Private China 17 Days Tour of Beijing Xian Tibet Yangtze River Cruise and Shanghai

Detailed Itinerary

• Day 1. Beijing Arrival.  
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  Arrive in Beijing. Meet your guide with your name sign at the exit of the airport or railway station.
  Transfer you to the hotel.
  Free for the remainder of the day.
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• Day 2. Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Olympic Park.  
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  Meet your guide at hotel lobby at 08:30am.
  Roam around on the largest public square in the world, Tiananmen Square. The square is the place where many political and historical events took place.
  Then enter Forbidden City.Also known as "Palace Museum ", Forbidden City is the largest and best-preserved palace complex. It was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911).
• Move on to Summer Palace after lunch. Summer Palace is the best-preserved and largest royal garden existing in China.
  Continue to Olympic Park. The park was built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Take an outside view of Bird's Nest and Water Cube. The unique structures of these two main venues are the engineering marvels in the world.
  Deliver you back to the hotel after the trip.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 3. Beijing: Ming Tombs, Badaling Great Wall.  
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  Meet your guide at hotel lobby at 08:30am.
  Drive about 1.5 hours to Ming Tombs with a history of over 600 years. 13 emperors of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) were buried here.
  Visit the tomb of the third Ming Emperor Zhu Di and his wife, Changling. Changling is the largest and the best preserved tomb among the 13 tombs.
• Go to Badaling Great Wall in the afternoon. With magnificent architectures and breathtaking nature scenery, Badaling is the best preserved and most popular section of the Great Wall of China.
  Deliver you back to the hotel after the trip.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 4. Beijing Hutong, Temple of Heaven, flight to Xian.   Reach Xian.  
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  Meet your guide at hotel lobby at 08:30am.
  Take a rickshaw going around the Beijing Hutong in Shichahai area. Beijing Hutongs are narrow lanes surrounded by traditional courtyard residences. They are the embodiment of Beijing's ancient culture.
  Then visit Temple of Heaven, the world's largest worshiping building complex. It was built in 1420 used for offering sacrifices to heaven.
• After lunch, deliver you to airport for the flight to Xian.
  
  Meet your local guide Xian airport and check in the hotel.
•   Breakfast, Lunch, , ,
• Day 5. Xian: Terracotta Army, Huaqing Pool, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Tang Dynasty Show.  
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  Meet your guide at hotel lobby at 08:30am.
  Proceed to the famous Terracotta Army, which was built by the first emperor of China Qin Shihuang in 246BC to protect his mausoleum. More than 8,000 life-size terracotta figures of warriors and horses were arranged in battle formations.
• Move on to Huaqing Pool. Huaqing Pool is a resort place of many emperors in ancient times. It features natural beauty and hot spring resources.
  Continue to Big Wild Goose Pagoda. With a history of more than 1300 years, Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the most famous Buddhist pagodas in China. The present 7-storey Pagoda was built with layers of bricks without any cement in between.
• Enjoy Tang Dynasty Show in the evening which is regarded as one of the must-do things in Xian. The show showcases the history and culture of Tang Dynasty (618-907) with music, dance and costumes.
  Deliver you back to the hotel after the trip.
•   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 6. Xian: Shaanxi History Museum, Great Mosque, Ancient City Wall, Bell and Drum Tower Square.  
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  Meet your guide at hotel lobby at 08:30am.
  Start your visit with Shaanxi History Museum. The museum shows the history and culture of Shaanxi province and ancient China.
  Then head to Great Mosque. With the design of traditional Chinese and Islamic style, Great Mosque is the largest and best-preserved Islamic mosque in China.
• Continue to Ancient City Wall. Constructed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) for military defense, Xian Ancient City Wall is the oldest, largest and best preserved city wall in China.
  Drive to the Square between Bell Tower and Drum Tower, which are two important landmark buildings of Xian City. It is the good place for local people to relax and enjoy leisure time.
  Deliver you back to the hotel after the trip.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 7. Xian flight to Lhasa.  Reach Lhasa, Nietang Buddha.  
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  In the morning, deliver you to airport for the flight to Lhasa.
  
  
• Meet your local guide at Lhasa airport.
  Admire the Nietang Buddha on the way to your hotel. Nietang Buddha is the biggest stone statue engraved on a cliff in Tibet.
  Check in the hotel in Lhasa.
•   Breakfast, , , ,
• Day 8. Lhasa: Potala Palace, Sera Monastery, Norbulingka Park.  
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  Meet your guide at hotel lobby at 09:00am.
  Drive to Potala Palace. With a history of over 1,300 years, Potala Palace is the highest ancient palace in the world. It is famous for its grand buildings, complicated constructions, devotional atmosphere and splendid artworks.
  Then visit Sera Monastery, one of the three largest monasteries of Gelugpa. Many vivid Buddhist statues such as Maitreya, Bodhisattvas and a lot of fine murals are housed in the monastery.
• Move on to Norbulingka Park. The park was served as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama where they handled political affairs and practiced religious activities.
  Deliver you back to the hotel after the trip.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 9. Lhasa: Drepung Monastery, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street.  
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  Meet your guide at hotel lobby at 09:00am.
  Head to Drepung Monastery. The monastery was established in 1416 and is known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism.
• Move on to Jokhang Temple, the ultimate pilgrimage destination of Tibetan Buddhists. The precious treasure is the statue of 12-year-old Sakyamuni sitting in the central hall.
  Continue to Barkhor Street Bazaar to experience the Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts.
  Deliver you back to the hotel after the trip.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 10. Lhasa – Gyantze – Shigatse.  
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  Meet your guide at hotel lobby at 09:00am.
  Drive to Yamdrok Lake, one of the three sacred lakes in Tibet. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams.
  Pass by Carola Glacier. The upper part of the glacier shines in the sunlight, like a giant Thangka hanging on the mountain wall.
• Arrive in Gyantze and proceed to visit Palkhor Monastery. The monastery is a typical Tibetan Buddhist building of combination of temple and stupa. More than 100,000 Buddha statues are painted in the stupa.
  Move on to TSONG BURG. It is one of the best preserved dzongs in Tibet, with a history of more than 600 years. From the castle, you can overlook the Gyangze County and watch Palkhor Monastery from another angle.
  Arrive in Shigatse and check in the hotel.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 11. Shigatse – Lhasa  
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  Meet your guide at hotel lobby at 09:00am.
  Visit Tashilhunpo Monastery in the morning. The monastery is one of the six Buddhist monasteries of Gelugpa Sect in China and the largest functioning religious institution in Tibet. The main buildings include the Maitreya Chapel and the Panchen Lama's Palace, Main Chanting Hall, stupas, and Thangka Exhibit Platform.
  
• Afterwards, drive back to Lhasa.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 12. Take flight to Chongqing.   Reach Chongqing, Chongqing Zoo(Panda House). Board the cruise ship.  
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  In the morning, deliver you to airport for the flight to Chongqing.
  
  
• Meet your local guide at Lhasa airport. Proceed to Chongqing Zoo. The zoo is the home to over 230 species of animals, birds and fishes, You may take a closer look of lovely pandas in the Panda House.
  Then deliver you to cruise port.
  Board the ship and start your cruise.
  
•   Breakfast, , , ,
• Day 13. Yangtze River Cruise Ship.  
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  Enjoy the beautiful Yangtze River and culture activities on the ship.
  
• In the afternoon, take a shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City, where the Chinese believe the soul of the dead goes. Listen to the stories and see the vivid statues of demons in Chinese legends.
•   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 14. Yangtze River Cruise Ship.  
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  Today, the ship will sail through the famous Three Gorges: Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge. Enjoy the breathtaking gorge scenery on the deck.
  Take an excursion to Shennong Stream with a smaller boat. Get a close view of steep mountains and mysterious hanging coffins.
•   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 15. Yangtze River Cruise Ship, flight to Shanghai.  Reach Shanghai.  
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  Disembark at Maoping Port in the morning.
  Take a shore excursion to Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric project. The dam is also a good place to overlook the Yangtze River.
  Meet your local guide from Shanghai airport and check in the hotel.
• Meet your local guide at the tourist center in Yichang.
  Deliver you to airport for the flight to Shanghai.
  
  
•   Breakfast, , , ,
• Day 16. Shanghai: Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, Nanjing Road, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Bund.  
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  Meet your guide at hotel lobby at 08:30am.
  First visit Yu Garden. Perfectly combining pavilions, halls, bridges, towers, ponds and rockeries, Yu Garden is one of the best gardens in southern China.
  Then go to Jade Buddha Temple. The temple houses two precious jade statues of the Sakyamuni Buddha, one seated and one reclining.
  Move on to Nanjing Road. Nanjing Road is one of the most famous and bustling business streets in the world. It is also called Chinese First Business Street.
• After lunch, drive to Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the world's sixth tallest TV and radio tower. The tower combines ancient concepts with 21st Century technology.
  Take a stroll on the Bund. The Bund is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. The most famous and attractive sights are the 52 various buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance, etc.
  Deliver you back to the hotel after the trip.
•   Breakfast, Lunch,
• Day 17. Shanghai Departure.  
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  Your guide will pick you up from hotel at appointed time and escort to the airport.
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