From Yangtze to Tibet

Day 1: Arrival in Shanghai

Welcome to China
Today arrive in Shanghai, the economic metropolis and largest booming city of China. Pick up and transfer to hotel.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at 4*Greenland Jiulong Hotel

Day 2: Air Shanghai – Yichang (B)

Shanghai, world metropolis. Yu Garden (Yu Yuan), the Bund
From here you can explore the enchanting old city area. You dive into the world of the Far Eastern culture with all your senses: The distinctive flair of the old street with its tiny alleys, food stalls, and small shops. Originally built in 1559, it served as the private garden of the high-ranking officials by then. The word “Yu” contains a meaning of “safe and peaceful”. Afterward, take a walk on the Bund (Waitan), the waterfront of Shanghai. The view of the skyline, as well as the old gorgeous buildings in European style, is impressive. In the afternoon transfer to the airport to take flight MU2676 1850/2115 to Yichang, the starting point of the upstream Yangtze Cruise. Transfer to the pier and embark on the cruise ship.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at 5*Yangtze Cruiser

✈️ Domestic flight from Shanghai to Yichang is not included.

Day 3: Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)

Visit the massive Three Gorges Dam Project
From now on you will experience a unique voyage on China’s longest river, Changjiang, better known in the west as Yangtsekiang. On this route, the landscape gallery of shores, gorges, mountain- and rock-formations are fascinating. After breakfast, you will visit the massive Three Gorges Dam Project. After 12 years of construction, the Three Gorges Dam (Sanxia Daba) was completed with a hydroelectric power plant, a ship lift, and a lock system on May 20, 2006: at about 2335 m, the gigantic concrete dam extends between the two sides of a narrow valley at the end of the Xiling Gorge of the Yangtze River near Sandouping, a small town about 40 km upstream from Yichang in Hubei Province. China is pursuing ambitious goals: protecting the densely populated regions in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River from flooding; operating a hydropower plant with 32 large turbines, which each has 700 MW of installed capacity and generates around 100 billion kWh of electricity; enabling the navigability of the Yangtze River to 660 km from Yichang to Chongqing for ships up to 10000 tons.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at 5*Yangtze Cruiser

Day 4: Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)

Boating on Shennong Stream, Wu Gorge, Qutang Gorge
At first, you get off at Wushan and continue your leisure tour – travel through Shennong Stream by a small boat, enjoy the clear running water, distinctive rock formations, and sometimes even monkeys and goats along its sides. It is a special approach to get close to these beautiful features of Shennong Stream. Shift to Wu Gorge, which gains a high reputation because of its fascinating sights. Then the cruise will travel through the Qutang Gorge, the shortest but the most majestic and dangerous one of the three gorges of Yangtsekiang. Visit White Emperor City (option). At the dinner time, a great party is held by the captain to welcome everybody.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at 5*Yangtze Cruiser

Day 5: Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)

“Ghost City” Fengdu, Shibao Village
Our next destination is Fengdu (option), the “Ghost City” of China, which is because of its big amounts of statues with the image from the hell – ghost and devils. According to the legend, here is the place to settle down souls. The next station is Shibao Village.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at 5*Yangtze Cruiser

Day 6: Chongqing – Lhasa (B)

Arrive in Chongqing, Fly to Lhasa
In the morning, we arrive in Chongqing Chao Tianmen Wharf, meet with a local guide and driver, transfer to the airport to take flight CA4420 1345/1635 to Lhasa (3650m), the capital of Tibet. Upon arrival in Lhasa, transfer to the hotel.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at 4*Snow Heaven International Grand Hotel.

✈️ Domestic flight from Chongqing to Lhasa is not included.

Day 7: Lhasa (B)

Potala Palace – a landmark of Lhasa, Jokhang, and Barkhor Street
In the morning visit Potala. It was originally constructed in 637 by Songtsen Gampo, the first king of the united Tibet, and later it was expanded and served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas as well as the religious-political nexus of traditional Tibet. The crowds of pilgrims, innumerable magnificent murals, Buddhist statues, scriptures, and rare treasures altogether create a dense religious and art atmosphere that impresses every visitor. In the afternoon visit Jokhang monastery, the center of Tibetan Buddhism, and the sacred land of Buddhist followers where thousands of pilgrims come for worship every day. Built in 647, the temple is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Walk on the Barkhor street surrounding Jokhang, a big free market with its prolific stalls for selling local specialties.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at 4*Snow Heaven International Grand Hotel

Day 8: Lhasa (B)

Panoramic view over Potala, Norbulingka, Debate in Sera
In the morning visit Parla Lupu Cave Monastery, located on the slopes of Yaowang Mountain, which was built in the 7th century. It is 22m high and from here you can have a wonderful panoramic view over Potala palace. Afterward visit Norbulinka, the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas. In the afternoon visit the Sera monastery that was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As roses are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called “the court of wild rose”. Today still 200 lamas live in there. The “Buddhism Scriptures Debate” in Sera is very famous.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at 4*Snow Heaven International Grand Hotel

Day 9: Train Lhasa – Xian (B)

Train ride on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and through the human-less areas
In the morning transfer to the train station, train to Xian (Z166 1130/2034+2, soft sleeper, 4-bed compartment). Drive about 33 hours, from via Naqu, Golmud, Xining, Lanzhou to Xian. The special feature is the 1,956 km long railway line from Lhasa to Xining, which is considered the highest railway in the world. You can enjoy a grand, seemingly endless landscape gallery with snow-capped mountains, countless rivers and gorges, high mountain lakes, and endless steppes along the way. Over and over, you will see flocks of yaks, sheep, horses, and wild animals as well as birds, and with some luck, the herds of Tibetan antelopes, which live mainly in the steppes of the Qinghai-Tibet highlands at an altitude of 3,500 to 5,000 m.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight on the train

🚅 Train ticket from Lhasa to Xian is included.

Day 10: On the train

Arrival in the historic imperial city Xian
In the evening arrive in Xian, the capital of province Shaanxi. Meet with the local guide at the railway station and transfer to the hotel.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at the 4*Grand Dynasty Culture Hotel

Day 11: Xian (B)

The Eighth Wonder – Terracotta Army, Grand Wild-Goose Pagoda, the best-preserved Chinese city wall
Xian’s main attraction is the famous Terracotta Army of the First Emperor of China Qin Shihuang (reigned 221 – 210 BC). He managed to unit China for the first time. The guardians of his grave offer you one of the greatest insights into the world of ancient China. In the morning visit the Museum of Terracotta Warriors. An inside museum has been built over these pits, covering a floor space of 20,000 square meters and displaying 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors, 100 or so chariots, and 30,000 weapons-an assemblages famed as the Eighth World Wonder and a world cultural heritage site. Besides, visit Da Yan Ta (Big-Wild-Goose Pagoda) which was built by Emperor Li Zhi in 650 AD. Biking on the old city wall should not be missed. Built between 1374 and 1378, the city wall has a total length of 13.6 km and is the best preserved, oldest and largest ancient city defense system in China.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at the 4*Grand Dynasty Culture Hotel

Day 12: High-speed train Xian – Beijing (B)

High-speed train to capital Beijing. Temple of Heaven
After breakfast transfer to the railway station, take a high-speed train to Beijing (G26 0918/1350), the capital of China. Upon arrival in Beijing, drive to the Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan). Built-in 1420 of the Ming Dynasty and expanded in the Qing Dynasty at present covering an area of 273 hectares, the grand temple served as the sacrificial place for the emperors of the Ming and Qing to worship the heaven, presenting gratitude for the harvest of this year and praying for another good harvest next year. It is the largest and most important of all imperial temples in China.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at the 4*5L Hotel

🚅 Train ticket from Xian to Beijing is included.

Day 13: Beijing (B)

Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, from Jingshan Park great view of the Forbidden City, Summer Palace
Stroll in Tiananmen Square, the biggest one of its kind in the world, and the Forbidden City (Gu Gong), the emperor’s palace that was built between 1406 and 1420 with 9000 halls and rooms, containing many precious relics. The largest palace in the world represents the supreme power and authority emperors enjoyed during the feudalistic dynasties and exemplifies the elements of palace architecture. Then climb to the “coal hill” (Meishan) of Jingshan Park lined with pines and cypress, a beautiful park just opposite the north gate of the Imperial Palace, for a great view of the Forbidden City – a rectangular basic building with golden roofs in the center of Beijing. In the afternoon visit the Summer Palace (Yihe Yuan). Numerous unforgettable photo opportunities are waiting for you. In the summer it was too hot for the Chinese emperors, so they began in 1153 to build a summer residence in the northwest of Beijing. The Summer Palace is the most successful imperial garden, one of the highlights of Chinese landscape and horticultural art.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at the 4*5L Hotel

Day 14: Beijing (B)

Hiking and sightseeing on the Great Wall at Mutianyu
In the morning go to the Great Wall at Mutianyu (about 70 km in the northeast of Beijing). The local section of the Great Wall built in 1368 and restored in 1983, is particularly attractive with its numerous watchtowers along the picturesque ridge in green, gently undulating landscape. The Great Wall was built as a defensive line against attacks by warlike steppe people from the north and was constantly expanded and strengthened, so the strategic passes with barracks, watchtowers, and storage rooms were expanded to fortress. The Great Wall is one of the eight ancient wonders of the world and the only man-made construction on earth that the astronauts can see on the moon. Starting out in the east on the banks of Yalu River in Liaoning Province, the Wall stretches westwards for 12,700 kilometers to Jiayuguan in the Gobi Desert. It gradually becomes the symbol of ancient Chinese civilization. Walking for 2 to 3 hours on the Great Wall. In the afternoon return to Beijing.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Overnight at the 4*5L Hotel

Day 15: Flight Beijing – Home (B)

Leave China for home
Transfer to airport, fly back home.