16 Days Tibet Highland & Yangtze Cruise (GYT16)

Today you’ll board the flight from your hometown to Beijing.

Upon arrival, our guide will meet you at the airport and accompany you to your luxury hotel. Have a good rest at the hotel.

The first full day in Beijing will start after breakfast with a visit to Tiananmen Square and the magnificent Forbidden City where you can see the treasures of the Imperial collection.
After lunch, travel to the Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China and declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
In the evening, enjoy the Peking Duck dinner.

Today you’ll travel to the most iconic, photographed, and accessible section of the Great Wall at the Juyongguan entrance.
In the afternoon, tour Beijing’s 700-year-old Hutongs (narrow alleyways) by old-fashioned pedicab, as well as visit a local family living in a courtyard style home to experience the local customs of the Beijing people and their unique architectural structure.
The rest of the afternoon is at your leisure to shop and explore at Wangfujing, Beijing’s lively, must-see shopping strip.

Optional Tour: Dinner & The Golden Mask Dynasty $65

Fly from Beijing to Xian, one of the great ancient capitals in China.
When you arrive in Xian, the guide will greet you at the airport and then take you to visit the Ancient City Wall, one of the oldest and best-preserved city walls in China.
Tonight, enjoy an Imperial Dumpling Banquet followed by the Tang Dynasty Stage Show.

According to UNESCO, the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the Eighth Wonder of the World!
Today’s excursion will take you to modern China’s greatest archaeological discovery – The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, which silently guarded the tomb of China’s First Emperor for over 2,200 years.
Next, you’ll head to the Terracotta Replication Factory that actually re-makes terracotta soldiers.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport.
then, arrive in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. You will be greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel.
The remainder of the day is at leisure to adjust to the high altitude.

An extraordinary day of sightseeing shows Norbulingka, the Tibetan summer palace, built by the seventh Dalai Lama in the 18th century.
After that, visit scenic Drepung Monastery, once home to 10,000 lamas. This evening, enjoy a memorable Tibetan dinner and show.

You’ll not soon forget the spectacular architecture of the world-famous Potala Palace. The former living quarters of the Dalai Lama, this massive 1,000-room structure towers over this mountain city.
Continue on to the famous Barkhor Market where you will tour one of Tibet’s holiest shrines, revered 7th-century Jokhang Temple.
Afterward, we will stop at a local Tangka Factory where will learn about Tibetan culture.

Today, fly to Chongqing, a picturesque mountain city.
Upon arrival, board your Deluxe Cruise ship for an unforgettable venture along the Yangtze River. (Note: Due to water level conditions, the boarding port of the cruise may be changed to Fengdu.)

After breakfast, you are free to attend any of the various cultural programs provided on the ship or take an optional land excursion to Fengdu, the famed Chinese Ghost City.
This afternoon, a shore excursion to Zhongxian will be arranged. Here you will visit Shibaozhai with its impressive wooden pagoda, appropriately named “The Pearl of the Yangtze”.  
This evening, the Captain Welcome Party will be held for you to enjoy.

Sail through Qutang Gorge, the shortest (5 miles), narrowest (500 feet), and most dramatic among the famous Three Gorges.
Next is Wu Gorge, 25 miles long and well known for its 12 forest-covered peaks, quiet beauty, and ever-changing scenery. After lunch, experience a new adventure by transferring to a small riverboat and cruising up the Shennong Stream tributary.

Disembark the cruise to see the massive Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric project.
Then you’ll cruise on to Yichang to disembark before taking a flight to Shanghai, a renowned international metropolis.

Today you’ll soak up the more commercial aspects on Old Street, modern Xintiandi, Nanjing Road, and the famous Bund.
Visit a Silk Spinning Mill where you can do some shopping. Then step back in time at the Shanghai Museum with more than 120,000 art objects.

Today is free for leisure or last-minute shopping.

Optional Tour: Dinner & Permanent Show “ERA – Intersection of Time” $59

Today you’ll board a flight to return home. Your amazing China trip ends.