Path to Tibet via Scenic Yangtze Cruise 18 days - to discover the vast history, culture and scenery of China and Tibet ...

• Beijing: The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Sq, Temple of Heaven(4nights)
• Xian: Terracotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Bell Tower (3nights)
• Wuhan: Huanghe Pagoda (1night)
• Yangtze Cruise: Three Gorges (4nights)
• Chengdu: Panda Breeding Reserve (1night)
• Tibet: Potala Palace, Lhasa Sera Monastery and temples (3nights)

View details below...

Tian an men

Terracotta Warriors

Yangtze River

Yangtze Cruise

Lhasa

Day 1
Depart from Heathrow or your preferred airport for a scheduled flight to Beijing. Meals on board.

Day 2 Beijing
Upon arrival in Beijing, you are greeted at the airport by our English speaking guide and transferred to your hotel by private transport. The rest of the day is at your leisure to recover from jetlegs and get ready for the adventure to come! (China is 8 hours ahead of UK)

Day 3 Beijing
A full day city tour to soak up the atmosphere of Beijing. This includes visiting historical sites such as Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Then we will go to watch an entertaining acrobat show. (includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Our welcome dinner in the evening provides an opportunity to sample special Chinese cuisine combined with live music, singing and dancing entertainment.

Day 4 Beijing
The highlights of today's tour include a visit to the Great Wall, the only man-made wonder on earth visible from the moon. We travel to the Ming Tombs and walk on the Sacred Way to see the resting place of thirteen Chinese Emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Enjoy the famous Peking Roasted Duck dinner upon your return. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

We will visit Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, which was originally constructed in the 5th century and is regarded as the most strategic section of the Wall. The section is quieter and less commercial than some other areas and it provides the opportunity to visit the Sacred Way, another highlight of the Great Wall heritage.

Day 5 Beijing to Xian
Today, our tours includes a visit to the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), which dates back to the 12th century when the Jin ruler built his Gold Mountain Travelling Palace. We walk along the Long Corridor beside Kunming Lake and take a detour to the Garden of Harmony before taking the ferry next to the Marble Boat. In the next part of our tour we take a fascinating Rickshaw ride and visit an old residential area and see how local people live. Our guide will then escort you to Houhai, a popular relaxing and eating out place for both Western and Chinese tourists. For travelers who would like to experience shopping in China, we can take you to the popular shopping street - Xiushui Silk Market. In the evening, we take a flight to Xian, the former capital of China and starting point of the ancient Silk Road. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 6 Xian
As the ancient capital of China for many dynasties, Xian has a lot historical sites to offer. We will take a city tour which includes visiting Xian's well preserved Ancient City Walls, built in the early Ming Dynasty (about 600 years ago) and the Bell Tower where you can overlook the entire city. Our tour guide will also escort you to Fanggu Street in the city centre, where the shops have all been reconstructed to resemble ancient times of China. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 7 Xian
Today, the highlights include Terra-cotta Warriors. You will visit the luxury underground palace of Emperor Qinshihuang, The Archaeological Museum of 6,000 life-size Terracotta Warriors and their horses. The warriors were the after life protectors the first emperor who united China (221BC-206BC). Following this we will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built as a Buddhist Monastery during the Tang Dynasty. In the evening we attend a re-enactment of the royal arts performance of a 7th century Tang Dynasty Show, with a special Dinner of dumplings included. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 8 Xian to Wuhan
We take a flight to Wuhan. You will find some cities that are less known in the West provide a better chance to discover the real China. Wuhan is definitely one of them. Its Hubei Provincial Museum has a rare and vast display of ancient Chinese original items, many of them have 3000 years of history. We will also take you to a traditional shopping street where locals have their Chinese traditional silk dress such as Qipao and Changshan tailor made. The tailors provide next day make by order service and the price is a real bargain! (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Wuhan is the major transportation city connecting to the Yangtze cruise tour. Yichange has a small airport but flights to/from Yichang are often canceled without much warning by airlines in China.

Day 9 Wuhan to Yichang
In the morning, we will visit famous Chinese landmark pagoda Huanghelou which described by many Chinese poets. Drive to Yichang (approx. 2.5 hrs). Board the cruise in the evening. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 10 Yangtze River
Shore excursion to the 3 Gorges Dam project in the morning. Sail through Xiling Gorge. Entertainment and organised activities on board, with Captain's welcome dinner to attend. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 11 Yangtze River
Shore excursion to Shennong Stream or Lesser 3 Gorges (depends on sailing schedule), cruise sails through Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge. Entertainment and organised activities on board. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 12 Yangtze River
Shore excursion to Shibaozhai or Fengdu (depends on sailing schedule). Entertainment and organised activities on board, with the farewell dinner party in the evening. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 13 Yangtze River / Chongqing to Chengdu
Arrive at Chongqing, be met and transfered to the airport for flight to Chengdu. We will drive you to the Panda Breeding Centre, an unforgettable experience and one of the best places to see pandas in China. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 14 Chengdu to Lhasa
We take a flight to Lhasa Gongar Airport. You will be met, assisted and transfered to Lhasa. Check into hotel. We suggest our travellers to take things easy to climatise to the high altitude. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 15 Lhasa
City tour including a visit to the grand-looking Potala Palace, which was built in the 7th century for the King. In the afternoon, visit Jokhang Temple and stroll in the famous local bazarr - Parkhor Street. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 16 Lhasa
Visit Dreprung Monastery, the biggest Monastic University of Tibet which is actually a collection of Buddhist chapels and colleges. (Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 17 Lhasa to Beijing
We take a flight back to Beijing. (Includes: Breakfast)

Day 18 Beijing to UK
Our Guide will meet you at the hotel and see you off at the airport. (Includes: Breakfast)

Group Departure Dates & Price 2007 (£)

*Above dates for 2007 are pending. If you have a preferred travel dates, contact us and we will try to set the departure dates according to yours!

We also arrange private tour or tailor made departure according to this itinerary, please contact us to discuss your requirement.

Price Includes (The prices shown above are 'per person')

• All flights including airport tax. We can also arrange your local airport departure from £45. Please enquire at the time of your booking.
• All airport/hotel transfers within Mainland China.
• Sightseeing tours by professional English-speaking tour guide.
• Selections of deluxe hotel accommodation in well furnished rooms with private facilities.
• Meals as specified in the itinerary.

Price Does Not Include

• Visa fee (please go to Our Visa Service for details).
• Travel Insurance.

Flights As agent of many airline consolidators, we can obtain flights in various class, with reputable airlines such as BA, Air China, Virgin, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Finnair etc. Depends on the availability we will choose airline for you and will try to arrange direct flight when possible. We can also provide land-only tours if you prefer to organise your own flights and save airmiles.

Your Accommodation for this tour Carefully selected good 4 star hotels and cruises among the same standard. With options of upgrading to 5 star at good rate. In some remote areas such as Tibet, the hotel standard can be lower but we will provide you with one of the best available in the area.

Your Meals We include all breakfast (mixture of western & Chinese) at hotel, most Chinese lunches and dinners on tour, each with wide variety of tasty dishes. All meals included in the itinerary are pre-booked. We think it is part of the experience of trying out a few meals by yourself while you in China. Therefore the hotels we select provide good choices of cuisine with English menu, alternatively, plenty restaurants are available in the main sightseeing area in Chinese cities. A good meal (dinner) in restaurant should cost about £5 per person.

Other fact of our tour arrangement Our itineraries are regularly checked and updated to provide ideal and latest sightseeing spots for our travellers, and we organise our own special activities to try to introduce the real China to you, and connect closer to local people.

Due to the enormous scale of China, our itineraries are designed at a sensible pace to provide you with the opportunity to enjoy touring the country, with a combination of escorted sightseeing, and some free time.

Suitable for fit travellers only due to high altitude in Tibet. Please note food and accommodations in Tibet has a lower standard than big cities in China.

The itinerary is designed according to the most updated information of flights and cruises sailing schedules available, although occasionally the sequence in which cities are visited and duration of time spent in each city can change due to local conditions which are out of our control. The above itinerary highlights the main attractions that are to be visited each day. Further places of interest may be visited during your stay, which will provide unique ethnic and cultural handcraft shopping opportunities. We reserve the right to change, amend or alter the itinerary, although we will act in your best interests to handle any amendments. Please refer to the booking form for detailed terms & conditions.