13 Days Classic China Budget Tour with Religious Feeling in Tibet

Day 1

Beijing Arrival

You will be greeted by our local guide upon your arrival in Beijing and then be transferred to your hotel by a private air-conditioned car.  We will leave the rest of the first day free for you to recover from the jet lag or explore the city by yourself.

Day 2

Beijing (B)

Sightseeing: Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City

We start today's highlights with a visit of the Temple of Heaven, The temple of Heaven was where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. With the three blue-tiled cone-shaped roofs, a unique wooden and blue-tiled structure built without a nail, it has become a worldwide symbol of Beijing.

After lunch, we go on our city tours to visit Tiananmen Square, the symbolical heart of China and gathering place for the masses. It is the biggest public square in the world, which can hold one million people.

From here we walk across the Golden River Bridge to visit the Forbidden City and experience ancient Emperor's daily life. Forbidden City was the largest palace in the world, and it was indeed a forbidden place limited to commoners for 500 year in the past. Your tour here will include private access to the Emperor's palace.

Day 3

Beijing (B)

Sightseeing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Sacred Way

After experience of the royal lifestyle, today we will spend about 1.5 hours to be transferred outside the city to the surrounding countryside for a visit to the Mutianyu Great Wall, this less-crowded section of the Great Wall is a pleasant drive 90km NE of Beijing. A cable car takes you to a good section (avoiding a very steep climb), where you can walk along the wall, through the watch towers and enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains.

This afternoon we will visit the legendary Ming Tombs, The Ming Tombs are situated at the foot of Heavenly Longevity Mountain, northwest of Beijing. Since there are 13Ming emperors buried there, there are also called the 13 Ming Tombs. Passing though the Sacred Way, a road guarded on both sides with stone statues by which the ancient emperors went to hold a memorial ceremony for the ancestors, you will encounter the marble tombs of the Ming Dynasty emperors.

Day 4

Beijing / Xi'an (B)

Transfer via: High speed train –on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Hutong Rickshaw Tour, Summer Palace, Yonghe Lamasery,

We experience an unique Hutong tour by taking rickshaw this morning. Hutongs are a kind of ancient city alley or lane that is typical in Beijing. Most of them are found around the Forbidden City, and many were built during the three dynasties of Yuan, Ming and Qing. Today, the Hutong is a living museum of Beijing history showing the traditional lifestyle of Beijing people.

We continue to visit the Summer Palace. Equally famous as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace is called 'Yiheyuan' (Garden of Nurtured Harmony) in Chinese. It is up to now the best preserved and the largest imperial gardens in China. You may regret it if you come to Beijing without visiting this grand imperial garden.

Also, we will have a visit to Yonghe Lamasery. The YongHe Palace (Yonghe Gong) is Beijing's biggest Lama temple and is globally renowned.

In the afternoon, you will be transferred to railway station to take high speed train to Xi'an. 

Day 5

Xi'an (B)

Sightseeing: Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Bell Tower

In the morning, you will visit the amazing 2000-year-old Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. Regarded as the 8th Wonder of the World, the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Over 2,200 years ago, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang in search of immortality, ordered the construction of a vast army of Terra-cotta warriors and buried with him to protect his empire after his early death.

Another highlight today is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Situated at south of the Xi'an city, as one of the main constructions in the famous Buddhist temple-Da-Ci-En Temple, where Famous Buddhist Master Xuanzang (Monk Tripitaka) stored his well-preserved collection of classic Buddhist artifacts brought from India in Tang Dynasty. Now it is the Landmark of the Xi'an.

Then we go on to visit the Bell Tower, which is the most well-preserved and best-known one among many ancient cities of China. The Bell Tower was built in 1384. In early morning of ancient times it had the mission of ringing the bell and giving the correct time to the whole city, so it is called "The Bell Tower". With magnificent carved beams and painted rafters, this classical building is truly elegant.

Day 6

Xi'an (B)

You will have a free day today and we do not arrange anything for you except for the hotel with breakfast. For your free time in Xi'an, you may explore the downtown area. The Bell Tower - the center of this historical city is just 5 minutes walking to the north of your hotel. Nearby you will find the Islamic Flavor Street and the Drum Tower. Please click Xi'an day trip for referrence.

Day 7

Xi'an / Lhasa (B)

Transfer via: Flight –on our arrangement

Today you will finish the Xian tour and fly to Lhasa. You can take a shuttle bus (CNY 26, the bus stop is quite near to your hotel) or a taxi (about CNY150) to the airport and board the flight to Lhasa by yourself. Arrive in Lhasa, you will be met and transferred to hotel by our local guide, adapting to the high altitude at the rest of the day.

Day 8

Lhasa (B)

Sightseeing: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhore Street

We will go on a full day visit of Potala Palace. It is the greatest monumental structure all over Tibet. This ancient architectural complex is considered as a model of Tibetan architecture. Located on the Red Hill in Lhasa, it is 3,700 meters above sea level and covers an area of over 360,000 square meters. The palace has 13 stories, and is 117 meters high. In 641, Songtsan Gambo, ruler of the Tubo Kingdom, built the Potala Palace for Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty, whom he was soon to marry.

Then we'll visit the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet. Every day, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek a long distance to the temple. The sacred image of Jowo Sakyamuni is the most venerated and beautiful image all over Tibet.

After lunch in a local restaurant, we will visit Barkhor Street, which is the oldest street in Lhasa as well as the center of old Lhasa which remains very traditional. Located in the old area of Lhasa City, Tibet, Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple. Tibetan people are very proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, this street is also a must-see place.

Day 9

Lhasa (B)

Sightseeing: Sera Monastery, Norbulingka, Drepung Monstery

In the morning we will visit the Sera Monastery, around 5 km north of central Lhasa, which was, along with Drepung, one of Lhasa's two great Gelugpa monasteries. Its once huge monastic population of about 5000 monks has now been reduced to several hundred.

Then we will visit Norbulingka Park; Norbulingka meaning "Jeweled Garden", the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lamas. The gardens are poorly tended and the palaces themselves are something of an anticlimax, especially as most rooms are currently closed to the public.

Our next stop will be Drepung Monastery. It is known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. It is considered as one of the 'Three Great Monasteries' (the other two are the Ganden Monastery and the Sera Monastery).

Day 10

Lhasa / Shanghai (B)

Transfer via: Flight – on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Tibetan Family visit

This morning, you will first have a Tibetan Family visit. Then you will be transferred to Lhasa airport to board a flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival at the Shanghai airport, take a taxi to the reserved hotel in Shanghai and handle the check-in procedure on your own.

Day 11

Shanghai (B)

Day 12

Shanghai (B)

One more free day for you in Shanghai so that you could savor the international metropolis flavor further. You could refer to Shanghai Day Trip to choose your favourite tour schedule.

Day 13

Shanghai Depature (B)

Transfer via: Flight –on your own arrangement

Today you will check out the hotel and arrange the way to airport to board the flight leave Shanghai by yourself. There are two airports in Shanghai, one is Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and the other is Shanghai Pudong Airport. Please confirm the right one to take your flight 2 hours ahead of the schedule.The taxi fare to the Shanghai Hongqiao airport is around CNY80 and the fare to Shanghai Pudong airport is around CNY200.