CT01 Beijing, Xi’an,Chengdu,Jiuzhaigou,Mt. Emei, Nyingtri, Lhasa- Sichuan Tibet Highlights 18 Days Tour

Duration: 18 days

Route: Beijing - Xi’an - Chengdu. – Jiuzhaigou – Chengdu - Mt.Emei – Leshan – Chengdu – Nyingtri(Bayi town) - Lhasa - Namutso lake – Lhasa – Beijing

Highlights and Attractions:

Exploring Beijing’s famous sites Tiananmen Square, Forbidden city, Summer palace

Mutianyu Great Wall - the most beautiful part of the walls in Beijing

Xi’an highlights Terre cotta warriors and Great Mosque

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Jiuzhaigou National Park and Huanglong National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site

Mt.Emei, a UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage site

Nyingtri prefecture. the lowest altitude in Tibet, the Shangri-la in Tibet

Explore the mysterious Tibetan Buddhism Culture, visit the most highlights in Lhasa

Potala Palace, Jokhang Templ , Barkhor Market, Drepung and Sera. Monastery

Namutso lake, one of the three holiest lakes in Tibet, called “Heavenly lake”.

Itinerary ：
Day 01 Beijing airport pick up.  O/N in Beijing Arrive in Beijing, the capital city of the People’s Republic of China where we will be welcomed at the airport and escorted to our hotel for check-in.
Day 02 Beijing Sightseeing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden city. Summer palace.     O/N in Beijing   Exploring Beijing’s famous sites with a tour of the vast Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world. We walk through the Gate of Heavenly Peace to the magnificent Forbidden City, which was home to the Ming and Qing dynasties for over 500 years. In the afternoon, we marvel at the former Imperial Summer Palace - the famous royal garden that was favored by the Empress Cixi in the late 19th Century.  This evening, we will be served one of the most popular dishes in China at the Beijing Duck Dinner Party.
Day 03 Visit the Mutianyu great wall, bird's nest and Water Cube.  O/N in Beijing Drive to Mutianyu Great Wall - the most beautiful part of the walls in Beijing, situated in Huairou District, 73 kilometers (45.4 miles) northwest from Beijing. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is connected with Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou Gateway in the east .Eight and a half miles to the northwest is where General Xu Da defeated the Yuan troops ,and barrier was built to prevent them from attacking again .After lunch driving (1.5 hours) to the Bird's Nest - The Beijing National Stadium, also known as the bird's nest will be the main track and field stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics and host to the Opening and Closing ceremonies. Then walk to Water Cube. The "Water Cube" was built in accordance with a water-saving design concept to be a gigantic green architectural wonder. Tonight, enjoy an entertaining “The Legend of Kung Fu” show.
Day 04 Temple of Heaven, Hutong, fly to Xi'an   O/N in Xi'an In the morning, we will visit the Temple of Heaven, a complex of buildings representing the pinnacle of Ming and Qing architecture built in 1420, including the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Imperial Vault of Heaven, Circular Altar, and Abstinence Palace. The surrounding park areas are also alive with locals practicing Tai Chi, playing traditional musical instruments, enjoying a game of Chinese chess, or just chatting with friends. Hutong is an ancient city alley or lane typical in Beijing, where hutongs run into the several thousand. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan (1206-1341), Ming(1368-1628) and Qing(1644-1908) dynasties. In the prime of these dynasties the emperors, in order to establish supreme power for themselves, planned the city and arranged the residential areas according to the etiquette systems of the Zhou Dynasty. The center of the city of Beijing was the royal palace -- the Forbidden City. Do you have the experience of taking a pedicab? In the old Beijing hutong areas, you can find the ancient transportation tools now still preserved for tourists as the main traffic tool of visiting hutong - Beijing unique old city lanes. Afterwards, board your flight to Xian. Your guide will pick you up from the airport ,which is 50 KM. to the city of Xian,and transfer to hotel. In the evening, you will take a chance to enjoy Local Specialty Dumpling Banquet  and the Tang Dynasty Dance Show. A performance of Changan music and dance originated in China's Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago. This wonderful combination of colourful costumes, melodious tunes and ancient history is a living, breathing work of art-an extravaganza not to be missed！
Day 05 Xi'an Sightseeing: Terre cotta warriors, Great Mosque, fly to Chendu.  O/N in Chendu After breakfast, tansfer to Terracotta Warriors. Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum is the Eighth Wonder of the World. More than 6,000 different looking pottery figures depict the history of the Qin Dynasty from 221 BC-206 BC. Take sightseeing in this attraction for about 2 to 2.5 hours. Drive back to visit Great Mosque. It is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China. Occupying an area of over 12,000 square meters, the Great Mosque is divided into four courtyards, 250 meters long and 47 meters wide with a well-arranged layout. Landscaped with gardens, the further one strolls into its interior, the more serene one feels. Then transfer to airport , take flight to Chengdu.
Day 06: Visit Chengdu Panda Base, fly to Jiuzhaigou airport.  O/N in Jiuzhaigou Visit Chengdu Panda Base. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is located in the northern suburb of Chengdu on Futou Hill. It is 10 km from downtown Chengdu, and can be reached by the Panda Road. Giant pandas at the Chengdu Research Base live in large naturalistic habitats, which help the visitor to understand how these animals live in the wild . It is an excellent recreational area and a highlight of any visit to Chengdu. Many types of bamboo, trees, and flowers thrive at the Research Base.Several species of birds also make their home there. The Research Base is one of the important centers in China for the captive conservation of giant pandas. Take flight (45 minutes) from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou in later afternoon.
Day 07: One day Jiuzhaigou Sightseeing.  O/N in Jiuzhaigou. After breakfast, head to the Jiuzhaigou National Park where you will board environmentally friendly buses to sightsee the Park. Visit the Shuzheng and Zezawa Valleys; Pearl Sands and Shuzheng Waterfall; the Tibetan village of Shuzheng, and numerous picturesque lakes including Panda Lake, Long Lake, Rainbow Lake, Tiger Lake and Rhinoceros Lake. Then summon your energy for a Tibetan folk customs show at night, consisting of singing, dancing and other programs. (The entrance fee of 180 RMB is not included in the tour price).
Day 08: Visit Huanglong, fly back to Chengdu, dirve to Mt.Emei   O/N in the hotel on the foot of Emeishan Drive to visit Huanglong National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, with beautiful mountains, lush woods, colourful flowers, and crystal clear waters. (Note: If the road is icy , the tour will visit Munigou National Park instead) Then take flight back to Chengdu, drive to Mt.Emei, enjoying countryside views of the Chuanxi Plain.on the way (two and half hour along expressway).
Day 09: Mt. Emei Sightseeing   O/N in the hotel of Wanniansi temple on the half of Mt. Emei Set off from the hotel at 7:00am by tour bus to the cable car station, where you will begin your ride to the the highest summit of Mt. Emei, the Golden summit. Have a look around the Golden summit including Huazang temple. After lunch,Take the cable car down and take the bus to Wanniansi parking lot which is located halfway up Mt. Emei. Take another cable car to visit Wanniansi temple. Hiking down to sightsee Qingying pavilion, the Strip Skyline and Monkey Mountain. Then take the local bus down to the gate.
Day 10: Mt.Emei – Leshan Grand Buddha - Huanglongxi old town - Chengdu   O/N in Chengdu. Drive half an hour to Leshan, board a tour boat have a panoramic view of the biggest carved Buddha statue in the world. The boats hover for five to ten minutes in front of the Buddha, engines whirling madly against the current. Boats leave from north of the ferry dock approximately every 30 minutes from 7 am to 5 pm. What`s more, a huge natural lying Buddha can be easily figured out while you are standing on the deck and viewing the outline of Mt Lingyun from afar.Then continue drive about 1.5 hours from Leshan to Huanglongxi old town in the morning. It is 1700 years history and around 30 miles away from Chengdu. For most of local people, Huanglongxi old town could be a place where it will bring them back to their childhood. The aged old trees, old temples and native custom all together can be an amazing to you. At Huanglongxi, despites the latest renovation, some of the old architectures were built in the late of Qing Dynasty, which was the last feudal dynasty in Chinese history. Drive 2hrs back to Chengdu to visit the Kuanxiangzi (wide lane) and Zhaixiangzi (narrow lane), it used to be home to officials in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and are among the city's cultural heritage sites still intact today. Originally, single-story houses and courtyards featured the specialty of the area. To relive the taste of local life years ago, teahouses and folk arts are readily found in the area while displays of the lifestyle, dialects, food and customs of Chengdu in the past will be reinstated in museums.
Day 11: Flight from Chengdu to Nyingtri     O/N in Bayi town Take the flight from Chengdu to Nyingtri at 07:30am and gets to there around 09:15am, Nyingtri airport is about 60km to Bayi town the capital of Nyingtri prefecture. Altitude of Bayi town is just 2400km the lowest in Tibet. Tibet is truly beyond your imagination. The blue sky, green forests, religious people, harmony between people and nature will give you a deep impression. Pickup and transfer to hotel. Have a good rest inside hotel, in order to acclimatize to the high altitude. After lunch, head for the Nyingtri Cypress Forest which has 2600 years long, Giant Cypress is a complete forest of huge cypress trees. Among these cypress trees, one is 50 meters high, 18 meters thick, and is about 2,500 years old by inference and is respected as the sacred tree by the local people. The giant cypress, also called Yarlung Tsangpo cypress, is a species peculiar to Tibet.
Day 12: Sightsee Lulang Forests, visit Lulang Tibetan people’s houses   O/N in Bayi town Across the 4,642m high Mt. Sejila. drive to Lulang, In low-altitude area, endless forests, lofty coniferous forests, arbor azaleas make up of a marvelous picture, and in high-altitude area, mass of flowering large-sized shrub azaleas turn the slopes into colorful tapestries, stand in the mountaintop you can view Mt.Namjagbarwa and Jialabailei Peak ( the former is the most beautiful mountain in China) and prayer banners fluttering in the wind. Visit Lulang people’s houses, renowned as the typical wooden buildings in Gongbu Tibetan Area, here you can have a fantastic view of the forests on the foot of the snow mountains, rural landscapes, pastures, rivers, and, one must for all visitors is to taste Shiguoji (chicken stewed in stone pot).
Day 13: Nyingtri - Lhasa  O/N in Lhasa   Take tour bus to Lhasa, On the way you will cross over Mila Pass, enjoy the scenery along the Niyang River. In order to acclimatize to the high altitude. No program will be arranged for the rest of the day.
Day 14: Lhasa city sightseeing: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Market  O/N in Lhasa  An extraordinary day of sightseeing shows the spectacular architecture at the world famous Potala Palace. Former home of the Dalai Lama, its massive 1000-room structure towers over this mountain city. It is the symbol of that sacred land. When the thirty-third King of Tibet, Soongtsan Gampo, was married in 641 to Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty, it was built on Hongshan Hill for his bride. The Buddhists later named it Potala Palace, meaning the sacred land of Buddhism. The tour is followed by Jokhang Temple The Jokhang is probably the most popular tourist attraction in Lhasa. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace" and a spiritual centre of Lhasa. Then visit famous Barkhor Market, where you can shop for rare Tibetan items.
Day 15: Lhasa city sightseeing: Drepung and Sera. Monastery    O/N in Lhasa  About 8km west of central Lhasa is the Drepung, once world's largest monastery with about 10,000 monks. This day's sightseeing begins with these white monastic buildings piled up on the hillside. Walking up to the hill is a pleasant thing, an easy break from the solemn ambience inside the halls and chapels. At the plat roof of hillside, you can have very good views of the whole Lhasa city and the distant mountains. Drepung is one of Lhasa's two great Gelugpa monasteries, the other is Sera. Around 5km north of central Lhasa, Sera may not be as grandiose as Drepung, but is more serene surrounded by many small temples. The 'Buddhism Scriptures Debating' in Sera is very famous.
Day 16: Lhasa - Yangbacheng Hot spring - Namutso lake - Lhasa  O/N in Lhasa  Drive to Yangbacheng Hot spring 92km north of Lhasa, view the Northern Tibet grassland and Nyancheng Tanggula Snow Mountain on the way. Continue to Namutso lake, called “Heavenly lake”. It is the highest lake in the world and is 4,718 meters above sea level. It is 72 kilomters long from east to west and 30 kilometers wide from south to north. It has an area of 1,940 square kilometers. Some 60 kilometers to the northwest of Damxung County seat, it is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and receives high respects among the local people. On the Tibetan year of sheep, pilgrims from faraway come here to walk around the lake. It takes more than 10 days to circle the lake once.  After taking photo, yak riding lakeside. Back to Lhasa.
Day 17: Flight from Lhasa to Beijing   O/N in Beijing. Airport drop off to Lhasa airport, fly to Beijing, free in the afternoon.
Day 18: Drop off to the airport for you international flights. Service end.