China & Tibet , 9 nights/ 10 days program
A journey shaped by the landscapes, people and experiences of Nepal.
Offered by Journey DMC
NEPAL · TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
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China & Tibet , 9 nights/ 10 days program Ideal for travellers looking for tours & treks. Confirm trip pace, inclusions and seasonal suitability with the provider.
The memorable moments
Day Program Accommodation 1 Arrive in Beijing St. Regis- Beijing 2 In Beijing St. Regis- Beijing 3 Fly to Xining & take a train In train 4 Arrive in Lhasa St. Regis Lhasa Resort 5 In Lhasa St. Regis Lhasa Resort 6 In Lhasa St. Regis Lhasa Resort 7 In Lhasa St. Regis Lhasa Resort 8 Fly to Chengdu Kempinski Hotel 9 In Chengdu Kempinski Hotel 10 Final departure
Journey at a glance
Day Day1:: Arrive in Beijing — Upon arriving in Beijing, you will be met and transferred to the hotel as booked. Overnight at St. Regis (Deluxe room); Meals- None Day Day2:: In Beijing — Today we will do a full-day tour of Beijing which includes Tiananmen Square, and Forbidden City (Does not open on Monday. If Day 2 happens to be Monday then we will visit Summer Palace instead of this) Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world, was built to accommodate rallies of a million or more people. This largest city central square in the world is not only the symbol of Beijing but also the symbol of China. This immense courtyard is the site of many historic events. The square is surrounded by a variety of significant edifices: the Chinese Revolution History Museum, the Mao Mausoleum, the Great Hall of the People, the elegant and beautiful Tiananmen (Heavenly Peace Gate), and the Qianmen (Front Gate). The daily flag ceremony at the square, performed at sunrise and sunset each day, is most exceptional and well worth making time to view. Forbidden City is the world's largest and best-preserved imperial palace complex. Surrounded by a moat that is six meters deep and a ten-meter-high wall. Once having entered the Forbidden City, visitors are transported to a spacious world of great luxury that has a culture of its own. For five centuries, this palace functioned as the administrative center of the country as well as the pleasure home of the emperors and empresses who were served by thousands of people. Walking along the corridors and through various rooms it becomes easy to understand the impact of the rulers who lived here and their isolation from the rest of Chinese life. Regardless of how much history you have read, or movies featuring the Forbidden City you have seen, the place itself is not to be missed by any Beijing visitor. After lunch, we will visit the Jvyongguan section The Great Wall is one of the eight wonders of the world and is the only man-made structure that is visible from the moon. This immense wall was built to keep out invaders as well as to retain the inhabitants. It spans five provinces (6,700 kilometres, or 2,587 miles) from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west. Like a gigantic dragon, it winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, and mountains. Just outside Beijing, it is possible to climb a section of the Great Wall and enjoy a splendid panoramic view that you will remember for the rest of your life. Overnight at St. Regis (Deluxe room); Meals- B Day Day3:: Fly to Xining and catch a train to Lhasa — Today we will fly from Beijing to Xining by air CA1207, 06:40/09:20, pick up, transfer to train station to board the train to Lhasa with a soft bed, Z6801, 14:56/13:39+1 Overnight at the train; Meals- B Day Day4:: Arrive in Lhasa late afternoon — Upon arriving, you will be transferred to your hotel, and the rest of the afternoon will be free to relax and get acclimatized. Lhasa, which means ‘the land of the gods’ is the heart and soul of Tibet. It is a city of wonders, the capital of the Tibet autonomous region of China. The city contains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhist religious sites and lies in a valley next to the Lhasa River. For centuries this holy city has attracted travelers from all over the world, drawn by its beautiful scenery, cultural heritage, and mysticism leaves the travelers captivated. Overnight at St. Regis Lhasa Resort (Potala view); Meals- B Day Day5:: In Lhasa — Visit Drepung and Sera Monastery About 8km to the west of central Lhasa, Drepung is one of the "great three" Gelukpa University monasteries of Tibet. The other two are Ganden and Sera. Seen from afar, Drepung’s grand, white construction gives the monastery the appearance of a heap of rice hence; Drepung means ‘heaps of rice’. The fertility of its fields supported a monastic community that before 1959, ranked as Tibet’s largest monastery with 7,770 monks. Since the 1950s, Drepung Monastery, along with its peers Ganden and Sera have lost much of their independence and spiritual credibility in the eyes of Tibetans since they operate under the close watch of the Chinese security services. For over 500 years Drepung served as the major pillar of the theocratic state, serving as the main political headquarters for the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It also served as the residence of the Dalai Lamas until the Potala Palace was constructed in 1645. Suffering only minor damage during the Cultural Revolution Drepung has plenty of historical relics, Buddhist scriptures, and arts. 5km North of Lhasa, the Sera Monastery’s setting is one of the prettiest in Lhasa, hugging the ridge that forms the Northern wall of the Kyi Chu Valley. Founded in 1419, Sera Monastery is one of the "great three" Gelukpa university monasteries in Tibet. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The origin of the name 'Sera' is not certain, but it may have come from the wild roses (se ra in Tibetan) surrounding the original site. In its heyday, Sera hosted a huge monastic population and five colleges. Like Drepung, the colleges in Sera specialized in: Sera Me in fundamental precepts of Buddhism, Sera Je in the instruction of itinerant monks, and Sera Ngagpa in Tantric studies. The monastery is magnificent, featuring a unique style quite different from other famous monasteries in Lhasa and covering an area of 114,946 square meters (28 acres). Its main buildings are Coqen Hall, Zhacang (college), and Kamcun (dormitory). Buddhist Scriptures written in gold powder, fine statues, scent cloths, and unparalleled murals can be found in these halls. The monastery is a Buddhist think-tank and lively debates on Buddhist doctrines are held here. Overnight at St. Regis Lhasa Resort (Potala view); Meals- B Day Day6:: In Lhasa — Visit Potala, Norbulinkha, Jokhang, and Barkhor Market Potala Palace, the chief residence of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century has been the focus of travelers for centuries. It is the cardinal landmark and a structure of massive proportion. It symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its role in the traditional administration of Tibet. It is an architectural gem that was built in the colossal monastic style of Central Tibet in the 7th century but rebuilt in the mid-17th century. The Tibetans themselves rarely speak of the sacred place as the "Potala", but rather as "Peak Potala" (Tse Potala), or usually as "The Peak." It stands 300m above the valley floor, atop the hill called Marpo Ri, the ‘Red Hill’. The Potala Palace is an immense structure with an interior space of about 130,000 square meters, it has thirteen stories of buildings containing 1000 rooms, 1000 shrines, and about 200,000 statues that date from 1645 when the fifth Dalai Lama began erecting a palace that would serve as a sacred and administrative center. It served all the succeeding Dalai Lamas until the 14th Dalai Lama who fled to Dharamshala, India during the 1959 Tibetan Uprising. Today, the Potala Palace has been converted into a museum by the Chinese authorities. The Potala Palace is one of Tibet’s most impressive and enduring monuments that was protected by the Chinese Army of Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. As a result, many of its chapels and treasures are intact, virtually unchanged since the 17th century. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Built 100 years after the Potala palace, Norbulingka means ‘Treasure Park’ in Tibetan and is situated in the western suburb of Lhasa City, on the bank of the Kyichu River, about one-kilometer southwest of the Potala Palace. It is the biggest man-made garden in Tibet. The park was built by the Seventh Dalai Lama in 1755 and became the summer residence of the Eighth Dalai Lama. The garden contains an abundance of chapels, gardens, fountains, and pools as well as a variety of beautiful flowers and trees. Norbulingka reflects both the ethnic and religious traits of the Tibetan people and embodies the architectural style of inland China. It is of great cultural value and was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2001 as an extension of the Potala Palace. During the Cultural Revolution, the Norbulingka complex suffered extensive damage. However, in 2001, the Central Committee of the Chinese Government in its 4th Tibet Session resolved to restore the complex to its original glory. The garden is a favorite picnic spot and provides a beautiful venue for theatre, dancing, and festivals, particularly the Sho Dun or 'Yoghurt Festival', at the beginning of August, with families camping in the grounds for days surrounded by colorful makeshift windbreaks of rugs and scarves and enjoying the height of summer weather. There is also a zoo at Norbulingka, originally to keep the animals that were given to the Dalai Lama. Heinrich Harrer helped the 14th Dalai Lama build a small movie theatre there in the 1950s. Jokhang meaning ‘House of the Lord’ in Tibetan is located at the center of the old Lhasa and is the oldest and the most revered religious structure in Tibet. Built-in 647 by Songtsen Gampo, it has a history of more than 1,300 years. It was built by craftsmen from Tibet, China, and Nepal and thus features an intriguing mix of architectural styles. Jokhang Temple also houses many invaluable cultural relics. Every year, the Great Prayer Festival is held here. The rites of Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas' initiation into mamahood are also held in the monastery. Princess Wencheng made use of Chinese astrology to decide that the temple should be built over the pool where the temple is now located. She believed that the pool was a witch's heart and that building the temple over it would purify the area of evil. This pool still exists under the temple. Outside the temple, an old and withered willow tree has survived centuries and is said to be planted by Princess Wencheng herself. Barkhor Street is the oldest street in Lhasa and runs through the center of the old city. It is a circular street where Tibetan culture, economy, religion, and arts assemble. The word Barkhor refers to the middle of the three concentric holy circuits around the Jokhang. The Barkhor Circuit runs through the heart of the old city where life has changed little down the centuries and it gives you a curious sensation of having slipped through time into a medieval carnival. Tibetans walk clockwise around the Jokhang Temple to pay their respects to Sakyamuni, establishing Barkhor Street as Tibet's "Sacred Way". Each day hundreds of Buddhist pilgrims flow in from every corner of Tibet and across China to make the trek through Barkhor Street. Some merely walk, but some progress by body lengths along the street clockwise every day into deep night to worship Sakyamuni. Barkhor will allow you to experience firsthand the religious fervor of Tibet. Overnight at St. Regis Lhasa Resort (Potala view); Meals- B Day Day7:: In Lhasa , Visit Ganden Monastery — Ganden Monastery is located on Wangbur Mountain, on the southern bank of the Lhasa River about 47 km from Lhasa City. It stands at an altitude of 3,800 meters above sea level. It is one of the earliest and largest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. Its full name is Ganden Namgyal Ling (dga' ldan rmam rgyal gling). Ganden means ‘joyful’ and is the Tibetan name for Tusita, the heaven where the bodhisattva Maitreya is said to reside. Namgyal Ling means ‘victorious temple’. Founded by Je Tsongkhapa in 1409, Ganden Monastery originally belonged to the Geluk order, and it was traditionally considered to be the seat of Geluk administrative and political power. With the onset of the Cultural Revolution, recognizing its symbolic importance, bombing and shelling destroyed most of it. Its significance as a religious, artistic, political, and cultural relic led to it being preserved by the National Key Cultural Relic Preservation scheme in 1961, and is now known as being one of the 'Three Great Temples', together with the Sera Monastery and the Drepung Monastery. Overnight at St. Regis Lhasa Resort (Potala view); Meals- B Day Day8:: Fly to Chengdu — Today you will be transferred to Ganggor Airport for your flight to Chengdu. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel Overnight at Kempinski Hotel (Deluxe room); Meals- B Day Day9:: In Chengdu — Visit Panda Breeding Station, lunch, Wenshu Monstery visit and have an afternoon tea as locals in a public park, evening dinner followed by Face Changing Opera The Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Base was built to imitate the wild ecological environment of pandas. It covers a space of 560 mus, with a green coverage of 96 percent. The base created a perfect ecological environment for the living and breeding of pandas and other precious and rare wild animals. It breeds over 20 pandas and lesser pandas, black-necked cranes, white cranes, and others. Wenshu Monastery is the home of the Buddhist Association of Sichuan Province and Chengdu City. Cultural relics are the highlights of Wenshu Monastery. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, over 500 pieces of painting and calligraphy by celebrities have been stored here. In addition, the monastery houses some 300 Buddha statues of various materials including iron, bronze, stone, wood, and jade, some gloriously painted. Sichuan Face Changing Opera (Chuan Ju) originated at the end of the Ming (1368-1644) and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). With immigrants flooding into Sichuan, different dramas were brought in to blend with the local dialect, customs, folk music, and dances. Gradually, brisk humorous Sichuan Opera, reflecting Sichuan culture, came into being. Face-changing is the highlight of Sichuan Opera. It is said that ancient people painted their faces to drive away wild animals. Sichuan Opera absorbs this ancient skill and perfects it into an art. Overnight at Kempinski Hotel (Deluxe room); Meals- B Day Day10:: Final departure [B] — Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Guilin
What's included in your experience
Included
- Arrival/Departure Transfers.
- Meet assistance at the airport.
- 2 nights’ hotel accommodation at St. Regis – Beijing (Deluxe room) on a twin/ double sharing basis on a bed and breakfast plan.
- 4 nights’ hotel accommodation at St. Regis Lhasa Resort (Potala view) on a twin/ double sharing basis on a bed and breakfast plan.
- 2 nights’ hotel accommodation at Kempinski Hotel (Deluxe room)- Chengdu twin/ double sharing basis on bed and breakfast plan.
- All the sightseeing tours and transfers as per the itinerary with a Local English-speaking guide and by private vehicle.
- Monuments and entrance fees as indicated in the program.
- TTB permit
Not included
- Chinese visa fee
- International/Domestic airfare and train fare [quoted separately and is subject to change if revised]
- Items of personal nature such as bar bills, alcoholic beverages, laundry, telephone calls, extra mileage, personal gratuities such as tips to guide, porters, drivers, etc
- Personal insurance policy - suggested comprehensive travel insurance covering tour and flight cancellations, loss of valuables, thefts, illness, accidents, and hospitalization
- Excess baggage
- Gratuities, tipping to guides and drivers.
- Expenses incurred by re-routing, inclement weather, floods, famine, political disruptions, strikes, riots, and other disturbances
- Any items, services, and meals not mentioned on cost inclusions
Essential trip information
Before you go
[B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner] Note: All information in this itinerary is accurate to the best of our knowledge but please note that changes to our trips can and do occur. This may be due to our effort to improve our program or logistical reasons such as changes in flight schedules, traffic conditions, weather conditions, or government policies. Dharma Adventures will make every effort to keep you informed of any changes but cannot be held liable for any alterations made to the published itinerary. The Net land cost in US$ per person on twin sharing basis: 2 Pax: USD 8676.00 per person Extra cost [Subject to change if revised]: Airfare for Beijing- Xining (Economy class): USD 295.00 per person Train fare for Xining- Lhasa (Soft bed): USD 260.00 per person
Fitness & eligibility
1
Meeting point
Beijing
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