Best of China & Tibet: Temples, Palaces, Mountains, Culture, History & Spirituality

Today you depart NEW YORK! Get ready to start your journey!

Arrive at any time. Attend a welcome meeting in the evening followed by an orientation walk with our tour specialist in the area of Beijing near the joining hotel. There will be an optional group dinner afterwards at a local restaurant.

Visit the vast expanses of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Use free time to explore the Hutongs (historic narrow streets and alleys) or The Temple of Heaven, the Drum and Bell Tower, Lama Temple, or Summer Palace.

Travel north to the Great Wall, one of the most iconic sights in all of China. Spend the better part of the day exploring and taking photos, soaking in the atmosphere.

In the morning catch a bullet train from Beijing to vibrant Xi’an. After settling in at your hotel go on an orientation walk with our tour specialist and visit points of interest around the city like the bustling Muslim Quarter. Known as one of Xi’an’s most fascinating areas, you will pass the lovely and unusual Great Mosque and wander by food stalls with some of the best street eats in China.

Visit one of China’s greatest archaeological treasures—the Terracotta Warriors. This evening, opt for a dumpling banquet with your tour specialist and group.

Meals included: Lunch

Spend a free morning in Xi’An then board a bullet train in the afternoon to Chengdu. After getting settled at the hotel, join an orientation walk around the city. In the evening sit down for a Hotpot dinner with the group.

Meals included: Dinner

Enjoy a morning visit to see pandas at the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. Witness the conservation efforts being made to save this endearing species. Afterwards, take time for lunch on your own before our tour specialist will take the group to People’s Park by metro for an orientation walk. End the walk in Tianfu Square, located in the city centre of Chengdu. Take the metro back to the hotel before an optional group dinner in the evening.

Today begins your journey to Tibet. Board a flight to Lhasa and as you make your way off the plane, you will be greeted by our Tibetan specialist. Grab your bags and head to the hotel and join your CEO for an orientation walk of Lhasa.

Spend the morning with our tour specialist exploring the Unesco World Heritage site of Jokhang Temple. Walk throughout the complex and take note of the many original pieces still intact from the original construction. Then, continue the tour in Lhasa’s oldest district to explore Barkhor Street, an ancient and holy pilgrimage path. Then enjoy free time in the heart of the Tibetan Quarter. We recommend getting some lunch at a local teahouse. In the evening, we’ll have a cooking class of traditional Tibetan food and then sit down together to eat what we made.

Meals included: Dinner

Start today’s adventure with a visit to the Potala Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This dzong fortress was the winter palace of Dalai Lamas for over three hundred years. Then in the afternoon, visit Sera monastery and witness the monks at debate. This unique cultural practice allows for a deeper understanding of Buddhist philosophy and visitors are allowed to observe as per a set schedule.

Set off early this morning for Gyantse. The drive to Gyantse is a spectacular one, crossing three passes over 5,000m (16,404 ft) and skirting the shores of the beautiful turquoise lake, Yamdrok Tso. Enjoy a visit to the lake in the morning. Then visit Karola Glacier en route and grab a bite of lunch if you wish in Nagarze.

Today provides another opportunity to visit a sacred Tibetan Buddhist site in Gyantse. Visit Pelkor Chode Monastery this morning to admire the many sculptures and paintings lining the walls. See Gyantse Kumbum, the iconic mutli-leveled edifice. Then, travel to Shigatse and visit the Tashilunpo Monastery, one of the most culturally significant monasteries in Shigatse. Witness monks going about their day and choose to join in with the kora, a meditative practice.

Bid Shigatse farewell and travel onward to Sakya, and visit the Sakya Monastery and Nunnery. Return to the hotel on foot and choose to join our specialist for dinner.

Pack an overnight daypack, and depart to make your way towards your overnight near Everest Basecamp. Visit the Rongbuk Monastery and then embark on a short hike. Tonight, spend the night in yak hair tents that allow you to get as close as possible to Basecamp in the hopes of getting glimpses of Mt Everest. Choose to go on additional hikes to the upper monastery with our specialist.

Depart Everest and make your way back the way you came to the entrance of the park. Board a private vehicle headed to Kyirong. This border town is known for it’s warmer climate and green landscape. Relax and enjoy the view.

Today, cross the border back into Nepal. The overland journey from Tibet to Nepal is considered one of the most stunning drives in Asia. Once across the border, travel to Kathmandu to enjoy a final evening in the city.

Join our tour specialist on a morning exploration of Bhaktapur. A World Heritage Site, Bhaktapur is made up of three large squares filled with shrines, temples and plenty of activity. In its heyday, Bhaktapur was the most powerful of the Kathmandu Valley kingdoms and its capital for 300 years. Return to Kathmandu for the afternoon at leisure. Join our tour specialist for an optional farewell dinner to your incredible journey through China, Tibet and Nepal.

Depart at anytime