17 Days China and Tibet Panorama Tour from Hong Kong

When you arrive in Hong Kong, our guide will meet you at the airport carrying a placard with your name. Once your luggage is collected, he will guide you to your hotel, where you can rest for the remainder of the day, or explore some of the sights around the hotel.

Stay overnight in Hong Kong.

The first part of the day will be spent at the Aberdeen Harbor floating community. This floating village is well known around the world, and is famed for its seafood restaurants. You can hire a sampan to explore the harbor area and take a stroll along the popular Aberdeen Promenade, which is like a little slice of seaside England in Asia.

After lunch you will be taken to Repulse Bay, where you can spend time on a beautiful tropical beach, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is also the site of one of the most expensive residential areas in Hong Kong, although it is not clear why the name changed from Chonghom Bay, which was the name originally given to the area in 1841. Later, as the sun sets, you will visit Victoria Peak, the highest point of the island of Hong Kong. The tram can take you all the way to the top, but for the adventurous, you can take the hiking trail up. The views for the peak across Hong Kong harbor are absolutely stunning, especially at sunset.

Stay overnight in Hong Kong.

In the morning you will take the flight to Chengdu, and on arrival you will be escorted to your hotel. After a nice local lunch, you will get to visit the Wide and Narrow Alley, where you can see the older houses of Chengdu’s downtown area. The alley is excellent for picking up locally made souvenirs, and has small tea shops where you can relax and taste the local snacks.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

Your second day in Chengdu will start with a visit to the unique Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center. Catch the pandas at feeding time, when they are very active, and you may even get to see baby pandas, if there has been a recent litter of cubs. The center is the main hub of panda breeding and research in the world.

In the afternoon you will head back to downtown Chengdu, and will first visit Jin Li Street, a perfect replica of an old commercial center, in the style of the Qin, Han, and Three Kingdom dynasties. After a leisurely stroll along Jin Li Street, you can take in the famous Wuhou Shrine. The shrine tells the history of the renowned warriors of the Three Kingdoms, and is full of Chinese calligraphy and poetry.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

Take a flight from Chengdu to Xining. You will be transferred to your hotel after arriving in Xining airport. The rest of the time is at leisure. You can have a good rest or walk around in the city.

Stay overnight in Xining.

In the morning, you will first visit Ta’er monastery, the most important monastery in Qinghai Tibetan Area. Then, in the afternoon, we willl get transferred to railway station for your overnight train to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in the train.

Today, you will witness the most beautiful scenery of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. The land of snows, the desert, the grassland, Snow Mountains and the lakes will continually appear and strongly attract your heart.

Upon arrive in Lhasa Railway Station, your tour guide will hold a board with your name on it at the exit to welcome you. A private car will take you from the train station to the reserved hotel.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Morning section to visit the famous Potala Palace and explore the grandest of this myriad chapels, you will experience its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens (stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, thangkas, combinations of mandala etc.

Afternoon section visiting to the holist temple in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, built during songtsen gonpo's reign by princess Wencheng of tang dynasty, 647 A.D, and its famous Barkor Kora, where you can buy or appreciate traditional Tibetan artifacts, religious implements, antiques, books, Tibetan music instrument, Thangkas, and tradition Tibetan clothes etc. you will have chance to get close to appreciate how the artists draw Thangkas at the Thakangka workroom at Barkhor.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, you will visit two important monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera. Drepung Monastery is situated at the foothill of a mountain and was founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416. It was once home of 10000 monks and Ganden podrang in Drepung is famous it was the government center during fifth dalai lama and later moved to the famous Potala Palace during fifth dalai lama.

After having lunch, continue to visit the Sera Monastery, which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa's disciple Jamchen Choeje. The most attractive is that Monks debiting is held there in the courtyard at around 3-5 in the afternoon section most of the time.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today your guide will transfer you to the Lhasa Gonggar International Airport for your flight to Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province of China. One of the oldest cities in China, the flight takes around three hours, and our local guide, who will help you with your transfer to your hotel, will meet you. The rest of the day is yours to rest or look around.

Stay overnight in Xi’an.

The next morning will see you visiting the Museum of Qin 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.

In the afternoon, you will be able to enjoy the ancient City Wall of Xi'an by 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.

In the evening you will be able to travel to the Muslim quarter, with its famed gourmet street full of tasty delights. It is the largest area of Muslim business in the city, and 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.

In the morning, you will head over to another of the most visited sites in Xi'an, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Built in 652, the pagoda is a repository of Buddhist figures and scriptures brought to Xi'an from India by Xuanzang, the first abbot of Daci'en Temple.

Then you will have the chance to visit the Shaanxi History Museum, where you can take in the glory and ancient history of China. The museum holds artifacts that date back as far as the Paleolithic era, up to the more recent Qing Dynasty. The museum is packed with thousands of exhibits from all periods of history, and is a busy, popular attraction.
After lunch, you will transfer to the Xi’an Xianyang Airport to take a flight from Xi’an to Beijing.

The train journey takes around 3 hours, and on your arrival at Beijing airport, a private driver will pick you up, load your luggage, and transfer you to your hotel.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Your first full day in Beijing will take you first to the infamous Tiananmen Square, where you can see the mausoleum of China’s famous Chairman Mao, take a walk around the National Museum of China, and get some great photos of the great hall of the People. Tiananmen Square is the largest square of its kind in the world, and is part of the heart of China.

Your tour of Beijing continues with a visit to the famous Forbidden City, which was the Chinese Imperial Palace from around 1420 to 1912. Set right in the center of Beijing, it now houses the Palace museum. The Temple of Heaven is your next stop, which was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century.

In the Afternoon, you will visit the incredible Summer Palace, the imperial summer home of the Qing Dynasty. Situated in the Haidian District northwest of Beijing, Summer Palace is the largest and most well preserved royal park in China, and is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens, and palaces. These beautiful attractions show visitors what life was like for the royal household in ancient China, and how the Chinese emperors managed their empire.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

No tour of China would be complete without a visit to the great Wall, the largest man-made structure on the planet, which can be seen from orbit. This tour shows the great strength of the Chinese Empire, and the wall protected the ancient Chinese from invasion by their enemies from the north. The Mutianyu section of the Great wall is 2,250 meters long, and includes a total of 22 watchtowers, making it one of the most protected sections of the entire wall. Mutianyu is the longest fully-restored Great Wall section open to tourists.

After the awesome sight of the Great Wall, you will visit the Ming Tomb of the 13th Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Wanli. Ruler of all China for 48 years, he was the longest ruling of all the Ming emperors and was entombed on his death in 1620. One of 16 Ming Tombs, the tomb of Emperor Wanli is the only one that has been excavated and opened for public viewing.

Then it is off to take a tour of Beijing’s fantastic Olympic Village. Known as the Bird’s Nest, the National Stadium in Beijing was built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and is now a major tourist attraction, as well as a venue for important football matches and athletic events. Nearby lies the equally famous Water Cube, the National Aquatics Center, the official swimming and water sports facility for the 2008 Olympics.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

In the morning, you will take a flight from Beijing to Shanghai. Upon your arrival, your local guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel.

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.

In the morning, we will first visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center and Jade Buddha Temple. As an important window for publicity of Shanghai, Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center will let tourists (especially the first-time visitors) have a better understanding of this charming city.

Then, 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.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

The guide will transfer you to the airport or train station and help you get on board.

Service ends.