13 Days China Tour with Panda Holding and Tibet Exploring

The metropolis Shanghai welcomes you to China! As your international flight lands in the airport, our local tour guide will meet you up and take you to hotel for check-in. Free time at leisure afterwards. No meals included for today.

Hotel:
Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World (5-star)
The Bund (4-star)
Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhabei (3-star)

Meals: None

Good to Know:
For your own physical needs, we suggest you stay in and rest from the jetlag. However, if you feel like going out after check-in, we would suggest an easy walk-around on People's Square.

Start your Shanghai journey to visit The Shanghai World Financial Center this morning. It is now a new landmark of prosperous Shanghai. Get the whole the Bund views when you standing on the top floor. And then we will dirve across Huangpu River to visit The Bund which called "architecture gallery".

After pass through a local market - Chenghuan Market, we will go to visit Yuyuan Garden. It is a typical Chinese classic architecture with Ming Dynasty style. We will end today's discover have leisure time walk along French concession region.

Hotel:
Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World (5-star)
The Bund (4-star)
Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhabei (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This is free time for your before you are transfer to airport to fly to Chengdu.

Good to Know:
If you wish to explore Shanghai, you are advice arrangement half-day tour to visit Nangjing Road, Shanghai People's Square and Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall.
Chengdu is famous for it's delicious food, you are advive to search local snack at Jingli Street.

Hotel:
Chengdu Minyoun Royal Hotel (5-star)
Tianfu Sunshine Hotel Chengdu (4-star)
Holiday Inn Express Chengdu Wuhou (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast

First we will drive to Panda Breeding and Research Center, home to nearly 50 giant pandas and red pandas. This beautifully laid out park is about 10 kilometers (six miles) from downtown Chengdu, with excellent walkways to various open enclosures of pandas. It is best to go early in the morning to see the pandas feeding at around 9:30am, when they are most active during the day.

After lunch, you will be escorted to the Wide and Narrow Alleys, two ancient streets with hundreds of years' history combined with modern elements, where you will find Panda Post. Panda Post is the only postal service in the world with the giant panda as its theme, where you can buy everything featuring the giant panda, from stamps, postcards, albums, and envelopes to toys and souvenirs. You can post lovely postcards to anywhere in the world.

After that, you will be transferred to Chunxi Road to take photos with the largest Panda Sculpture in China. Created by preeminent artist Lawrence Argent, this climbing wall panda is called "I Am Here".

Good to Know:
Draw a vivid panda on a T-shirt is optional arrangement to enrich your itinerary. We have invited a professional artist to teach you how to draw a vivid panda on a T-shirt. It takes about 2.5 hours and we will prepare all the materials and T-shirt of your size. After the course, you can keep your unique panda T-shirt and wear it home. The price range is about from $69-109 according to how people join in.

Hotel:
Chengdu Minyoun Royal Hotel (5-star)
Tianfu Sunshine Hotel Chengdu (4-star)
Holiday Inn Express Chengdu Wuhou (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today you will take flight from Chengdu to Lhasa. Arrival in Lhasa, you are advice to have a rest to fit for the altitude.

Hotel:
Brahmaputra Grand Hotel (5-star)
Xinding Hotel (4-star)
Dhood Gu Hotel Lhasa (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast

Start to explore holy Tibet from visit Jokhang Temple which is popular temple among locals and Tibetans are pray here regularly. Stand at the top floor of the temple, you will get whole views of Potala Palace.

Walking along Barkhor Street will let you experience the Buhhism culture of Tibet. Enroute we will visit a bustling local market. Stop in one of Thangka workshops and watch the artists work. Still walking tour to Ani Tsangkhung Nunnery which is a convent where the females study Buddhism. And then have a cup of tea after a half-day sightseeing.

After have a lunch at local restaurant, we will visit Sera Monastery famours for its "Daily Debates"(expect Monday) about Buddhist doctrines among the monks.

Hotel:
Brahmaputra Grand Hotel (5-star)
Xinding Hotel (4-star)
Dhood Gu Hotel Lhasa (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Visit holy symble of Tibet - Potala Palace which is former winter home of the Dalar Lama.

Norbulingka means "Jeweled Garden". Constructed as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama, it later served the whole government administration.

And then we will drive out of Lhasa to Visit Tibetan Family. The families are warm and friendly, and delighted to welcome you to their home, which usually includes several generations, and offer butter tea and a brief glimpse into a basic and traditional existence.

Hotel:
Brahmaputra Grand Hotel (5-star)
Xinding Hotel (4-star)
Dhood Gu Hotel Lhasa (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, you will take flights from Lhasa to Xi'an and freetime for your during the day.

Good to Know:
Have your own exploration of Xi'an in the Muslim Quarter, Great Mosque, Drum & Bell Towers and the area around.

Hotel:
Wyndham Grand Xian South (5-star)
Grand Noble Hotel (4-star)
Titan Times Hotel (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast

Firstly, we will visit one of ten world wonders - The Terracotta Warriors and Horses. This incredible army of over 7000 soldiers, archers, horses and chariots in full battle array has guarded Emperor Qin's tomb since 210BC.

After visit arts shop, we will visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda which is a elegant brick Pagoda. It was built in the 7th century to house the Buddhist materials that Xuanzang (Tripitaka) brought back from his epic journey to India

In the afternoon, we will ride a bicycle around Xian Ancient City Wall.

Hotel:
Wyndham Grand Xian South (5-star)
Grand Noble Hotel (4-star)
Titan Times Hotel (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Arrival in Beijing from Xi'an, we will visit Summer Palace with boat ride and the Garden of Virtue and Harmony. It is the best preserved and the largest imperial gardens in China and one of Beijing's premier attractions.

Hotel:
Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town (5-star)
Sunworld Hotel Beijing (4-star)
Dongfang Hotel Beijing (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Visit the bigest square in China - Tiananmen Square. It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several key events in Chinese history.

And then we will takes about five hours to discover the Forbidden City. The five hours the Forbidden City Flash-back is an unique way to learn more about it,including visit the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, and history presentation with ipad in a coffee shop.

Good to Know:
To ensure the quality of half-day Forbidden City presentation, David Yang only do it once a day. All China Travel and China Highlights customers who have arrangement to the Forbidden City on the same day will take the presentation together. The maximum number of customers are 10 persons.Our audio equipment will ensure you hear clearly.

Hotel:
Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town (5-star)
Sunworld Hotel Beijing (4-star)
Dongfang Hotel Beijing (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, we will visit Temple of Heaven. Built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, Temple of Heaven was used for annual ceremonies of pray for good harvests.

We will drive about 2.5 hours to visit Mutianyu Great Wall. This less-crowded section of the Great Wall will let you enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains.

Good to Know:
Many locals will do morning exercise in Temple of Heaven, such as Taichi learning, Calligraphy on the ground, Shuttlecock kicking and dancing. You could join with them if you are interested in.
You can return by cable car from Mutianyu Great Wall, walk down or walk along the wall for about an hour to descend by chairlift.

Hotel:
Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town (5-star)
Sunworld Hotel Beijing (4-star)
Dongfang Hotel Beijing (3-star)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Have some free time in Beijing before your departure flight. Our Beijing tour guide will help you check out and take you to the airport. Thanks for traveling with us. Hope to see you again soon!