18 Days Tibet Tour with Yangtze River Cruise and China Highlights

Upon arrival at Airport, you will be greeted by our guide and transferred to the hotel. The rest day is free to have the chance for shopping or to explore this booming city at your own pace.  

Today's adventure begins at Tian'anmen Square, the largest public space on earth. Passing through the Heavenly Peace Gate and walking into the Forbidden City, you will step back in time and home to the Imperial Courts of Ming and Qing Dynasties for more than 500 years. After lunch, visit the Temple of Heaven, one of China's most photographed attractions, where the Chinese Emperors were known, worshipped the gods and prayed for good harvests.

Leave the bustle and traffic of Beijing behind and journey through the countryside to see one of the Wonders of the World – The Great Wall. Along the way, you will stop at a jade carving factory where you can watch artisans at work. After lunch you will visit the massive tomb complex of the Ming Emperors where you will walk along the "Sacred Way" passing between pairs of huge stone sculptures.

Today you will visit the Summer Palace and the lovely pandas in Beijing Zoo. Fly to Xian. The tour guide will meet you at the airport and escort you to the hotel.

Today you will visit what for many is the high point of their trip to China - the excavation site of the Terra-Cotta Warriors, you will have plenty of time to explore the site, get a good look at the warriors from various vantage points and visit the excellent museum. After lunch, go on visiting the Big Goose Pagoda, built in 652 AD to house Buddhist scriptures from India.

Your adventure begins at Provincial History Museum, where you will see artifacts from the Paleolithic period, priceless Tang Dynasty bronzes and treasures from the Silk Road caravans. After lunch and a short break, continue to visit the City Wall, the Great Mosque, a best-preserved Islamic mosque in China and focus for the 30,000 Chinese Muslims of XiAn.

This morning you will visit the Hanyangling Museum. You will also tour the Mausoleum of Western Han Emperor Liu Qi. Fly to Lhasa in the afternoon. The tour guide will meet you at the airport and escort you to the hotel and then you will have typical Chinese lunch at a local restaurant.

Today you will visit the magnificent Potala Palace. Have lunch and take a short rest. In the afternoon, go on visiting the Sera Monastery, then you will move on to the Norbulingka Park and a Tibetan family.

Your adventure begins at the Jokhang Temple, then you will move on to the thriving bazaar of the Barkhor Street, after lunch and a short break, continue to visit the Tibet Museum and the Tibetan Traditional Medicine Hospital. Then you will move on to the Carpet Factory.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Lanzhou by train. Lunch and supper are served on your own.

Upon arrival at Lanzhou railway station, you will be greeted by our guide and transferred to the hotel. You will visit the Waterwheel Garden and also tour the Gansu Provincial Museum. 

You will visit the Binglingsi Grottoes. Back to the hotel.

Fly to Chongqing. You will continue to visit the Panda House in Chongqing Zoo if time permits. Then board the Yangtze River cruiser.

Your memorable Yangtze River tour begins today. You will take a short break from the fabulous natural scenery to visit spectacular along the river, Fengdu Ghost City, where the devil lives, according to Chinese legend.

This morning you will sail through miles of stunning gorges. In the afternoon you will arrive at Badong where you will disembark for a magical excursion down the Shennong Stream. Local trackers will pull us in wooden sampans through awesome gorges and lush pine forests. Along the way you will see the remnants of ancient roads and pass cliff-top grottos that held the coffins of warriors. If you are lucky, you will glimpse rare animals, such as the golden-haired monkey.

Today you will visit the Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric man-made dam in the world. Fly to Shanghai and transfer to the hotel.

This morning, you will visit the Shanghai Museum, a large museum of ancient Chinese art. The exterior design of the round dome and the square base symbolizes the ancient idea of a round heaven and a square land. After lunch, you will also tour the Old Town with its winding alleyways, lined with shops, tea houses and restaurants, and to the elegant and tranquil Yu Garden.

See you off by transferring to the Airport.