We had a wonderful time in Tibet. We have learned a lot about this unique destination because of the wonderful guide Degyi who is so knowledge and always available towards our tours. We stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel Lhasa, and we would never imagine a Tibet travel could be so nice and amazing without the help of Degyi.
Also, thanks a lot to our Tibetan driver Mr.Wongdun for his safe driving and a good sense of service along the way.
We shall return Tibet in the near future!
P.B. and A. A - Europe
Tibet Travel
June 2018 (Private Tibet Journey from Kathmandu)
Tour Name: Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour to China Tour Code: M91D305 Duration: 12 Days & 11 Nights Destination: Beijing, Datong, Wutaishan, Taiyuan, Pingyao, Xian Features: This 12-day Pilgrimage Tour begins in majestic Beijing, then you will travel to Datong where you will explore the Yungang Grottoes, and see the magnificent Mount Wutai before getting to ancient town Pingyao. At last you will travel in Xian to watch the amazing Terracotta Warriors and unique Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Departure Date: You Choose! Tour Price: From $ P.P |
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Tour Dates |
Destinations |
Tours & Services |
Meals |
Accommodation |
Day01 |
Beijing |
Arrive in Beijing, be met and transferred to hotel. | N/A |
Jianguo Hotel |
Day02 |
Beijing |
Full day visit Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, The Temple of Heaven. | B, L |
Jianguo Hotel |
Day03 |
Beijing |
Full day visit Badaling Great Wall, Ming Tombs, The Sacred Way. In the evening enjoy "Kung Fu Show" at the "Red Theatre". | B, L |
Jianguo Hotel |
Day04 |
Beijing - Datong |
In the morning, visit Summer Palace, Hutong Tours in Rickshaw, later of the day transferred to railway station and take soft sleeper train to Datong, arrival Datong in the evening, transferred to hotel. | B, L | Datong Garden Hotel |
Day05 |
Datong |
One day tour to visit Yungang Grottoes, Nine-dragon Screen and Huayan Temple. | B, L | Datong Garden Hotel |
Day06 |
Datong - Wutaishan |
Transferred to Wutaishan (Mt.Wutai). On the way visit Hanging Temple and Wooden Pagoda. | B, L | Huahui Hotel |
Day07 |
Wutaishan |
Full day guided tour on Mt.Wutai (Wutaishan). | B, L | Huahui Hotel |
Day08 |
Wutaishan - Pingyao |
Drive to Pingyao via Taiyuan. Visit Jin Ancestral Temple in Taiyuan. | B, L | De Chao Ge Hotel |
Day09 |
Pingyao - Xian |
Full day guided tour in Pingyao to visit Pingyao Ancient Town, Wang Family Compound and Shuanglin Temple. Take overnight sleeper train to Xian | B, L | Soft sleeper train |
Day10 |
Xian |
Arrive in Xian, visit Ancient City Wall, Shaanxi Provincial Museum, Bell Tower. | B, L | Grand New World Hotel |
Day11 |
Xian |
Full day visit The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, Big Wild Goose Pagoda. | B, L | Grand New World Hotel |
Day12 |
Xian |
Transferred to airport for your departure flight (to Beijing or Shanghai etc). Trip ends. | B | N/A |
Day01 Arrival Beijing | ||
Day02 Beijing (B, L)
Enjoy your buffet breakfast at your hotel. Today you will have a day guided tour to explore Beijing. This morning the tour begins with a visit of the Temple of Heaven, located in the southern part of Beijing, and has been one of the most holy places for the whole country for more than five centuries. It used as a complex of sacrificial buildings for the Ming and Qing emperors, and is the largest one in Beijing among several royal altars to Heaven, Earth, the Sun, the Moon and other deities or symbolic forces of Nature. Then you will take a walking in the iconic Tiananmen Square, which is probably the biggest one of its kind in the world. From here you will go on to the Forbidden City (also known officially as the Imperial Palace Museum) was commissioned by the third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yong Le. The palace was built between 1406 and 1420, but was burnt down, rebuilt, sacked and renovated countless times, so most of the architecture you can see today dates from the 1700's and on wards. The Forbidden City was the seat of Imperial power for 500 years, and is now a major tourist attraction in China. The total area of the complex is 183 acres, so it takes quite a while to walk through, especially if you want to have a close look at everything. All together there are 9,999 1/2 rooms in the Museum, not all of which can be visited.
Day03 Beijing (B, L)
This morning you will head to the Great Wall of China at Badaling. The Great Wall, like the Pyramids of Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India and the Hanging Garden of Babylon, is one of the great wonders of the world. Starting out in the east on the banks of the Yalu Rivers in Liaoning Province, the Great Wall stretches westwards for 12,700km to Jiayuguan in the Bobi Desert, thus known as the Ten Thousand Li Wall in China. The lunch today will be arranged at a good restaurant at the foot of the Great Wall. In the afternoon you will pass through the Sacred Way to visit the Ming Tomb. Composed of memorial archway, ornamental pillar, and stele pavilion ornamental etc, the Sacred Way is a long path that leads you to the Ming Tomb. It was thought to have leaded the emperors' souls to enter heaven. The Ming Tomb is the burial site of 13 out of 17 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Being the last resting place of 13 emperors, it is also called as Thirteen Tombs by Chinese. In the evening enjoy "Kung Fu Show" at the "Red Theatre".
Day04 Beijing - Datong (B, L)
This morning you will take a unique Hutong tour by a rickshaw to discover the old residential area of Beijing. Hutongs are closely associated with individual four-sided courtyard in which people live. Most Hutongs are running east west for the local dwellers to procure the sunlight. Afterwards you will visit the Summer Palace. Located at the northwest suburb of Beijing, the Summer Palace was originally a royal garden and a temporary dwelling palace for emperors of Qing Dynasty, Its predecessor was the Garden of Clear Ripples (Qingyiyuan) started in 1750 and burned down by the British and French allied troops in 1860. In 1886, Empress Dowager Cixi used navy outlays and other funds in the reconstruction and renamed the park as Summer Palace in 1888.The Summer Palace in northwest suburban Beijing is the largest and most complete imperial garden existing in China. You will also Lama Temple, or Yonghe Lamasery, which was built in the 33 Qing Kangxi year (1694) and it is now the largest and best-preserved Lamasery of Yellow Sect in Beijing. It was the residence of Emperor Yongzheng before his ascending to the throne. Later of the day transferred to railway station and take soft sleeper train to Datong, arrival Datong in the evening, transferred to hotel.
Day05 Datong (B, L)
You have a day tour in and around Datong. Transfer to visit Yungang Grottoes, are ancient Buddhist temple grottoes near the city of Datong in northern China's Shanxi Province. The four main sites in China that are famous for their stone sculpture are Dunhuang, Longmen, Yungang and Dazu. Among these, the Yungang grottoes are considered first among equals, for their tremendous size, their ancient history, and their relatively complete state of preservation. In 2001 the site was listed as an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Besides, you will also visit Huayan Temple and the Nine-Dragon-Wall, one of the four nine-dragon-screen-walls in China.
Day06 Datong - Mt. Wutai (B, L)
Enjoy your buffet breakfast at your hotel. Today you will head for Mt.Wutai. On your way you will visit the Hanging Temple in Hunyuan County and the Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian County. The Hanging Temple is an architectural wonder. It was built on a cliff face. The building complex was built on the base of the natural hollows and outcrops along the contour of the cliff. Over 40 halls, cabinets and pavilions within an area of 152.5 square meters are connected each other by corridors, bridges, boardwalks. They are evenly distributed and well balanced in height. The Wooden Pagoda is another must-see attraction for any tours to Datong. The Pagoda, built completely of timber, and standing 67.31 meters high, is the only extant large wooden pagoda in China and also the tallest among ancient wooden buildings of the world. Later of the day check in your hotel at the mountain foot of Wutaishan (Mt.Wutai).
Day07 Wutaishan (B, L)
Full day guided tour on Mt.Wutai. Mt. Wutai (Wutaishan) lies in Wutai County in Xinzhou Region, Shanxi Province. It is rated on both the list of the first group of national scenic spots designated by the State Council, and the list of the Top 10 scenic spots in Shanxi Province. It is as famous as Mt.Emeishan in Sichuan Province, Mt.Putuoshan in Zhejiang Province, and Mt.Jiuhuashan in Anhui Province, all of which are renowned as the four sacred Buddhist Mountains. Taking up an area of 592.88 square kilometers, Wutai means "Five Terraces" in Chinese. Mt. Wutai is taken up by five peaks, each of which is as flat as terrace on top. Due to the high altitude, the climate is cool even in summer. Therefore, it is also called Mt. Qingliang, which means cool in Chinese, bringing to mind a refreshing refuge from summer heat. Today you will visit the most famous temples and sights on Mt.Wutain – Wanfo Pavilion, Dailuo Summit (including roundtrip cable transfers), Xintong Monastery, Tayuan Monastery (Pagoda Monastery), Pusa Peak and Suxiang Temple (Temple of Manjusari). Lunch will be served at a local restaurant en route. Later of the day you will be transferred back your hotel.
Day08 Wutaishan - Taiyuan - Pingyao (B, L)
Check out your hotel after breakfast. Drive to Pingyao today. A relaxed driving today, enjoy the countryside landscapes in North China. On the way at Taiyuan you will visit Jin Ci (Jin Ancestral Temple), a good combination of historical cultural relics and beautiful landscapes. The welcoming boughs of a multitude of ancient trees provide an amazing entrance to the temple. Beyond this, the numerous halls, cabinets, pavilions and bridges are guaranteed to keep any visitor enthralled. Later in the afternoon you will arrive Pingyao, the ancient town. Check in your hotel and free.
Day09 Pingyao tour, night train to Xian (B, L)
A day guided tour in and around Pingyao. You will visit Ancient City Wall, Ming-Qing Street, Yamen, Shuanglin Monastery and Wang Family Compound. Pingyao Ancient Town is an ancient county typical of rural counties in North China, simple and steeped in ancient tradition. The Old Town of Pingyao was constructed according to the traditional planning and building style of the Han ethnic group and was laid out according to the functions of its different parts. Four large streets, eight smaller ones, and 72 lanes made a neat grid. Symmetrically arranged along an axis, the private houses were constructed either in the style of courtyard houses or in the style of manmade-cave houses, all with local features. Today, Pingyao still has 3,797 courtyard houses, 400 of them especially well preserved. In addition, richly decorated temples and shops are scattered all over the town. These old buildings bring back a scene of the flourishing town of Pingyao during the Ming and Qing periods. Additionally you will take a short trip to the Shuanglin Temple. Also known as "Double Forest Temple", Shuanglin Temple is located about 20 minutes drive from Pingyao Ancient Town. Shuanglin Temple was built about 1,500 years ago, and is renowned for ancient locust trees, steles, frescos and especially the vivid and well-preserved colored-painting mud sculptures which number over 2,000. After dinner you will be transferred to railway station and take a soft sleeper train to Xian.
Day10 Xian (B, L) In the morning your train arrives in Xian. Met with your local Xian guide and transfer to your hotel for breakfast and refreshments. After a brief rest, you will commence your Xian tour today. The tour includes the Ancient City Wall, the Bell Tower and Drum Tower in the city centre, a walking excursion to the Grand Mosque in the Hui Muslim Area and a study trip at the Shaaxi Historical Museum which is one of China's most prestigious museum. Built 600 years ago (1374 - 1378) in the Ming Dynasty, the Wall was added on the Tang Dynasty walls. Being the most prominent walls built after medieval time, it is also the best-kept and biggest city walls in Xian. | ||
Day11 Xian (B, L)
Your Xian tour begins with the mighty Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses. Discovered in 1974, Xian Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Site is one of the most important archaeological finds in the 20th century. In a vault of approximately 12,000m2 and 5m underground lay some 8,000 terracotta infantry soldiers, archers, cavalrymen and chariots arranged in battle formation, ready to defend their emperor's immortal soul. After the visit you will have a very good local lunch at a graceful restaurant. Then you will head back town and visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Situated inside Ci'en Temple (4 kilometers south of Xi'an City), it is one of the famous Buddhist pagodas in China. Sponsored by Tang Emperor Gaozong (628-683, reigned 650-683), the temple was first built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty as a symbol of thanksgiving to his mother for her kindness who had suffered an early death.
Day12 Depart Xian (B)
Your guide and driver will transfer you to airport according to your flight schedule. End of your China holiday.
Price inclusions: Price excluded:
Tour costing varies upon group size, travel season and hotel accommodation levels etc. For price details please email us at info@splendidchinatours.com.
01). All accommodations based on two persons sharing one room (single occupancy is subject to supplement);
02). China internal flights with airport tax or train as stated in the program;
03). Round-trip transfers between airports or railway stations, hotels, and scenic spots in each city by private air-conditioned vehicles with experienced licensed drivers;
04). All admission fees and activity expenses as listed in the itinerary;
05). Daily meals as specified in the itinerary: B denotes breakfast, L denotes lunch, and D denotes dinner (SD signifies special dinner);
06). Services of a local English speaking guide in each city (other languages can be arranged upon request, supplement may apply);
07). Travel Agency Liability Insurance during the tour;
08). Governmental taxes and fees.
01). International airfare to/from China;
02). Chinese Visa fees;
03). Expenses of personal natural such as laundry, telephone, drinks, mini bar etc;
04). Personal shopping, optional activities and excess baggage charges;
05). Gratuities for local tour guides, drivers and hotel bellboy etc;
06). International travel insurance;
07). Services and activities that are not mentioned in the itinerary.