24 Days Shanghai, Yunnan, Xining, Xi’an, Beijing and Tibet Tour with Mount Everest Adventure by Speed Train

Yunnan, bordering Tibet to the northwest, is usually related with Tibet by tourists. There is no doubt thatthe overland tour into Tibet from Yunnan is one of the most breath taking adventure when traveling in China. In this, trip, you will take the high speed train from Shanghai to Yunnan, tour in themodern Shanghai first and then experience the classic tour in Yunnan, from Kunming to Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La. Then, fly to Lhasa for the hightlights tour in Lhasa. And  finally, you will fly to visit the top 2 historic city in China – Xi’an and Beijing.

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Brief Itinerary

• Day 1: Shanghai Arrival
• Day 2: Shanghai
• Day 3: Shanghai-Kunming
• Day 4: Kunming-Dali
• Day 5:Dali
• Day 6: Dali-Lijiang
• Day 7: Lijiang
• Day 8: Lijiang-Shangri-La
• Day 9: Shangri-La
• Day 10: Shangri-La-Lhasa
• Day 11: Lhasa
• Day 12: Lhasa
• Day 13: Lhasa-Shigatse
• Day 14: Shigatse-Rongphu
• Day 15: Rongphu-Shigatse
• Day 16: Shigatse-Lhasa
• Day 17: Lhasa-Xining
• Day 18: Xining
• Day 19: Xining-Xi’an
• Day 20: Xi’an
• Day 21: Xi’an-Beijing
• Day 22: Beijing
• Day 23: Beijing
• Day 24: Beijing Departure

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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Shanghai

Sightseeing and Activities: Shanghai Arrival
Accommodation:Shanghai
Meals: none

Arrive in  Shanghai, the local tour guide and driver will meet you and transfer to hotel for checking in.

Day 2 Shanghai

Sightseeing and Activities:Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Yuyuan Pearl TV Tower, Nanjing Road
Accommodation:Shanghai
Meals:breakfast, lunch

This morning, visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is located in Pudong Park inLujiazui, Shanghai. Surrounded by the Yangpu Bridge in the northeast and the Nanpu Bridge in the southwest, it creates a picture of ‘twin dragons playing with pearls’. The entire scene is a photographic jewel that excites the imagination and attracts thousands of visitors year-round.

After that move to visit Yuyuan Garden. The elaborately crafted halls and pavilions are with great wisdom arranged to join the lotus lake, greenery to make various pretty images before your eyes. Walking around Yuyuan Market nearby where you can feast your eyes with numerous Chinese arts and crafts in a lively atmosphere. 

Walk aglong the famous Nanjing Road and The Bund. Take Metro Line 2 to the People’s Square Station and the 1,599-meter-long Nanjing Rd. (East) is right there, You may get dazzled by the world of Garment, shoes, jewelry, accessory, snack and souvenir…Walk about 15 minutes from Nanjing Rd. (East) and you have the amazing view of The Bund, the beautiful silhouette of Baroque buildings and the landmark Oriental Pearl Tower.

Day 3 Shanghai-Kunming by High-speed Train

Sightseeing and Activities: Kunming Arrival
Accommodation:Kunming
Meals:breakfast

Morning , you will transfer to railway station, take the high speed train to Kunming G1373 ( 08:55-19:31)

Upon arrival, the local guide will pick you up and transfer to Kunming downtown to check in your hotel.

Day 4 Kunming-Dali by Bullet Train

Sightseeing and Activities: Stone Forest, Guandu Old Town, Nanping Road
Accommodation:
Meals:

Morning, make the tour of Stone Forest. An old local saying says that ‘If you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.’ Truly, the Stone Forest is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan.
Then transfer back to Kunming. Pay a visit to Guandu Old Town one of the cradles of the ancient Dian civilization and culture in Yunnan, is located in the southeast suburb of Kunming, far about 10 km from downtown. Being a famous historic and cultural town, dated back to the Nanzhao Kingdom (738-937) in as early as the Tang Dynasty, Guandu Old Town had been a big market town and communication center.

Finally drop off at shopping area –Nanping Road, you will stroll this area before the evening transfer to railway station to take a bullet train to Dali.

Day 5 Dali

Sightseeing and Activities: Erhai Lake, Three Pogodas, Chongsheng Temple, Zhoucheng Village, Dali Ancient Town
Accommodation:Dali 
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Arrive in Dali in the early of morning.  Then be welcomed by your local guide .

After thatyou’ll cruise in Erhai Lake by the small boat in the east Erhai Lake. There are 200 Bai ethnic families around 1000 people in Jinsuo Island.In Erhai Lake cruise, you will enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain and the Three Pagodas from a far as well as lots of birds and seagulls flying over the lake. 

Then go to visit Three Pagodas in Chongshen Monastery which has a history of over 1,800 years located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain facing to the Erhai Lake. Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle. Later, visit Zhoucheng Village and the Bai people’s Tie-dying cloth workshop where you can take some special souvenir with the Bai ethnic style. 

At last, you will visit the Dali Ancient Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people.

Day 6 Dali-Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities:Xizhou Town, Black Dragon Pond, Lijiang Old Town
Accommodation:Lijiang
Meals:breakfast, lunch

After breakfast , you will head for Xizhou Town to fully appreciate Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste their fragrant Three-Course Tea and explore their distinctive culture.

After the tour , transfer to Lijiang (3hrs ), then have stroll in Black Dragon Pond(Located at the foot of the Xiangshan Mountain (Elephant Hill) north of the city of Lijiang. As the water here is a lucid green color, it gained another name Jade Spring Park (Yuquan Park). There are many distinctive and ravishing sites in the park. Hiding in the lush trees or standing along the liquid pool is the antique and exquisite architectural pieces, which are in the style of Naxi.).

Finally explore Lijiang Old Town. Lijiang Ancient Town has a history more than 800 years; it was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. Here you will see the wonderful wooden architecture of Naxi ethnic people.

Day 7 Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities: Baishuihe River, Spruce Meadow, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Impression Lijiang Show, Baisha Old Town, Baisha Muruals
Accommodation:Lijiang
Meals:breakfast, lunch

In the morning, drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), you will take the sightseeing bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit  Spruce Meadow in Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. You will hike around1 hours in the original forest in Spruce Meadow.

After lunch, you will enjoy the Impression Lijang Ethnic Show (regular seat ) directed in Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M). A cultural show demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples of the area. The show takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park at 3500m in an outdoor theater specifically designed to showcase the mountain which is used as a backdrop. The production itself was designed by Zhang Yimou, Fan Yue and Wang Chaoge, a cast of over 500 people, and a number of horses.

In the afternoon, you’ll stroll through Baisha Old Town, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan old town.  Visit the Baisha Murals about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997.

Day 8 Lijiang-Shangri-la

Sightseeing and Activities:First Bend of Yangtze River, Iron Chain Bridge, Red Army’s Long March Memorial Monument, Tiger Leaping Gorge
Accommodation:Shangri-la
Meals:breakfast, lunch

From Lijiang, you’ll drive about 60KM to the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, visit the Iron Chain Bridge, the Red Army’s Long March Memorial Monument in the Shigu town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road running through the Lijiang valley which is filled with wheat fields and drying haystacks.

Continue to visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge (Shangri-la section ), the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river.

Afternoon, you’ll head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian which is welknown as the paradise destination for every tourist.   

Upon arrival in Shangri La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys.

Day 9 Shangri-la

Sightseeing and Activities:Ganden Sumtseling Monastery,Pudacuo National Park, Dukezong Ancient Town, Guishan Hill, the largest Prayer Wheel
Accommodation:Shangri-la
Meals:breakfast, lunch

In the morning, visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Songzanlin Monastery has another alias – ‘the little Potala Palace ‘, so named because the whole monastery is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere.

And afterwards you’ll visit the tranquil Shudu Lake in Pudacuo National Park which is located in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the world. While the region comprises only 0.7 percent of China’s land area, it contains more than 20 percent of the country’s plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species.

Finally walk around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India.climb up to the top of Guishan Hill or tortoise Hill, you will see the largest Prayer Wheel of the world and have a panoramic view of shangrila county and Dukezong Ancient Town.

Day 10 Shangri-la-Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities: Lhasa Srrival
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:breakfast

Transfer to Shangri-La airport for the flight to Lhasa,

Upon arrival,  meeting with your guide transfer to hotel in Lhasa ( 1hrs ) . Take a rest to accm

Day 11 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities: Potala Palace, Johkang Temple, Barkhor Street
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Morning section to visit the famous Potala Palace and explore the grandest of this myriad chapels, its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens(stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, thangkas, combinations of mandala, figures of the Buddha. Made of precious metal.
Afternoon section visiting to the holist temple in Tibet, the Johkang Temple, built during songtsen gonpo’s reign by princess wencheng of tang dynasty, 647 A.D. The inner circuit is also situated inside the temple and is lined with prayer-wheel and murals outlined in gold on red background, which depict the thousand buddhas, interspersed with stupas and relief-images. Johkang is circuit. The circular pilgrim route around Jokhang temple is called barkhor and later flourished, forming the embryo of the city. The Barkhor Street itself is the most active in all tibet,and it is possible to purchase traditional Tibetan artifacts, religious implements, antiques, books, Tibetan music instrument, Thangkas, and tradition tibetan clothes etc. 

Day 12 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Drepung Monastery is situated at the foothill of a mountain and was founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416. It was once home of 10000 monks and Ganden podrang in Drepung is famous it was the government centre during fifth dalai lama and later moved to the famous potala palace during fifth dalai lama. By the time you can also vist the Nechung monastery located 1km southeast of Drepung and is the abode of the protector deity pehar and the seat of the state Oracle of Tibet.

In the afternoon exploring the Sera Monastery which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa’s disciple Jamchen Choeje. The most attractive is that Monks debiting is held there in the courtyard at around 6-7:30 in the afternoon section. Overnight at Lhasa (Notice, the sequence of sightseeing of first two days may be adjusted according to the reservation of visiting Potala Palace)

Day 13 Lhasa-Gyangtse-Shigatse

Sightseeing and Activities: Yamdrok Lake,  Kubum Monastery
Accommodation:Shigatse
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Passing by the green farmland of Nyangchu Valley, Yamdro-tso lakes, karo-la glacier roadside at 4960m, We move westwards to the second biggest city Shigatse, the Area spiritually hosted by Pamchan Lama.
 
The most important attraction for today is Yamdrok Lake and Kubum Monastery in Gyantse. From the top of the pass kangpa-la at 4700m high in clear weather, you can see the fabulous shade of deep turquoise, Yamdro-tso Lake is shaped like coiling scorpion with deep blue in colour.
 
Kubum monastery, means 100,000 images in Tibetan, is the town’s foremost attraction, The 35m-high chorten (stupa) with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and its crown-like golden dome, is awe-inspiring. You can visit every chambers in the monastery.

Day 14 Shigatse-Lhatse-Tingri (Shegar)-Rongphu Monastery

Sightseeing and Activities: Everest Base Camp
Accommodation:Base Camp
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Drive westwards the Friendship way to Tingri. On the way you will pass the checking point with your TTB permit, travel permit and passport, and purchase the entrance of Everest Base Camp.
 
There is about 90km bumpy road from Tingri to Rongpuk, road is under construction. From Tingri to E.B.C with the very rough road, pass the wild grassland, cross the rapids river and high mountains. If it is in clear whether, you can have a glimpse of 4 mountains which is 8000m high or more, such as: Mt. Lhotse(8516m),Mt. Everes(8848m), Mt. Qowowuyag(8201m),Mt Mayalu(8463m).

Day 15 Rongphu Monastery-Tingri-Shigatse

Sightseeing and Activities:Rongbuk Monastery
Accommodation:Shigatse
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Early in the moring to see the sunrise from Rongbuk Monastery then to view Mt. Everest. It is fabulous and splendid. After walking arrive the place get on the animal carriage then use half of an hour arrive at Everest Base camp ( Or you also can trekking to Base Camp around 1.5-2 hours one way. It’s interesting and much more warm, but hard to breath).
 
Hiking up to the top of the photo point to take pictures of the splendid- Mt. Everest. Then late in the afternoon around 13:00 go down from E.B.C back to Tingri by friend-ship highway back to Shigaste.

Day 16 Shigatse-Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Tashilunpho Monastery
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:breakfast, lunch

We spend about 4 hours to drive back to Lhasa from Shigatse, on the way, we will visit the largest Monastery in west Tibet, the Tashilunpho Monastery, as the last but famous historic sites for your Tibet tour. Tashilunpo monastery is one of the the six great Gelukpa institutions and was founded in 1447 by a disciple of Tsongkapa, Genden drup who was first dalai lama. Jamkhang Chenmo, containing the world’s largest gilded copper image(26m high) of future god Jampa.
Drive along the Friend-ship Highway back to Lhasa.

Day 17 Lhasa-Xining

Sightseeing and Activities:Xining Arrival
Accommodation:Xining
Meals:breakfast

Morning transfer to railway station for the train to Xining Z166 ( 11:05-09:00+1). Enjoy the veiw on the way.

Day 18 Xining

Sightseeing and Activities:Qinghai Lake, Mt. Sun and Moon
Accommodation:Xining
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Arrive at Xining,  pick up from railway station.  You will have one full day tour to Qinghai Lake, the largest salt water lake in China. Cruise in the lake and visit Bird Island. On the way, you will have a stop to see the Mt. Sun and Moon, where the princess Wenchen threw the mirror down and married into the Tibetan area among the Tang Dynasty. Return to your hotel in Xining.

Day 19 Xining-Xi’an

Sightseeing and Activities: Ta’er Monastery, Qinghai Provincial Museum
Accommodation: Xi’an
Meals: breakfast, lunch

Visit Ta’er Monastery (Kumbum Monastery) in the town of Huangzhong 26km south of Xining, where is the birthplace of the founder of the Gelugpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism – Tsongkhapa. The temple was later built in 1577. Then move on a 15-minute trip to the North Hill Temple to have a bird’s-view of the city. Finally visit Qinghai Provincial Museum with a few silk road exhibitons and some amazing Stone Age artifacts. Then transferred to train station for the overnight train to Xi’an

Day 20 Xi’an

Sightseeing and Activities:  Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an City Wall
Accommodation: Xi’an
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Morning after the arrival,  you will  transfer 1.5hrs to visits to famous Terracotta Warriors – one of the world’s most important archaeological finds, with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation.

After lunch near the Terracotta Warriors area, drive back to the downtown for a continue to visit the Xian City Wall (Optional tour ride biking along the wall on your own account)  is one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. 

After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Day 21 Xi’an-Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities: Summer Palace
Accommodation:Beijing
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Morning take the high speed train to Beijing.

After arrival,  take the tour of  Summer Palace (about 2 hour ) – the existing largest, best-preserved imperial garden in China.

Day 22 Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities:Ming Tomb, Mutianyu Great Wall, Bird Nest, Water Cube
Accommodation:Beijing
Meals:breakfast, lunch

07:30 am depart from your hotel in the morning, drive to Changling of Ming Tomb. Among these tombs, the largest one is Changling Tomb, which was built in 1413 and is the burial place of Zhu Di, the third Ming emperor and the chief of Ming Tombs. It is not only the largest one, but the best-preserved one among the thirteen tombs. 

visit the Mutianyu Great Wall (Optional:take cable up and down on your own account on spot) – the section of the Great Wall which is more popular among foreign visitors.

Then drive back to the downtown and have a short top and take the exterior view of Bird Nest and Water Cube (about 30m) – the amazing architectures that built for Beijing Olympic Games. After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Day 23 Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities: Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven
Accommodation:Beijing
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Morning visit Tian’anmen Square (40min) – the World’s largest urban square, and the Forbidden City( the largest and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world. Then visit the Temple of Heaven (1 hour)was built in the first half of the AD 15th century. It is located in the royal gardens and surrounded by ancient pines. It is well-preserved Altars buildings. No matter in the whole layout or individual building, it reflects the relationship between heaven and the earth, and this relationship occupied a central position in the ancient Chinese cosmology. At the same time, these buildings reflect the emperors’ unique role in this relationship . Continue to drive to Drum Tower area for taking a relaxing Hutong Tour by rickshaw (Short route, 40 min) – the way to know the Beijing local lifestyle.

Day 24 Beijing Departure

Sightseeing and Activities: Beijing Departure
Accommodation: none
Meals:breakfast

Transfer to Beijing airport for your departure flight

Recommended Hotels

City	5 Star	4 Star	3 Star
Shanghai
Kunming	Crown Plaza Kunming City Centre	Wenhui Hotel	Long Teng Hotel
Dali	Hilton Hotel	Landscape Hotel	Taiheju Hotel
Lijiang	InterContinental Hotel	Wangfu Hotel	Louwailou Hotel
Shangri-la	Shangri-la Resort	Zhaxidele Hotel	Maoyuan Hotel
Lhasa	Intercontinental Lhasa Paradise	Lhasa Yak Hotel	Lhasa Xiongbala Hotel
Shigatse	/	Shigatse Manasarovar Hotel	Shigatse Hotel
Rongbuk	/	/	Everest Guesthouse
Xining	Heyday International Hotel	Mehood Hotel	Hehe Hotel
Xi’an	Sheraton Xian Hotel	Grand New World Hotel	Xian Skytel Hotel
Beijing	Regent Hotel Beijing	Beijing International Hotel	Redwall Hotel Beijing

Quotations

Group size(person)	5 Star ($)	4 Star ($)	3 Star ($)

Service Included:

1.Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
2.Meals as listed in the itinerary;
3.Accommodation with breakfast as listed in the itinerary;
4.Private English-speaking tour guide and vehicle for transfers & sightseeing;
5.Service charge & government taxes;
6. Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
7. Two bottles of mineral water each day；
8.Domestic air tickets /or train tickets as mentioned in the program;
9.Tibet Enter Permists.

Service Excluded:

1.Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
2.Chinese visa fees;
3.Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
4.Single room supplement;
5.Tips to guides and drivers;
6.Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
7.Personal travel insurance;
8.All optional programs.

Travel Tips:

1. Tibet Permits

There are several permits required to visit Tibet. Tibet Entry Permit, issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, is the most important one which has to be obtained before your trip because you must have it to take your flight/train to Tibet. To get the permit, you have to book a Tibet tour with us, and send us your passport and Chinese visa about 20 days in advance, and then let us apply for the permit (all Tibet permits can only be applied by travel agency). If you travel to other prefectures like Shigatse, Nyingchi, Shannan, etc, you also have to obtain an Alien Travel Permit. If you travel to Mount Everest, you have to obtain a Border Permit. (Tibet Discovery, with office in Lhasa, has always kept up with the latest news on Tibet Permits. Traveling with us, all your permits are guaranteed as long as you are qualified to the requirements.)

2. Available Months to Visit Tibet

Generally speaking, May to early October is the best time to for a Mount Kailash trip. July and August are the peak season and rainy season. It may be too cold to travel in Kailash area from November to March. There is usually heavy snow. The conditions in Namtso Lake and Mount Everest area are quite similar with Kailash. While other places like Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse are suitable for travel all year around.

3. High Altitude Sickness

The average altitude of Tibet is about 4000 meters above the sea level (Lhasa: 3700m; EBC: 5200m; Namtso: 4718m). You may suffer a bit from High Altitude Sickness in the beginning days of your Tibet trip if you haven’t had rich high plateau travel experience. But don’t worry too much, the high altitude can be acclimatized usually in 2~3 days. Our suggestion is to take a physical examination and get suggestions from your doctor, and also bring some medicines to prevent from High Altitude Sickness before your trip. While in Tibet, you should keep warm all the time, avoid strenuous activities, drink more water and eat more vegetables and carbohydrates. You’d better not take showers during the first two days after your arrival at Tibet. If you don’t feel well, get help from your tour guide or go to the hospital without any delay.

4. How to Go to Tibet

Basically you have two options – flight and train. Currently, you can take a flight to Lhasa from Beijing(4.5hrs), Xian(3.7hrs), Chengdu(2.5hrs), Chongqing(3hrs), Kuming(3hrs), etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu and Xian have more frequent flights to Lhasa. Kathmandu also has several flights to Lhasa each week.

If you a train travel, you can take a train to from Beijing(40.5hrs), Xian(32hrs), Chengdu(43hrs), Shanghai(47hrs), Chongqing(42hrs), Lanzhou(25hrs), Xining(22hrs), Guangzhou(54hrs).

5. Packing and Wearing Ideas

Firstly you can’t forget your passport and Chinese Visa. A large backpack and a smaller one are recommended (the smaller one can be used for daily activities). Also bring the necessary medicine you need. Other stuffs like sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sun block are recommended. As for wearing, you are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is necessary in Spring and Autumn. A pair of durable and comfortable shoes is necessary.

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