13 Days China Classic Tour with Yangtze River Cruise and Tibet Discovery

The 13-day China tour with Tibet tour includes the traditional highlights of China. Beijing, Xian, Yangtze River, Shanghai. We put Lhasa together because it is easy to access from Mainland China with only 2 hours domestic flight from Xian. As Tibet gradually opened to international tourists, Lhasa became another indispensable highlight of ChinaTourism.

Explore the Forbidden City, where emperors ruled ancient China, and the other highlights of Beijing, the Great Wall, the majestic Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace of the emperors. 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. After Lhasa, fly to Chongqing to start the Cruise tour to admire the extraordinary and epic excursion of Great Yangtze River.

This is a cost-effective travel with group tour in each city, optimized for you to enjoy every stop on your trip.

Highlights

  • Visit famous cities in China like: Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai;
  • Climb up the grandiose Potala Palace to admire its featured architecture and beautiful murals, Buddhist statutes and other collections;
  • Experience the authentic Tibetan culture and devoted pilgrimage by joining the worshipers in Barkhor Street and Jokhang Temple;
  • Visit Drepung Monastery and watch the brilliant live Buddhism Debating in the Sera Monastery;

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-Chongqing
  • Day 9 Chongqing-Yangtze River
  • Day 10 Yangtze River-Yichang
  • Day 11 Yichang-Shanghai
  • Day 12 Shanghai
  • Day 13 Shanghai Departure

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Beijing Arrival

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

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

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: Xi’an
Meals:breakfast

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 on the train

Day 4 Xian

Sightseeing and Activities:erra-Cotta Warriors, Emperor Qinshihuang Mausoleum, Banpo Neolithic Village
Accommodation: Xi’an
Meals: breakfast

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 Xian-Lhasa by flight

Sightseeing and Activities:Xian-Lhasa by flight
Accommodation: Lhasa
Meals:breakfast

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, Barkhor Street and Jokhang Temple
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:breakfast

The tour will begin from UNESCO World Heritage site – Potala Palace, which is also the winter palace of Dalai Lama. It’s situated at 12,139 feet above sea level. It’s a 13-story high building that contains over 1,000 rooms, various statues, stupas, murals and artifacts. Then continue to Jokhang Temple, another UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a spiritual center for Buddhists in Tibet. Next to the temple there is Bakhor Street, filled with pilgrims and street vendors, selling traditional Tibetan items such as prayer wheels and jewelry.

Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 7 Lhasa

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

In the morning, tourists are going to visit Drepung Monastery which was one of the “three greet” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1416. Ganden palace is used as Dalai Lama’s palace in the Drepung before moving to the Potala palace. In the afternoon, Sera Monastery—It was one of the “three great” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1419. The highlight is the Monks debate at around 3 – 5 in the afternoon.

Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 8 Lhasa to Chongqing by flight

Sightseeing and Activities:Lhasa to Chongqing by flight, Yangtze Cruise Tour
Accommodation:Chongqing
Meals:breakfast,dinner

You will fly to Chongqing where the Yangtze Cruise Tour start. Your tour guide will escort you to Lhasa airport and see you off.

Airport to Pier transfer with tour guide is included, your Chongqing tour guide will escort you to board the cruise and help you check out. You will have a chance to go through the Chongqing City from the airport to the pier, which is biggest city built by the Yangtze River. The cruise sail at about 21:00 in the evening.

Overnight in the Cruise.

Day 9 Yangtze Cruise

Sightseeing and Activities:Fengdu Ghost City (off cruise tour, optional) and Shibaozhai Shore Excursion
Accommodation:Yangtze Cruise
Meals:breakfast,lunch, dinner

Today is your first day of Yangtze River Cruise Tour. You will visit Fengdu Ghost City (off cruise tour, optional) at about 09:00. Having nearly two thousand years’ history, the Fengdu Ghost City combines the cultures of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism with the mystique of ghosts. Tourist can see the Chinese Ghose culture and characters in here.

Then enjoy a Shibaozhai Shore Excursion at about 16:00. Shibao Zhai Village is a tower with 12 floors. It is one of several high wooden buildings in China nowadays. It is the typical and symbolic buildings characterizing of Chinas southern folk architectural techniques.

Stay overnight in the cruise.

Day 10 Yangtze Cruise

Sightseeing and Activities:White Emperor City (off cruise tour, optional), Sailing through Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, Shore Excursion to Goddess Stream
Accommodation:Yangtze Cruise
Meals:breakfast

The second day of Yangtze River Cruise Tour begins with the White Emperor City (off cruise tour, optional) at 07:30.It is situated at the entrance of Qutang Gorge, north of the Yangtze River. It was known as White Emperor City which dates from the Western Han dynasty, approximately 2000 years ago, when the king of Shu, Liubei, called himself the White Emperor.

Then you will sail through Qutang Gorge at 10:45, Wu Gorge at 12:45, and have a shore excursion to Goddess Stream at 15:15.

Stay overnight in cruise.

Day 11 Yichang to Shanghai by flight

Sightseeing and Activities:Sailing through the TGD Ship-Elevator and visit Three Gorges Dam, end the cruise journey at noon. Fly from Yichang to Shanghai
Accommodation:Shanghai
Meals:breakfast

Today is the last day of your cruise journey, and you will visit Three Gorges Dam at 08:15. The world record smashing Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest dam and hydroelectric power station, you will have chance to witness the tropic man-made wonder.

The Cruise Tour ends at Yichang at 12:45. Yichang tour guide will pick up you from pier tourist station and escort you to the airport. Then you can fly to Shanghai. Please take taxi from Shanghai airport to reserved hotel in Downtown by yourself.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

Day 12 Shanghai

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

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 Old Wax Figure 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 13 Shanghai Departure

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

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

Recommended Hotels

City 5 Star 4 Star 3 Star
Beijing Regent Hotel Beijing Beijing International Hotel Redwall Hotel Beijing
Xi’an Sheraton Xian Hotel Grand New World Hotel Xian Skytel Hotel
Lhasa Intercontinental Lhasa Paradise Lhasa Yak Hotel Lhasa Xiongbala Hotel
Chongqing JW Marriott Hotel Chongqing Wanyou Conifer Hotel 88 Park Hotel Chongqing
Yichang Crowne Plaza Yichang Yichang Gorge Hotel Yichang Xiazhou Nanhu Hotel
Shanghai JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai at Tomorrow Square New World Shanghai Hotel Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Wujiaochang

Quotations

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

Service Included:

All Cities Tours in Beijing, Xian, Lhasa, Shanghai

  • Pick up from hotel before the tour
  • Drop off to hotel after the tour finish
  • All Entrance Fees of tourist attractions listed in the itineary
  • Lunches included in Beijing,Xian,Shanghai city tour
  • One Dinner included in Lhasa
  • Local English Speaking Tour guide
  • AC comfortable tourist Vehicle

Yangtse River Cruise – Chongqing to Yichang

  • 4Days3Nights 5 Star Cruise from Chongqing to Yichang
  • All Meals included in the Cruise Journey
  • Twin Room with sightseeing balcony
  • Sightseeing of Three Gorges
  • Sightseeing of world biggest Dam

Train Tickets in China

  • Beijing to Xian Overnight Train ticket, Sleeper Berth
    (All domestic train will be included and booked by us in advance.)

All Accommodation

  • All Hotels in the tour are included. We choose best value 3 star hotels with good location for you. All hotels include breakfast.

Travel Documents

  • Tibet Travel Permit

Others

  • Shuttle Service in Lhasa. From/to airport or Train station
  • Airport to Yangtze Cruise Pier Transfer Service in Chongqing. Tour guide will help guests to board the Yangtze River Cruise in the Pier
  • Yichang Pier to Yichang airport transfer

Service Excluded:

Domestic Flight Tickets

  • Flight ticket Xian to Lhasa, Approx. 200-260USD/person
  • Flight ticket Lhasa to Chongqing, Approx. 200-260USD/person
  • Flight ticket Yichang to Shanghai, Approx. 150-180USD/person
    (Sometimes, if you book international air tickets along with domestic air with same airline, you can get cheaper price; we can also book it for you if required)

Shuttle Service

  • Price does not include airport/train station pick up or drop off in Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai, it is easy to arrange a taxi by yourself with minimum cost.

Some Meals

  • Some meals are not included, check the meals plan

Others

  • Some options might to be recommended to guests like Kongfu Show in Beijing, those option are chosen by your wish and pay on sites.
  • Additional single supplement for requiring single room for yourself
  • Gratuities to tour guide and driver
  • Other personal expenses
  • Off Cruise Tours during travel from Chongqing to Yichang by Yangtze Cruise
  • Tips to the Cruise Crew