Roaming Beijing-Tibet · Heavenly Road Journey | 15-Day Classic China Group Tour of Beijing + Xi'an + Chengdu + Tibet + Shanghai

Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China. Our driver will meet you at the exit of the airport/train station and take you to your hotel in downtown Beijing for check-in and rest. After that, you can arrange your time freely—rest at the hotel to ease the jet lag, or take a stroll around the neighborhood. Suggested ways to arrive 1. By plane: Beijing has two airports, namely Beijing Daxing International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport. Both airports have numerous international and domestic routes. You can fly to Beijing from countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Cambodia, as well as from most cities in China, such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, and Wuhan. 2. By train: Beijing's rail transit is extremely developed. You can take the high-speed train to Beijing from cities such as Xi'an, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, and Harbin.

After breakfast, you will visit the world-famous Tian'anmen Square. [Tian'anmen Square] is located on Beijing's central axis and is the largest city-center square in the world. It holds an important place in Chinese history and has witnessed countless major historical events. Here you can see the majestic and solemn Tian'anmen Gate Tower and learn about China's long culture. Afterwards, cross the square to visit the Beijing Palace Museum. [The Forbidden City], also known as the Purple Forbidden City, is located at the center of Beijing's central axis. It was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties and is also the world's largest and best-preserved complex of wooden palace buildings of a forbidden city. Here you can visit the important halls one by one along the central axis, admiring its splendid and exquisite ancient palace architecture while following the guide's commentary to further understand the historical stories of the Forbidden City. After finishing, you can also go to the nearby [Jingshan Park] (about a 15-minute walk) to overlook the full view of the Forbidden City and the magnificent scenery of Beijing. In the afternoon, you will drive to visit the famous imperial garden — the Summer Palace. [The Summer Palace] is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden existing in China, and one of China's four great famous gardens. It is known as the museum of imperial gardens, with beautiful scenery inside, and its pavilions, towers, lakes, bridges, and other views are breathtaking. Tip: The Beijing Palace Museum is closed on Mondays, and the visiting order will be adjusted according to actual circumstances.

After breakfast, you will drive 73 kilometers (about 1.5–2 hours) to visit the Mutianyu Great Wall, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. [Mutianyu Great Wall] is the longest and best-restored section of the Great Wall in China, and has the reputation of being "the most outstanding section of the Great Wall." You can first take the cable car to Tower 14, then hike westward, enjoying the magnificent mountain scenery and the winding, majestic views of the Great Wall along the way, before reaching the highest point at Tower 20 to complete your Great Wall journey. After visiting the Great Wall, return to downtown Beijing and, along the way, view the exterior of the [Bird's Nest] (Beijing National Stadium) and the [Water Cube] (Beijing National Aquatics Center), and take photos with them. Then return to the hotel and have a good rest.

Today our driver will take you to Beijing Railway Station to take the high-speed train to Xi'an. The journey takes about 4.5–5.5 hours, and along the way you can take in a panoramic view of Chinese towns and mountain and forest scenery. After arriving at Xi'an Railway Station, our driver will meet you at the exit of the train station and take you on the rest of the itinerary. First, you will visit Xi'an's famous cultural landmark—the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. The 【Giant Wild Goose Pagoda】 is located within the Daci'en Temple and is the earliest existing and largest square pavilion-style brick pagoda of the Tang Dynasty. The pagoda body has 7 stories and stands about 64 meters tall. Here you can admire the ancient architectural style, view the scriptures and Buddha statues that Master Xuanzang brought back from Tianzhu, which are housed in the pagoda, and also climb this thousand-year-old pagoda to look out over the city scenery of Xi'an. Afterwards, you will visit Xi'an's famous food and culture street—【Muslim Quarter】—to experience the local living atmosphere while savoring local specialty snacks, such as roujiamo and Biangbiang noodles, and more.

After breakfast, you will drive about 40 kilometers (1 hour) to visit one of the "Eighth Wonder of the World", the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang. [Museum of the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang] is a site museum built on the original site of the terracotta pits, and is also China's largest ancient military museum. Under the vivid commentary of a professional guide, you will visit Pits No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 in sequence, learning about the historical background of the Terracotta Army, its production techniques, and the little-known stories behind these thousand-year-old clay figures buried in the long river of history. In the afternoon, visit the ancient Xi'an City Wall, which has a long history. [Xi'an City Wall] was first built in the Ming Dynasty, also known as the Xi'an Ming City Wall, and is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient city walls existing in China. You can climb onto the wall, walk on the historical blue bricks, and feel the charm of the ancient city wall, or ride a bicycle to enjoy the excellent scenery formed by the ancient city wall and the modern cityscape together. In addition, near the Xi'an City Wall, you can also visit the amazing Bell Tower and Drum Tower. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower were first built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, about 600 years ago. The two buildings echo each other from afar and are magnificent. When night falls, the lights of the Bell Tower and Drum Tower come on together, creating a spectacular scene.

This morning, after breakfast at the hotel, our driver will take you to the train station in advance according to your ticket time to catch the high-speed train to Chengdu (about 3–4 hours). Welcome to Chengdu. Our driver will meet you at the train station exit and escort you to your hotel in downtown Chengdu for check-in. You can arrange the rest of the time freely. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel to recharge; if it is still early, you can also take a stroll nearby.

After breakfast, you will drive about 17 kilometers to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the northern suburbs of Chengdu, to see China's adorable national treasure, the giant panda, and learn about their living habits and conservation status. The 【Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding】, referred to as the Chengdu Panda Base, houses more than 100 giant pandas and is the base with the largest number of captive giant pandas in the world. Here, you can see giant pandas of different ages playing, eating, climbing hills, climbing trees, sleeping, and other cute and interesting scenes of daily life in the park, and you can also follow the guide to visit the Panda Museum to learn more stories about pandas. In addition, if you visit in autumn, you may also have the chance to see adorable giant panda cubs at the Moon Nursery and Sun Nursery. In the afternoon, you will drive about 50 kilometers (1 hour) to visit the Sanxingdui Museum, known as "sleeping for three thousand years, awakening to astonish the world." 【Sanxingdui】 was unearthed in 1929 and is the largest, longest-lasting, and culturally richest ancient state site discovered so far in southwestern China. Here, you will see the majestic bronze standing figure, the exquisitely beautiful bronze sacred tree, the gold mask as thin as a cicada's wing, the gold staff with intricate patterns... and follow the guide's footsteps to travel through the dust of history, explore the ancient Shu civilization, and unlock the mysterious stories behind these artifacts. After the visit, return to downtown Chengdu and stroll through Jinli Ancient Street. 【Jinli】 is Chengdu's oldest and most bustling commercial district, with a long history dating back as early as the Qin and Han dynasties. Here, you can explore and taste traditional Chengdu snacks, watch interesting folk performances, and also admire the beauty of traditional Chinese ancient architecture. plan B: Chengdu Panda Base + Chengdu Museum + Kuanzhai Alley + People's Park Note: During peak season, the Sanxingdui Museum has a very large flow of visitors during holidays, and tickets are hard to get. If tickets are sold out, your itinerary will be adjusted to plan B, a tour of downtown Chengdu. The itinerary changes are as follows In the afternoon, you will visit the largest comprehensive city museum in southwestern China—【Chengdu Museum】. This is an excellent place to learn about Chengdu's history, culture, and art. The museum has a rich collection of more than 200,000 items, covering precious cultural relics from the Neolithic Age to the Republic of China period, such as bronzes, gold and silver wares, pictorial bricks, stone carvings, ceramics, calligraphy and paintings, and furniture. Among them, the humorous Eastern Han drumming and singing pottery figurine, the mysterious Sanxingdui bronze human-face mask, the exquisite lacquered figure with meridian points, and the finely crafted openwork gilt sachet are the museum's treasures and are worth careful appreciation. In addition, the Chinese intangible cultural heritage in Chengdu Museum, such as shadow puppetry, puppet shows, Sichuan opera, Sichuan cuisine, and teahouse culture, is very stunning, allowing you to experience up close the charm of Chengdu's splendid history and culture and unique folk customs. Afterwards, you will visit 【Kuanzhai Alley】, hailed as one of the "Ten Most Beautiful Streets in Sichuan." This is the only remaining ancient street from the Qing Dynasty in Chengdu, preserving the authentic old Chengdu style. It is a great place to experience the genuine laid-back, slow life of Chengdu. Strolling leisurely through it, you can admire the exquisite ancient architecture, taste authentic old Chengdu food (dandan noodles, spicy rabbit head, skewers, etc.), and take excellent travel photos. Next, continue to visit 【People's Park】, hailed as one of the "Most Beautiful Parks in Chengdu," to experience the relaxed Chengdu culture up close and the slow-paced life of the locals. Here, you can sit in a century-old teahouse, order a cup of fragrant covered-bowl tea, and chat leisurely with a few friends on bamboo chairs. You can also experience intangible cultural heritage ear cleaning (at your own expense), enjoying the "little comfort" of a tingling sensation rushing straight to the top of your head, or watch the exciting local mahjong activities and stroll through the famous matchmaking corner. If you are lucky, you may also encounter locals square dancing, practicing tai chi, or playing traditional Chinese musical instruments.

After breakfast, you will have some free time in Chengdu until the driver takes you to the airport to catch your flight to Lhasa. After arriving in Lhasa, our driver will greet you at the airport exit. Having just arrived on the plateau, what you need most is to slow down and relax. We will take you to the hotel for a full rest, letting your body gradually adapt to the plateau environment. Tashi Delek!! Warm tips: Do not do strenuous exercise on the day you arrive in Lhasa, and do not take a shower that night to prevent catching a cold. Do not drink alcohol. Drink more water and eat fruit, and do not overeat. Rest more. You may bring American ginseng lozenges or health-care medicines such as rhodiola and Gao Yuan An to relieve altitude sickness. Follow the guide's arrangements, try not to go out for activities, and maintaining a calm mindset and adequate rest is the best way to prevent altitude sickness. If you feel unwell, go to the hospital promptly for treatment.

After breakfast, visit the Potala Palace, the ancient palace-fortress complex at the highest altitude in the world. [Potala Palace] is located on Maburi Mountain in the northwest of Lhasa's urban area. It is a magnificent building complex integrating a palace, fortress, and monastery, and is also the largest and most complete ancient palace-fortress complex in Tibet. Built against the mountain, the Potala Palace has 13 stories and is 117.19 meters high, stretching more than 400 meters from east to west. You will climb up the long stairs of the Potala Palace step by step, overlooking Lhasa as you go and taking in the grandeur of the city. While taking photos and resting along the way, you will then enter the Potala Palace to explore this mysterious and ancient palace, of which very few images are shown online. Afterwards, visit the Jokhang Temple, the holy site in the hearts of Tibetan Buddhist believers. [Jokhang Temple] was first built in 647 AD and has a history of 1,350 years. It is the most splendid surviving Tubo-period building in Tibet, with 5 golden roofs and 108 Buddhist halls. Here, you can see the world's rare life-size statue of Shakyamuni at age 12 and devout pilgrims worshipping in front of the Jokhang Temple. After leaving the Jokhang Temple, you can walk clockwise around the Jokhang Temple as its center, imagining yourself as a Tibetan doing a kora, or go shopping at the handicraft market on [Barkhor Street], or simply stroll slowly along the streets, feel the warmth of the Sunshine City, or find a sweet tea house and learn from Tibetan friends to be peaceful and at ease. In the evening, enjoy a special complimentary delicious Tibetan group dinner.

After breakfast, you will drive to Shigatse, the capital of the Tsang region. On the way, you will cross the Gambala Pass at an altitude of 4,600 meters, where you can look out at the Gambala Radar Station in the distance. Then continue onward to visit the world's highest freshwater lake—Yamdrok Lake. 【Yamdrok Lake】, abbreviated as Yamdrok, means "Swan Lake" in Tibetan. The lake surface is at an altitude of 4,441 meters, and it is one of the three great sacred lakes of Tibet. Its beauty is unmatched in southern Tibet. The clear lake water, towering snow mountains, and clear blue sky merge into one, and the picturesque scenery is unforgettable. After visiting Yamdrok Lake, you will drive via Nagarze to visit the Karola Glacier at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters. 【Karola Glacier】 is located beside the highway, like a giant thangka hanging on the mountain wall, crystal clear and pure white, so close that it seems within reach. Finally, via the ancient city of Gyantse, you will head to Shigatse, the capital of the Tsang region at an altitude of 3,750 meters, for overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will drive to Everest Base Camp. On the way, you will cross the [Gyawu La Pass] at an altitude of 5,100 meters, where you can see the spectacular scene of four snow-capped mountains over 8,000 meters arranged in a row. From left to right, these four snow mountains are: Makalu (8,463 meters); Lhotse (8,516 meters); Mount Everest (8,848 meters); Cho Oyu (8,201 meters). Then you will arrive at the world's highest Everest Nature Reserve. At the world's highest temple — [Rongbuk Monastery] at an altitude of 4,900 meters — you can look south at Everest, and this is also recognized as the best place to look up at Everest. Afterwards, you will take an eco-friendly bus to stay overnight at [Everest Base Camp] at an altitude of 5,200 meters. At dusk, as night gradually shrouds the mountains, only the summit of Everest shines in the setting sun like the goddess's golden crown in the sky, allowing you to enjoy the honor of standing atop the world and being supreme on Earth. [Warm Tips] 1. Accommodation is in tents at Everest Base Camp (8-15 people per tent, multi-person dormitory beds, shared bathroom, limited conditions): generally still clean and tidy, but quite different from city hotels, please understand. From October to April of the following year, due to cold weather, the tents will be withdrawn from Everest Base Camp, and accommodation will be changed to guesthouses in villages near Everest. 2. Food and accommodation that day are poor, the altitude is high, and the temperature is low, so please pay attention to keeping warm. Be safe and prevent altitude sickness. In summer, the nighttime temperature is around 0-8 degrees Celsius, so please bring warm clothing. You can also rent a down jacket at Base Camp to keep warm.

In the early morning, while the peaks are still sleeping in the dawn, you will face the sunrise and look up at Mount Everest, receiving a spiritual baptism from the world's highest peak, [Mount Everest] (8,844.43 meters above sea level). The summit of Mount Everest is covered with snow year-round, with hanging glaciers and towering silver peaks, presenting a holy scene. Then, with lingering memories of the beauty of Mount Everest, you will return to Shigatse while taking in a corner of the majestic, magnificent, and endlessly winding Himalayas and the surging Yarlung River valley. On the way, you will also pass Gyatsola Pass at an altitude of 5,220 meters. At [Gyatsola Pass], the upper half of your field of view is pure tile blue, while the lower half is monotonous ochre red and grayish yellow. Apart from the gray mountain road, there are almost no traces of life here. Tibetans hang prayer flags where people often pass. The prayer flags are mostly red, blue, yellow, and green, and their strong, bold colors strike a balance with the monotony of heaven and earth.

Today, you will take a flight to Shanghai. Welcome to Shanghai. Our driver will meet you at the airport exit and take you to a hotel in downtown Shanghai to complete the check-in procedures. You can arrange the remaining time freely. If you are rather tired, you can rest at the hotel to conserve energy; if there is still time, you can also take a stroll around the neighborhood. Note: Due to adjustments in flight/train schedules in different seasons, possible arrangements for departing Lhasa are: A. On the morning of Day 13, take the train from Shigatse to Lhasa, and in the afternoon fly from Lhasa to Shanghai; B. On the evening of Day 12, take the train from Shigatse back to Lhasa, and on Day 13 fly from Lhasa to Shanghai; C. On Day 13, fly directly from Shigatse to Shanghai (involving a transfer)

After breakfast, you will head to the Lujiazui business district in Pudong, Shanghai, to visit the tallest building in Shanghai and China — [Shanghai Tower]. Here, you will take the world's fastest sightseeing elevator (73.8 km/h) directly to the "Top of Shanghai Observatory" on the 118th floor, 546 meters above the ground, where you can enjoy a magnificent 360° panoramic view of Shanghai's skyline and the city, looking down on the famous buildings around you. If you are interested, you can also send a special blessing from above the clouds to family and friends at the Top of Shanghai Air Post Office, currently the highest post office in the world. Afterwards, you will visit the [Shanghai Museum East], to admire a variety of exquisite precious cultural relics and gain a deeper understanding of China's long and profound history and culture. The Shanghai Museum East has many relics on display, and especially worth seeing are its famous treasures: • Da Ke Ding: This bronze vessel from about 3,000 years ago is majestic and solemn in appearance, and is an outstanding representative of China's Western Zhou bronze culture. • Shang Yang Fang Sheng: As a relic of Shang Yang's reforms, it was not only the physical standard of weights and measures in the Qin Dynasty, but also carries the ultimate code of the rise of the Qin economy. • Zi Zhong Jiang Pan: On this bronze water basin vessel from the Spring and Autumn period, more than 30 lifelike aquatic animals are carved. When clear water flows into the basin, these animals all rotate 360° accordingly, full of fun, and further demonstrate the superb craftsmanship of the ancients. Afterwards, you will visit [Yu Garden], known as the "crown of famous gardens in the southeast", to enjoy the scenery of classical Jiangnan gardens in China. Yu Garden was first built in the 38th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1559 AD), with a history of more than 460 years. It was originally a private garden built by Pan Yunduan, the Ming Dynasty Sichuan provincial administration commissioner, for his father to spend his later years in comfort. Strolling along the winding paths of Yu Garden, you can admire China's ingenious garden layout, exquisite classical architecture, and superb brick carvings, stone carvings, clay sculptures, and wood carvings. Yuyuan Bazaar near Yu Garden is a very lively district where you can taste the most authentic Shanghai cuisine or browse various traditional Chinese handicraft shops. Afterwards, you can walk along [Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street], known as "China's No. 1 Commercial Street", to the Bund, about 2 kilometers in total. Along the way, you can appreciate Shanghai's architectural style of the 1930s and 1940s, and also browse various century-old time-honored brand stores. [The Bund] is located on the west bank of the Huangpu River and is one of Shanghai's landmark attractions, known as the "Exhibition of World Architecture". It brings together 52 exotic buildings of different styles, such as the Shanghai Club, Peace Hotel, HSBC Building, and others. Stepping into it feels like entering the golden age of the former Oriental Wall Street. Standing by the river, you can also look into the distance at landmark buildings such as Shanghai Tower, Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Center. Tips: 1) Yu Garden is closed on Mondays, and the visit will be changed to Shanghai City God Temple; 2) Shanghai Museum East is closed on Tuesdays, and priority will be given to arranging the People's Square branch. If the People's Square branch cannot be booked, other downtown attractions will be arranged as a replacement.

After breakfast, this wonderful 15-day in-depth exploration journey through China will come to an end. Our driver will take you to the airport or train station for your next destination. If you wish to extend this trip and explore more destinations in China, such as Xinjiang, Yunnan, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, etc., you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you.