12 Days Beijing Xian Lhasa Shanghai Tour

Beijing - Xian (Train to Lhasa) - Lhasa - Shanghai

From USD p.p

This 12-day China and Tibet tour is well-designed for tourists who want to experience the different glorious aspects of China all in one go. It allows you to take in the profound ancient civilization, splendid natural wonders, extraordinary architectural arts, as well as the revered sacred religious belief of Tibetan people.

The tour starts from the capital city of Beijing, where you will discover the historic Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, and stroll in the crisscrossing lanes of the renowned Hutong. Then the high-speed train will take you to the ancient city of Xi’an, where the world-famous Terracotta Warriors will get you strongly impressed. After that, you will take the Xian to Lhasa Train along the prestigious Qingzang Railway, the acknowledged engineering miracle with breathtaking sceneries all the way. In Lhasa, you will enjoy the unique culture of the roof of the world, by visiting the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and other holy monasteries in this city. Finally, your tour will end in the bustling metropolis of Shanghai. A visit to the sights and highlights in this modern city will leave you another impression of this big country.

Itinerary Day by Day

Day 1 Arrive in Beijing

Welcome to Beijing! Upon your arrival, your tour guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is for you to have a good rest or explore the surroundings on your own.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Day 2 Beijing Sightseeing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace

Today you will first visit the historic Tiananmen Square, which is the largest city square in the world and the spiritual heart of China, and then the magnificent Forbidden City which located in the center of Beijing and used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties with a history of around 600 years.

In the afternoon, you will visit the fine Summer Palace. Summer Palace was an imperial summer resort of the Qing Dynasty. It is the most splendid classical garden in China.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Day 3 Beijing Sightseeing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Bird's Nest and Water Cube from outside

Today you will visit the majestic Mutianyu Great Wall. You will be taken on a group tour to the Great Wall, the most famous symbol of China and one of the world’s most remarkable architectural wonders. Then, tourists will visit Ming Tombs, the burial site of the emperor Wangli, the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty who ruled for 48 years until his death in 1620.

After that, you will be transferred back to the hotel in downtown area. On the way, you will witness the remarkable Bird's Nest and Water Cube from the outside. Both designed as the main stadiums of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, they now become the popular landmarks of Beijing.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Day 4 Beijing Sightseeing: Temple of Heaven, Hutong, high-speed train from Beijing to Xian

In the morning, you will pay a visit to the Temple of Heaven, which is a royal sacred site where prayers for good harvests, prosperity and harmonious life are offered. Then, with the lead of local guide, you will stroll in crisscrossing lanes of the renowned Hutong to feel the peaceful atmosphere there. The name of “Hutong” is given to a lane or small street which originated during the Yuan Dynasty in China. And now it has become the first choice for tourists, especial foreign visitors, to learn about the local culture and history.

After that, the guide will transfer you to the train station for the high-speed train to Xi’an. On arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel.

Stay overnight in Xi’an

Day 5 Xian Sightseeing: Terracotta Warriors and Horse, Ancient City Wall, Muslim Quarter

In the morning, you will visit the Museum of Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, a must-see when in Xi'an. Around 8,000 ancient, life-sized figures were created to accompany the first Emperor of China to the afterlife and were part of his mausoleum. Each figure has a unique facial structure and expression as if they had been made from living people. The warriors were buried with the Emperor in 208BC and were not discovered until 1974.

After the warriors, you will head over to the Ancient City Wall of Xi'an for a leisure bicycle tour. The wall around the inner part of the city was built in the 14th century and is 14km long. It is an amazing example of ancient defensive structures. Then you will travel to the Muslim Quarter, the largest area of Muslim business in the city. It is the perfect place to buy souvenirs of Xi'an and China, with a wide range of local snacks and handicrafts.

Stay overnight in Xi’an.

Day 6 Xian to Lhasa Train

In the morning you will be transferred to the Xi'an Railway Station, to begin the ride over the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to Lhasa. Traveling along the most scenic railway in the world, you will experience sights that will leave you breathless, and cross a plateau with an average elevation of over 4,000 meters. Do not forget to check out the view as you go over the Tanggula Pass, the highest railway pass in the world at 5072 meters above sea level.

Stay overnight on the train.

Day 7 Arrive in Lhasa

The Xi’an-Lhasa train will arrive in Lhasa in the afternoon. Upon your arrival, your tour guide will hold a board with your name on it at the exit to welcome you. A private car will take you to the reserved hotel. You may view the Yarlung Tsangpo River (the longest and largest river in Tibet) and Lhasa River on their way to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Tips: If this is your first visit to Tibet, you will need to acclimatize to the increased elevation, to prevent altitude sickness. This is best done by resting in the hotel and minimizing any physical exertion.

Day 8 Lhasa Sightseeing: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Street

Today, you’ll pay a visit to the famous Potala Palace, the world cultural heritage. You can explore its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens (stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and a tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, Thangkas, combinations of mandala, etc.

Then tourists will head to the holiest temple in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, built during Songtsen Gampo's reign by princess Wencheng of Tang dynasty, 647 A.D. Here you can observe sincere pilgrims making prostration in front of Jokhang Temple. While entering the temple, you can see the holiest statue of Buddha. Around the monastery is the famous Barkhor Street, where you can do the kora with pilgrims and locals. And then we’ll go to explore the old market and you may have the chance to see the traditional jewelry trading between people from different part of Tibet.

Finally, you’ll taste Tibetan tea with locals in the tea house and enjoy a welcome dinner at night.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Optional:
After finishing the sightseeing, if time allows, you may go with tour guide to visit Tibetan handicraft art or Tibetan Traditional Medicine center. Besides, you can also choose to upgrade your tour to enjoy Tibetan Culture Show in the evening (fr. 60USD).

Day 9 Lhasa Sightseeing: Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery

Today, you will visit two of the three prestigious Gelugpa monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera. Founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416, Drepung Monastery is the largest monastery in Tibet. Situated at the foot of Gambo Utse Mountain, Drepung was once home to more than 10000 monks. Here you can see the biggest monastery kitchen inside and then pay a visit to the Buddhist Sculpture Carving near Drepung.

After having lunch, you’ll continue to visit the Sera Monastery, which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa's disciple Jamchen Choeje. The highlight is the monk debate held in the courtyard at around 3-5 in the afternoon. Besides, you can also see the colorful Rock Painting of Buddha and the three sand Mandalas and then visit the Tibetan scripture printing house.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 10 Flight from Lhasa to Shanghai

The guide will transfer you to the airport for your onward flight to Shanghai. After around 6 hours’ flying, you will land in Shanghai and be picked up by the local guide. Then the guide will take you to the reserved hotel. The rest of the day is for you to have a good rest.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

Day 11 Shanghai Sightseeing: Yu Garden, Yuyuan Bazaar, Shanghai World Financial Center, Nanjing Road, the Bund

Today, you will explore this classic and modern city of Shanghai. We will start with the fascinating Yu Garden, the original private residence of a senior Government administration in the Ming Dynasty. Neighboring to the Yu Garden, there is a lively market called Yuyuan Bazaar, where you can shop some specialties. Then we will move to Shanghai World Financial Center, the supertall skyscraper equipped with the highest sightseeing platform in the world.

In the afternoon, we will head to the renowned pedestrian street of Nanjing Road to take a nice stroll. You can enjoy the local snacks or shop some handicrafts and souvenirs, while appreciating those distinctive architecture. After that, we will enjoy another stroll along the Bund, where you will get amazed by the spectacular view of Huangpu River and dazzling light from buildings of Pudong.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

Day 12 Shanghai Departure

On the last day of your tour, the guide will transfer you to the airport or train station and help you get on board.

Route Map

Service Inclusion

  1. Tibet Travel Permit and all other necessary permit to Tibet
  2. Domestic train/flight tickets as indicated in the itinerary, including Beijing to Xian train ticket, Xian to Lhasa train ticket etc.
  3. All lodging listed in the itinerary. If you travel individually, you will need to share one room with another tourist. If you prefer to stay in one room by yourself, you will have to pay the single room supplement
  4. Meals listed in itinerary
  5. Entrance fees of all tourist sites listed in the itinerary
  6. Local tour transfer, comfortable tourist vehicle according to group size
  7. Excellent English-speaking tour guide in China tour and local Tibetan English-speaking guide in Tibet
  8. Tourist accident/casualty insurance
  9. One shared big Oxygen tank in the car
  10. First aid kit

Service Exclusion

  1. Chinese visa
  2. International flight to and out of China
  3. Domestic train/flight not listed in the itinerary. (We offer domestic train/flight ticket booking service, please contact our travel experts for the details.)
  4. Meals not specified the itinerary
  5. Tips and gratitude to tour guide and driver
  6. Personal expenses, like laundry, phone call, snacks, soft drinks, optional tour activities, etc.

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