* Click the underlining scenic spots to see the beautiful pictures and informative texts about the selected destinations
Day 1: Arrival / Beijing
Transfer via: International flight arranged by you 
Beijing is an ancient city with a long history.  It is the political, cultural and economic center of China.
Upon your arrival at Beijing's international airport, your personal tour guide will meet you with a welcome sign and escort you to your hotel. Your guide will confirm your Beijing itinerary with you and be glad to introduce some good local restaurants near your hotel, where you will be free to have a small adventure by trying China's traditional cuisine on your own.  The rest of the day you will be yours to rest and adjust to the time zone difference before you begin exploring the ancient and cosmopolitan city of Beijing the next day. 

Accommodation: Jianguo Garden Hotel ★★★★

Day 2: Beijing (B, L)
After breakfast, you will first visit Beijing's historic Tiananmen Square, followed by a visit to the magnificent Forbidden City. In the afternoon, you will marvel at another Beijing's famous landmarks, the Temple of Heaven built in 15th century.  In the evening you will be free to explore Beijing and its nightlife. 

Accommodation:  Jianguo Garden Hotel ★★★★

Day 3: Beijing (B) 
Your personal guide will pick you up from your hotel and you will be driven by private car to China's famous Great Wall (Simatai section).  Upon arriving at the Great Wall you will take a three hour hike along the Simatai section.  Hiking along the great wall is a challenging and enlightening experience.  A simple lunch will be held on the wall.  After your hike along the Great Wall you will be driven back to downtown Beijing.

Accommodation:  Jianguo Garden Hotel ★★★★

Day 4: Beijing (B, L)
After enjoying breakfast in your hotel, you will get a chance to visit Beijing's famous Hutongs (Alleyway) by rickshaw.  Lunch will be served in a local family's home during the tour where you can learn to make Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings).  After your tour of the hutongs you will be taken back to your hotel for a little rest and relaxation before tomorrow's visit to mysterious Tibet.

Accommodation:  Jianguo Garden Hotel ★★★★

Day 5: Beijing / Lhasa (B)
Transfer via:  Internal flight
On this your last day in China's capital you will be free to explore a bit on your own until your guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to your next destination, Tibet's Lhasa.  Upon your arrival at Gonggar airport, you will be met by your personal tour guide and taken to your hotel in Lhasa city (2 hour drive). En route to your hotel you will see the giant stone Buddha carved in the face of a mountain.  After checking into your hotel you will have a chance to rest to adapt yourself to Lhasa's high altitude.  In the late afternoon your guide will take you to the Tibet Museum.

Accommodation:  Tibet Hotel ★★★★

Day 6: Lhasa (B, L)
Your sightseeing today will include the Lhasa's cardinal landmarks.  You will visit the Potala Palace, Jokhang Monastery and flourishing Barkhor Street.

Accommodation:  Tibet Hotel ★★★★

Day 7：Lhasa (B, L)
On this day you will be brought to Norbulingka Park, the Drepung Monastery, and the Sera Monastary. Also you will be able to meet a Tibetan family, where you will be warmly welcomed in the traditional Tibetan way afterwards you will be entertained with traditional Tibetan cuisine.
- Norbulingka Park: Norbulingka (Jeweled Garden) was built in 1751 AD as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama where they could handle political affairs and practiced religious ceremonies.  Now the complex has developed into a large-scale palace complex with Tibetan style garden covering an area of over 40 hectares.  The whole park has 370 rooms of different sizes and lawns shaded by green trees and surrounded by various exotic flowers. Before 1959, commoners had no access to this park. Now, on festivals and holidays, the local people in their colorful costumes come here with food and tents to sing and dance overnight.
- Drepung Monastery: the largest monastery of the Gelug Sect in Tibet, stands on the slope of the majestic Mount Gambo Utse. It was built in 1416 AD and was the place where each reincarnation of the Dalai Lama received his training.  In its heyday, it had more than 10,000 monks, now it is home to about 700 monks.
- Sera Monastery: in Tibetan Sera means wild rose garden.  It was so-named because of the lush wild rose trees that once grew around it.  The monastery is one of the three largest monasteries in Tibet. Located at the northern outskirts of Lhasa, it was built in 1419 AD by Jamchen Choje (or Sakyayeshe), one of the eight disciples of Tsong Khapa who was the founder of Gelugpa Sect. 
Sera Monastery houses three colleges built in 15th and 16th century, and it is famous for the "Buddhism Scriptures Debate".

Accommodation:  Tibet Hotel ★★★★

Day 8: Lhasa / Chengdu (B, D)
Transfer via: Internal flight
After your memorable tour of Tibet, your guide will escort you to the airport for your flight to Chengdu. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province. Upon arrival at Chengdu, you will be met by your tour guide and escorted to your hotel for a rest. In the evening you will enjoy a delicious dinner of Sichuan food at a local restaurant. Sichuan food is famous for its hot and spicy "Tongue Numbing" dishes.
- Chengdu: centrally located in the western Sichuan Plain has a history of over 2300 years. Chengdu is renowned for its fertile land and agricultural wealth which have earned the city the nickname "Storehouse of Heaven".

Accommodation: Yinhe Dynasty Hotel ★★★★

Day 9: Chengdu (B, L)
On this day you will get to meet one of China's living treasures, the panda bear. After your breakfast you will travel to Chengdu's Giant Panda Breeding Research Base where you will first-hand get to see the loveable pandas. After your visit to China's living treasures you will visit Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage and Wenshu Temple where you can spend some time sitting in its tea house to enjoy a cup of tea and absorb the special atmosphere of Chengdu.
- Giant Panda Breeding Research Base: 18km from the city center, houses 12 pandas, it is the best place to see Chengdu's most famous residents.  Here you can get to know more about this precious species in its museum.
- Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage: located on the side of the Flower Washing Brook in the western suburbs of Chengdu. It is the former residence of the celebrated Tang dynasty poet, Du Fu (712-770AD) who was born in Henan province. At the age of 20 he left his home to travel around China. He was an official for 10 years in Chang'an (present Xian), the capital of the Tang dynasty, and was later captured by rebels after an uprising and fled to Chengdu where he built this humble cottage and stayed for four years.
- Wenshu Temple: Chengdu's oldest and largest Buddhist temple was originally built in Tang Dynasty (618-907).  The temple as it is now was built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Here, you can absorb the very atmosphere of Chengdu here.  The temple is full of local worshippers burning incense, and the tea house at the back of the complex is a great place to relax yourself and do some people watching.  The streets outside are filled with blind fortune-tellers, hawkers selling joss sticks (incense), paper money and statues.
- Teahouses: Chengdu is one of the few remaining cities in China to still possess authentic tea house culture. Thousands of teahouses are dotted about Chengdu, and are hugely popular with locals, especially the elderly. Teahouses throughout the city are still important locations for social gatherings. Its distinct and unique atmosphere will let you get a good feel for Chengdu and its culture.

Accommodation:  Yinhe Dynasty Hotel ★★★★

Day 10: Chengdu / Lijiang (B, L)
Transfer via:  Internal Flight
On this day you are free to roam about the city until your guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to Lijiang.  Upon your arrival at Lijiang County, "an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage" site, your guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel.  In the afternoon, you will have an excursion into the Ancient Town and the Lion Hill.
- Lijiang County: located in the northwest of Yunnan Province perched at bottom of the Himalayas and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.  It is one of China's most renowned National Scenic Areas and is famed for its ancient town of Dayan, and the Dragon Snow Mountain which is infused with a rich culture of different ethnic minorities.
- The Ancient Town: also called Dayan Town, built in the late Song (960-1279) and early Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) has a history of more than 800 years.  This ancient town consists of clean streams flowing freely through the road network.  The colorful cobbled streets, age-old swaying willow trees, ancient buildings, and stone bridges make this town a place that time forgot. There are over 22 different ethnic minorities making Lijiang their home.  You will see many local minority people in their own traditional dress strolling around this charming ancient town.  You will be attracted by the unique atmosphere and surprised by its ancient yet simple sense of "Harmony of Heaven and Man."
- Lion Hill: the name is derived from its resemblance of a lion playing with a ball.  The mountain is best known for its green pines and cypresses planted mostly during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).  From atop the Tower of Eternity (Wangoulou) on the top of the mountain, you can enjoy a bird's eye view of the ancient town and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain far in the distance.

Accommodation: Grand Hotel Lijiang ★★★

Day 11: Lijiang (B, L)
This morning you will be taken by private car to the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge.  Here you will descend the more than 400 steps down to the river bed where you can see the very rock mentioned in ancient legends and hear the roaring of the Jinsha River.  After enjoying the awe inspiring scenery you will continue hiking from Tiger Leaping Gorge until you reach the Half-way Guest House (approximately 6 hours). Along the way you will walk between two snow capped mountains, Jade Dragon Mountain (5596m) and Mt. Haba (5396m).  Along this path you will experience the grandness of this gorge and understand why it has been a destination for travelers for centuries.  - Tiger Leaping Gorge: extending for 15 kilometers from the Yulong Snow Mountain in Lijiang to the Haba Snow Mountain in Zhongdian, the Tiger Leap Gorge drops over 3,000 meters, and is believed to be the world's deepest canyon. The name of the gorge is attributed to a legend that in ancient times a tiger had jumped across the gorge at its narrowest section which is more than 30 meters in width.  In the depths of the gorge is the Jinsha River, which pounds furiously at its rocky shores sending up plumes of white froth.  It is a dream haven for adventurers.

Accommodation:  Half Way Guesthouse.

Day 12: Lijiang (B, L)
After Breakfast you will continue hiking for approximately 5 hours along the High Trail from Half-way Guesthouse. Along the way you will pass the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge and Heaven's Stairs until you get to the Hetaoyuan (Walnut Grove). There you will stay at No. 1 Woody's House. This guesthouse has a platform which at an altitude of 2175m gives you a spectacular view of the Tiger Leaping Gorge. 
（If you think you are energetic enough, you can choose to take another path called "Heaven of One Thread" from the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge to the Hetaoyuan (Walnut Grove), which will take you approximately  one more hour than the previous route.)

Accommodation: No. 1 Woody's House (Guesthouse)

Day 13: Lijiang (B, L)
Today's hike will take you from Hetaoyuan (Walnut Grove) to Daju (approximately 6 hours).  Walk along the Yangtze River on the main road in the beginning and then on the small trail down on the bank of the river, where you will take a very simple ferry to cross the Yangtze River (about 20 minutes on the ferry) to the Daju side. You will continue hiking up a small trail to the parking lot where your private car will meet you and help you transfer back to Lijiang (87km away).  Along the way, you will view the white water river and the other side of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. 
- Daju: a small village with abundant agricultural plants, it is famed as "the barn" in the Lijiang area.
- The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: it is so called because it looks like a flying jade dragon from afar. The mountain consists of 13 peaks and sprawls 35 km from north to south, its glacier is the most modern oceanic glacier closest to the equator in the Northern Hemisphere.

Accommodation:  Grand Hotel Lijiang ★★★

Day 14: Lijiang (B, L)
In the morning, you will take an excursion to Lion Hill inside the Ancient Town, and the Black Dragon Pool Park, and Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture inside the park. You will have the afternoon to wander the Ancient Town by yourself.
- The Ancient Town: also called Dayan Town, built in the late Song (960-1279) and early Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) has a history of more than 800 years.  This ancient town consists of clean streams flowing freely through the road network.  The colorful cobbled streets, age-old swaying willow trees, ancient buildings, and stone bridges make this town a place that time forgot. There are over 22 different ethnic minorities making Lijiang their home.  You will see many local minority people in their own traditional dress strolling around this charming ancient town.  You will be attracted by the unique atmosphere and surprised by its ancient yet simple sense of "Harmony of Heaven and Man."
- Black Dragon Pool Park: where you can see the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from afar and the reflection of the mountain in the pool.  This park is the source of the water system of the Old Lijiang Town as crystal clear water from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain gathers here.
- Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture: here is where you will see the exhibitions of Naxi culture and dress, Dongba script, and the history of Lijiang’s old town.

Accommodation:  Grand Hotel Lijiang ★★★

Day 15: Lijiang / Kunming / Guilin (B, L)
Transfer via: Internal flight
This morning you will be free to rest until your guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to your next destination, Kunming.  Upon arriving in Kunming you will transfer to your flight to Guilin.  Your guide will help you check in at the Kunming airport.  When you arrive in Guilin, the most scenic and beautiful city in China, your guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day you will be free to rest and refresh yourself for tomorrow's adventure in Guilin.

Accommodation: Guilin Park Hotel ★★★★

Day 16: Guilin (B, L)
Your first day in Guilin will bring you to Longsheng (Dragon's back) Autonomous County by private car (approximately 2 hours). Longsheng Autonomous County is located 90km northwest of Guilin. This county is renowned for its many ethnic minorities. Within this county live the Zhuang, Yao, Miao, and Dong minority groups. In recent years, this county has become a popular destination for photography enthusiasts and people who are interested in minority culture. On this tour you will not only enjoy the awe-inspiring panorama of terraced rice paddies, the most famous section is called Longji, lush bamboo groves and small villages on the hillside along the way. Even more unforgettable than the scenery is the rich culture of the local ethnic groups.
- Longji: means "Dragon's Backbone". When climbing to the top of it and looking down at the nearby terraced rice fields, you will have the feeling that you are standing on the dragon's back as the terraced rice paddies look like the shining scales of the dragon. 
- The Zhuang People: with over 17 million people, Zhuang is the largest ethnic minority group in China.
- The Yao People: Yao is another major ethnic group living in Guilin area that has a population over 2 million people. Yao women are recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the longest hair in the world.

Accommodation:  Guilin Park Hotel ★★★★

Day 17: Guilin / Yangshuo (B, L)
After having breakfast at the hotel, you will be driven to Zhujiang Pier (about 40-minute drive) to start a boat cruise along the famed Li River which is a must see for any traveler to Guilin.  The cruise will take you to Yangshuo County.  Along the river, you will be inspired by breathtaking views of Guilin's famous Karst mountain peaks and pinnacles, crystal-clear water and serene pastoral views of rice paddies and water buffaloes cooling themselves in the river.  It will feel as though you have stepped into a traditional Chinese painting. A Chinese lunch which is cooked on board will be served.  After checking in to your hotel in Yangshuo, you will explore the spectacular karst countryside along Jima road by your choice of either bicycle or small electric tour bus.
- Yangshuo County: founded in 590 AD, Yangshuo County has been booming because of the tourism trade. With so many amazing mountains surrounding, it is described as "the world of green lotus and jade bamboo shoots".

Accommodations:  New Century Hotel ★★★

Day 18: Yangshuo / Guilin / Final Departure
Transfer via: Private car; International flight arranged by you  
On this day you will be driven back to Guilin (1.5-hour drive) by private car and then upon arriving in Guilin have a tour of the Elephant Trunk Hill Park and the Fubo (Wave Subduing) Hill Park. Your lunch will be served at a restaurant specializing in local cuisine, or for the more adventurous could sample the spicy food of Sichuan.  After lunch you will visit the fabulous Reed Flute Cave. You will be escorted to the airport for your flight to next destination.

- Elephant Trunk Hill: the symbol of Guilin.  This unique hill resembles a giant elephant drinking water from the Li River.
- Fubo (Wave Subduing) Hill: where you can see hundreds of statues of the Buddha carved about 1000 years ago in the Returned Pearl Cave and experiences a bird's eye view of the whole city after climbing up to the very top.
- Reed Flute Cave: 5 kilometers away from the city center, famed as "A Natural Palace of Art", in which
you can see innumerable stalactites & stalagmites. There is an underground lake the rock formations and stalactites and stalagmites take on a myriad of bizarre forms.

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