14 Days Classic China Tour with Tibet Train and Sichuan Panda

Tour Overview

This 14-day Tibet and Sichuan tour starts from modern international metropolis – Shanghai and move westward to Chengdu, the home to giant pandas and then head to Lhasa, the...

Code of Tour: YCT0000003562

Length of Travel: 14 Day

Destinations of Tour: Shanghai - Huangshan - Guilin - Jiuzhaigou - Lhasa - Shigatse - Mt. Everest - Xining

Departure City: Shanghai

Price of Tour: Request

Type of Tour:

Features of Tour:

More Map & Picture

This 14-day Tibet and Sichuan tour starts from modern international metropolis – Shanghai and move westward to Chengdu, the home to giant pandas and then head to Lhasa, the religious center of Tibetan Buddhism. Later, tourists will enjoy the breathtaking scenery along Qinghai-Tibet Railway via Lhasa-Xian train and then visit the ancient Xian city and Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. At last, our tour ends in Beijing, which bears historical and cultural significance.

Highlights

• Visit the highlights of Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Beijing.
• Watch lovely pandas in Chengdu Panda Base.
• Have a tour to mysterious Tibet.

Brief Itinerary

• Day 1 Arrive in Shanghai
• Day 2 Shanghai
• Day 3 Shanghai-Chengdu
• Day 4 Chengdu
• Day 5 Chengdu-Lhasa
• Day 6 Lhasa
• Day 7 Lhasa
• Day 8 Lhasa-Xi’an
• Day 9 Overnight train to Xi’an
• Day 10 Xi’an Arrival
• Day 11 Xi’an-Beijing
• Day 12 Beijing
• Day 13 Beijing
• Day 14 Beijing Departure

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Shanghai

Sightseeing and Activities:None
Accommodation:Shanghai
Meals:none

Transfer to your reserved hotel after arriving in Shanghai Airport. The rest of the day is free for you. You could have a rest in your hotel or look around in the city on your own.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

Day 2 Shanghai

Sightseeing and Activities:Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, and Oriental Pearl TV Tower, The Bund
Accommodation:Shanghai
Meals:breakfast, lunch

Today we are about to visit some of the highlights of highlights of Shanghai Tour. Starting with fascinating Shanghai Museum, the magnificent 4-story building houses an incredible collection of bronzes, sculptures, ceramics, coins, paintings, calligraphy, costumes and other exhibits in different dynasties. It’s the perfect place for fans of Chinese history and art.

Next comes the Yu Garden. Built in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty, the Yu Garden used to be the private residence of a senior Government administrator in the Ming Dynasty. For passionate photographer, never miss the chance to photograph Old Street of Yu Garden.

In the evening, we will visit the most iconic building of Shanghai, i.e. Oriental Pearl TV Tower. You can enjoy the amazing panorama of the skyline of Shanghai at night. And as you stroll along the Bund, you will get amazed at the spectacular Huangpu River and dazzling light from buildings of Pudong.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

Day 3 Shanghai-Chengdu by flight

Sightseeing and Activities:Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, Ke Zhi Garden
Accommodation:Chengdu
Meals:breakfast, lunch

In the morning, we are expected to visit picturesque Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, also known as the “Venice of China”. It’s about 1 hour drive from downtown Shanghai. The ancient town dates back to Ming Dynasty. It’s highly recommended to enjoy the boat ride from one end of the water way to the other. Ke Zhi Garden and multiple shops and bridges, and street vendors selling handicrafts and goldfish and turtles provide a respite from boisterous metropolitan city.

After a good rest at hotel in the afternoon, you will be transferred to Shanghai Pudong International Airport and take flight to Chengdu. After you arrived in Chengdu, the guide will be meeting you and take you the hotel.

Stay overnight in Chengdu

Day 4 Chengdu

Sightseeing and Activities: Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center, Jin Li Street and Wuhou Shrine
Accommodation:Chengdu
Meals:Breakfast, lunch

Chengdu is the major overland gateway to Tibet and home to giant pandas. In the morning, we will drive about half an hour to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center, where you will catch pandas’ feeding time, they are at their most active, both Adults and Babies. There’s a wealth of information and a panda museum in this 230-hectare park 10 km (6 miles) north of Chengdu. It takes about 2.5 hours to visit this site.

In the afternoon, we will move back to downtown Chengdu to visit Jin Li Street, a vivid replica of the old commercial street of Qin, Han, and Three Kingdom dynasties. You can take a leisurely stroll along the street and buy some souvenirs. After that, we can tour the famous Wushou Shrine, where tourists can learn more of the celebrated warriors of Three Kingdoms and many more Chinese poetry and calligraphy, etc. can also be seen.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

Day 5 Chengdu to Lhasa by Flight

Sightseeing and Activities:None
Accommodation:
Meals:

After breakfast, you will take your flight to Lhasa at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. Upon arriving in Lhasa airport, you will be transferred to your hotel in Lhasa. The rest of the day is free for you to acclimatize the high elevation of Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 6 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Potala Place, Jokhang Temple, Barkor Street
Accommodation:
Meals:

Today’s tour will first bring you to the Potala Palace which is the winter palace of the Dalai lama. It was put to use since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

Then after lunch, tourists 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 only most venerated object in Tibetan Buddhism. Around the temple is Barkhor Street where you can do kora (a religious circle of a building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals, in the meantime you can buy souvenirs.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Day 7 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Drepung and Sera Monastery
Accommodation:
Meals:

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

In the Afternoon, Tourists will visit Sera Monastery which is another one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. The hot attraction is the Monks debate at around 3 – 5 in the afternoon.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 8 Train to Xian

Sightseeing and Activities:Qinghai-Tibet Railway Sightseeing
Accommodation:
Meals:

In the morning, you will be transferred to Lhasa Railway Station for your train to Xian. The train Z166 from Lhasa to Xian starts at 11:15am and arrives in Xian at 20:34pm next day. You will spend a whole day on the world famous Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the highest railway in the world.

Enjoy fabulous scenery through the sightseeing windows. Spectacular land of snows, boundless desert, vast grassland, grand ice mountains, and beautiful lakes will continually appear and strongly attract your heart.

Stay overnight in the train.

Day 9 Arrive in Xian by Tibet train

Sightseeing and Activities:Qinghai-Tibet Railway Sightseeing
Accommodation:
Meals:

As you arrive in Xian, the local guide will escort you to your hotels. And the rest of the day is for you to have a rest.

Stay overnight in Xi’an

Day 10 Xian

Sightseeing and Activities:The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Accommodation:
Meals:

In the morning, we are about to visit the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. You will not only be attracted by the life-sized warrior figures and horses, each of which has distinct facial expressions and positions, but also be astonished by various kinds of ancient weapons which reflect the highly advanced technology in weapon-making 2,200 years ago.

Afterwards, we will head to tour another must-see attraction in Xi’an Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Originally built in 652 during the Tang dynasty, the Pagoda is known for keeping the Buddhist scriptures and figurines of the Buddha brought by Xuanzang, one of the most renowned Chinese monks. The whole place is one of the most visited destinations by international tourists in Xi’an.

Stay overnight in Xi’an.

Day 11 Fly from Xi’an to Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities:Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City
Accommodation:
Meals:

Take the morning flight (around 2 hours) from Xi’an to Beijing first. Later the guide will get you transferred to hotels. In the afternoon, we will stroll on the historic Tiananmen Square which is the largest city square in the world and the spiritual heart of China, and the magnificent Forbidden City which used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties with a history of around 600 years.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Day 12 Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities:Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven
Accommodation:
Meals:

Today, you will marvel at the incredible Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven. Summer Palace was an imperial summer resort of the Qing Dynasty. The Temple of Heaven is a royal sacred site where prayers for good harvests, prosperity and harmonious life are offered.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Day 13 Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities:Great Wall at Badaling, Ming Tombs – Changling
Accommodation:
Meals:

Visit the majestic Great Wall (Badaling section) and the Ming Tombs. You will be taken on a group tour to the Great Wall, the most famous symbol of China and one of the world’s most remarkable architectural wonders. This section was first built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD).

Then you will visit the Ming Tombs, the burial site of the emperor Wanli, the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty who ruled for 48 years until his death in 1620.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Day 14 Depart from Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities:Depart from Beijing
Accommodation:
Meals:

You will be transferred to airport for your flight to your next destination. 

Recommended Hotels

Quotations

Service Included:

• Tibet travel permit and all other necessary permits to Tibet;
• All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary;
• Personal knowledgeable English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide;
• Personal comfortable, clean and safe vehicle with reliable Tibetan local driver; vehicle ranging from 4WD land cruiser to minibus depending on your group size;
• All lodging listed in the itinerary; it’s your decision about the accommodation class: luxury 5-star international hotel, comfortable 4-star hotel, economic 3-star hotel or budget hostel, guesthouse or tent. Please tell us your accommodation preference when submitting the enquiry; we will arrange the best-value hotels for you.
• Domestic flight/train tickets listed in the itinerary;
• All meals listed in the above itinerary;
• Tourist accident/casualty insurance;
• First aid kit;

Service Excluded:

• International flight to and out of China;
• Chinese visa (Note: we could help you with the Chinese visa application, like providing the invitation letter, presenting the hotel or domestic flight reservation copies, etc that you may need. )
• Domestic flight/train not listed in the itinerary. (We can provide you the domestic flight/train ticket booking service at the BEST discount price; please contact us our travel experts for the details.)
• Meals not specified in the itinerary; usually it costs about USD3-15 per person for one meal in TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region).
• Tips and gratitude to tour guide and driver;
• Personal expenses, like laundry, phone call, snacks, soft drinks (please do the best to avoid the alcoholic beverages during your Tibet trip), optional tour activities, etc.