Lhasa Holiday Planner. Tailor-made Holidays to Lhasa in China

Day 1: Beijing - Lhasa

Huan ying, welcome to China and the start of your holiday! Today you will be collected from your hotel in Beijing and taken to the train station for the train to Lhasa, Tibet.

Day 2: Lhasa

Enjoy life on board the train and watch the ever changing scenery go by.

Day 3: Lhasa

Today we arrive into Lhasa in the afternoon. Upon arrival you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel for check in. Enjoy the evening at your leisure.

Today enjoy a guided tour of the autonomous region's capital. Sightseeing includes a visit to the beautiful Potala Palace - the dominant landmark of Lhasa, towering 117 meters above the city below. Construction started on the red hill in 1645 under the 5th Dalai Lama. The highlight of today is a visit to Jokhang Temple, the most sacred and important temple in Tibet and also the most captivating. There is an electric atmosphere as crowds of pilgrims travel around the chapels praying. We also visit bustling Barkhor Street.

Day 5: Lhasa

Another full day of sightseeing in the fabled city of Lhasa, visiting the 15th century Drepung Monastery, formerly one of the largest monasteries in Tibet, once housing 10,000 monks. Sightseeing also includes the Sera Monastery and Norbulinka monastery - the Dalai Lama's summer palace which was completed in 1783 under the Eighth Dalai Lama. Set in beautiful grounds with fountains, chapels and pools, Norbulinka is located on the outskirts of Lhasa and it is from here that the present Dalai Lama fled in the 1950's. Sera Monastery is still a working retreat, 600 years after its foundation as a main teaching monastery and one of the three great Gelukpa 'universities' once housing more than 5500 monks.

Day 6: Lhasa - Xi'an

Enjoy some free time in Lhasa this morning before we transfer to the airport for your flight to Xian. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel for check in.

Day 7: Xi'an

Xi’an in Shaanxi Province is perhaps most famous for the discovery of Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Warriors. The 2,200 year old warriors comprise more than 7,000 life-sized soldiers which stand battle-ready in excavated pits. We tour the site and a workshop where replicas are crafted.

Day 8: Xi'an - Chengdu

Today we visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and take a bike ride along the great old City Wall that offers unique views of the city and residence below. We also visit the Muslim Quarter before taking a late afternoon flight to Chengdu.

Day 9: Chengdu

Enjoy a guided visit to the Shaanxi Rare Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Centre. The centre offers care to a small number of injured Giant Pandas in the region. We also visit the Giant Buddha.

Day 10: Chengdu - Yangtze & Three Gorges

We take a morning train to Chongqing today where we take a tour of the city. Later, we board your cruise for your journey down the mightly Yangtze River.

Day 11: Yangtze & Three Gorges

Good morning from the River Yangtze! At 6340km in length, the Yangtze is the 3rd longest river in the world, neatly dividing China into north and south and wending its way through eight very different provinces. The Gorges are a breathtaking sight! The first gorge we pass, Qutangxia Gorge is the shortest and narrowest yet the most impressive.

Day 12: Yangtze & Three Gorges

During our cruise, we’ll also sail through the new ship locks of the impressive Three Gorges Dam construction. Shore excursions to mythical Fengdu - ‘Ghost City’ and Shennong stream, with its unique scenery and four natural gorges. Drift serenely along the stream in open ‘pea pod boats’, looking out upon lush greenery and ancient villages of the Tujia people.

Day 13: Yangtze & Three Gorges - Shanghai

Disembarking from our cruise today, you will be met by your guide and transferred to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel for check in.

Day 14: Shanghai

Good morning Shanghai! Just the mere mention of ‘Shanghai’ conjures up mystery, romance and general decadence. Pre – 1949, cosmopolitan Shanghai was a magnet for seekers of wealth, idle colonialists, explorers and the dispossessed. Everything went belly up in 1949, when Mao and the communists took to power and swept the good times and rock and roll away. Today we tour many of the city’s top spots - Yu Gardens and Bazaar- Shanghai’s finest traditional garden, the Bund, Pudong and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Old City.

Day 15: Shanghai

Today, we journey to an oriental Venice via high speed train - ancient Suzhou interwoven by a series of canals and pretty waterways. We cruise on the Grand Canal at 1800km in length it's the longest canal on earth and ranks alongside the Great Wall as China’s greatest engineering achievement, and visit a silk workshop. We also visit the Humble Administrators Garden before returning to Shanghai later today.