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Pre or Post Cruise Overland Hong Kong, Chengdu, Lhasa, Xian, Beijing
Duration: 9 days
Highlights: Hong Kong, Chengdu, Lhasa, Xian, Beijing, Tianjin
This fascinating journey to many of China’s most treasured sites and magical Tibet will enrich your travel experience beyond measure.
Itinerary
FULL LENGTH TOUR DESCRIPTION
PLEASE NOTE: THE DESCRIPTION BELOW REFLECTS OPERATION AS A PRE-CRUISE OVERLAND. THE ITINERARY CAN BE REVISED TO OPERATE AS A
POST-CRUISE PACKAGE AS WELL, WITH FLIGHT ARRIVAL TAKING PLACE IN HONG KONG AND SHIP EMBARKATION IN BEIJING (TIANJIN).
DAY 01 – Hong Kong to Chengdu
This fascinating journey to many of China’s most treasured sites and magical Tibet will enrich your travel experience beyond measure. With great anticipation you begin this
once in a lifetime adventure when you are met in the lobby of your Hong Kong hotel and transferred to the Hong Kong International Airport.
Today’s 2½-hour flight brings you to Chengdu, China, the capital of Sichuan province. After collecting your bags and completing immigration and customs formalities, proceed
to your hotel to check in, relax and enjoy lunch on your own.
In the afternoon a brief overview of Chengdu is provided, and the evening has a treat in store, an authentic Sichuan Folk Performance. China has over 1,300 local operas,
and Sichuan opera is one of the China’s oldest local operas and is popular in Sichuan province and some regions of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. It is the most significant
and most interesting opera form from Southwestern China. You’ll see the face changing, or "bianlian" in Chinese, which is an important intangible cultural heritage in China.
Only a few masters have grasped this skill and know how to change the Sichuan opera masks in magically quick succession. As they flourish their arms and twist their
heads, their painted masks change again and again. After this unique experience, return to your hotel for the night.
DAY 02 – Chengdu to Lhasa
After breakfast at the hotel, pay a memorable visit to the Chengdu Panda Breeding Center. The center was created to imitate the pandas’ natural habitat, ensuring the best
possible environment for nurturing and breeding. Lush bamboo, bright flowers, fresh air and natural hill scene create beautiful views. Not only does the center care for
pandas, but other rare and endangered wild animals as well. There is a Giant Panda Museum together with research laboratories and a training center. During the visit, get
your camera ready for the ultimate “Awww” moment when you have a chance to hug a panda.
Continue next to the Chengdu Airport, where you’ll have lunch before boarding the 1 hour 55 minute flight to Tibet. On arrival at the Gonggar Airport, begin the approximate
3-hour journey to Lhasa, the traditional capital of Tibet, making stops en route to take photos and soak in the scenery. Arriving at your Lhasa hotel, the balance of the day is
for you to relax and acclimatize, as Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world at approximately 3,650 meters (11,975 feet).
DAY 03 – Lhasa
This morning you leave the hotel to visit the Potala Palace, former winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, which is located in the northwest of the city on a south-facing hillside.
Towering to a height of over 330 feet, the complex can be divided into three sections – the palaces (the “red palace” and “white palace” containing the burial stupas and
residential quarters), the defensive fortifications and the gardens. Many of the palace walls are exquisitely covered with frescoes depicting episodes from Buddhist scriptures,
landscapes from the surrounding area and historical events such as the arrival of the two Tang Dynasty princesses or the journey of the 5th Dalai Lama to Beijing.
Following your visit, cross the street to climb Red Hill for panoramic views and photographs of the palace. Standing as it does on the crest of a hill it has become the most
distinctive symbol of Lhasa.
Lunch is served in a local restaurant, then proceed to the Jokhang Temple, considered Tibet’s most sacred temple and first significant religious institution. Located in the very
heart of Lhasa’s colorful Tibetan quarter, Jokhang is the focus of devotion day and night. It was built by Queen Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century to house a statue of the
8-year-old boy Buddha which was brought to Tibet by the Nepalese Princess Tritsun and also a Sakyamuni Buddha statue brought by the Chinese Princess Wencheng. The
Sakyamuni Buddha statue, originally presented to the Chinese emperor as a gift from the Queen of Bengal, is generally regarded as Tibet’s most sacred object. In the
pilgrimage season, long lines of pilgrims wait patiently for hours just to touch their foreheads to the sacred image of Sakyamuni.
Encircling Jokhang Temple is the Barkhor, or holy path of transformation. It is now the site of Lhasa’s bustling marketplace and all manner of things are to be found here. A
walk around Barkhor Bazaar offers a chance to browse the vast array of clothes, jewelry and craft wares on display.
Enjoy some free time to walk around old town, taking in temples, markets and traditional residential buildings before returning to your hotel to overnight.
Day 04 – Lhasa
Today begins with a visit to Drepung Monastery, founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choje, a celebrated Yellow Hat lama. The name Drepung means “rice heap” which comes
from the Sanskrit Dhanyakataka, the name of a stupa in south India where the Buddha first taught the Kalachakra tantra. Drepung is also the site of the burial stupas of the
2nd, 3rd, and 4th Dalai Lamas (only the Potala Palace has more). As one of Tibet’s Great Six monasteries, Drepung was an effective center of political power and by the time
of the Fifth Dalai Lama, its population had grown to a staggering 10,000 monks and novices – easily the largest monastic institution in the world. It was renowned as a great
center of learning and attracted the best and the brightest.
Lunch today is on your own at the hotel, after which you head out to see the Sera Monastery lying at the base of Sera Utse Ridge. This a mountain of the Tatipu Range
defines the northern limit of Lhasa City and serves as a watershed for the Kyi Chu and Penpo Rivers. Sera Monastery, founded in 1419, is one of Tibet’s Great Six
monasteries. The complex today, a veritable monastic city, occupies a site of nearly 30 acres and is made up of a Great Hall, three specialized colleges and 30 residential
compounds with chapels. At its peak, Sera boasted over 5,000 monks and novices from the far corners of Tibet and was a vital center of religious activity.
Before returning to the hotel, stop at The Norbulingka (the Jewel Park). One of the most relaxing and pleasant places in Lhasa, this 99-acre enclave on the outskirts of town
is covered with trees, ponds, gardens, palaces and pavilions.
DAY 05 – Lhasa to Xian
Check out of your hotel this morning and transfer to the Lhasa airport for the 2½-hour flight to Xi’an. On arrival, transfer to your hotel for check in and some time to relax.
Lunch is on your own at the hotel this afternoon, after which you’ll set out for a visit to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum that is, without a doubt, the finest museum of ancient
Chinese history currently in China. The museum is a tapestry of history encompassing your visit to Xi’an. Opened in June 1991, the museum celebrates the tremendous
achievements of Shaanxi Province, one of the recognized cradles of Chinese civilization and capital of 11 ancient dynasties. The Museum is a striking Tang-Dynasty style
pavilion and houses around 113,000 historic and cultural artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi. Conclude your visit by viewing the Tang Murals from the vault ("The Tang Dynasty's
Tomb Real Murals Exhibition").
Following your museum visit, take a stroll along the top of the City Wall, one of the few remaining City Walls in China. Originally built to provide the inner city with an
effective means of defense against attack, the City Wall contains four gates and a large number of towers and bastions. Xi’an City Wall is the best preserved, oldest and
largest ancient city defense system in China and one of the city’s most important landmarks.
Then it’s time to transfer back to hotel to freshen up before for a dumpling dinner at one of the local restaurants. Dumpling, or Jiaozi in Chinese, is one of the most
representative and popular Chinese foods, dating back several thousands of years. There are many different types and each is shaped differently depending on what is
inside. Following dinner, visit the night market to watch an interesting dumpling making and noodle throwing demonstration. Then return to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.
DAY 6 – Xian to Beijing
Check out of your hotel and depart for Xi’an’s Old Quarter and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Walking through the Old Quarter, stop at the Great Mosque of Xi’an, one of
the most interesting sites in a city known for its rich history. While the Buddhist traditions of Chinese culture are well known to most visitors, the influence exerted by Islam is
not. Yet, of the religious beliefs within China today, no one can claim the strength of belief that Islam does.
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, less frequently included on a tourist itinerary, is actually one of the most aesthetically pleasing structures in Xi’an. The pagoda, standing 140
feet high amidst a garden setting, was built in the year 684 in honor of the Tang Dynasty Emperor Gaozong. If you wish, you may climb to the top of the pagoda for a
panoramic view of Xi’an.
Next, leave the city to visit the famous Terracotta Warriors Museum. The terracotta site, a small part of the tomb of Qin Shihuangdi, is made up of three distinct dig "pits", the
bronze chariot hall, and a newly opened theatre in the round which shows a short film on the history of the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 B.C.). Theories
abound, but it is thought the Terracotta Warriors, made from mineral rich loess soil, were meant to safeguard the emperor's passage to the afterlife and protect his kingdom
from attack. Each pit serves a different military purpose, including the vanguard and side flanks, military encampment and strategic headquarters. After this stunning sight, a
boxed lunch is served at The Terracotta Warriors Museum Teahouse.
An interesting stop at the Yangling Museum is made en route to the Xi’an airport. Opened in 1999, the museum features recent archeological discoveries from Han dynasty
tombs and represents the culmination of nearly 10 years of excavation work on the area around the tomb of the Han emperor Jindgi, who died 141 B.C. While the actual
imperial tomb of the emperor and chief consort has yet to be opened, archeologists have excavated more than 20 “satellite tombs” that have yielded a treasure trove of
exquisite funerary pieces.
Departure now for the airport and the 1 hour 50 minute flight to the city of Beijing and your waiting hotel room for a restful night.
DAY 7 – Beijing
The wonders of Bejing lay before you today. First stop is Tiananmen Square for a stroll on the largest public plaza on earth. Lying in the center of Beijing, Tiananmen Square
is thought of as the very heart of the city.
Proceed to the extraordinary Forbidden City, so named for the exclusive nature of the emperors who built and inhabited it. Center of the Chinese world for nearly 500 years,
the imperial palace remains the most complete and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China.
Break for a traditional lunch at the Bai Jia Da Zhai Men Restaurant, then continue your sightseeing with a visit to the Summer Palace and a private boat ride on Lake
Kunming. The Summer Palace is the largest imperial garden in the world, a veritable museum of classical Chinese garden architecture. Construction of the Summer Palace
began in 1750, commissioned by Emperor Qinglong as a gift for his mother’s birthday, and took 15 years to complete.
Return to your hotel for an evening of independent relaxation and dining.
DAY 8 – Beijing
Start the day with a visit to the Temple of Heaven, a perfect example of Ming architecture, to watch the morning activities of the local people, such as Tai Chi Ballroom
Dancing or sword playing. Built in 1420, this huge site (twice the size of the Forbidden City) follows a route traversed by past emperors and their entourages in splendid
procession from which the commoner had to avert his eyes.
Next stop, the Great Wall. After an approximate 1½-hour drive you reach the Great Wall at the Mutianyu site. Originally built to guard strategic passes to the plains on which
Beijing is located, the magnificent vistas and solitary setting here evoke the grandeur and dazzling achievement of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. It remains one of the
great man-made wonders of the world.
Lunch is served before it’s time to return to Beijing city, which you’ll explore further with a pedicab ride through Beijing’s hutongs. “Hutong” is a Manchurian term referring to
the network of small winding alleyways that once covered the city of Beijing. Like a warren of interconnecting alleyways, islands of neighborhoods were created within the
larger area of the city. Although many of Beijing’s hutongs are now giving rise to modern skyscrapers, patches of simple courtyard houses have managed to survive the
modern age. You’ll also visit the lively Hongqiao Market and/or Silk Street, a popular market for local shoppers and one of Beijing’s best places to buy Chinese pearls.
In the evening, transfer back to the hotel for some time to freshen up before going out for a sophisticated and intimate dinner at Lan Club, located in the Twin Towers in the
Chaoyang District. After your elegant meal, return to the hotel to overnight.
DAY 9 –Beijing to Tianjin
This morning your amazing adventure concludes with hotel check-out and transfer to Tianjing, home port for Beijing, where you board your ship.
SHORT LENGTH TOUR DESCRIPTION
This fascinating journey to many of China’s most treasured sites and magical Tibet will enrich your travel experience beyond measure. The adventure starts in Hong Kong
and only begins to unfold before you with one-of-a-kind sights like the amazing “face changing” feats performed at the famed Sichuan opera and Panda Breeding Center
during your visit to Chengdu, capital of the province. The architectural, historic and spiritual wonders of Tibet now offer their riches as you visit Lhasa, winter home of the
Dalai Lama. Actually being at the temples and palaces that are considered among the holiest places on earth is an expanding experience. Then fly to Xi’an to see the city’s
treasures, not least of which are the famous Terra Cotta Warriors, the earthen army intended to guard a Qin Dynasty emperor in the afterlife. Before boarding your cruise
ship for the onward journey, explore the jewels of Beijing, visiting such world-renowned sites as Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of
Heaven, and the astounding Great Wall of China.
TIMING BREAKDOWN
DAY 1
00:00 - transfer Hong Kong International and flight to Chengdu. Departure time based on current flight schedule
02:30 – Arrival Chengdu
15:00 Depart Chengdu hotel for city sightseeing
19:30 Sichuan Folk Performance
DAY 2
08:00 Depart hotel for Chengdu Panda Breeding Center
12:00 Transfer to Chengdu Airport
14:15 – 16:10 Flight Chengdu to Lhasa (subject to change)
16:30 Transfer to Lhasa hotel
19:30 Arrive hotel, overnight
DAY 3
09:00 Depart hotel for Potala Palace and Red Hill
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Visit Jokhang Temple and old Tibetan city
17:00 Return to hotel, overnight
DAY 4
09:00 Depart hotel, visit to Drepung Monastery
13:00 Independent lunch at hotel
13:45 Depart hotel to visit Sera Monastery and Norbulingka (Jewel Park)
17:00 Return to hotel, overnight
DAY 5
07:00 Check out of hotel
07:30 Transfer to Lhasa airport for flight to Xi’an
09:50 – 12:20 Flight to Xi’an (subject to change)
13:30 Arrival at Xi’an hotel, Lunch on your own
14:15 Depart hotel, visit Shaanxi Provincial Museum with viewing of Tang Mural
17:30 Return transfer to hotel
19:30 Dumpling dinner at a local restaurant
20:30 Visit to night market for dumpling making and noodle throwing demonstration
DAY 6
07:30 Check out of hotel
08:00 Depart hotel for Old Quarter and Small Wild Goose Pagoda
10:30 Visit to Terracotta Warriors Museum (includes I-max movie, Pits # 1, 2, 3 & Bronze Chariot Museum)
13:45 Boxed lunch at The Terracotta Warriors Museum Teahouse
14:30 transfer to airport with visit to Yangling Museum en route
16:45 Departure transfer to airport
18:00 – 19:50 Flight Xian to Beijing (subject to change)
Transfer to Beijing hotel for check-in and overnight
DAY 7
09:00 Tour Tianamin Square and the Forbidden City
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Visit Summer Palace and private boat ride on Lake Kunming
17:00 Return to hotel, dinner on your own
DAY 8
07:00 Depart hotel for the Temple of Heaven
08:30 Transfer to the Great Wall
10:00 Arrive Great Wall at the Mutianyu site
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Transfer back to Beijing city
15:30 Commence sightseeing of Beijing’s hutongs
18:00 Return to hotel to freshen up
19:30 Depart hotel for dinner
20:00 Dinner. Return to hotel for overnight
DAY 9
Morning – check out of hotel, transfer to Tianjin (approximately 2½ hours) to embark your cruise vessel
OPERATIONAL NOTES
- Meals include eight Breakfasts, six Lunches and two Dinners
- Hotel Nights include one night Chengdu, three nights in Lhasa, one in Xi’an and three nights in Beijing
- Internal flights are inclusive of airport tax
- Activity level is Extensive