16-Day Essential China Tour with Lhasa

On your arrival at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, your private guide will greet you and guide you to take a ride in the Maglev Train. Running 430 km per hour, it takes only 8 minutes to transfer you to Longyang Road Station in downtown, where your driver is ready to pick you up and escort you to your hotel.

Today you will visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, which chronicles the past, present and future of Shanghai. Continue to explore the tranquil Yu Garden and stop at a silk workshop. In the late afternoon, you will walk down the Bund along the Huangpu River and then get a bird's eye view of Shanghai from the Shanghai World Financial Center.

Optional: An acrobatics show tonight is a recommendation as your optional night entertainment.

After breakfast, be transferred to the airport for your flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival in Guilin, the most scenic city in China, your personal guide will meet and escort you to the hotel. Today's tour will take you to the breathtaking Reed Flute Cave and Pearl Museum.

On this day you will take an excursion to visit the beautiful Longji Rice Terraces. Originated in Yuan Dynasty, these terraces have been well and kept for 700 years, but it is just as they were first cultivated. Their owners are ethnic tribes, including Miao and Yao people.

You will walk along the quiet countryside paths, visit a minority village, try their primitive farming lifestyle, and climb up the Longji mound to enjoy the charming landscape. Be transferred back to Guilin after the tour.

Li River cruise, the highlight of any Guilin tour, is your first activity today. Starting at Zhujiang Pier, you will cruise down along the enchanting Li River. En route, you will be inspired by breathtaking views of towering limestone peak of various shapes, limpid waters, thriving groves, rice paddies and locals working in fields.

After disembarkation, be transferred to your hotel in Yangshuo. Later, take a countryside tour by bike or car (1-2 hours) and feel the laid-back ambiance of Yangshuo.

Optional: In the evening, an optional open-air show of Impression Sanjie Liu which combines the landscape with the dancing performance is highly recommended.

Take a flight to Chengdu this morning. Upon your arrival in Chengdu, be met and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, take a leisurely tour along the Jinli Old Street with well-maintained old buildings, hanging red lanterns, an array of food vendors, knick-knacks and souvenirs.

On this day, you will visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, followed by a trip to the Wenshu Temple where you can spend some time sitting in its tea house. Enjoy a cup of traditional Chinese tea and absorb the special atmosphere of Chengdu and the local River Viewing Tower Park.

You will be free to pursue your personal activities before your private guide escorts you to the airport for flying to Lhasa, the capital of the mysterious Tibet.

Upon your arrival at Gonggar airport, you will be met by your personal guide and transferred to your hotel in Lhasa city (2 hours). After check-in, you are advised to relax at your hotel to adjust to the high altitude.

The overwhelming Potala Palace is your first stop. As the symbol of Tibet, the Palace was built in 641 AD and was a winter palace of Dalai Lama who is Tibet's pope. Impressive Tibetan architectures, huge golden Buddha statues, red-robed lamas, and devoted pilgrims all make it a must-visit site.

Later, you will visit the age-old Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet, and walk the special circular pilgrimage route as local followers always do at Barkhor Street.

After breakfast, you will visit the charming Norbulingka Park, also known as "the Summer Palace of Tibet", and then come to Drepung Monastery, an ancient temple once housed 10,000 monks in its heyday.

Your tour ends with Sera Monastery. Built in 1419, the monastery is one of the three largest monasteries in Tibet and is famous for its traditional Buddhism scriptures debates.

Free in the day before our private guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to Xi'an.

Upon arrival, your guide will meet you at the airport and take you to visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda before taking you to your hotel.

Today's tour begins with Terracotta Warriors. You will inspect over 8,000 life-size terracotta soldiers & horses, and listen to the legends of their master, Emperor Qin Shihuang, who united China for the first time. Next, visit Art Ceramics Factory to view how these amazing statues were created 2,200 years ago.

In the afternoon, you will tour the Ancient City Wall, the world's largest city wall which allows, if you prefer, to have a cycling tour on it. The Bell Tower will be the last stop. It's one of the landmarks of this city.

Optional: The recommended activity today is the Tang Dynasty Show, which can let you know more about the stories in this ancient capital.

The morning sightseeing will take you to the Great Mosque, one of China's largest mosques, and Muslim Street to admire the exotic religious architectures and Muslim culture. After that, visit Hanyang Tomb to appreciate the valuable cultural relics and unearthing items.

After the tour, be escorted to the airport for the flight to Beijing, the capital of China.

On this day, you will first visit Tiananmen Square, once the largest square in the world stretching 440,000 square meters. Followed by the magnificent Forbidden City, the world's largest palace complex with 9,999 rooms across 72 hectares.

You will explore hutongs by pedicab and walk along the Houhai Bar Street in the afternoon.

Optional: Tonight, have a chance to get touch with the charm of Chinese martial art by seeing Chinese Kung Fu Show. It is highly recommended for you.

No Beijing tour is complete without a visit to the Great Wall. Today you will tour the magnificent Great Wall (Mutianyu section), the 8th Wonder of the World. Walking on the venerable ramparts, you will be amazed at the unbelievable defensive constructions and fabulous landscape surrounding the Wall.

After descending the wall, you will stop by a jade gallery, and then stroll leisurely along the Sacred Road, a royal path noted for vivid stone statues and afterlife stories.

After breakfast, you will visit Beijing's spectacular Temple of Heaven where emperors in ancient times worshiped Heaven for a national good harvest. Here you will also watch the locals doing their special morning exercises.

Afterward, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight. Thank you for joining Odynovo for this unforgettable journey!