanghai in an unbelievable 5 hours! Sit back and relax in the cozy confines of your first-class seat. The landscape is breathtaking; rural China will be unraveled in its full splendor as you wheeze past the tiny hamlets, small villages and old Chinese ruins. The bullet train is actually faster than the flight. Plus the experience is too good to miss! You reach Shanghai; go to your hotel to freshen up before a stroll along the Bund. Our walking tour features a look at the old HSBC building with its beautifully preserved colonial architecture and the Shanghai Gallery of Modern Art with works by some of China’s most cutting-edge contemporary artists. As you explore the waterfront, you are pleasantly greeted by the aromatic flavor of Shanghai cuisine. As you enjoy the food, you prepare yourself for a night time cruise along the Huangpu River, where you’ll have the best view of the glittering lights of Pudong – Shanghai’s stunning modern skyline. As Shanghai unfolds before you, you realize the true synthesis of the traditional and the modern and left with a sense of amazement.

The next day at Shanghai will be a beautiful experience! After breakfast you visit the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall where a giant scale model of amazing accuracy and detail depicts the city in 2020. After a lunch of traditional Shanghai Dimsum, we head to the lively Yuyuan Bazaar. Like any other bazaar in the world, there will be chaos, but you will simply love it as you take a dip in the lovely flavors of the place. There will be lot of bargains, but the purchase will be worth the effort. At hotel, dinner is followed by a stroll through French Concession, and you get to experience the beautiful nightlife. The air is young, and you feel vibrant and rejuvenated. Following a brief tour of the most popular area of Xintiandi, you will have the option to either head back to the hotel or stay and enjoy a drink or two at one of the sophisticated wine bar. As the warm liquid enters the body, you are left with a question; which is making you heady with pleasure, the wine or the city?

After breakfast, we take a morning flight to Chengdu. And we travel directly to Leshan to view the Grand Buddha. This giant statue is the largest of its kind and carved out of the natural cliff face. It almost took a century to complete this mammoth face. As you stand before it, you are stuck by a sense of resilience and persistence and realize the true potential of a man who can achieve anything if they want. After exploring the surrounding area, we return to Chengdu. There will be time to freshen up at the hotel before this evening’s dinner of traditional Sichuan Hot Pot. Sichuan Hot Pots are famous for their fiery spices and a milder alternative will be available for those who prefer a mild version.

The next morning you can visit the Panda Breeding Research Institute, which is well-known in the world for its attempts to preserve these adorable creatures. Our tour will include a visit to the Giant Panda and lesser-known Red Panda enclosures, the nursery and visitor center. You will simply love the furry balls in their natural habitat and will love their mannerisms.

Then we head to the Wenshu Temple for a delicious vegetarian lunch. Take a stroll through the local park, and sip in the Chinese tea as evening sets in. As you breathe in the perfumed air, you are reminded of the evening’s Acrobatics and Face Changing show. A sumptuous dinner followed by the entertaining acts will leave you satisfied and you are ready to take off for Lhasa.

After an early checkout, you catch your early morning flight to Lhasa. The view of the Himalayas from the flight is one of its kinds, and you will simply love the panorama. After arriving at Lhasa, the first stop will be Gonkar Plateau and then you will be taken to your hotel. Take some rest after lunch and prepare yourself for the lovely sights of the Sera Monastery on the outskirts of Lhasa. After a tour of the ancient buildings, we move to the monastery’s garden where there will be time to sit in quiet contemplation as you watch the monks chant and debate. It is the whole ambiance of the place which is extremely nerve-soothing, and you as you enjoy the quiet; you feel a sense of calm. Dinner will be served at one of the authentic places of Lhasa and you will be taken back to the hotel.

The next day, as the sun shines bright, you will be taken to the Potala Palace, a stunning demonstration of Tibetan architecture which dates to the 7th Century. There will be time to view the galleries, chapels and tombs of former Dalai Lamas. After lunch, we head to the Jokhang Temple, regarded as a center of Tibetan Buddhism for more than a thousand years. Here at the inner sanctums, you will find an original gold statue of the Bodhisattva – the Buddha of compassion. Make a silent prayer before the Lord, and stand for a few minutes in silence before you visit the holy Barkhor Circuit where a continual stream of devotees prostrate themselves – to symbolize redemption and virtue – as they encircle the temple. You can, however, follow the group by walking, because as it is believed that Buddhism does not impose anything stringent on the devotees. It is the belief that matters, not the rituals. While the sun sets, you can relax at one of the cafés or explore the market stalls around the square before returning to the hotel.

The next morning, wake up fresh and rejuvenated and view the sprawling Lhasa from a stunningly high plateau. The landscape is simply breathtaking. The path will gradually climb to a staggering 4,800m (15,800 feet) above sea level on the way to the Kambala Pass, which is an excellent vantage point to see the beautiful turquoise waters of the Yamdrok Tso Lake. This is one of the sacred Tibetan lakes and is believed to be the home of wrathful gods.

After a picnic lunch near the lake (if the weather permits), we return to the outskirts of Lhasa to Drepung Monastery. Built-in 1416 it was the Temple of Dalai Lamas before Tibetan officials relocated to Potala Palace. In the late afternoon, there is the option to return to Barkhor Square and further explore on your own. There is lots of free time, and you can enjoy the evening sitting with the monks as they offer their evening prayers. Or you can spend some ‘me time’ as you look at the beautiful view made even more beautiful by the glorious sunset.

The next morning promises to be an adventure as you are taken to the station to board your Sky train to Xian. This is considered the highest railroad in the world, and you can enjoy the entire day and night in the sky as the sceneries change. To be close to the sky and to feel the clouds almost outside the window pane from the comfort of your soft sleeper class cabin is a truly one-of-its-kind experience. And when after many days, you think about this adventure, you can almost feel the thrill! Our train passes through the highest point of this train journey named Tanggula Pass as the elevation of 5,072 m.

Sit back and relax as you take in the gentle changes in climate, temperature and landscape as you leave the mountains and travel towards China’s central flat-lands. The change is phenomenal, as you get to experience two very different climatic zones. Your train arrives in Xian in the evening and you will be transported to the hotel and prepare yourself for the next day; where you have your beautiful rendezvous with Xian.

Breakfast is followed by a visit to the Terracotta Army that was constructed to protect the burial chamber of the first Emperor and escort his spirit in the afterlife. After exploring the main archaeological sites and the museum, you enjoy a buffet lunch at the site’s top restaurant which includes traditional hand-pulled noodles. On the way back to the city, we stop by a workshop where local craftsmen make replica statues for souvenirs. You will be enticed by the intricate craftsmanship which shows the perfect combination of artistry and design. Carry some souvenirs for your loved ones back home! In the afternoon, you will be taken to the city wall at the South Gate. This structure is fully restored and there will be an opportunity to hire bicycles and ride around the top.

The evening will be a relaxed one as you pack your bags and ready to fly to Beijing the next day. To make the last evening memorable, there will be a delicious dinner followed by a cultural show of Chinese music and dance.

Enjoy your breakfast before you visit the traditional Moslem Quarter of the city. This community originated with the ancient silk merchants that migrated from the Middle East and sometimes you feel the Egyptian connection more than the Chinese ambiance. This is a little Cairo at the heart of Xian. The confluence of culture is truly amazing and you realize that the great cultural divides that we talk about are nothing but an illusion. We will walk through some of the covered Bazaar and stop by the Chinese Mosque at the heart of this district, which resembles a Taoist Temple, before a farewell lunch of Chinese Dumplings. Fashioned into shapes of the food they contain, this local specialty is a treat for the eyes as well as the stomach.

As you realize that the lovely journey is coming to an end, you start thinking about the lovely sights and sounds of China and Tibet accumulated during the journey. They are like strings of memory, and when pulled they recreate the beautiful visions of these two countries. You will be taken to the Xian airport from where you will catch your flight to Beijing.

After a leisurely breakfast at Beijing, you have to take the free shuttle bus transfer to the airport and check-in for your flight home. The hotel is quite close to the airport making this final journey smooth and hassle-free. As you bid farewell to Beijing, you are suddenly struck with the thought of the first day in the city. There was excitement, the thrill of an unexplored adventure. Now your bags are packed, and your mind is full. The hungry mind which wanted to savor the delights is satisfied. And as you journey back home, you realize that a piece of you remains in China. And you want to come back someday for more.