15 days China dreams with Tibet tour from Beijing

Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China,  and a great place to start your 15-day China tour to Tibet. Upon your arrival in Beijing, be greeted and assisted to your hotel by our local guide and driver. Have the rest of the day to take a break or explore China's capital city on your own. Your local guide will be ready to offer suggestions on where to go your first night in Beijing.

This morning you will visit Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City. After breakfast, head to Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing city. The square, regarded as the largest in the world, is an important place for Chinese people to hold a celebration or other big occasions. At the north end of the square, you will see the magnificent Forbidden City, an ancient palace complex where 24 emperors had lived and worked during Ming an Qing Dynasty. Enter directly into the Forbidden City, and learn about the detailed history of the city and what life was once like for the emperors, empress and their servants who used to live here from your guide.

In the afternoon drive back to visit the Summer Palace, the largest and best preserved imperial garden in China. It's also considered to be one of the four classic gardens. Here you can witness the breathtaking scenery which combines the natural landscape of hill and open water with many elegant pavilions, temples, halls, and bridges. In 1998, UNESCO declared it as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design.

You may choose to enjoy a Kong Fu show in the evening.

After breakfast, head to the Temple of Heaven, a frozen masterpiece of architecture and landscape in China's history. A holy imperial temple where emperors once prayed for a good harvest and offered sacrifices to the God of Heaven during every winter solstice.

Then take 2.5 hours' drive to the Mutianyu Great Wall, located about 80 km. (50 mi.) north from Beijing. Then enjoy 2 to 3 hours to walk along the great wall and take photos. You can also enjoy the breathtaking scenery of this man-made wonder by taking a cable car. 

In the evening, you can choose to savor the world famous Beijing roast duck or another local specialty for dinner.

After breakfast, head to Sichahai Area of Western Beijing and explore the Hutong culture. During your visit, the local guide will tell you the history and traditional cultures of old Beijing. Then transfer to aboard the high-speed train to Xi'an - about 4.5 hours' ride. Xi'an train station pick-up and transfer to the hotel.

Start tour today by visiting the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, also known as the eighth wonder of the world. Have a glimpse of three exposed pits lined with clay warriors and horses which were created by Qin Shi Huang the first emperor in China, to defend his mausoleum and help him rule in the afterlife. 

In the afternoon, drive back to Xi'an city and take a visit to Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is the iconic landmark of Xi'an. It's a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place to preserve the Buddhist sutras brought from India by the famous monk Xuanzang. Afterward, head to the Muslim Quarters and the Great Mosque to feel the unique ethnic culture of Hui (Chinese Muslim) in Xi'an. 

In the evening, you may choose to enjoy the Tang Dynasty Dinner Show.

After breakfast, you will visit the Shaanxi History Museum, one of the largest museums in China. This museum is famous for more than 300,000 exhibitions and its impressive Tang Dynasty architectural style.

Afterward, head to the Xi'an City Wall, one of the oldest and best-preserved city walls in China. Then take a walk along Shuyuan Men, an ancient street where you can taste the local snacks and feel the local life from the Tang Dynasty. Then have some free time on your own.

In the morning, your guide will assist you to the airport for taking the flight to Lhasa, a holy city in China. The flight will take about 3 hours. Upon arrival, the rest of the day is yours for starting acclimatizing to the high altitude. Your Lhasa tour will start tomorrow.

Today visit the Potala Place, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street all within Lhasa city. The Potala Place was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama and a visit here affords you the chance to witness this impressive its' Tibetan structure. As you ascend be prepared to walk through the now quiet rooms that once were filled by dignitaries, passing giant golden Buddha statues, tombs of past lamas. Beyond being a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, the Potala Palace is an indescribable experience never to be missed in Tibet.

Afterward, visit Jokhang Temple, a 1300-year-old temple which is the vibrant spiritual center of Tibet. The name Jokhang means the "House of the Buddha" in Sanskrit and is always a bustling place with pilgrims and cultural relics at every corner. Lastly complete your first Kora as you walk with pilgrims along Barkhor Street, jammed with 1,000's of devoted pilgrims, locals and many little shops selling souvenirs.

Drive to the Ganden Monastery located at the top of Wangbur Mountain, about 35 km. (20 mi.) from Lhasa's city center. Once home to the Dali Lama before the Potala Palace's construction it is an amazing place to explore one of the oldest Tibetan monasteries and one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university of Tibet.

In the afternoon, drive back to Lhasa and continue with a visit to Sera Monastery, which is also the second of the "great three" Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet. This monastery is famous for its' lively Buddhism Scriptures Debating that is set within a stone walled natural courtyard.

After visiting several famous monasteries and exploring the Tibetan Buddhist culture during your first 2 days in Tibet, now head to the breathtaking Yamdrok Tso Lake, one of the three sacred lakes in Tibet. A great place to have a picnic lunch while taking in the magnificent lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

A highlight of this day is a visit to a local Tibetan family, where you can see and learn more about Tibetan customs and how their daily living. Be invited to have butter tea or sweet tea by the hospitable host. Late in the afternoon, drive back to Lhasa.

In the morning, be driven to the airport for a flight to your next destination, Chengdu. The flight time is about 2 hours. Be certain to keep your camera with you as the view is amazing. Your local guide will greet you at the Chengdu airport and assist you to visit Leshan Giant Buddha. The grand Buddha was completed in 803 of Tang Dynasty after 90 year's construction and enjoys the fame of the biggest sitting stone sculpture in the world with a 71-meter height. Carved on the cliff face, the sculpture is well designed with perfect balance and effective water drainage system.

In the morning, take a visit to No.1 attraction the Chengdu Panda Base to get up close contact with our world famous pandas, one of the rarest animals in the world. Today the giant panda only lives in few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan Province, and the Panda Base is absolutely best place to see them.

Afternoon, you will be arranged to visit People's Park and Jinli Street. People's Park is a great place to get insight the daily life of locals who come here relax, exercise, play games like Mah-jongg and chess, sing and dance, or find love matches for their loved ones. You will be arranged to have a cup of tea like locals in the open air Heming Tea House, a great place to slow down and rest your legs. Jinli Street is an ancient street in Chengdu, where you can challenger your self by tasting the local spicy snacks or buy some souvenirs for your family and friends.

In the evening, drive to the airport for the flight to Shanghai, the last destination of your 15 days China tour. Upon arrival be meet your Shanghai guide and be assisted to your hotel.

After breakfast, enjoy a visit to Yu Garden in Shanghai's old town. You will witness a large number of breathtaking landscapes, shaded alcoves, glittering pools churning with bright carp, pavilions, pines sprouting wistfully rooted in rocks and whispering bamboo. Just next door to the garden is the Yuyuan Market, here find many antiques and souvenirs for sale. Afterwards, head to Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall and learn about the developing process as well as the future evolution in Shanghai.

In the afternoon, you will visit Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in Shanghai. Then walk through Nanjing Road and see the beautiful scenery of the Bund in Shanghai.

In the evening, you may choose to have a wonderful cruise along the Huangpu River to see the night scene of Shanghai.

As one of the last days of the tour, we have left it open and flexible, have one full day free to explore Shanghai. go shopping or just walk around to get a better understanding of this modern city. You can easily ask your local guide for some suggestions on where to go or what to see.

Pack up and say farewell, as we help you depart from this remarkable trip. Your guide and driver will take you to the airport or train station for departure. Wish you have a pleasant journey home.