12 Days Xian Chengdu Tibet Tour

Welcome to Xian, the ancient capital of China. Your guide will meet you at the airport or train station according to your schedule and help you transfer to your hotel.

The rest of the day is yours to either relax yourself or to explore the ancient city yourself.

Stay overnight in Xian.

Today, you will visit the most famous site in Xian, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. Praised as one of the eight wonders in the world, the Emperor’s Terracotta Army is a huge army that formed by terracotta warriors and horses at a real size in a large-scale underground palace. After visiting this impressive site, you will move on to the Banpo Museum to learn the history of this area. Then, on the way back to your hotel, you will visit the Terracotta Replication Factory.

Stay Overnight in Xian.

In the morning, you will visit the Ancient City Wall to enjoy a panoramic view of Xian city. You can also take a cycling tour on the Ancient city wall as you like (optional).

Then, you will get to the train station to take a high speed train from Xian to Chengdu, the hometown of Giant Pandas.

When you arrive in Chengdu, our local tour guide will be there to meet you at the Chengdu International Airport, and help you transfer to your hotel, where you can rest after your flight. The rest of the day is yours to either rest or to explore the area and take in some of the local sights.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

In the morning, drive to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Breeding, the home to giant pandas, where you will catch pandas' feeding time. They are at their most active, both Adults and Babies. There's a wealth of information and a panda museum in this 230-hectare park 10 km (6 miles) north of Chengdu. It takes about 2.5 hours to visit this site.

Then, you will visit some other highlights of Chengdu, including the Wenshu Temple, Renmin Park and Jinli Street. As the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu, Wenshu Temple is famous for its exquisite gardens and halls. Renmin Park is a beautiful city park often filled with locals, and you can enjoy a cup of tea to experience the slow life of Chengdu there. In the end of today, you will walk along the Jinli Old Street to fully appreciate Sichuan’s customs and folk arts.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

The whole day is free for you to explore around the city until you take the flight from Chengdu to Lhasa.

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.

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).

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.

Today, we will drive from Lhasa to Shigatse via Gyantse. On the way, we’ll drive over the Gangbala Pass (4790 m) to view Yamdrok Lake and Mt. Naiqinkangsang. Besides, you can also appreciate Korola Glacier on the roadside. At Manak Dam Lake, tourists can hang pray flag at Simila Mountain Pass.

Then we’ll go to the heritage town Gyantse and explore its old street, Perklor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa. Here you can far view Gyangtse Fortress.

Later, we’ll arrive at Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. And tourists can visit traditional Barley Mill and view the landscape of Barley Field (in summer).

Stay Overnight in Shigatse.

In the morning, we will visit the home of Panchan Lama - Tashilunpo Monastery. It is largest monastery of the Gelug Sect in Rear Tibet, and the main stage where generations of Panchen Lamas carried out religious and political activities. After getting your Alien’s travel permit, we will leave Shigatse and then drive to Lhatse for lunch.

After that, we’ll drive over Tsola Pass (4600M), and Gyatsola Pass(5248M). At Kyawula Pass (5180m), tourists can view the panorama of Himalaya. Then we’ll drive along the new zigzag road to Everest Base Camp and get closer to Mt. Everest peak. You are lucky enough to catch the sunset of golden Everest peak if time and weather permits at the lodging area.

Stay overnight at local Guest House or tent hotel.

In the morning, you can catch the stunning sunrise of Everest Peak if weather permits at the lodging area and then pay a visit to Rongbu Monastery - the unique highest monastery with nuns and monks living together. You’ll have the chance to take the closest picture of Mt. Everest at the base camp.

Finally, we will drive back to Shigatse.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

Today, we’ll follow Yalong Valley back to Lhasa. Standing on the platform, you can view the vast Yalong River bed. Finally we’ll drop you off at hotel in Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

The driver will take you to airport or train station.

Service end.