Escorted Tour

Accommodations

Day 1 Beijing

Place & Transport: Arrive in Beijing, Flight not included
Today’s Activities: Airport Transfer (Beijing), Guide delivers your CH cell phone (one for each group). Pay no rental, call time only

- Guide delivers your CH cell phone (one for each group). Pay no rental, call time only: A Free CH cell phone package includes free rental for the cell phone and SIM card and at least 30 free minutes, delivery and collection in China. Return the phone to your guide when you depart. A recharge at standard rate is available if the free minutes are used. Note: Our rental phones do not work in Hong Kong. You must return the phone to your guide before leaving for Hong Kong. * Free minutes vary from 30-60 mins depending on the destination of the calls. Ask the travel advisor for details. For more about the cell phone rental service, please click cellphone rental information .
Note: You may receive text messages in Chinese on your cell phone. These messages are advertisements or possibly weather information. We cannot block or turn these off. If anyone in China needs to contact you, the message will be in English. If you are concerned, please ask your guide to read the message.

Accommodations: Days Inn Forbidden City Beijing (Economy)

Day 2  Beijing

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today’s Activities: The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Lizexiang Pearl Store
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Traditional Mongolian Restaurant

- The Forbidden City (2 hours): The Imperial Palace, home to 24 Emperors between 1420 and 1911. Great squares, halls and gates contrast with the intricate networks of side halls, gardens, courtyards and quarters for those who lived in this ‘city within a city’. The exhibitions, both permanent and temporary, are also absolutely fascinating.
- Tiananmen Square (50 minutes): Tian’anmen Square is the largest city square in the centre of Beijing, named after the Tiananmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several key events in Chinese history. As the world’s largest city square and enduring symbol of China’s national pride, it is surrounded by many imposing buildings including the Heavenly Gate (entry to the Forbidden City), Museums, government buildings and Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum.
- Temple of Heaven (1.5 hours): The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing, Chongwen District. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It is regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese Heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taoism.
- Lizexiang Pearl Store : China’s freshwater pearls are celebrated throughout the world. See how they are produced including some of the latest technology, and learn how to spot a fake. The outlet also offers a range of items produced from pearls and pearl oysters which goes far wider than jewellery. China Highlights customers will see the seeds being planted in the live mussel and also how learn how to differentiate real pearls from fake. This is a great opportunity to buy genuine pearls, that come with a guarantee, for your family and friends but there is absolutely no pressure to buy.
Tel: 13801387486
Address: No.7.Changqing Yuan,Congwen district,Beijign City.
- Traditional Mongolian Restaurant: Traditional Mongolian Restaurant is located near the Forbidden City. It serves northern Chinese food based on Mongolia cuisine. It brings Mongolia’s long and distinguished cultural and literary history. A traditional Mongolian yurt (tent) is available on the third floor but a reservation is needed and a surcharge applies. Live performances of Mongolian music are sometimes preformed in the restaurant.

Accommodations: Days Inn Forbidden City Beijing (Economy)

Day 3  Beijing

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today’s Activities: The Mutianyu Great Wall(with round way cable car), Shahe Cloisonne Factory
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Xin Shuang Quan Restaurant

- The Mutianyu Great Wall(with round way cable car) (2 hours): This less-crowded section of the Great Wall is a about 2.5 hours’ drive from downtown Beijing. A cable car takes you to a good section (avoiding a very steep climb), where you can walk along the wall, through the watch towers and enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains. You can return by cable car, walk down or walk along the wall for about an hour to descend by chairlift. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
- Shahe Cloisonne Factory : Sha He Cloisonne Factory manufactures and sells high quality Cloisonne ware. High quality Cloisonne also called “Copper – body and wire inlaid Enamel” requires an elaborate and complicated manufacturing process including hammering, filigree welding, enamel filling, surface polishing and gilding. This is a popular place for those looking for special, quality souvenirs. China Highlights customers have the opportunity to see the manufacturing process. This is an exclusive offer for our customers! There is no pressure to buy!
Tel: 010-69737417
Address: Dingfu huang zhuang North District Beijing
- Xin Shuang Quan Restaurant: Xin Shuang Quan Restaurant is near Great Wall of Mutianyu section. This garden style restaurant serves farmhouse dishes, specializing in rainbow trout, sturgeon and salmon. The fabulous taste will leave you with great memories.

Accommodations: Days Inn Forbidden City Beijing (Economy)

Day 4 Beijing departure by train to Lhasa

Place & Transport: Beijing to Lhasa, Train No. T27 (Beijing West Railway Station Railway Station – Lhasa Railway Station Railway Station) Dep 21:30 – Arr 20:00
Today’s Activities: Beijing Olympic Green, Hutong Tour in Xicheng District, Summer Palace, Hotel to Train station Transfer (Beijing)
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Beijing Ba guo bu yi Restaurant

- Beijing Olympic Green (1 hour): Located at the north end of the central axis of Beijing City, with a large area of 1215 hectares, it contains National museum, exhibition area, Olympic Village and Olympic competition avenues. Approximately 31 venues are used in Beijing Olympics, including National Stadium, the Bird’s Nest and National Aquatics Center. You will explore the park, but it doesn’t include going inside the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube.
- Hutong Tour in Xicheng District (1 hour): Hutong is a maze of historic alleyways with old single storey traditional courtyard houses, which are now fast disappearing. In this one hour tour, you can hop on a rickshaw to ride through the narrow alleys as well as visit a local family then walk on the Silver Ingot Bridge (Yinding Bridge) and find out about the different thresholds of the courtyards.
- Summer Palace (1.5 hours): Much-loved summer retreat of the Imperial families, the lovely landscaped gardens, halls, pavilions and corridors are set around the lake and rivers in natural harmony. You can expect to spend 2-3 hours here. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
- Beijing Ba guo bu yi Restaurant: Ba Guo Bu Yi is located in Xizhimen next to the Beijing Youth Palace at No. 68 Nanxiao Road. It serves some of the heartiest and most authentic Sichuan fare in town with its traditional Chinese style decorations. Favorite dishes include dandan noodles in spicy peanut-sesame-garlic sauce, lazi jiding (chicken smothered by chilies), steamed fish served with chili-oil sauce and huiguorou (twice-cooked pork).

Day 5 On the train

Place & Transport: Overnight train

Day 6 Arrive Lhasa

Place & Transport: Overnight train to Lhasa
Today’s Activities: Train station Transfer (Lhasa)

Accommodations: Shambhala Hotel Lhasa (Economy)

Day 7 Lhasa

Place & Transport: Lhasa
Today’s Activities: Sera Monastery, Norbulingka, Drepung Monastery
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Steak House Restaurant

- Sera Monastery (3 hours): Located in the northern suburbs of Lhasa, The Sera Monastery is a complex of 4 structures; the Great Assembly Hall and three colleges. It was founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey of Sakya Yeshe of Zel Gungtang (1355–1435), a disciple of Tsongkhapa. ‘Sera’ means wild roses and was called this because the monastery was surrounded by wild roses. One of the three main monasteries of Lhasa, it is here that the monks “famous daily debates” take place.
Tips: Every day (except Mondays) at 15:00, there is a debate about Buddhist doctrines among the monks at Sera Monastery. The debating is held in the grounds and is a necessary way of learning sutras and scriptures. Visitors can watch the debate, but it is advised to keep quiet.
- Norbulingka (2.5 hours): Norbulingka means “Jeweled Garden”. Constructed as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama, it later served the whole government administration. It was built by the 7th Dalai Lama and served both administrative and religious purposes.
- Drepung Monastery (3.5 hours): Drepung Monastery lies in west of Lhasa under Mt. Gambo Utse, clustered round by the black mountain, its white grand buildings shining under the sunlight. Built in 1416, it is considered as one of the largest monasteries in the six principle monasteries of Gelu Sect in China. Drepung Monastery used to be the living palace of Dalai Lamas before the reconstruction of Potala palace (after the 5th Dalai Lamas was bestowed by Qing emperor Qianlong). The grand Shonton Festival is hold in the early part of August every year. That is the busiest day there with crowds of people. It is an opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere of this festival.
- Steak House Restaurant: Steak House is near the Potala Palace and serves mainly Western and Tibetan cuisine. Surrounded by the alluring landscape, it is a great dining experience while traveling in Tibet.

Accommodations: Shambhala Hotel Lhasa (Economy)

Day 8 Lhasa

Place & Transport: Lhasa
Today’s Activities: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Lhasa Kitchen

- Potala Palace (1 hour): Former winter home of the Dalai Lama, a vast, awe-inspiring maze of corridors and stairs leading through countless rooms of richly decorated statues, tombs, murals and antiques. You will climb past the White Palace into the Red Palace, where the file of pilgrims offering silk scarves, coins or yak butter to burn in the shrines combine to make this an unforgettable experience. Note: you need to be fit for the long stairways.
- Jokhang Temple (2 hours): Smaller and more manageable than the Potala, this 4-storey, golden-roofed temple is at the heart of a rich and living Tibetan Buddhism. Many locals pray here regularly; the Temple is surrounded by Barkhor Street and thronged with pilgrims and visitors. Yak butter lamps burn in front of rich statuary that includes the Sakyamuni Buddha brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng in the 7th Century.
- Barkhor Street (2 hours): Built about 1,300 years ago, The Barkhor (pilgrims’ circuit) is found in the heart of Lhasa encircling the Jokhang Temple. In the past, it was a designated circumambulation circuit, “a saint’s road” in the eyes of Tibetans. Many people call the Barkhor “the window of Tibet” as it exhibits typical Tibetan life. Watch the pilgrims, wearing their local dress from many different parts of Tibet, as they circle clockwise around Jokhang Temple with prayer wheels, or prostrate them near the front gate. Join the locals and visitors to shop for local goods at the colourful stalls, or relax in a coffee shop or tea house to enjoy the passing parade.
- Lhasa Kitchen: Lhasa Kitchen is near the Jokhang Temple. It is decorated by merging Tibetan style with Indian, Nepalese, Chinese and Italian architecture. It serves a variety of styles of food.

Accommodations: Shambhala Hotel Lhasa (Economy)

Day 9 Lhasa – Chengdu

Place & Transport: Lhasa to Chengdu, Flight No. TBA
Today’s Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Lhasa), Airport Transfer (Chengdu)
Meals: Breakfast

Accommodations: Minshan Lhasa Grand Hotel (Economy)

Day 10 Chengdu

Place & Transport: Chengdu
Today’s Activities: Du Fu Thatched Cottage, Jinli Old Street, Panda Breeding and Research Center, , Half Day Tour to Panda Breeding Reserve
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Sanguyuan Restaurant

- Du Fu Thatched Cottage (1.5 hours): A museum and memorial for Du Fu (712-770 AD), often called China’s greatest poet, surrounded by a large and beautiful garden. Du Fu spent five years in Chengdu, the peak of his creativity, living in a thatched hut on this site.
- Jinli Old Street (1 hour): Once the commercial heart of the old kingdoms this ancient street has been fully restored in traditional Sichuan style. Picturesque, bustling, and cheerful, you can sample local arts and craft, traditional Chinese goods, food and delicacies, and even a Starbucks, local style.
- Panda Breeding and Research Center (2.5 hours): Home to giant pandas, red (or lesser) pandas, and other endangered species. Visit the nursery to see the highly successful breeding program, bamboo groves and shady walkways, to view the pandas at rest and play. There’s a wealth of information and a panda museum in this 230-hectare park 10 km (6 miles) north of Chengdu.

Note: The Panda Breeding and Research Center has a donation program which allows you take pictures with holding an adult panda by donating RMB500 or holding a baby panda by donating RMB1000. This program is subject to the availability of pandas on that day. Please bring RMB cash as they don’t accept credit cards.
–Half Day Tour to Panda Breeding Reserve: Your guide will pick you up at your hotel and transfer you to the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base which covers an area of 600 acres. The natural environment has the bamboo growing luxuriantly and flocks of wild birds flying around. There are two personal interactions with the pandas. One is feeding the pandas and the other is taking a photo with them. Be transferred to your hotel after the tour. Note: you may need to consult with your guide about the interaction programs before you visit the pandas, so that your guide can make a reservation. Lunch is not included.

Note: you may need to consult with your guide about the interaction programs before you visit the pandas, so that your guide can make a reservation. Lunch is not included.

- Sanguyuan Restaurant : It’s the place where you can enjoy not only the wonderful dishes but the culture of Three Kingdoms. Each dish has a name related with Three Kingdoms.Accommodations: Minshan Lhasa Grand Hotel (Economy)

Day 11  Chendu to Shanghai

Place & Transport: Chengdu to Shanghai, Flight No. TBA
Today’s Activities: Wu Hou Temple, Wenshu Monastery, , Hotel to airport Transfer (Chengdu), Airport Transfer (Shanghai)
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Long Chao Shou Snack

- Wu Hou Temple (1.5 hours): The Marquis of Wu, Zhuge Liang (181-234) was the outstanding military strategist immortalized in “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and in the saying wise as “the Marquis of Wu”. Peaceful and attractive gardens surround several halls, including one dedicated to his memory and another to that of his emperor Liu Bei, some impressive statues, a small museum, a famous Tang Dynasty stele and the classic red wall leading to Liu Bei’s tomb. A delightful complex.
- Wenshu Monastery (1 hour): This large Zen Buddhist temple is a lively and attractive complex. The exquisitely decorated halls house a fascinating collection of artworks, statues and curios. The vegetarian restaurant is deservedly popular, as are the teahouses, a great spot to enjoy the busy crowd of worshippers.
- Long Chao Shou Snack: It is a time-honored snack bar with different kinds of snack. Ordering a package of snack it gives you a chance of tasting all the delicious food in Chengdu. The decoration is extravagant, but is also appearing traditional style of Chengdu.

Accommodations: Hengsheng Peninsula International Hotel Shanghai (Economy)

Day 12 Shanghai

Place & Transport: Shanghai
Today’s Activities: The Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Museum, Yuyuan Garden, Yuyuan Market, Jiangnan Silk Shop and Workshop
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Home’s Restaurant

- The Shanghai World Financial Center (40 minutes): The Shanghai World Financial Center is a super tall skyscraper. It is a mixed use skyscraper, which will consist of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls on the lower floors. The hotel component has 175 rooms and suites and goes by the name: The Park Hyatt, Shanghai. On September 14, 2007, the skyscraper reached 492.3 meters (1,615.2 ft) and became the tallest structure on mainland China, including Hong Kong, as well as the world’s third tallest building (including unfinished ones), after the Burj Dubai and Taipei 101.
- Shanghai Museum (1.5 hours): The biggest, and many think the best museum in China. The galleries in this outstanding building display stunning collections of bronzes, sculptures, ceramics and porcelain, paintings, calligraphy, seals, jade, coins, furniture, ethnic artefacts from minority groups, temporary travelling exhibitions from places like the Guggenheim, and so much more … give yourself time to enjoy it.
- Yuyuan Garden (1 hour): Located at a very busy marketplace in a complex of traditional-style buildings, backing onto Yu Gardens, you can find everything there from popular local snacks and food, crafts, antiques and souvenirs to Starbucks, teahouses and some great restaurants. There is a small (reconstructed) Temple (Chenghuang: Temple of the City Gods) in there as well.
- Yuyuan Market (30 minutes): Located next to the Yuyuan Garden and also known today as the City God Temple, it was built in the fifteenth century during the Ming Dynasty. The City God Temple is a Taoist temple which is composed of many halls such as the Grand Hall, Middle Hall, Bedroom Palace, Star Gods Hall and etc. The City God Temple has a great influence on the residents of Shanghai. The religious festivals of the temple are considered to be the festivals for all Shanghai people.
- Jiangnan Silk Shop and Workshop: See how silk is produced from the cocoons of silk worms, and turned into the beautiful fabric we all know and love. Silk filled duvets are excellent value, and the showroom offers everything from small souvenirs to larger items. The beauty of real silk is that it’s so light, and packs really easily.
Tel: 021-62660378
Address: 289, Ao’men Road, Putuo District, Shanghai
- Home’s Restaurant: Home’s Restaurant is located near the Nanjing Road. It specializes in Shanghai cuisine using the best local ingredients. Smoked fish and red jujube with sticky rice are well known in Shanghai. The restaurant enjoys a great reputation with diners from many parts of China and abroad.

Accommodations: Hengsheng Peninsula International Hotel Shanghai (Economy)

Price Inclusions:

• Entrance Fees:
  To scenic spots as listed in the itinerary.
• Phone Rental Package:
  Rental cost for the cell phone and SIM card for use in mainland China, and at least 30 mins of FREE international calls.
• Meals:
  All meals as specified in the itinerary.
  If the restaurant indicated is not available on the day, your guide will arrange another restaurant from our list of approved restaurants. Breakfast is usually a western style buffet. We endeavor to ensure that a choice of western and Chinese breakfasts is supplied, however there may be occasions when only a Chinese breakfast is available in some remote locations.
• Private Transfers:
  Transfers between airports, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing in Beijing, Lhasa, Chengdu, Shanghai by private air conditioned vehicle with a driver and English-speaking guide (as listed above).
  Your comfort is our priority! 
• Guide:
  As outlined in the itinerary an English-speaking guide and driver will be provided in each city, who will remain with you throughout your time in that city. A new guide and a new driver will meet you at each city on your tour, to provide you with the best local knowledge available.
• Hotels:
  Hotel fees are based on two people sharing one room with twin beds.
  All hotels as listed in the above itinerary serve daily western or Chinese breakfast. All rooms are air-conditioned with private facilities unless specified.
• Transportation:
  Beijing West To Lhasa Transfer via: Train, T27 (Our arrangements)
  Lhasa To Chengdu Transfer via: Flight, TBA (Our arrangements)
  Chengdu To Shanghai Transfer via: Flight, TBA (Our arrangements)
• Airport Tax for Domestic Flights
  Airport Tax and Fuel Fee for Flights if applicable
• Service Charge & Government Taxes:
• Insurance
  The insurance is China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance.
  Luggage Transfers:
  Between airports/railway stations and hotels.
• Arrangements:
  The tour cost includes planning, handling, operational and communication charges.