Beijing – Lhasa Tour

Explore China’s capital city –Beijing. Visit Ancients Palaces the Forbidden City and Lama Temple and enjoy Royal Garden of Summper Palace and Temple of Heaven. Experience local Beijingers life by take rishaw through the small old alleys. Afterwards fly to the city of God – Lhasa and explore the heart of Tibet by visiting Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and walking around the Barkhor street and then finally the tour ends with visit the holy lake of Namtso in Tibet.

Day 1: Arrive Beijing International Airport.

Our guide will be waiting for you at the airport . After greeting and introduction, we will transfer you to the hotel in Beijing.

Day 2. Beijing Sightseeing

Highlights: Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City and Summer Palace

After pick you up from your hotel in the morning, we will drive to our first stop of the day, the Tian’anmen Square which has been very well known both its modern political and  cultural history. After walking across the square we will enter the Forbidden City, the world’s largest surviving palace complex and the former home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The Forbidden City is one of the greatest attractions in the world. It was built by the third Ming emperor between 1406-1422 and  served as the official residence and politic center to the Emperor of China until the last emperor, Puyi, was forced to evacuate in 1924.  The Forbidden City is the best example of classical Chinese architecture in the world, and is one of the greatest wonders of the world. Afterwards, we will drive to Summer Palace. Having the largest royal park and being well preserved, the Summer Palace is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, UNESCO listed it as one of the World Heritage Sites. Highlights not to be missed are climbing Longevity Hill, viewing the Empress Dowager Cixi’s extravagant Marble Boat, and talking a walk down Suzhou jie Street, a canal meant to resemble the beautiful river city of Suzhou. In the later afternoon, we will drive back to your hotel. Overnight in Beijing

Day 3. Beijing sightseeing

Highlights: The Famous Great Wall of China and Olympic Village

After pick you up from your hotel,  we will drive outside of the city towards the Great wall at Mutianyu section.  As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. Compared with other sections of Great Wall, the Mutianyu Great Wall possesses unique characteristics in its construction. Watchtowers are densely placed along this section of the Great Wall. Besides its strategically important location and compact layout, the Mutianyu Great Wall is also famous for the breath-taking scenery. The wall presents different aspects of beauty in the four seasons. Flowers bloom all over the mountains in spring. Grasses dress the hillside green in summer. Trees are laden with sweet fruits in autumn, and especially in October, leaves are turning red or yellow, touching the mountain tops with gold. In winter, the wall is covered by snow, making it seem more even more magnificent.  While Mutianyu does get its fair share of visitors, it does not get as packed as Badaling, allowing you to have a peaceful time exploring the wall. After walking around on Mutianyu, you have the option of coming down via walking, taking a cable car, or taking a toboggan ride. (You are responsible paying for the fees if applied). Once you come down to the bottom of the mountain, we will have lunch at a local authentic Chinese restaurant. Afterwards, drive to the Olympic Village. The Olympic Green was the center of the event that captivated the world for two weeks in August of 2008. The highlights include the Bird’s Nest (officially known as the Beijing National stadium) and the Water Cube (the Beijing National Aquatics Center). The Bird’s Nest hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, athletic events, and football final of the 2008 Summer Olympics, from 8 August to 24 August 2008. Since the Olympic end, the Bird’s Nest has been used to host events ranging from opera to a ski park during the winter season. After visiting the Olympic center, we will drive back to your hotel.

Day 4.  Beijing sightseeing

Highlights: Temple of Heaven, Lama Temple and Hutong tour

Your guide will pick you up at your hotel and drive to Temple of Heaven.  The complex was used as annual prayer ceremony site for having a good harvest by the emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties. The tour inside Temple of Heaven will follow with the walking way of the emperors. You will see local people doing Taiji or ballroom dancing in the park.  Afterwards, we will visit Lama Temple or Yonghe Temple which was built in 1694 and converted into a monastery in 1722. Today, the lama temple still functioning as a Tibetan Buddhist monastery.  After lunch, we will conclude your tour with us by going to a Hutong Tour of old Beijing. You will go on this tour by rickshaw. Hutongs are courtyard homes chained together around narrow alleys, and served as the lifeline and center of everyday life in old Beijing. The hutongs were a critical component in the development and evolution of Beijing folklore and culture. While there are still hutong houses in the city, they are quickly disappearing due to the demands of a rapidly modernizing Beijing, so see the hutongs while you still can.

After your tour of hutong and old Beijing we will return you to your hotel, thus completing your 3 day Beijing Tour.

Day 5: Beijing – Lhasa  [3658m]

Welcome to Lhasa! Transfer to your hotel and get settled. Rest of the day for acclimatizing the high altitude. Walk around Lhasa street on your own.

Day 6. Lhasa sightseeing

Highlghts:  Drepung Monastery, Nechung Temple and Sera Monastery

Visit Drepung, one of the three most famous monasteries in Lhasa. Drepung is located just outside Lhasa on Gambo Utse Mountain. Once home to as many as 10,000 monks, the enormous monastic complex is the site of many prayer halls, dormitories, and temples. Just below the monastery is the Nechung temple, the former home of the state oracle. Afterwards, visit Sera monastery, where you can watch monks debate in the courtyard. If you enjoy hiking, walk the hour-long circumambulation path around the monastery complex.

Day 7: Lhasa sightseeing

Highlights: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Dropenling Tibetan Handicrafts and Barkhor street

In the morning, visit the Potala Palace, the greatest monumental structure in all of Tibet. The Potala is 13 stories high and holds countless treasures in its many rooms. Built in 637 AD, the Potala has been home to the Dalai Lama lineage for more than a thousand years. Also visit the Jokhang Temple, the holiest temple in all of Tibet. From the rooftop you will see pilgrims from all over Tibet prostrating in front to the Jowo Buddha statue inside the monastery. Afterwards, we will visit to the Dropenling handicrafts Shop which is a Tibetan owned  social enterprises aim to serve Tibetan Artisans and support their families. Once we come back to Barkhor street, we will walk through the Barkhor, a famous shopping street filled with goods and souvenirs from Tibet, Nepal, and India.  Spend some time drinking sweet tea in a traditional tea house located on a rooftop overlooking the bustling Barkhor.

 Day 8:  Lhasa – Yangpachen – Namtso Lake – Lhasa [4700m], 500km, 8 hours

Drive past Yangpachen natural hot springs and continue on to Namtso. Namtso, known as the “Heavenly Lake,” is the largest saltwater lake in Tibet. Located high in the mountains, it is situated at the edge of the severely-weathered Changthang Plateau to the north of Lhasa. It is surrounded by beautiful snowy mountains. At Namtso, try riding a yak, climb up a rocky hill for a great view of the lake, and drink tea in a nomad tent. Return to Lhasa in the afternoon.

Day 9. Fly back to Beijing or Chengdu (or other city where you can connect with your international flight)

Say goodbye to China!