10 Days China Classic Tour with Tibet

Tour Overview

This 10 days China Classic Tour with Tibet, besides seeing the three major tourist cities of China, includes a visit to Lhasa. Nowadays, Tibet is easy to access from...

Code of Tour: YCT0000003549

Length of Travel: 10 Day

Destinations of Tour: Beijing/Xian/Lhasa/Shanghai

Departure City: Beijing

Price of Tour: Request

Type of Tour:

Features of Tour: Nature Culture History Minority Landscape

More Map & Picture

This 10 days China Classic Tour with Tibet, besides seeing the three major tourist cities of China, includes a visit to Lhasa. Nowadays, Tibet is easy to access from Mainland China. Do not miss the chance to pay a visit to Lhasa, the highest city in the world with mysterious Buddhist culture. You will first explore the Forbidden City, where emperors ruled ancient China, and the other highlights of Beijing. Discover the unbelievable buried Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an before flying to Lhasa. Get to know the culture of Tibetan Buddhism by guidance of Tibetan Tour Guide, visit the magnificent Potala Palace and you will be chocked by the tremendous treasures inside, walk into the monasteries to hear the chanting of monks. Lastly, transfer to Shanghai to end the tour with one day Shanghai city highlights exploration. 

Highlights:

• Have a wonderful stay in the flourishing and historical cities in China, including Bejing, Xi’an and Shanghai.
• Experience the Tibetan Buddism in the main monasteries in Lhasa.
• Explore the earthly paradise with Tibetan Lama monastery, primitive forest, crystal lakes, hospital people.

Brief Itinerary

• Day 1: Beijing Arrival
• Day 2: Beijing
• Day 3: Beijing-Xi’an
• Day 4: Xi’an
• Day 5: Xi’an-Lhasa
• Day 6: Lhasa
• Day 7: Lhasa
• Day 8: Lhasa-Shanghai
• Day 9: Shanghai
• Day 10: Depart from Shanghai

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Beijing Arrival

Sightseeing and Activities:Beijing Arrival
Accommodation:Beijing
Meals:None

When international flight lands in Beijing, Please take a taxi by yourself to our reserved hotel. The rest of the day free for you to be on your own.

Overnight in Beijing.

Day 2 Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities:Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace
Accommodation:Beijing
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Today is guided tour to Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace which are the traditional must-see places in Beijing. These attractions present to the visitors an image of how the ancient Chinese emperors manage the country, what their family life is, how they spent leisure time, how they sacrifice gods. Overnight in Beijing.

Day 3 Beijing-Xian

Sightseeing and Activities:Mutianyu Great Wall
Accommodation:On the train
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

The Great Wall tour proves that China was one of the strongest countries in its history. Stretching thousands of kilometers, the Great Wall protected the ancient Chinese against the invasion of the enemy from its north side for more than 1000 years. The Great Wall was listed as one of the world’s eight wonders. Mutianyu Great Wall, featured “graceful”, enjoy the best quality among all Wall sections, 80km north-east of Beijing with 22 ancient watchtowers, about one every kilometer. (Cable car is optional if you do not want to walk)

After the tour, you will be drop off at the train station to board the overnight sleeper train to Xi’an, the reference train number is Z19, which departs from Beijing at 20:40, arrive in Xian at next 08:31(the Sequence of Day2 & Day3 might be exchanged according to the arrangement of travel agency). Overnight in the train.

Day 4 Xian

Sightseeing and Activities:Terra-Cotta Warriors, Emperor Qinshihuang Mausoleum, Banpo Neolithic Village
Accommodation:Xi’ an
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

The tour guide will pick you up from Xian railway station.

The day tour in Xian is impressive too. The Emperor’s Terracotta Army is also one of the eight wonders in the world. These terracotta warriors and horses are the size of a real army, and were buried alongside the Emperor in a vast underground palace.The archeological site of Banpo Village, built more than 6,000 year ago, and you will see how the resident matriarchic tribe used to survive in the Neolithic age. Short visit at the Terra-Cotta Replication Factory on the way back to downtown. Overnight in Xian.

Day 5 Fly to Lhasa from Xian

Sightseeing and Activities:Fly to Lhasa from Xian
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Please take a taxi by yourself to from hotel to Xian airport to board the flight to Lhasa, when check-in and pass by the security, you need show the original Tibet Travel Permit to the airport.

Flying from Xian to Lhasa, you will fly from China’s low-altitude inland into the high-altitude Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, you can watch the plains, canyons, forests, glaciers evolved into the snow-capped mountains from the aircraft. Tour guide will pick you up at Lhasa Gonggar airport and you will be transferred to hotel in Lhasa by Tibet Vista shuttle bus. Overnight in Lhasa

Day 6 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Potala Palace, Jokhang temple, Barkhor Street
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Today’s tour will first bring you to the Potala Palace, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. It has been used since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collection are the gilded burial stupas of past Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.  


After you take lunch and then head to Jokhang Temple which was founded by the 33rd great king of Tibet in the 7th century, in order to promote the Buddhist religion. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve, perhaps the single most venerated object in Tibet Buddhism. Around the temple Barkhor Street where you can do kora (circling the Barkhor street) with pilgrims and locals and buy the souvenirs. Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 7 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities: Drepung Monastery, Carpet factory, Sera Monastery
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you are going to visit Drepung Monastery which was one of the “three greet” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. Ganden palace is used as Dalai lama’s palace in the Drepung before moving to the Potala palace.


Afternoon, Sera Monastery—It was one of the “three great” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1419 by Jamchen chojey, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. The highlight is the Monks debate at around 3 – 5 in the afternoon. Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 8 Fly to Shanghai

Sightseeing and Activities:Fly to Shanghai
Accommodation:Shanghai
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

You will fly to shanghai after tour in Lhasa. The tour guide will escort you to Lhasa airport and see you off. There is no activities arranged in Shanghai today, please help yourself to do some sightseeing.

Tour package does not include transfer from Shanghai airport to reserved hotel in downtown, please take taxi in the airport on your own. Overnight in Shanghai.

Day 9 Shanghai

Sightseeing and Activities:Yu Garden, the bund, Shanghai Wax Figure Museum and Old French Concession
Accommodation:Shanghai
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Tour guide will pick you up at hotel in the morning, today, you will explore Classic & Modern Shanghai Full-view Sightseeing. Including Visit Yu Garden, the Bund, Shanghai Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and Old French Concession. You will not only see the Asia’s most modern skyscrapersbut also the modern Chinese culture sites in the most flourishing city in the world. Overnight in Shanghai.

Day 10 Depart from Shanghai

Sightseeing and Activities:Depart from Shanghai
Accommodation:None
Meals:Breakfast

End the tour, please arrange taxi from your hotel to Shanghai airport.

Recommended Hotels

Service Included:

• Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
• Meals as listed in the itinerary;
• Accommodation with breakfast as listed in the itinerary;
• Private English-speaking tour guide and vehicle for transfers & sightseeing;
• Service charge & government taxes;
•  Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
• High speed train tickrts with 2nd class seat;
• Two bottles of mineral water each day.

Service Excluded:

• Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
• Chinese visa fees;
• Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
• Single room supplement;
• Tips to guides and drivers;
• Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
• Personal travel insurance;
• All optional programs;
• Domestic air tickets fares with airport tax and fuel extra fee based on economy class mentioned in the program.

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.