Once your flight lands in Beijing Capital International Airport, our professional guide and driver will meet you at the exit and transfer you to your hotel. There is no sightseeing arranged today so you can rest to recover from jet lag or do some expedition on your own.
Your tour starts with a visit to theTiananmen Square, a land mark of Beijing. It is one of the largest public squares in the world. A few minutes walking from the square, you will get to the Forbidden City (also called Palace Museum), which was the political and ritual center of China for more than 500 years from mid Ming Dynasty to the end of Qing Dynasty. After that, you'll move to the Temple of the Heaven which was used for the annual ceremonies of the emperors to pray for good harvest in Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Forbidden City
Temple of Heaven
This morning, please be prepared for the Great Wall hiking. What is included in the tour is a visit to the most imposing and best preserved section ofthe Great Wall and Mutianyu. This section is also less crowded. The roundtrip cable car will be arranged. You can do some hiking on the wall to enjoy the great view of the landscape. Drive back to Beijing downtown and stop on the way for a visit to the Changling Tomb, the biggest one the Ming Tombs.
Mutianyu Great Wall
Changling Tomb
In the past two days, you see much magnificent architecture left by Chinese ancestors. Today you get the chance to take a rickshaw to visit Hutongs (small alleys), see the common civilian's traditional lifestyle and gain insight into ancient Chinese customs. Discover what the city was like before the skyscrapers go up. In the afternoon, take a high speed train to Xi'an.
Hutong Alleyways
Bullet Train in China
Xi'an had been the capital city for dozens dynasties. It contains many historic ruins and museums hence it was called the birthplace of Chinese civilization. Your visit in Xi'an begin with the Shaanxi History Museum, which gives a miniature overview of the thousands of years of Chinese history and the splendid ancient cultures of olden times. Followed is a visit to the Big Goose Pagoda, one of China's best examples of a Tang-style pagoda. After that, you will move to the old City Wall, built during the Ming dynasty. It shaped like a rectangle with a perimeter of 14km. It takes 4 hours to take a round by walking.
Big Goose Pagoda
Xi'an City Way
Followed is a visit to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. The clay-made life-size statues were buried to guard over the soul of Qin Shi Huang, the first unifier of China. In the afternoon, you'll visit the Banpo Museum of Xi'an, built in 1957 at the Banpo site (about 6000 years ago in the Neolithic age). It is like crossing the time to reproduce the living scenes of ancestors, but also to understand the unique tomb system and primitive pottery and colored drawing art at that time.
Terracotta Warriors
Banpo Museum
You will be greeted by your Tibetan guide once you arrive in Lhasa airport. From airport to Lhasa city is 68km, around one hour and half drive will take you to the holy city Lhasa. Afterwards, free time for relax, have a good rest and drink more water to acclimatize the high altitude on the plateau. Overnight in Lhasa.
Lhasa Gonggar Airport
Barkhor Street
Today, you'll have a tour to Lhasa's cardinal landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage Site-Potala Palace. Renowned as one of the great wonders on earth for its elaborate architecture built at an elevation of 3700m, this awe-inspiring palace will not disappoint you. In the afternoon, pay a visit to Jokhang Temple, the most respected shrine in Tibet. Thick with the smell of incense and yak butter, you'll witness a throng of prostrating pilgrims cramming out there. The temple is the masterpiece of Tibetan, Chinese and Nepalese architectural techniques. Then take a stroll around the Barkhor Street, the oldest bazaar in the city. You'll also enjoy a welcome dinner gathering with all travel mates in the group after the sightseeing activities. Overnight in Lhasa.
Potala Palace
Jokhang Temple
Morning, you'll visit Drepung Monastery, which locates about 8km west of central Lhasa and was once one of the world's largest monasteries with the population of around 10,000 monks in its heyday. Climb uphill through the whitewashed intersecting alleyways as well as the medieval chapels, and enjoy the panoramic view of the city on top of the mountain. In the afternoon, you'll have a chance to witness the famous 'Scriptures Debating' session at Sera Monastery, spectating their featured way of Buddhist dialectics and hand slapping in a landscaped courtyard with lush trees. Overnight in Lhasa.
Drepung Monastery
Sera Monastery
Be prepared for your flight back to home. Your guide and driver will be on time to transfer you to the airport. Thanks for traveling with us. Hope to be at your service next time.
※What is a Private Tour?
A Private Tour Package means you will have your own private guide, driver, and vehicle for your own disposal. You don't have to share the vehicle with others even if you are a single traveler. You would have full attention of your guide and driver. Our professional guide would love to share local culture, knowledge and stories.
Your private guide would also help you make an easier, comfortable, flexible and enjoyable tour. You can stop on the road to get a rest or take pictures during the drive. You have the flexibility of changing the visiting order of attractions or extending the visiting time at some tourist sites.
We will arrange the private airport or train station pick-up and see-off for you. Upon your arrival, you can find our guide waiting at the pick-up area, holding a name sign, welcome you with a warm smile. You will be transferred to hotel.
When traveling with your family or friends, a private tour would be your first choice.
※Accommodation Choices
For private tour, we can arrange hotels according to your requirements. There are options of budget guesthouse, 3 star hotel, 4 star hotel, high-end luxury hotel or bouquet heritage hotel. If you have your own preferred hotel, just let us know, we will help you with the booking, everything would be arranged as per your interests.
※Meal Choices
Our tour packages generally include breakfasts. Meanwhile, lunches and dinners are optional to be arranged either by yourself or by us.
It's easy to find nice restaurants in China, and you could also ask for suggestions from your guide. They always know where you can find something tasty.
The price would be different according to different food:
1. If you choose noodles, around RMB 15-30 per person.
2. If you like some fast food like KFC, around RMB 25-40 per person.
3. If you prefer some food at a decent restaurant, around RMB 70-150 per person.
