12 Days China Mysterious Tibet Tour

Upon your arrival at Beijing Airport or Beijing Train Station. Our guide will hold a sign with your name waiting for you at Exit. Transfer to Beijing downtown to visit Temple of Heaven, the largest ancient imperial worship architecture group in the world where the ancient Emperors prayed for peace and harvest.

Transfer you back to the hotel.

This morning, our guide will pick you up from your hotel. You will visit the Tiananmen Square firstly. Tiananmen Square is the world's largest city center square and was the locality of numerous major political and historical events. It is the witness of Chinese development. Then go through an underground tunnel to the imperial palace, also known as the "Forbidden City", which functioned as the house of emperors and their families, and also the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for up to 500 years.

In the afternoon, move on to the Summer Palace, The Summer Palace is known as the Gardens of Nurtured Harmony, it has been included in World Heritage List in December 1998. It stated that the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of China landscape garden layout. Natural landscape of hills and open water is along with man-made features like pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to create a harmonious ensemble of remarkable aesthetic value."

After breakfast, you are picked up at your hotel around 8:00am. Drive to visit the Ming Tombs, there are 13 Ming Dynasty Emperors were buried in this area. You will visit the Dingling Tomb today, which is the only one of the Ming Dynasty Tombs to have been excavated. Visit the Jade Factory, where they explained the difference types of jade and how jade can be carved in a great variety of shapes.

After lunch, you will visit the Mutianyu Great Wall, which is known for its beautiful surroundings - dense woods and rich pastures changing colors with the seasons of a year. Mutianyu Great Wall is located in Huai Rou County on the north-east of Beijing. This section of the Great Wall is about 75 KM from the center of Beijing. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, Mutianyu section of Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs.

On the way back to your hotel. You will have a short visit to see the exterior Bird Nest and Water Cube - the amazing architectures that built for Beijing Olympic Games.

Pick up from the hotel in the morning. Take flight to Xian. On your arrival, our local guide will pick you up. Then drive to visit famous and must-be see spot, the Terra-Cotta Warriors, which is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BC and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.

In the evening, you will enjoy a delicious Dumpling Dinner, dumpling also called jiaozi in Chinese, is one of the most representative Chinese food. Then the Tang Dynasty Show will be on performance. The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show is a wonderful performance of the ancient music and dance has history of more than 1000 years ago.

After breakfast, pick up from the hotel. Continue to visit the Big Goose Pagoda. A major Buddhist site, the simple, elegant brick Pagoda stands in the grounds of the attractive Da Ci'en Temple. The Pagoda was built in the 7th century to house the Buddhist materials that Xuanzang (Tripitaka) brought back from his epic journey to India. Continue to visit Shaanxi Provincial History Museum - a large modern museum of the national level where you will see the artifacts that have been collected in Shaanxi Province since the upper Cave Man 18,000 years ago.

After lunch, you will visit Xian Ancient City Wall, which is one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world and the most complete ancient city wall in China. And today, the city wall is regarded as a landmark dividing the Xian city into the inner part and the outer part. You are free to take the bicycle around the city wall at your own expenses(optional).

Move onto Great Mosque, the biggest and most preserved complete Chinese existent mosque. It was first built at the Tianbao first year (742 years) during Tang Dynasty..

After breakfast, pick up from the hotel. Transfer to the airport. Take fligh to Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. On your arrival, transfer you to your hotel in Lhasa. The rest day is free for you to get accustomed to the Tibetan climate and altitude.

Today you will visit the highlights of The Potala Palace, The Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street.

- Potala Palace: This ancient architectural complex is considered a model of Tibetan architecture. Located on the Red Hill in Lhasa. The stone-and-wood-structured Potala Palace consists of the White Palace and Red Palace. The White Palace, comprising halls, temples and courtyards, serves as the living quarters of the Dalai Lama. The Red Palace includes various chambers for worshipping Buddha and chambers housing the eight stupa that contain the remains of fifth through thirteenth Dalai Lama. All the stupas are covered with gold foil. The most magnificent stupa belongs to the fifth Dalai Lama. It is 14.85 meters tall and inlaid with pearl and jade. The palace also collected a large number of sculptures, murals, scripture and other valuable cultural relics.

- Jokhang Temple is one of the spiritual center of Tibet,It lies at the center of the old Lhasa, Everyday pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek a long distance to the temple,Some of them even progress prostrate by body length to the threshold of the temple.The temple keeps many invaluable cultural relics. The most famous and valuable one is the Sakyamuni statue aged 12, which is devout Tibetans by thousands of pilgrims day and night. After then, stroll around the around the temple is the Barkhor Street, the oldest street in a very traditional city in Tibet.

- Barkhor Street : The Barkhor is the oldest street in Lhasa as well as the center of old Lhasa and remains very traditional. It is a place where Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts are assembled. Walking around the Jokhang Temple is said that it can bring prosperity and peace to one's whole life. The street is lined with huge numbers of shops selling various kinds of tourist stuff with Tibetan style - skybeads and much more. (B+L)

Today you will visit Norbulingka, Sera Monastery, Tibet Museum, The Carpet Factory.

- Norbulingka Park: It is located in the western suburbs of Lhasa city. "Norbu" in Tibetan language means " treasure". "Lingka" means a park with beautiful trees and flowers. It once served as the summer palace for dalai lamas from 7th Dalai Lama who first built the palace. Then come out to visit the 14th Dalai Lama's palace through another gate. The 14th Dalai Lama went to India in 1959. People visit the rooms in the palace one by one. When he left Tibet in 1959, he was only 25 years old. From the picture hanging on the wall of the assembly room, he was once a handsome man.

- Sera Monastery: It is at the foot of Tatipu Hill, located in the northern suburb of Lhasa City.The pilgrimage in front of Jokhang Temple It is one of three famous monasteries in Lhasa along with the Drepung Monastery and the Ganden Monastery. The Gelugpa or Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism studies Buddhist doctrines using a step-by-step process. As a part of their study, lamas must participate in debates to further their comprehension and proceed to more advanced levels of study. The debating traditions in the Sera Monastery are unique among the three famous monasteries in Lhasa. Debates are conducted by the lamas in the monastery every day beginning at 3.a.m. In a battle of words, they supplement their efforts by using a variety of gestures including clapping their hands, pushing their partners for an answer, or plucking their prayer beads to win the virtue of the Buddha. For a clear view of this unique event, an early arrival is recommended.

- Tibet Museum: It is located to the south-east of Norbulingka. It is a Tibetan structure museum. It has three exhibition floors. It has abundant historical relics and treasures including prehistoric culture, united culture, culture and art, customs. They offer the audio guide service. You can use the audio to get a better understanding of the some important history and relics. It is a must for those who is interested in Tibetan history.

Free in the moring. Transfer to the airport. Take flight to Shanghai. On your arrival, pick up and transfer to the hotel. The rest day is free on your own to visit this booming city at your own pace.

Pick up from the hotel. visit Yu Garden. Yuyuan is the famous gardens in Shanghai where you will see how a large beautiful garden was made by a rich rice merchant 400 years ago. Adjoining these gardens is an old shopping area with narrow streets and buildings that were of a typically old Chinese style. There are many small streets and lanes where vendors sell their products and food stuffs to the tourists and local people.

After lunch, visit the new development zone in Pudong - Lujiazui, which is teeming with the futuristic, avant-garde buildings - Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Building, Bank of China Tower. Taking the elevator to the 88-storey Observation Deck of Jinmao Tower where you will have a spectacular view of the whole city.

First visit Shanghai Museum, the selection of over 112,000 Chinese cultural relics from the Old Stone Age to modern times. You will be amazed to see the pottery that is over 10,000 years old. You have to go quickly though all the 4 floors. Then proceed to visit the pedestrians only Nanjing Pedestrian Road, a walking bustling street that is always packed with people watching other people. Then move on to the Bund, one of the most noted waterfront and architectural symbols of Shanghai. Then visit a Silk Factory, where you can bargain for silk products and China's traditional silk arts.

After lunch, take one hour cruising on Huang Pu River. You start with the Hangpu River Cruise that will take you along the skyscrapers on the new area known as Pudong. Then you ruise to the west side of the river that has many skyscrapers and the famous Bund that has a row of the early 20th century buildings near the river. Back to your hotel.

Free at leisure until be transferred to the airport to see you off.