China Tours:
Day 1 Arrive Beijing
Transfer via: International Flight arranged by you
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Beijing is an ancient city with a long history. It is the political, cultural and economic center of China. Upon your arrival at Beijing's international airport, your personal tour guide will meet you with a welcome sign and escort you to your hotel. Your guide will confirm your Beijing itinerary with you and be glad to introduce some good local restaurants near your hotel, where you will be free to have a small adventure by trying China's traditional cuisine on your own. The rest of the day you will be yours to rest and adjust to the time zone difference before you begin exploring the ancient and cosmopolitan city of Beijing the next day.
Day 2
Beijing Tours(B)
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Sites visited: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven
After breakfast, you will first visit Beijing's historic Tiananmen Square, followed by a visit to the magnificent Forbidden City. In the afternoon, you will marvel at another Beijing's famous landmarks, The Temple of Heaven built in 15th century. In the evening you will be free to explore Beijing and its nightlife.
The magnificent Forbidden City is China's most magnificent architectural complex.
Temple of Heaven - the most sacred place where emperor prayed for a good harvest every year.
Day 3 Beijing (B)
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Sites visited: Simatai Great Wall
Your personal guide will pick you up from your hotel and you will be driven by private car to China's famous Great Wall (Simatai section). Upon arriving at the Great Wall you will take a three hour hike along the Simatai section. Hiking along the great wall is a challenging and enlightening experience. A simple lunch will be held on the wall. After your hike along the Great Wall you will be driven back to downtown Beijing.
Day 4 Beijing (B,L)
Accommodations: Jianguo Garden Hotel
Sites visited: Hutongs
After enjoying breakfast in your hotel, you will get a chance to visit Beijing's famous Hutongs (Alleyway) by rickshaw. Lunch will be served in a local family's home during the tour where you can learn to make Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings). After your tour of the hutongs you will be taken back to your hotel for a little rest and relaxation before tomorrow's visit to mysterious Tibet.
The amazing Great Wall offers tourists lots of the hiking chance and the beautiful view.
Hutong is just like Beijing's encyclopedia which is going to tell you more stories about the old Beijing.
Day 5 Beijing / Lhasa (B)
Transfer via: Internal Flight arranged by China Odyssey Tours
Accommodations: Tibet Hotel
Sites visited: Tibet Museum
On your last day in China's capital you will be free to explore a bit on your own until your guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to your next destination, Tibet's Lhasa. Upon your arrival at Gonggar airport, you will be met by your personal tour guide and taken to your hotel in Lhasa city (2 hour drive). En route to your hotel you will see the giant stone Buddha carved in the face of a mountain. After checking into your hotel you will have a chance to rest to adapt yourself to Lhasa's high altitude. In the late afternoon your guide will take you to the Tibet Museum.
Day 6 Lhasa (B,L)
Accommodations: Tibet Hotel
Sites visited: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Your sightseeing today will include the Lhasa's cardinal landmarks. You will visit the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and flourishing Barkhor Street.
Day 7 Lhasa (B,L)
Accommodations: Tibet Hotel
Sites visited: Norbulingka Park, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Tibetan Family
On this day you will be brought to Norbulingka Park, The Drepung Monastery, and the Sera Monastary. Also you will be able to meet a Tibetan family, where you will be warmly welcomed in the traditional Tibetan way afterwards you will be entertained with traditional Tibetan cuisine.
The monks in the Drepung Monastery are drawing the Buddhism spiritual painting.
The Tibetan Family offers you an excellent chance to understand the normal life of the Tibetan.
Day 8 Lhasa / Chengdu (B,D)
Transfer via: Internal Flight arranged by China Odyssey Tours
Accommodations: Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
Special Dinner: Chuan Food
After your memorable tour of Tibet, your guide will escort you to the airport for your flight to Chengdu. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province. Upon arrival at Chengdu, you will be met by your tour guide and escorted to your hotel for a rest. In the evening you will enjoy a delicious dinner of Sichuan food at a local restaurant. Sichuan food is famous for its hot and spicy "Tongue Numbing" dishes.
Day 9 Chengdu (B,L)
Accommodations: Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
Sites visited: Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage, Tea houses, Wenshu Temple
On this day you will get to meet one of China's living treasures, the panda bear. After your breakfast you will travel to Chengdu's Giant Panda Breeding Research Base where you will first-hand get to see the loveable pandas. After your visit to China's living treasures you will visit Du Fu's Thatched Roof Cottage and Wenshu Temple where you can spend some time sitting in its tea house to enjoy a cup of tea and absorb the special atmosphere of Chengdu.
Tea House is a superb place to enjoy both the food and the culture.
Wenshu Temple is Chengdu's largest and best preserved Buddhist temple.
Day 10 Chengdu / Lijiang (B,L)
Transfer via: Internal Flight arranged by China Odyssey Tours
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Lijiang
Sites visited: Lijiang Ancient Town, Lion Hill
On this day you are free to roam about the city until your guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to Lijiang. Upon your arrival at Lijiang County, "an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage" site, your guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. In the afternoon, you will have an excursion into the Ancient Town and the Lion Hill.
Day 11 Lijiang / Half-way Guest House (B,L)
Accommodations: Half Way Guesthouse
Sites visited: Tiger Leaping Gorge
This morning you will be taken by private car to the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge. Here you will descend the more than 400 steps down to the river bed where you can see the very rock mentioned in ancient legends and hear the roaring of the Jinsha River. After enjoying the awe inspiring scenery you will continue hiking from Tiger Leaping Gorge until you reach the Half-way Guest House (approximately 6 hours). Along the way you will walk between two snow capped mountains, Jade Dragon Mountain(5596m) and Mt.Haba(5396m). Along this path you will experience the grandness of this gorge and understand why it has been a destination for travelers for centuries.
Lijiang Ancient Town - China's most beautiful and the comfortable ancient town.
Tiger Leaping Gorge - the most adventurous and the attractive sight in China.
Day 12 Half-way Guesthouse / No. 1 Woody's house (B,L)
Accommodations: No. 1 Woody's house (Guesthouse)
After Breakfast you will continue hiking for approximately 5 hours along the High Trail from Half-way Guesthouse. Along the way you will pass the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge and Heaven's Stairs until you get to the Hetaoyuan (Walnut Grove). There you will stay at No. 1 Woody's house. This guesthouse has a platform which at an altitude of 2175m gives you a spectacular view of the Tiger Leaping Gorge. (If you think you are energetic enough, you can choose to take another path called "Heaven of One Thread" from the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge to the Hetaoyuan (Walnut Grove), which will take you approximately one more hour than the previous route.)
Day 13 Daju / Lijiang (B,L)
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Lijiang
Sites visited: Daju, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Today's hike will take you from Hetaoyuan (Walnut Grove) to Daju (approximately 6 hours). Walk along the Yangtze River on the main road in the beginning and then on the small trail down on the bank of the river, where you will take a very simple ferry to cross the Yangtze River (about 20 minutes on the ferry) to the Daju side. You will continue hiking up a small trail to the parking lot where your private car will meet you and help you transfer back to Lijiang (87km away). Along the way, you will view the white water river and the other side of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Day 14 Lijiang (B,L)
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Lijiang
Sites visited: Black Dragon Pool Park, Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture
In the morning, you will take an excursion to Lion Hill inside the Ancient Town, and the Black Dragon Pool Park, and Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture inside the park. You will have the afternoon to wander the Ancient Town by yourself.
It is a common sight to see a group of Miao ethnic women doing the art performance in the Black Dragon Pool Park.
You could visit the Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture after visited the Black Dragon Pool Park.
Day 15 Lijiang / Kunming / Guilin (B,L)
Transfer via: Internal Flight arranged by China Odyssey Tours
Accommodations: Guilin Park Hotel
This morning you will be free to rest until your guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to your next destination, Kunming. Upon arriving in Kunming you will transfer to your flight to Guilin. Your guide will help you check in at the Kunming airport. When you arrive in Guilin, the most scenic and beautiful city in China, your guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day you will be free to rest and refresh yourself for tomorrow's adventure in Guilin.
Day 16 Guilin / Longsheng / Guilin (B,L)
Accommodations: Guilin Park Hotel
Sites visited: Longji, Yao People, Zhuang People
Your first day in Guilin will bring you to Longsheng (Dragon's back) Autonomous County by private car (approximately 2 hours). Longsheng Autonomous County is located 90km northwest of Guilin. This county is renowned for its many ethnic minorities. Within this county live the Zhuang, Yao, Miao, and Dong minority groups. In recent years, this county has become a popular destination for photography enthusiasts and people who are interested in minority culture. On this tour you will not only enjoy the awe-inspiring panorama of terraced rice paddies, the most famous section is called Longji, lush bamboo groves and small villages on the hillside along the way. Even more unforgettable than the scenery is the rich culture of the local ethnic groups.
The amazing Longji Rice Terrace Field just like a fairyland on earth.
Yao people are one of the ethnic minority in Longji.
Day 17 Guilin / Yangshuo (B,L)
Accommodations: New Century Hotel
Sites visited: Li River Cruise, Yangshuo County
After having breakfast at the hotel, you will be driven to Zhujiang Pier (about 40-minute drive) to start a boat cruise along the famed Li River which is a must see for any traveler to Guilin. The cruise will take you to Yangshuo County. Along the river, you will be inspired by breathtaking views of Guilin's famous Karst mountain peaks and pinnacles, crystal-clear water and serene pastoral views of rice paddies and water buffaloes cooling themselves in the river. It will feel as though you have stepped into a traditional Chinese painting. A Chinese lunch which is cooked on board will be served. After checking in to your hotel in Yangshuo, you will explore the spectacular karst countryside along Jima road by your choice of either bicycle or small electric tour bus.
Day 18 Yangshuo / Guilin / Departure (B)
Sites visited: Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Reed Flute Cave
On this day you will be driven back to Guilin (1.5-hour drive) by private car and then upon arriving in Guilin have a tour of the Elephant Trunk Hill Park and the Fubo (Wave Subduing) Hill Park. Your lunch will be served at a restaurant specializing in local cuisine, or for the more adventurous could sample the spicy food of Sichuan. After lunch you will visit the fabulous Reed Flute Cave. And then you will be escorted to the airport for your flight to your next destination.
Cruising on the crystal clear Li River.
The magically illuminated Reed Flute Cave.