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2-Week Private China Tour: Beijing–Xi'an–Lhasa-Shanghai

China Golden Triangle with Holy Tibet

 

 

Day 1 Beijing Arrival
 

Landing in Beijing, you will be met by your private guide and driver who will transfer you to your hotel.

Your guide will assist you with your luggage and help you to check in at your hotel for a worry-free start to your stay.

Hotel options:
Novotel Beijing Peace or similar

 

 

Day 2 Beijing | Historical Marvels and Local Life
 
Breakfast & lunch

Start your tour with walking through the largest world-famous square, Tian'anmen Square, and then arrive at the Forbidden City.

With countless houses, chambers, and halls, the Forbidden City was not only a royal residence but is a treasure trove for many cultural relics. Your knowledgeable private tour guide will bring the history to life for you.

Enjoy some Beijing cuisine for lunch. Afterward, take a short rickshaw ride in the hutongs and find out how the local people live their daily lives.

Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour

Interested in folk arts? We can arrange for you to spend a couple of hours with a local artist trying out some old handicrafts, such as mask painting for the Peking opera, paper cutting, or Chinese calligraphy.

Feel free to let us know if you would like to add it to your itinerary.

 

The Forbidden City
 
 
Day 3 Beijing | The Great Wall
 
Breakfast & lunch

Spend your morning at the Temple of Heaven, which was where emperors prayed for a good harvest. Arrive early to see the locals practicing martial arts and doing other activities that you may never see in your country.

Visit the Great Wall after lunch. The Mutianyu section is an all-time favorite because of its close distance to Beijing, top ranking on TripAdvisor, and easy accessibility.

Usually, we recommend a round-trip cable car so that you can save energy to have a relaxing walk on the wall. We can also arrange a chair lift up and a toboggan back down depending on your preferences.

Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour

For a unique experience, a visit to Simatai, the only Great Wall section that's lit up and open at night, is highly recommended.

If you love hiking, we can arrange a 2-hour, 4-hour, or even multi-day wild Great Wall hiking experience for you.

 

The Temple of Heaven
 
 
Day 4 Beijing to Xi'an | The Summer Palace and High-Speed Train
 
Breakfast & lunch

The Summer Palace, as indicated by its name, provided the royal court with cool surroundings thanks to its lush gardens, beautiful pavilions and theaters, and a big lake for boat trips.

Take a bullet train from Beijing to Xian. Experience the high-speed railway of China. Get on and enjoy the speedy yet steady journey.

Hotel options:
Grand Noble Hotel Xi'an or similar

 

The Summer Palace
 
 
Day 5 Xi'an | The Ancient City Wall and Terracotta Army
 
Breakfast and lunch

In the morning, uncover the mysteries of an underground army that dates back to 206 BC at the Terracotta Army Museum.

Did you know that all the terracotta warriors were originally colored? The old paint has faded with time yet the craftsmanship still shines. You will try to make your own terracotta warrior inside a traditional cave dwelling.

After lunch, return to the city area and visit Xi'an City Wall, Walking along the ancient wall provides a good view of the city. You can also rent a bike to cycle around the wall.

Make a Mini Warrior
 
the Terracotta Army
 
 
Day 6 Xi'an | Ancient Pagoda and Dumpling Making
 
Breakfast & lunch

Pay a visit to the starting point of the Silk Road: Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Discover more of Xi'an and China's ancient history at Xi'an History Museum.

Meet up with a family in town. They will teach you how to make dumplings on your own, which are just as good, if not better than, those from Manchu Wok or Panda Express.

Then head to the Muslim Quarter and wander through the alleys to taste the local Muslim cuisine.

 

 

Making Dumplings with a Local Family
 
 
Day 7 Xi'an to Lhasa| Fly and Rest
 
Breakfast & lunch

Your guide and driver will see you off at Xi'an. Catch the flight to Lhasa, which takes about 4½ hours. You will arrive in the holy region of Tibet in the afternoon.

Lhasa is at an altitude of 3,650 meters (12,000 feet) and you may experience altitude sickness. The rest of the day is for you to take a rest at your hotel.

Hotel options:
Thangka Hotel or similar

 
 
Day 8 Lhasa | Drepung Monastery, Norbulingka, and Sera Monastery
 
Breakfast & lunch

Start your Lhasa tour with Norbulingka, the living quarters of the Dalai Lamas before the reconstruction of the Potala Palace. It is also called Tibet's Summer Palace and it means "Jeweled Park" in the Tibetan language. With lovely plants in the garden, you may breathe more comfortably due to the extra oxygen.

Then, you will visit the famous Drepung Monastery. Surrounded by the dark faces of mountains, its grand white buildings stand out, shining in the sunlight.

The last Lhasa tour attraction for the day is Sera Monastery, comprising a great sutra chanting hall, a college, and 32 sections. You might see the monks' debate in the afternoon 

Sera Monastery
 
 
Potala Palace
 
 
Day 9 Lhasa | The Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Street
 
Breakfast & lunch

Visit Jokhang Temple in the morning and you will see lots of devoted pilgrims prostrating themselves.

Explore Barkhor Street including its local market, admire traditional Tibetan architecture, and take afternoon tea in peaceful Ani Tsangkhung Nunnery, all the while getting to know the history of Lhasa and its people's daily life.

Pilgrimage to the Potala Palace, which is a symbol of peace and a great masterpiece of Tibetan architecture.

Ascend to this majestic palace and see exquisite murals, decorated statues, and antiques. The red and white palace buildings combined with the pure blue sky form the most iconic picture of Tibet.

 

 

The Potala Palace
 
 
Day 10 Gyantze | Yamdrok Lake
 
Breakfast & lunch

After breakfast, you will be driven for about 2 hours to reach Yamdrok Lake, one of the top four Buddhist holy lakes in Tibet.

If the weather permits, we will prepare a picnic by the lakeside and you will have sandwiches, vegetables, and fruit while you enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the lake, which is decorated by many islands and natural resources.

 

 

Lake Yamdrok
 
 
Day 11 Lhasa to Shanghai | Fly and Rest
 
Breakfast

You will take a long flight of 5 hours from the west of Tibet to the east of Shanghai. The flight will stop over in Chengdu or Xi'an.

If you are interested in giant pandas, it may be a good idea to extend your stay for 1 or 2 days in Chengdu.

Hotel options:
Sunrise On The Bund  or similar

 
 
Day 12 Shanghai | Shanghai Highlights and Bund Discovery
 
Breakfast and lunch

During the day, your guide will show you different aspects of the prosperous city. To enjoy the cultural beauty of China in Yu Garden. To learn about the history of Shanghai, the Bund has witnessed the changes from the concession period in the Qing Dynasty to modern times. 

To feel the city beat, stand at the top of Shanghai Tower and look around you — you may not believe this is China.

Half-Day Customized Icing-on-the-Cake Experience

After traveling in China for around 10 days, you might want to do something different at the end of your tour. Do you want to have some relaxation time? Do you have any unfulfilled trip wishes? In the magic city of Shanghai, your private guide will make your wishes come true!

Whether you want to relax, experience fashion, appreciate art, explore folk customs, or shop; from having fun in fancy bar to exploring an art center, trying nail beauty, testing your popularity in the marriage market, or just buying some lovely gifts, we will make it happen. Just tell us what you're interested in.

If you don't know what you want, just let your guide make the arrangements. You will not be disappointed!

Shanghai Cuisine
 
 
a roof bar with a great view
 
 
Day 13 Shanghai | Departure
 
Breakfast

How time flies — your China adventure has come to an end. Your private guide and driver will see you off at the airport, assisting you with your flight check-in and luggage.

Review what you have seen and what you have felt, and keep it as a sweet memory.

 

 

Tour Price

 

From US$3269p/p Based on a private tour for 2 people.

Price varies depending on program, travel date, number of people and chosen hotel

 

 

Price includes:

 

●Private air-conditioned business car with big windows and ample space

●English speaking local guide

●Activities, hotels, and meals listed in the itinerary

●Flights/trains between itinerary cities

●24/7 helpline for while you are traveling