9-Day Beijing – Xi’an – Lhasa Private Tour

Your enjoyable escorted China tour starts with our helpful pick-up service. Upon your landing at Beijing airport, your guide will greet you outside the customs area, and then your driver will transfer you to the hotel in a clean and comfortable vehicle. The remainder of the day is free for you to refresh from fatigue after a long journey. Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong

Start your day with the symbol of new China, the Tian'anmen Square. From there you will proceed to the Forbidden City, the largest and best-preserved ancient imperial palaces with 500 years of history. The halls with flying golden roofs and red walls, carved dragons, and lion statues in the palace reveal the past glory of the fallen imperial family. Enjoy the Beijing Roast Duck for lunch. Watch the exquisite cutting skills of the chef, taste crispy duck skin, and learn how to eat it in the correct way. Spend a relaxing afternoon in the hutong alleyways. In the afternoon, continue your visit to the Yonghe Temple. And then come to the Temple of Heaven, the imperial altar for the emperors of the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties to worship the God of Heaven. This evening, enjoy a sensational Peking Opera Show. Have a special chance to see how actors put on makeup on their face. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

The morning's excursion takes you toMutianyu Great Wall, one of the world's wonders. Constructed in the Ming Dynasty, Mutianyu is one of the best preserved sections, with spectacular surrounding natural scenery. The wall, dotted with beacon towers, stretches along mountain ridges for miles, resembling a huge flying dragon. We arrange for you to take the roundtrip cable car to reach and descend the wall. Free time will be left for you to climb the Great Wall. Head to Simatai Great Wall in the afternoon. Spend the afternoon wandering around theGuibei Water Town, which is at the foot of the Great Wall. You can also enjoy a soak in ahot springif you want to. When it gets dark, your guide will accompany you to take the cable car up to the Simatai section to enjoy thestunning night views, which is a different experience from the day version. It's the only section that's open and lit up at night. Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour Would you like a more romantic experience? Go there between April and October to enjoy a nice dinner at a special restaurant, from where you can see the Simatai section of the Great Wall lit up all along the mountain ridges at night. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong

Enjoy breakfast and travel back to Beijing city to explore theSummer Palace, a royal masterpiece of Chinese landscaped gardens. Take a high-speed train to Xi'an after lunch. Tips to Tailor-Make Your Tour Do you love hiking? We can arrange a 2-hour, 4-hour, or even multi-day wild Great Wall hiking experience for you. After lunch, you will take an afternoon high-speed train for around 4.5 hours to reach Xi'an. You can take a nap on the train or view the countryside scenery along the way. Snacks, fruits, music or books are always good company for the train journey, so you may prepare some in advance. Your local guide in Xi'an will meet you at the train station and take you to the hotel. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch Accommodation:

The whole morning will be devoted to the Terracotta Army Museum, which is reputed as the eighth wonder of the world. Constructed as an accessory pit of the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210 BC) more than 2,200 years ago, its discovery in the year 1974 shocked the world. Here you can not only witness the large-scale underground armies but also view the ancient weapons and bronze chariots and horses. Then you will be guided to visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, built during 707 – 710 AD in the Tang Dynasty. Besides admiring the old 13-floor pagoda and enjoying a serene time here, your guide will also show you around Xi’an Museum inside with rich collections. Today’s last stop is the ancient City Wall of Xi'an, which is the largest and best-preserved old city wall in China. Standing on it, you could have a nice bird's eye view of the city, experiencing the captivating blend of tradition and modernity. It is also possible to cycle on the ancient city wall. If you feel interested, your guide would be very happy to help you with the bike rental at a small charge. Go cycling on the wall and enjoy golden sunset view, what a marvelous experience! Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today you will say goodbye to your Xi'an guide at the airport and take a morning flight to the capital city of the mysterious Tibet - Lhasa. Located in the middle of Tibet Plateau, it is an ancient city having 1,300 years of history. With an altitude of 3,650 meters, Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world. Upon your arrival, your guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel, where you can have a good rest to acclimate yourself to the high altitude. Meals: Western buffet breakfast Accommodation: Tangka Hotel

Today your visit includes the Drepung Monastery, the Norbulingka Park and the Sera Monastery. The Norbulingka Park, which means "Treasure Park" in Tibetan, is the summer palace of Dalai Lama. It is the largest garden with the most beautiful scenery and has been changed into a park. The Sera Monastery is one of the three largest monasteries in Tibet. Here you may be lucky to come across the monks' debates. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you will visit the world famous Potala Palace. As the former winter palace of Dalai Lama, it was the governmental center of unity of politics and religions in Tibet. It can be called a palace of art because it stores tremendous treasures and works of art. Visitors must follow the taboos of Tibetan Buddhism, no hats, no photos, no overstaying inside of the palace during your visit. We will go on to visit the Jokhang Temple. Located in the old part of the city, it is a monastery with a history of 1,350 years. It is the most glorious existing building established in Tubo times and the oldest existing civil structure. Wandering along Barkhor Street, a gathering area of Tibetan religion, culture and local handicrafts, you will witness the original view of this city and its people, and you can also buy simple gifts as souvenirs. Today's trip is completed with a visit to a Nunnery, where you can see the normal daily life of nuns living there. Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today, your guide will see you off at the airport for your homebound flight. Your wonderful vacation ends here and we wish you a pleasant onward trip. Since Lhasa has few international flights, you may need to transfer to other cities and then fly back to your country. The transportation for leaving Lhasa is not included in our listed prices but we are happy to purchase the tickets for you upon your request. If you need, please feel free to contact your travel consultant. Meals: Western buffet breakfast