26 Days China Panorama Tour with Yunnan, Tibet and Yangtze River Cruise

Sightseeing and Activities:Beijing Arrival
Accommodation: Beijing
Meals:

Arrive in Beijing, the capital city of China, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.

Sightseeing and Activities:Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven, Hutong Tour with Rickshaw
Accommodation: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Depart from your hotel in the morning to visit Tiananmen Square (40min) - the World's largest urban square, and the Forbidden City (closed every Monday )(2.5 - 3 hours) - the largest and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world. Then visit the Temple of Heaven (1 hour), drive to Drum Tower area for taking a relaxing Hutong Tour by rickshaw (Short route, 40 min) - the way to know the Beijing local lifestyle.  After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Sightseeing and Activities:Mutianyu Great Wall, exterior view Bird Nest and Water Cube
Accommodation: Beijing
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, start to drive to visit the Mutianyu Great Wall (2 hours)(optional cable car up and down on your own account ) - the section of the Great Wall which is more popular among foreign visitors. Have the lunch near the Mutianyu Great Wall, and then drive back to the downtown and have a short visit to see the exterior Bird Nest and Water Cube (about 1 hour) - the amazing architectures that built for Beijing Olympic Games. After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time. After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Sightseeing and Activities:The Summer Palace
Accommodation:Xian
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, pay a visit to the Summer Palace (about 2.5 hour ) - the existing largest, best-preserved imperial garden in China. After you have lunch in Beijing, be transferred to the railway station  for the 5-6 hours high speed train to Xian. Your Xi'an tour guide will wait for you at the railway station and help you to transfer to the hotel.

Sightseeing and Activities:Terracotta Warriors, City Wall, Small Goose Pagoda
Accommodation: Xian
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Ample time will be provided for the visit to Terracotta Warriors (2.5 - 3 hours) - one of the world's most important archaeological finds, with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation. After lunch near the Terracotta Warriors area, drive back to the downtown for a continue to visit the Xian City Wall (1 hour), one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. Afterward visit to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda (closed every Tuesday) (1 hour) - the site of the old Han and Tang capital Chang'an. After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: Lhasa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you will be then transferred to the airport to board a 3 hours flight to Lhasa, capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Your Lhasa tour guide will wait for you at the airport and help you to transfer to the hotel.

Sightseeing and Activities:Potala Palace, Johkang Monastery, Barkhor Street
Accommodation: Lhasa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Take a trip to Potala Palace (1 hours) - the largest monastery of its type in the world and official home to Dalai Lama. When finished lunch, move to Johkang Monastery (1 hour) - where monks receive their official training and education. The surrounding Jokang Monastery is Barkhor Street (1 hour) - afford us a window into Tibetan culture and an opportunity to buy colorful ethnic handicrafts rarely seen outside of Tibet. After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Sightseeing and Activities:Drepung Monastery, Norbulingka Park, Sera Monastery
Accommodation: Lhasa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, start your one day city tour with a visit to Drepung Monastery (1.5 hours) - one of the three great monasteries in Tibet. Drive back to the downtown and have the lunch, then continue your tour to Norbulingka Park (1 hour) - a traditional summer palace and residence starting with the 7th Dalai Lama. After that, pay a visit to Sera Monastery (1.5 hours)  to see a monks debating inside the shady courtyard behind the main temple. After that, drive back to your hotel and free for the rest time.

Sightseeing and Activities:Lhasa -Shangri-La
Accommodation: Shangrila
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Free at leisure before being transferred to airport for your flight to Shangri-la.  Upon arrival, meeting with your local guide, transfer to check in your hotel.

Sightseeing and Activities:Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Pudacuo Park, Dukezong Old Town
Accommodation: Shangrila
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery(Songzanlin Monastery), the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan.  It has another alias - 'the little Potala Palace ', so named because the whole monastery is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere.

Afterwards you'll visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake in Pudacuo National Park. It is located in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the world.  Walk around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India. Walk up to the top of Guishan Hill or tortoise Hill, you will see the largest Prayer Wheel of the world and have a panoramic view of Shangrila county and Dukezong Ancient Town.

Sightseeing and Activities:Tiger Leaping Gorge, The First Bend of Yangtze River, Shigu Old Town
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today you will transfer to Lijiang (4hrs ). On the way to visit  the Tiger Leaping Gorge (Shangri-la section), the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river. Afternoon, you'll head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian which is well-known as the paradise destination for every tourist.

Continue to have a nice stop at the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, visit the Iron Chain Bridge, the Red Army's Long March Memorial Monument in the Shigu Old Town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road running through the Lijiang valley which is filled with wheat fields and drying haystacks. Afterwards, check in your hotel in Lijiang.

Sightseeing and Activities:Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Baisha Old Town, Baisha Mural
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy the sunrise of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lijiang Ancient Town in the morning, drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), you will take the sightseeing bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around 1 hours in the original forest in Spruce Meadow(3200M).

After lunch, stroll through Baisha Old Town, which is an enchanting traditional Naxi style old town.  Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997.

Sightseeing and Activities:Black Dragon Pool, Lijiang Old Town
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning,  visit Black Dragon Pool park which is situated on the northern edge of town. It is also called "The Black Dragon Pond". As the water is as green and lucid as jade, the pond is entitled "Yuquan" or Jade Fountain. The entire park is green with grass and shaded by swaying willow trees. On the bank of the pond willows hang their withes like silk thread.

Stroll around Lijiang Old Town to relax the rest time of the day, a well-preserved old city of ethnic minorities with brilliant culture, which is a central town of the Lijiang Autonomous County of the Naxi Ethnic Minority in Yunnan Province. Located on the plateau which is 2,400 meters above the sea level and embraced by the tree-covered Lion Mountain in the west, Elephant and Golden Row Mountains in the north, vast fertile fields in the southeast and crystal clear water running through, the old town looks like a big jade ink slab, therefore got the alias the Town of Big Ink Slab (Dayanzhen).

Sightseeing and Activities:Lijiang - Chongqing
Accommodation: cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Free at leisure before be transferred to airport and take a 2 hours flight to Chongqing - so called ‘Mountain City’. Your Chongqing tour guide will wait for you at the airport and help you to transfer to the wharf and start point of the Yangtze River Cruise.

Tips:
► The embark time of Yangtze River Cruise is 19:00. And the depart time of the cruise is 21:00.
► If you have enough free time in Chongqing before embark, you can have a try of Chongqing Hot Pot
► The shore excursions included in the Yangtze River Cruise are changeable, which are subject to the actual arrangement by the cruise company.

Sightseeing and Activities:Yangtze River Cruise
Accommodation: cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy your Yangtze cruise! Around 8:00, you will have a short visit to Fengdu (2.5 - 3 hours, at your own expense) - known as the 'Ghost City' to most Chinese people. Around 16:00, there is an excursion to Shibaozhai (around 1 - 2 hours) - a wooden architecture standing on the riverside.

Sightseeing and Activities:Yangtze River Cruise
Accommodation: cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, an optional excursion around 07:30 will be the White Emperor City (2 hours, at your own expense) - a place offers a view looking toward the Qutang Gorge is depicted on the back of the Chinese 10-yuan bill. Back to the ship and then pass through Three Gorges that namely Qutang Gorge (near 10:00) - considered the most dramatic by many visitors, Wu Gorge (near 11:30) - known for its deep valleys and forest covered mountains., and then after lunch, you will have a excursion to Goddess Stream.

Sightseeing and Activities:Chinese sturgeon Museum
Accommodation: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today around 07:30, you will firstly visit the Three Gorge Dam (2.5 - 3 hours) - planned to be by far the largest hydroelectric project in the world. After the visiting and lunch time, disembark at Yichang around 12:30. Your tour guide will wait for you at the wharf. In Yichang, you will visit the Chinese sturgeon Museum in Yichang. After that, be transferred to the airport for your 2 hours’ flight to Shanghai. Your Shanghai tour guide will wait for you at the airport and help you to transfer to the hotel.

Sightseeing and Activities:Yuyaun Garden, Chenghuangmiao (Old Street ), Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Nanjing Road, and the Bund
Accommodation: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

A full day sightseeing starts from Yuyuan Garden (1 hour) - a Chinese classic garden in city downtown. Then visit the nearby Chenghuangmiao (Old Street)(1 hour). After lunch time, you will have a tour of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower (30 min) - the most charming landmark of Shanghai. And then, go for shopping at Nanjing Road (1 hours generally) - the earliest commercial street in Shanghai, and have a leisure walk along the Bund (30 min) - famous as a group of building known as "a Gallery of world architecture". After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Sightseeing and Activities:Lingering Garden, Cruise boat of Grand Canal, Silk Factory, Pingjiang Road
Accommodation: Suzhou
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In this morning, you willbe transferred to Suzhou (1.5hrs ). Your Suzhou tour guide will wait for you at the train station and help you to check in the hotel in Suzhou. And then, you will firstly have a sightseeing tour to Lingering Garden (1 hour) - which is one of the great four gardens in China. And then, take a cruise boat tour by a private small boat along the Grand Canal. Afterwards, continue to Silk Factory (1 hour) - a site for you to find out how silk is being made, have a leisure walk on the Pingjiang Ancient Street (30min) - an ancient cultural road which has been preserved for more than 800 years. Finally, drive back to your hotel and have a rest of this day.

Sightseeing and Activities:Xixi Wetland Park, Hefang Ancient Street
Accommodation: Hangzhou
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning after breakfast, transfer to Hangzhou （2-2.5hrs ) to explore the beauty there. Your Hangzhou travel guide will wait for you at the train station and help you to star your tour of Xixi Wetland Park Situated in the western part of Hangzhou, less than 5km from West Lake. Xixi National Wetland Park is a rare urban wetland. With rich ecological resources, simple natural landscape and profound culture, it is known as one of the Three "Xi's" along with Xihu (West Lake) and Xiling (the Seal Engravers' Society). And then, you can have a short stroll along the Hefang Ancient Street (1 hour) - a cobble street lined with traditional shops selling herbal medicines, handicrafts and silk products. Finally, drive back to your hotel and have a rest of this day.

Sightseeing and Activities:West Lake, Lingyin Temple, China Tea Museum
Accommodation: Hangzhou
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today is a joyful day with firstly the boat tour of West Lake (50 m by the public boat - reputed for beautiful scenery, a multitude of historical sites, brilliant cultural relics, and a profusion of native products. After that, go to Lingyin Temple (1 hour) - a site famous for not only as a Buddhism temple but also an attraction to catch beautiful scenery. After a vegetarian meal in Lingyin Temple, continue to pay a visit to Six Harmonies Pagoda (1 hour) - ensure a view of the Qiantang River and a far view towards the misty horizon. The final site of today is China Tea Museum (1 hour) - you can have close touch with the China tea history and know more about the tea producing process.. After that, drive back to your hotel and have a rest of this day.

Sightseeing and Activities:Reed Flute Cave, the Elephant Trunk Hill
Accommodation: Guilin
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After a breakfast in Hangzhou, your Hangzhou tour will be finished by connecting the 1 hour flight to Guilin. Your Guilin tour guide will wait for you at the airport and help you to transfer to the hotel. On the way, you will have chance to visit the gorgeous Reed Flute Cave (1 hour) - offering a magic fairyland of stalactites, stalagmites, stone columns scenery. And then, the next stop will be the Elephant Trunk Hill (1 hour) - the landmark of Guilin. After that, be transferred to the hotel and have a rest of this day.

Sightseeing and Activities:Li River Cruise, West Street
Accommodation: Yangsuo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning you will be driven to the Zhujiang Pier for the Li River Cruise (about 4 hours, lunch served on board). Savour the fairy-tale scenery while cruising down the meandering river to Yangshuo. After disembarkation and check-in hotel with help of your tour guide, you can have a walk along the famous West Street and enjoy the free leisure time there.

Sightseeing and Activities:Biking tour in Yangshuo
Accommodation: Hong Kong
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, after breakfast, you will have a 4 hours biking tour to Moon Hill through the countryside road, on the way we can enjoy the scenery of dragon river, old villages or something...when we arrive to Moon Hill, walk up to the top of Moon Hill, which takes about 1 hour going up and down, and then drive back to Guilin downtown (1-15.hr).  After the tour and say good bye to Guilin and have a 1.5 hours flight to Hong Kong SIC airport. Airport-hotel transfer without guide. Upon arrival,  proceed to Airport Shuttle bus counter and present our voucher to the staff after claiming your check-in luggage from the carousel. Free at leisure the rest time of the day.

Sightseeing and Activities:SIC tour : Victoria Peak, Aberdeen fishing village, Jewelry Factory
Accommodation: Hong Kong
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, enjoy your half day city tour (SIC join in basis) to Victoria Peak - will give you the best angle to capture exceptional video footage while you are moving to the 373 meters hill top. And then, move to the Aberdeen fishing village (no sampan) - home to hundreds of people living on fishing junks. Finally go to visit the largest jewelry factory in Hong Kong. After the tour, you can enjoy your own free exploration in this city.

Sightseeing and Activities:Hong Kong departure
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast

The vacation is over all too soon as you're transferred to the airport to board the homebound flight, bidding a fond farewell to China, and we know you'll be back. Service ends.