Best of China & Tibet

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

ACTIVITY: Set out on an orientation walk near the hotel with your CEO to get your bearings. They will show you restaurants, points of interest, supermarkets, ATMs, etc.

ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

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.

Explore bustling Beijing including the famous Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City.

Additional Information: Due to restrictions in China after the pandemic, the maximum daily capacity in the Forbidden City has been reduced from 80,000 to 30,000. This significant decrease in daily tickets has had a great impact on availability for both individuals and group tours to secure tickets, especially during he summer season. Our local team works very hard to secure tickets for each group. However, on the off chance we are unable to secure tickets to the Forbidden City, we will visit the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven, places of similar architecture and importance.

ACTIVITY: Check out the iconic Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing. For 500 years the palace was only accessible to the emperors’ attendants and officials by invitation only. Visit sights like the Clock Exhibition Hall, wander through the Three Great Halls or stand in the shade of the cypress trees in the Imperial Garden.

TRANSPORT: Get around underground via public transit.

ACTIVITY: Explore one of the world's largest public squares and the symbolic centre of Chinese power. Framed by the Gate of Heavenly Peace with its Mao portrait, Mao's Mausoleum, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum, and with elaborate flag raising and lowering ceremonies at dawn and dusk, it's a place of pilgrimage for the Chinese tourists who consider it the heart of their nation.

FREE TIME: Spend a free afternoon in Beijing. Opt to visit Hutong Area, the Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace. Opt to have a Peking Duck meal in the evening.

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.

Head out to discover the wonders of the Great Wall of China.

ACTIVITY: Climb the rolling hills of Huairou County at Mutianyu, one of the best-preserved sections of the Great Wall. Enjoy scenic views as the wall winds along mountain ridges, and take brag-worthy photos of the wall from any of the 22 towers. The Great wall is an incredible piece of engineering stretching 6000 km west from the mountain ridges north of Beijing. It was originally constructed to protect Chinese empires from nomadic northern tribes, and even though it failed in this purpose, it's still one of the country's most remarkable achievements and an iconic destination. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is located about 80km away from the Veijing City Center. The walk is approximately 5 kilometres and will take 2 to 3 hours depending on your level of fitness.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the comfort of your shared bus transportation from Beijing to Mutianyu.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the comfort of your shared bus transportation from Mutianyu to Beijing.

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 your CEO 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.

ACTIVITY: Explore the lively Muslim Quarter and its serene Great Mosque, making time to indulge in the offerings of exotic local street food stalls. At night, head out for some of the best street food in China – the spicy beef and lamb kebabs are always a favorite.

TRANSPORT: Get to your next destination faster than the speed of light (ok maybe not that fast) aboard a high-speed train.

ACTIVITY: Enjoy a CEO-led orientation walk close to the Xi'an hotel to help you get the lay of the land. Learn where you can find local services (like ATMs and laundromats) and, perhaps, see some city highlights. Every CEO does something slightly different for their orientation walk to show visitors what they like best about the city.

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

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Take a guided tour of the Terracotta Warriors where more than 8,000 clay soldiers and hundreds of replica horses and chariots stand in three pits. Learn why the Emperor Qin Shihuang commissioned the statues to serve as his army in the afterlife and how they were discovered. Spend a half-day exploring this archaeological wonder.

ACTIVITY: Sit down for an included lunch at a restaurant run by a local family at their own home near the Terra-Cotta Museum. Dishes will include foods like home-cooked noodles, stir fried dishes, and seasonal fruits from the garden.

FREE TIME: Explore all the city has to offer.

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.

Hotpot is a very local way to have a meal. We sit around a table with a pot built in the middle – the pot is divided into 2 halves (spicy vs. non-spicy usually). The restaurants flavoured soup is added and brought to a boil, then we can start adding our food in the pot to cook ( including vegetable, meat or fish). The table also offers various sorts of herbs, spices, oil etc so you can make your own soup to taste.

TRANSPORT: Catch a high speed train to our next stop.

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 your CEO 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.

ACTIVITY: Visit the popular pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, created to provide an ideal breeding environment for these endangered creatures. Learn about their life cycle and habitat and take memorable photographs of these iconic national treasures. See a number of other rare species, including the little-known red panda. Arrive in the fall for a chance to see tiny newborn pandas.

ACTIVITY: Visit the People's Park built in 1911, it was the first public park in Chengdu. It's the largest green area in downtown. The park features an artificial lake, gardens, teahouses, and a popular place for locals to enjoy the outdoors. Walk to Tianfu Square in the centre of the city and surrounded by museums.

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 your Tibetan CEO. Grab your bags and head to the hotel and join your CEO for an orientation walk of Lhasa.

TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

ACTIVITY: Join your CEO for an orientation walk around Lhasa.

Spend the morning with your CEO 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.

ACTIVITY: Enjoy a tour of this beautiful temple, which has been called the spiritual heart of Tibet. Watch prostrating pilgrims circle the temple day and night, some of them traversing the extremes of the Tibetan landscape by foot to come here and celebrate their faith. Make a kora ("revolution" in Tibetan) of the Barkhor, the holiest devotional circuit, which surrounds the Jokhang and houses a market bazaar where people bargain for Buddha images, yak skulls with ruby eyes, woodcarvings, carpets, prayer wheels, and the odd goat's head.

ACTIVITY: Explore the square with your CEO and learn more about this city.

ACTIVITY: Join your group for a local Tibetan cooking class. Make delicious, local dumplings called momos. Then sit together and enjoy your yummy creations!

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.

ACTIVITY: Enjoy a tour of Potala Palace, a magnificent structure and true architectural wonder built in the 1600s and steeped in history. This is where the Dalai Lamas would meditate, handle affairs of state, and eventually where their burial stupas remain. Check out the golden statues, three dimensional mandalas, ancient scriptures, and the devoted pilgrims who circle the palace day and night. This is truly a remarkable place.

ACTIVITY: Visit the Sera Monastery and witness the monks engaged in lively debate, a philosophical practice they have held for hundreds of years.

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.

As you make your way from Lhasa to Gyantse, make a few important stops along the way. First, visit Yamdrok Lake, a stunning freshwater blue lake thought to be part of a sacred group of four lakes guarded by a local deity. Then, drive through Karola Pass en route to Karola glacier where you will stop to admire the view of the Tibetan stupa flanked by glacial mountains all around. Arrive to Gyantse and if you have steam left, join your CEO to hike to the Gyantse Fortress for a birds-eye view of the area.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Get your bearings of Gyantse on CEO led orientation walk.

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.

ACTIVITY: Enjoy a visit to these two significant places in Tibetan Buddhism. Pelkor Chode Monastery was founded in 1418 and is regarded as the centre of Gyantse. Gyantse Kumbum (meaning 100,000 images) is an 8 story structure containing a seemingly endless series of tiny chapels full of Buddhist images – Buddhas, demons, protectors, and saints.

ACTIVITY: This massive complex is visited daily by hundreds of devotees, armed with yak butter to feed the lamps, who prostrate themselves around the stupas or walk up to the chapel that houses the 26m-high (85ft), gold-plated statue of the Maitreya (future) Buddha.

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 your CEO for dinner.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Take in the stunning views of one of Tibet's oldest monasteries and surrounding landscape.

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 your CEO.

Additional Information: Pack a small overnight bag with everything you need for tonight and tomorrow morning. Your big suitcase will be safely stored and you will not have access to it until the following day.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Enjoy a visit to Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world. It was first built in 1902 by the Nyingma Lama and originally housed more than 500 monks. Today, only about 50 monks and nuns remain, sharing the same prayer hall but maintaining separate residences. The nuns here are great fun and will be delighted to have you join their evening prayers.

ACTIVITY: Hike around 5 km (1.5 hours) up to an Everest viewpoint about 2.2km away from Everest Basecamp. Even though the viewpoint isn't from the Basecamp, it doesn't mean the views will be any less breathtaking. Pack some water and your camera and get hiking for a tiny taste of what it's like to scale this magnificent mountain.

ACTIVITY: At the foot of Mt Everest, stay in a tent similar to those of nomadic Tibetan people. From a tent made completely on yak hair, take in the breathtaking view of Mt Everest.

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.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Take an orientation walk of Kyirong town, 4200 m above sea level.

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.

Prepare for another beautiful driving day on your way to Nepal. Cross high mountain passes amongst fluttering prayer flags, enjoy jaw dropping views of the Himalayan range, stunning lakes and forest, then begin to descend in altitude towards lush, green Nepal. After immigration, cross the bridge joining Tibet and Nepal by foot. Jump in the vehicle and make the winding, bumpy, yet extremely scenic drive to Kathmandu.

Kyirong is the main customs border crossing between Tibet and Nepal, for tourists and for commercial purpose. As such, it can be quite busy and there can be long wait times.

ACTIVITY: Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.

Join your CEO 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 your CEO for an optional farewell dinner to your incredible journey through China, Tibet and Nepal.

ACTIVITY: Visit this unique old town known as the City of Devotees. Explore Hindu temples, pagodas, palaces, and monuments, including the beautiful wood-carved palace in Durbar Square. You can pick up clay pots and other souvenirs in the colourful open markets and taste home made yogurt, known as khopa dhau, which Bhaktapur is famous for.

ACTIVITY: Every orientation walk will be a little different, allowing our CEOs to show off their favourite bits of the square. Learn more about Durbar Square and Kathmandu and get a good introduction to Nepal.

Depart at anytime