15 Days China Tour including Tibet (from Hong Kong)

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Guilin from Hong Kong

   Departing from Hong Kong, you will take the high-speed train at West Kowloon Station and head directly towards Guilin. After arriving in the picturesque Guilin, the local driver will wait for you at the station and transfer you to the pre-booked hotel.

   This afternoon is yours at leisurely. As night falls, you can head to Two Rivers and Four Lakes, an excellent place that combines natural beauty with urban scenery. You can leisurely stroll along the lakeside, admiring the sparkling lights reflected on the water surface, which is an excellent material for photography.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: in Guilin

   

2. Day 2: Guilin Rice Terraces Tour
   Capture the Spectacular View of the Terraced Fields

   Today, you will enjoy a Guilin day trip to rice terraces. After 4-hour car ride to the foot of the mountain, you will walk about 35 minutes or so to the Ping'an Village. The village is home to the nationally renowned, 650-year-old Longji Rice Terraces. Your eyes will be treated to a spectacular view of the terraced fields, just like a cascading sea of green or yellow.

   

   Pay a visit to Huangluo Yao Village, which has beautiful scenery and Jinjiang River running through the village. Here resides the Yao ethnic group, the women of this ethnic group's long hair, singing and dancing, and clothing are beautiful folkloric scenery. After that, take a guided hike to the viewing platform of Nine Dragons and Five Tigers for more breathtaking views. During this time, you will learn about the other unique ethnic minority culture of the region.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Guilin

3. Day 3: Guilin to Yangshuo Tour
   Embark on a Relaxing Li River Cruise

   After breakfast, your China tour in Guilin begins with a Li River cruise. Li River Scenic Area is the world's largest and most scenic karst landscape excursion area. Along the way you will see clear mountains, beautiful water, strange caves, deep pools and flying waterfalls. In about 4 hours, you will arrive at Yangshuo. Check in at your local hotel.

   

   In the afternoon, explore the Ten-mile Gallery, with the picturesque countryside views. You will visit the Big Banyan Tree and Moon Hill, where you can climb to its top for a panoramic view of the surrounding.

   As the sun sets, your guide will take you to explore West Street, which is located in the center of Yangshuo County. The street is famous for its rich exotic atmosphere. 517 meters long, West Street is lined with ancient houses and buildings. The small stores on both sides of the street offer a variety of tourist souvenirs and snacks and are well worth a visit.

   In the evening, you can enjoy the performance of Impression Liu Sanjie, a grand open-air show featuring local folk songs and stunning visual effects (optional).

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Yangshuo

   

4. Day 4: Yangshuo Tour Back to Guilin
   Go Cycling along the Countryside and Experience a Bamboo Rafting

   After breakfast, you will be guided to ride a bike along the Yulong River lined with karst peaks. Then we pay a visit to a local farmer's family to get a glimpse of Chinese rural life and traditional farming. After that, you can experience an interesting bamboo rafting and enjoy the "Hundred Mile Gallery".

   

   In the afternoon, we drive back to West Street in Yangshuo to join a cooking class. At around 3:30 PM, you will learn to cook traditional Chinese dishes under the guidance of an expert chef. You will enjoy your 'achievements' as dinner. After the meal, your driver escorts you back to Guilin City for an overnight stay.

   Meal: Breakfast + Dinner

   Accommodation: in Guilin

5. Day 5: Guilin to Chengdu Tour by Flight

   Enjoy your leisurely morning at your hotel until your private driver escorts you to the airport for your flight to Chengdu, the hometown of China Panda.

   Upon arrival in Chengdu, local driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in downtown area. Have a good rest. In the evening you can explore Chengdu's nightlife on your own.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Chengdu

6. Day 6: Chengdu Panda Tour
   Get Up Close and Personal with the Adorable Giant Pandas

   Your Chengdu tour of China starts at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which provides an opportunity to allow you to get up close and personal with the adorable giant pandas and red pandas. The base fully simulates the wild living environment of giant pandas, with lakes, streams, bamboo forests and lawns. Your tour guide will tell you about their daily activities and living habits. Afterwards, head to Wenshu Temple, which was built in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and is still frequented by local people who come to pray and relax themselves today. It is a good place to learn Buddhism.

   

   Spend your afternoon enjoying relaxing tea time in Renmin Park. Here you can enjoy a cup of tea and watch local people playing cards, playing mahjong, and napping. Last, go to explore the bustling Jinli Street, a quite popular place in Chengdu. You can enjoy shopping and tasting some yummy food that you never saw before.

   Optional Activity: In the evening, you can pay extra to watch the Sichuan Opera Face Changing Show, a quick face-changing performance that is truly unique to the area.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Chengdu

   

7. Day 7: Chengdu to Lhasa Tour by Flight

   After a leisurely morning in Chengdu, your private driver will escort you to the airport for your flight to Lhasa, Tibet. Upon arrival in the City of Light, a local driver meets you at the airport and transfers you to your hotel.

   Warm Tips:

   To reduce or avoid symptoms of altitude sickness, you are advised to avoid strenuous exercise on your first day in Lhasa. Do not take a shower to avoid catching a cold. Avoid drinking alcohol. Drink plenty of water and get enough rest.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Lhasa

8. Day 8: Lhasa Highlights Tour
   Explore the Cultural Marvels of the City of Light

   After breakfast, your China Tibet tour in Lhasa takes you to the splendid Potala Palace, which was built in the 7th century AD. It is the highest palace in the world and the largest and most complete ancient palace complex in Tibet. The entire palace has a distinctive Tibetan style, built on the mountain, by the White Palace and Red Palace and its ancillary buildings. Potala Palace also collects countless treasures, which can be called a temple of art.

   

   After a delightful lunch, continue your visit to Jokhang Temple. Located in the heart of Lhasa, it is a spiritual center and pilgrimage site with a history of more than 1,300 years. Jokhang Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a blend of Tibetan, Tang, Nepalese and Indian architectural styles.

   Barkhor Street, today’s last stop, is the famous pilgrim route and the busiest commercial street in Lhasa. You can take a leisurely stroll and pick up some traditional Tibetan goods and crafts as souvenirs.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Lhasa

9. Day 9: Lhasa Tour
   Stroll through Beautiful Garden and Witness Monastic Debates

   After your breakfast in the hotel, your driver and guide will drive you to Norbulingka Park, a large and beautiful UNESCO-listed garden covering 360,000 square meters. It was the summer palace for successive Dalai Lama. The park is home to over 100 species of plants and flowers, and the shade of trees covers the sun, like a " land of idyllic beauty" in Lhasa. In addition, you will see magnificent palaces, mostly in the Tibetan style with golden roofs and red and white walls.

   

   Later, drive to Drepung Monastery, one of the largest monastic complexes in Tibet. The houses of the monastery are built by white walls, with golden roofs and red edges. From a distance, it looks like a white mountain city. Here, you will see exquisite art treasures such as pile embroidery, murals, Thangka paintings, etc. After that, you will be taken to visit Sera Monastery, one of the three major monasteries in Lhasa. Here you can witness the monks engaging in traditional debates. It is a great place to learn about the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Lhasa

10. Day 10: Lhasa to Xian Tour by Flight

    Spend a leisurely morning at your hotel, with a relaxing breakfast. Then your driver pick you up at the hotel hall and transfers you to the airport for your flight to Xi'an, the Ancient Capital of Thirteen Dynasties.

    Upon arrival, the local driver will be waiting to greet you and transfer you to your hotel. Take some time to rest and the evening is yours to explore the ancient city at your own pace.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: in Xian

11. Day 11: Xian Terracotta Army Tour
    Be Amazed by Life-sized Warriors, and Many Horses and Chariots

    After breakfast, we will take a tour of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. The Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", have been visited by more than 200 foreign heads of state and government. You will be guided through Pits 1, 2 and 3 of the Terracotta Army, where you will see life-sized warriors, and many horses and chariots. After lunch, we will take you to experience making a mini terracotta figure. It will be once-in-a-lifetime.

    

    Drive back to the downtown are and climb up the Ancient City Wall of Xi'an, the largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in China. Here, you can choose to ride a bicycle (extra charge). After that, transfer you to a food paradise - Muslim Quarter. Wander around the street to find some of the most authentic local snacks in Xi'an, such as Biangbiang Noodles, Mutton and Bread Pieces in Soup, Ice Peak, Roujiamo and so on.

    In the evening, enjoy a leisurely walk along the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City, which is lit up at night. It is like a time travel when you stroll among the many Tang Dynasty style buildings.

    Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

    Accommodation: in Xian

12. Day 12: Xian to Beijing Tour by High-speed Train
    Trace History and Appreciate Exquisite Cultural Relics

    After breakfast, start your Xian Historical tour to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, located inside the Daci'en Temple. The pagoda, with 7 floors and a height of 64.517 meters, was built under the auspices of the monk Xuanzang, and later stored the scriptures and statues he brought back from India.

    Then, take a guided tour of Shaanxi History Museum. The museum houses over 380,000 cultural relics including simple stone tools used in prehistoric times, bronze ware from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, terracotta warriors from various dynasties, gold and silver utensils from the Han and Tang dynasties, and tomb murals from Tang Dynasty. It is an excellent place to learn about the history and culture of Shaanxi and ancient Chinese civilization.

    

    Later in the afternoon, you will be escorted on the high-speed train to Beijing, which takes about 5.5 hours. Upon arrival in Beijing, a local driver will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

    Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

    Accommodation: in Beijing

13. Day 13: Beijing Day Tour
    Explore the Imperial Sites of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

    Beijing, the capital of China, is the last stop of your 15-day China private tour. In the morning, your guide will take you to visit the heart and symbol of Beijing and the largest city square in the world - Tian'anmen Square. Then continue walking north for 5-10 minutes to reach the Forbidden City. It is one of the world's top five palaces, along with the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in the UK, the White House in the US, and the Kremlin in Russia. Aka the Imperial Palace, it was the royal palace for 24 emperors of China's Ming and Qing dynasties. Your tour guide will lead you through the halls, houses and artifacts and learn the stories behind them.

    

    After lunch, spend a leisurely afternoon at the Summer Palace, one of China's four famous gardens (the other three being the Chengde Mountain Resort, Suzhou's Humble Administrator's Garden, and the Lingering Garden). Once an imperial garden during the Qing Dynasty, it has now become a popular attraction for tourists to appreciate the beauty of Chinese classical gardens. The Seventeen-Arch Bridge in the garden is a highlight with its unique design, making it a great spot for photography.

    In the evening, if you are interested in Chinese Kungfu, you are recommended to pay extra to watch a wonderful Kungfu Show at the Red Theater. Your tour guide can arrange it for you.

    Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

    Accommodation: in Beijing

14. Day 14: Beijing Great Wall Tour
    Take a Hike on the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu

    Today, you will spend the whole day at the spectacular Great Wall. We will take you to visit Mutianyu Great Wall, which is located in Huairou County in the northeast corner of Beijing, 73 kilometers away from the city. This section of the Great Wall is connected to Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou in the east, and has been a military stronghold guarding Beijing since ancient times.

    With a total length of 5,400 meters (3355.5 miles), the Mutianyu Great Wall is the longest section of the Great Wall in China and also the most beautiful section.

    

    Note: If pure hiking is too much for you, there are also options for cable car and toboggan to see the spectacular scenery from different angles (pay extra, optional).

    After your Great Wall tour, transfer you to the Scared Way, where you will see many stone sculptures and learn the story. On the way back to Beijing downtown, you can pay a visit to the marvelous Bird's Nest and Water Cube from the outside, both of which were built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

    For dinner, we recommend you to sample Beijing Roast Duck, a famous palace dish, cooked with charcoal fire, crispy on the outside and tender inside. You will learn the proper way to eat it.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: N/A

15. Day 15: Departure from Beijing
    Get an Insight into the Authentic Beijingers' Daily Life

    After breakfast, your tour guide will take you to visit a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Temple of Heaven. It is a royal architectural complex. The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties once offered sacrifices to the heavens, asked for rain and prayed for a good year here.

    

    After that, you will experience the charm of Beijing's Hutongs by the rickshaw riding. These narrow alleyways are lined with traditional courtyard houses.We will take you to visit a local family, and you will learn more about the Beijinger lifestyle.

    This is the end of your 15-day private tour of China. Your guide will then escort you to catch your flight or train to your next destination or home. So glad to have you on our China trip and look forward to seeing you next time. Safe travels!

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: N/A