Day 1: USA to Beijing
Depart the USA via the Pacific.
Day 2: Beijing
You will be greeted by your guide upon arrival at Beijing airport & transferred to the hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure.
Day 3: Beijing
Enjoy breakfast prior to a tour of Beijing. Our first stop is the impressive Tian'anmen Square. From there, you will enter the Imperial Palace, known as the Forbidden City, to explore its many fascinating halls & pavilions. Next, visit the Temple of Heaven, the place where the emperors prayed to Heaven for good harvests. This evening, enjoy a traditional Beijing Duck Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 4: Beijing
After breakfast, take a day trip to Badaling where you will visit the only man-made structure visible from outer space, the Great Wall. After lunch, enjoy a stop at the Ming Tomb in the peaceful shadow of Longevity Mountain. Tonight, enjoy a special cultural event.
Day 5: Beijing & Xian
This morning, visit the Summer Palace and the Panda House at the Beijing Zoo. Take an afternoon flight to Xian. On arrival, transfer to your hotel for dinner & overnight.
Day 6: Xian
Today includes a visit to the majestic Terracotta Warriors & Horses Museum. Later in the afternoon, you will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. This evening you will be entertained at the Tang Dynasty Music & Dance Show while enjoying the famous Dumpling Banquet Dinner.
Day 7: Xian & Lhasa
Today, the adventure continues as you board your flight to Lhasa, a town nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. Upon landing in Lhasa, you will be transferred to your hotel. Later this afternoon, we will have an orientation lecture on the region including such topics as Tibetan religion, festivals, marriage & customs.
Day 8: Lhasa
This morning, you will visit the vast & magnificent Potala Palace. After lunch, visit the Sera Monastery & a typical Tibetan family. Enjoy an unforgettable Tibetan dance & fashion show performed by a small group of Tibetan people during dinner.
Day 9: Lhasa
Your exploration of Lhasa continues this morning as you visit the Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street, where you will meet many pilgrims in procession through the streets. Continue on to the Tibetan Traditional Medicine Hospital and Norbulingka Park, which is the Summer Place of Dalai Lamas.
Day 10: Lhasa & Shanghai
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast & free morning before departing by air for Shanghai. After lunch, you will visit an old town near Shanghai, Qibao. The Ming - Qing style architecture, traditional snacks, small bridges, rivers and teahouses might make you forget you are in Shanghai in modern times! You will be free to shop at the abundance of local stores along the Shanghai riverfront area known as the Bund.
Day 11: Shanghai
Today you will see the Shanghai Museum, the beautiful Yuyuan Garden, the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, & the Xin Tian Di (a newly developed recreation area in Shanghai with old-style buildings). Tonight, enjoy your farewell dinner followed by a fascinating Portman Acrobatic Show at the Shanghai Center Theatre.
Day 12: Return to the US
After breakfast, we transfer to Shanghai airport for our return flight to the USA or continue our adventure with many optional extensions.