8 Days Beijing – Lhasa Classic Tour by Flight

Upon your arrival at Beijing airport / train station, our local driver will pick you up from the exit gate by holding a welcome board with your name and transfer to downtown hotel for checking-in. Free and easy on your arrangement for rest of the day.

Accommodation: Overnight in Beijing

AM: At 08:00, our English speaking tour guide and driver will pick you up from the downtown hotel. You will start today’s tour with the largest city square in the world - Tian'anmen Square. The square has a very important role in China’s history and visiting it is a dream for many generations of Chinese people. So don’t be surprised when you see the square is teeming with Chinese people. You can just wander around the square and take in the rich history.

Then you will follow your tour guide into the incredible Forbidden City, which was once the royal palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties with more than 70 big and small palaces and over 9,000 rooms. It is one of the largest and most well-preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Walking into the grand and majestic complex, you will steep in China’s long history and marvel at this architectural masterpiece.

Noon: Lunch on your own.

PM: After lunch, move on to Summer Palace. With an area of 2.9 square kilometers, this palace was the best place where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty spent their summers. Here you will enjoy the amazing lake view, explore the exquisite long corridor, appreciate precious cultural relics, step on the elegant stone bridge, see high old trees, etc. You will love every minute here with so much to see. You also can take the option of boat ride to enjoy the stunning Kunming Lake ( optional).

Afterwords, come to explore the time-honored South Luogu Lane( also called Nanluoguxiang). It is the only traditional residential area in China that has completely preserved the checkerboard-style layout of hutongs exclusively to the Yuan Dynasty. Walking around the alleys with your tour guide to feel the hidden culture and check out the bars, souvenir stores or cafes if you would like to.

Houhai, known as Beijing’s bar street, is a large man-made lake which can date back to the Yuan Dynasty. Today your last scenic site will be here! In ancient times, the place was only for royal family. Now there are many bars, restaurants, cafes and shops along the lake. You can just walk around, do people watching, and try some snacks.

Accommodation: Overnight in Beijing

AM: Today, get up early in the morning, follow your guide to enjoy the nice morning time in Temple of Heaven and see how local people spend their morning time in the square. Temple of Heaven, famous for its meticulous layout, unique architecture and magnificent decoration, this grand complex was built for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties to offer sacrifices to the heaven and pray for good harvests. It was listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1998. You will definitely marvel at the craftsmanship and learn more historical facts about ancient China.

Noon: Lunch on your own.

PM: Next, move on to today’s highlights - the famous world’s heritage Mutianyu Great Wall. It would be around 2 hours’ driving, you can take this chance to see the urban and suburban scenery of Chinese capital on the way.

Mutianyu Great Wall is the most scenic part of Chinese Great Wall. It was built in the early Ming Dynasty at 1368 and stretches for 5400 meters. 90 percent of the Mutianyu is covered by vegetation. So in each season this part of the Great Wall will treat visitors with its unique scenery. If pure-hiking is too much for you, there are also options of cable car and toboggan to see the spectacular scenery from different angles ( optional).

Finish the amazing hiking, you’ll end today’s tour with an exterior visit of the marvelous Bird's Nest and Water Cube which were built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Walking around the outside of the building to appreciate the unique design and take some pictures would be perfect.

Accommodation: Overnight in Beijing

Free and easy on your own in the morning.

In the afternoon, our driver will pick you up from the hotel lobby and transfer to the airport for your flight to Lhasa. Upon arrival, our local English speaking guide and driver will be waiting for you at the exit gate by holding a welcome board with your name.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

AM: After hotel breakfast, drive around 16km from Lhasa to visit Drak Yerpa Monastery, one of the Four Greatest Hermitages in Tibet, originally built in 7^th century by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo for his concubine, Nepal’s Princess Bhrukuti. Although it has no as big fame as Potala Palace and Jokhang Monastery, it does fascinate travelers with its unique features. The Monastery has been embedded in cracks of cliffs, built on the base of the caves there, showing a miraculous harmony between human and nature.

Noon: Lunch on your own.

PM: Next, continue the Buddhism trip to Sera Monastery which is the second largest monastery in Tibet. Sera Monastery was built in the Ming Dynasty by the famous Sagya Yeshes who was one of the eight disciples of Zongkapa and given the title of the Great Mercy Dharma by Emperor Xuanzong of Ming Dynasty after he had an audience with the Emperor in 1409 and 1414. The debate about Buddhism of Sera Monastery earns its fame in the Tibetan region, which is always taken a necessary activity to see for travelers from the whole world.

Last, come to visit a local Tibetan family to learn more about the real local culture and people’s daily life.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

AM: The imposing Potala Palace is the highlight of any trip to Tibet. Today you are going to visit this majestic architectural treasure of Lhasa, over 3,700 meters above sea level. The whole architectural complex includes two parts, the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace is the place where the Dalai Lamas lived and handled political affairs, while the Red Palace mainly houses the stupas of the Dalai Lamas. Your tour guide will share a wealth of information with you to help you understand its history and Tibetan Buddhism.

Noon: Lunch on your own.

PM: After that, continue to explore the holy Jokhang Temple which has a history of over 1300 years. The temple is a mixture of Tibetan, Tang, Nepalese, and Indian architectural styles and has become an example of Tibetan religious architecture. The interior is so impressive with plenty of statues, colorful murals, and rows of butter lamps. It’s not allowed to take photos at most parts, but you will have opportunity to take some at the rooftop.

After coming out of the sacred Jokhang Temple, you will follow your tour guide threading your way through the throngs of pilgrims and other travelers in the mesmerizing Barkhor Street. This old street will give you a taste of Tibetan people's life and their faith. You can casually walk around and do some shopping.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

AM: Today you’ll visit one of the most famous lakes in Tibet - Yamdroktso Lake. It is famed as “the Most Beautiful Lake in the World” with the literal meaning as “the above coral twig” and the holy moral in Tibetan’s heart as “the Scattered Kallaite Earrings of Fairy” as it couldn’t be gotten its full perspective by visitors on the ground. There are three other lakes creeping on the earth with Yamdorktso Lake, connecting each other together and consisting of an endless holy lake beyond our horizon—the beautiful body of the lake on this land is more than 130km long. When looking it from map or sky, you will be surprised to see the lake embedded in this land, glittering like an earring under the sunshine at different time.

Noon: Lunch on your own.

PM: After that, drive to the Karola Glacier with an elevation of 5400 meters above sea level. Getting off the car, the magnificent glacier jumps into your eyes with its shinning body soaked in the gentle sunshine. You are worry free from people or cars intruding into your shot and disturbing your selfies with the stunning sights as it’s usually off the beaten track.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Free and easy on your own until the pickup time for departure. Our guide and driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and transfer to Lhasa airport / train station to see you off.

Accommodation: N/A