Start in: Chengdu
End in: Lhasa
Special Experience: Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, magnificent altiplano natural landscape, Tibetan family, Yaluzangbu River, Tibetan dances and songs
Sichuan and Tibet Exploration Tour
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival/Chengdu
Accommodations: Yinhe Dynasty Hotel 
Meals: D
Sightseeing: Chengdu
Special Dinner: Chuan Food
Transfer via: International Flight on your own arrangement
Upon arrival at Chengdu, you will be met and transferred to the hotel for a rest before a delicious dinner of Sichuan food at a local restaurant.
- Chengdu: centrally located in the western Sichuan Plain, with a history of over 2300 years, the capital of Sichuan Province, Chengdu is renowned for its fertile land and agricultural wealth which have earned the city the nickname "Storehouse of Heaven".
- Chuan Food: Sichuan Cuisine, known more commonly in the West as Szechuan Cuisine, is one of the most famous Chinese cuisines in the world. Prepared with a wide variety of ingredients and characterized by its spicy and pungent flavors, Sichuan cuisine emphasizes the use of chili and peppercorn. It can be said that one who doesn't experience Sichuan food has never reached China. Savor the flavor of Sichuan, and it is becoming hotter and hotter!
The traditional Chinese style architecture makes Chuan food restaurants even more interesting to explore.
Accommodations: Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing: Giant Panda Breeding Research Base,Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage,Wenshu Temple,Tea houses
Today you will have a visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base first, then 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, housing 12 pandas in good conditions, it is the best place to see Chengdu's most famous residents and 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 within China. He used to be 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 about four years.
- Wenshu Temple: Chengdu's oldest and largest Buddhist temple originally built in Tang Dynasty. However, it is now a Qing Dynasty construction with exquisite relief carvings decorating many of the buildings. You can absorb the very atmosphere of Chengdu here: the temple is full of local worshippers burning incense on certain days; the tea house at the back of the complex is a great place to relax yourself and do some people watching, while the streets outside are filled with blind fortune-tellers, hawkers selling joss sticks, paper money and statues, and so on.
- Tea houses: Chengdu is one of the few remaining cities in China with a really authentic tea house (Chadian) culture. Thousands of teahouses dotted about Chengdu 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.
During your Chengdu tour, you will get to know the most famous poet in Chinese history-Du Fu, by visiting his Thatched Roof Cottage.
Giant Panda is China's national treasure, cute and submissive.
Accommodations: Tibet Hotel
Meals: B
Sightseeing: Lhasa
Transfer via: China domestic flight arranged by us
Free in the day until our local guide escorts you to the airport for your onward flight to Lhasa. Upon your arrival at Gonggar airport, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to the hotel in Lhasa city (2-hour drive), and you will view the Stone Giant Buddha engraved in the mountain face en route. After checking in the hotel, rest in the afternoon to get adapted to the high altitude.
- Lhasa: the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region with an elevation of 3650 meters (12,000 feet) above the sea level, nicknamed Sunlight City, it is the highest city in the world. This ancient sprawling city, settled 1,300 years ago, is the region's political, economic and cultural center as well as a sacred place of Tibetan Buddhism.
Tibetan children are innocent and curious about the outside world.
Accommodations: Tibet Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Potala Palace,Jokhang Temple,Barkhor Street
Your sightseeing today will include the Lhasa's cardinal landmark -- Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and flourishing Barkhor Street.
- Potala Palace: the symbol of Lhasa, perched upon Marpo Ri Hill, 130 meters above the Lhasa Valley, it is the greatest monumental structure in Tibet and one of the most famous architectural works of the world. The construction was started in 641 AD and it was rebuilt by the Fifth Dalai Lama in three years, while the Thirteenth Dalai Lama extended and repaired it into what it is now. As the religious and political centre of old Tibet and the winter residence of Dalai Lamas, the palace witnessed the life of the Dalai Lamas and the important political and religious activities in the past centuries. Potala Palace also houses great amounts of rare cultural relics including the gold hand-written Buddhist scriptures, valuable gifts from the Chinese emperors and a lot of priceless antiques.
- Jokhang Temple: located in the center of the old section of Lhasa, built in 647 AD by Songtsen Gampo and his two foreign wives, and later extended by successive rulers, it has now become a gigantic architectural complex and it is the spiritual center of Tibet.
- Barkhor Street: a circular street around the Jokhang Temple in the center of the old section of Lhasa, it is the oldest street in a very traditional style in Tibet, where you can enjoy bargaining with the local Tibetan vendors for the handicrafts which are rare to be seen elsewhere in the world. Barkhor Street is one of the most important religious paths along which pilgrims walk around Jokhang Temple while turning prayer wheels in their hands through centuries. Buddhist pilgrims walk or progress by body-lengths along the street clockwise every day into deep night.
The complicated mural paintings in Jokhang Temple present the exotic culture in Tibet.
Accommodations: Tibet Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Norbulingka Park,Drepung Monastery,Sera Monastery
Today we will bring you to the Norbulingka Park, the Drepung Monastery and the Sera Mronastery.
- Norbulingka Park: Norbulingka means "Jeweled Garden", built in 1751 AD as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama where they handled political affairs and practiced religious activities. Now a large-scale palace complex and garden in Tibetan style covering an area of 40 hectares, the whole park has 370 rooms of different sizes and lawns shaded by green trees and enclosed by various flowers. Before 1959, commoners had no access to this park. Nowadays, 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 Gelug Sect in Tibet, standing on the slope of the majestic Mount Gambo Utse, it was built in 1416 AD and 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: Sera means "Wild Rose Garden" in Tibetan because lush wild rose woods 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 respectively as well,and it is famous for the "Buddhism Scriptures Debating".
When you think of Tibet, the first thing that comes to mind might be the lama in dark red robe.
Traditionally the Dalai Lama would leave the Potala Palace every spring, and spend the summer in Norbulingka.
Accommodations: Gyantse Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Gyantse,Yamdrok Lake,Tibetan Family,Palcho Monastery
Today's drive is from Lhasa to Gyantse (about 256km, 5.5-hour drive). Along the way you will visit Yamdrok Lake and a Tibetan family. After arrival in Gyantse, you will tour Palcho Monastery.
- Gyantse: an important wool trading post between Tibet and India in mediaeval times.
- Yamdrok Lake: one of the three largest lakes of Tibet and one of the three holy lakes, it covers an area of 638 square kilometers with a coastal line of 250 kilometers. The deepest point is 60 meters. The coast of the lake is an ideal pasture, where you can enjoy the intoxicating picturesque natural scenery.
- Tibetan Family: where you will be greeted and warmly welcomed by common Tibetan people in their traditional way and entertained with their typical food.
- Palcho Monastery: built in 1414 AD, it is unique because three Sects of Buddhism-Sakya, Gedan and Gelug are living harmoniously under one roof. The Palcho Pagoda beside the Monastery has 9 stories, 108 doors and 77 rooms housing some 100,000 statues of Buddha, so it is famed as the "100,000-Buddha Pagoda." The frescoes, statues and sculptures in the monastery are exquisite, succinct and life-like.
Yamdrok Lake is one of the holy lakes of Tibet, blue lake water, floating white clouds, very beautiful.
Accommodations: Shigatse Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Tashilumpo Monastery
After breakfast, drive from Gyantse to Shigatse (about 90km, 1.5-hour drive). In Shigatse, you will visit Tashilumpo Monastery and free market.
- Tashilumpo Monastery: built in 1447 AD, the oldest and largest Gelugpa monastery in Tibet, the seat of Banchen Lama, painted in red and white, the buildings in the monastery stand closely together in terraced rows, offering a grand and majestic view. The most amazing image in this monastery is the statue of giant Maitreya (Future Buddha)--the largest one in the world, erected by the 9th Panchen Lama in 1914, it stands 26 meters in height and 275 kg in weight with solid gold, great quantity of precious things such as pearls, turquoises, corals and ambers. The image of the Buddha is kind, generous and vivid.
In the little town of Shigatse, the second largest city of Tibet, is the Tashilumpo monastery.
Accommodations: Tibet Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Yaluzangbu River
Gala Event: Tibetan Dinner Show
Today, drive back to Lhasa (280km, about 6 hours driving) along the Yaluzangbu River, enjoy the beautiful view of the valley en route. After a rest in Lhasa, the farewell dinner will be arranged at the Typical Tibetan restaurant for you to enjoy the local food with Tibetan dances and songs.
- Yaluzangbu River: with 2,051 km long, the Yaluzangbu River turns and twists like a silver dragon from the west to the east into the valleys of South Tibet. It runs through Muotuo County. After a 90-degree turn, it empties into the Indian Ocean.
- Tibetan Dinner Show: When savoring the typical Tibetan food, you can enjoy the traditional Tibetan costumes and the typical Tibetan singing and dancing performance, which praises the beautiful scenery and brilliant culture of Tibet and shows the bravery and enthusiasm of Tibetan people, their love for life and their pursuit of happiness with the horse-racing festival on the grassland of the plateau.
The Yaluzangbu River is the largest river on the Tibetan Plateau and the highest river in the world.
Meals: B
Transfer via: Domestic flight arranged by us/International flight arranged by your own.
Free in the day until our local guide escorts you to the airport for Free in the day until our local guide escorts you to the airport for your onward flight to your next destination--Chengdu.when you arrival at Chengdu airport,the rest of the time is arranged by your own,you will take your international flight to your sweet home.
China domestic flights as specified in the itinerary . 
Accommodations---for 8 nights at four star, or higher, hotels as well as the cruise in comfortable twin-bedded rooms with private bath, air-conditioning, television, telephone and minibar. 
16 Meals---8 full breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 2 dinners
(including Chuan Food)
Round-trip transfers---between airports, hotels and scenic spots in each city by private air-conditioned motor coaches with experienced drivers
Services of local English-speaking guides in each city
1 gala evening events--Tibetan Dinner Show in Tibet 
China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty insurance
Government taxes and service charge except tips to tour escort and driver
Many domestic visitors are going to Chengdu to try the spicy Chuan Food.
We would like to let you know that we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Guilin. Libby was fantastic and we really enjoyed spending time with her. Her English was excellent and she was able to find out the answers to some of our strangest questions! The driver was also great-much safer than the other tours we took in Beijing and Chengdu.- Karen and Michael,Canada
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