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10 Days Best of China Tibet Tour
10 Days Best of China Tibet Tour
10 Days Best of China Tibet Tour

10 Days Brief China History Tour Plus Memorable Trip to Holy Land (Price from Request)

China and Tibet Culture Tour

This tour includes three of the Top 10 Most Popular Destinations in China: Beijing, China’s capital and the home of many of China’s iconic symbols: the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and Forbidden City. Xian, China’s ancient capital, is famous for its long history and the awe-inspiring Terracotta Warriors; Tibet, which is the home of Tibetan Buddhism and known as the “Roof of the World”. As a private tour, you will be able to travel at a leisure pace with more flexibility.

Highlights of this tour:

  • Spend some days exploring the ancient Chinese culture and history by visiting the famous World Heritage Sites in Beijing, such as Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, etc.;
  • Take an exciting visit to the world-famous heritage site - Terracotta Warriors, also explore other highlights in Xian City, such as Ancient City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, etc.;
  • Have a memorable trip to the holy city on the Roof of the World to explore the famous sights, such as Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, etc.

Tour Brief Information

  • Tour price: from Request
  • Tour code: TD-FT-10
  • Tour Type: Private Customizable Tour Package
  • Destination: Beijing / Xian / Lhasa
  • Duration: 10 days and 9 nights
  • Departure: Flexible
  • Travel Theme: CulturePhotographyArchitectureFamily
  • Best Time: SpringSummerAutumnWinter
  • Physical Level
  • Tour Pace
  • Max Altitude
    3,650m
  • Itinerary Details
  • Price Guide & Booking
  • Trip FAQs
  • Reviews
  • Make an Enquiry

Your tour - at a glance

Day 1~4 Arrival & Beijing Tour

Arrive at Beijing at your convenient time on the Day 1, then go to visit the most popular attractions in Beijing one by one on the Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4, including the Tiananmen Square, ancient imperial sites Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, man-made wonder Great Wall, local Beijing Hutongs, etc.

Day 5~6 Xian Tour

You will spend 2 days in Xian city to visit the magnificent Terracotta Warriors, grand Ancient City Wall, towering Big Wild Goose Pagoda, seek for local flavors on Muslim Quarter, etc.

Day 7~9 Lhasa City Tour

Take a morning flight to Lhasa on the Day 7, then you will go to visit the most classic attractions in Lhasa on Day 8 and Day 9, including the grandiose Potala Palace, holy Buddhist sites Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery, also the exotic Barkhor Street and quiet Norbulingka.

Day 10 Lhasa Departure

Today is free for you to leave Lhasa City.

Itinerary Details - Day by Day

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Day 1 Beijing Arrival ( B )

Welcome to the capital city of China! Upon arriving at the airport/train station, you will be met by your local tour guide, and then drive to your downtown hotel in Beijing City. After the hotel check-in, you are free to take a rest or explore around on your own.

Day 2 Beijing ( B, L )

China has more than 4000 years’ history of Imperial Social System, while Beijing is the best place in China to experience the magnificent history and culture of ancient China. Today your guide will pick you up in the hotel after your breakfast, then start the wonderful ancient China culture and history tour!  

You will firstly get to the world's largest plaza – Tian’anmen Square. The grandiose Tian’anmen Gate was the place where the chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People’s Republic of China to the world. Passing through Tiananmen Gate, you will enter the splendid Forbidden City, the previous home to 24 emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties for 600 years. Magnificent architectures, intricate ornaments and touching legends make it a must-see of China. In the afternoon, head to visit the stunning and exquisite Summer Palace, and be amazed at the vast ensemble of lakes, gardens, temples, and palaces, together as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. While in Qing Dynasty, it was the personal summer retreat for the royal families. It is made up of front hill, back hill and Kunming Lake. You will see splendid halls and pavilions in the front hill, while in the back hill, you will enjoy quiet and natural beauty. 

After the sightseeing, you will be taken back to your hotel for rest.

Optional Recommended Night Activity: 1) watch an exciting Chinese Kungfu Show at Red Theatre which usually starts at 7:30 pm; 2) enjoy a famous Beijing Opera Show at Liyuan Theater between 19:30-21:00.

  • A corner of the Forbidden City A corner of the Forbidden City in Bejing
  • Tiananmen Square - A Symbol of National Cohesion Tiananmen Square is a symbol of national cohesion
  • Summer-Place in Beijing Appreciate the charm of royal garden

Day 3 Beijing ( B, L )

Hiking the Great Wall is one-in-a-lifetime thing to do for most travelers. Today, you are going to accomplish the Great Wall dream. You will be escorted about 70km from the downtown Beijing to the world-famous Mutianyu Great Wall which has fewer tourists compared with Badaling Great Wall. At the same time, it is the best Great Wall section to view the delicately beautiful scenery while appreciating the grandness of the Walls. After arriving at the ticket office, you will take a cable car to the walls of Mutianyu, and then hike about 2 hours on the Great Wall. 

After the Mutianyu Great Wall hiking, you will drive back to the city. On route, take a sidetrip to the solemn Ming Tombs of ancient emperors in Ming Dynasty. Wander along the Sacred Road, a tranquil royal path featured with statues of divine animals and officials; also take an adventure to the mysterious Underground Palace. Before getting to your hotel, you will also make a stop at the Beijing Olympic Village to take some pictures of the world-famed "Bird’s Nest" and the "Water Cube" from the outside.

Optional Recommended Activity: enjoy a dinner of authentic Peking Roasted Duck at Quanjude Restaurant.

  • Hiking along Mutianyu Great Wall Hiking on the beautiful Mutianyu Great Wall
  • Bird's Nest in Beijing Have a Glimpse of the Bird's Nest

Day 4 High Speed Train to Xian from Beijing ( B, L )

After breakfast, you'll go to marvel at one of the greatest masterpiece in Chiense architecture history - the Temple of Heaven, where the ancient emperors used to preside at various rituals for a national good harvest in ancient times. Today, the outer area of the Temple of Heaven is a public park for locals to gather to play Taichi, fly kites, chatting… while the inner area is the historical site for tourists to learn about the ancient Chinese history and culture. Later move on to visit the most famous Hutongs which are some old alleys with traditional architecture originated from Yuan Dynasty (CD 1271~1368. Today, there are still many local Beijingers living in these old quarters, while in the Qing Dynasty (CD 1636~1912), there were even some noble royal families resided here. You can wander leisurely around these narrow alleys to experience the original features of people’s living in old time, or take a relaxing rickshaw through. Lunch will be arranged at a local family who lives in Hutong.

After the lunch, you will have some free time until be taken to catch a high speed train to Xian. Our local guide will be waiting for you in train station and escorting you to your hotel in Xian. The rest of day is free for you to explore the ancient city on your own.

  • Hutong Tour in Rickshaw Hutong Tour
  • Temple of Heaven in Beijing Temple of Heaven Is A Masterpiece of Chinese Architecture

Day 5 Xian ( B, L )

After breakfast, drive about 1.5 hours to witness the magnificent man-mad wonder - the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, which were interred to protect Qin Shi Huang (the first Emperor of China) in his afterlife. Over 8,000 life-sized terracotta warriors and horses with different looks and numerous bronze weapons compose a large-scale army system to reappear the majestic momentum of the Qin Army 2,000 years ago. 

In the afternoon, drive back to Xian city to visit the Ancient City Wall, the largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in China. Built in Ming Dynasty as a military defense, the wall’s top is wider than its height to allow the army drill. Stroll on the top of the ancient wall and observe the modern Xian, emerge yourself in the charm of this ancient capital. Your next place is to go is the nearby Muslim Quarter, a place to satisfy your stomach with various delicious local foods and snacks. It is also a wonderful place for a leisure walking around. 

Optional Recommended Activity: 1) biking for a while on the Ancient Great Wall; 2) enjoy a wonderful performance of Tang Palace Dancing Show (usually from 8pm to 9pm).

  • Xi'an Ancient City Wall Ancient City in Dusk
  • Terra-Cotta Warriors - Eighth Wonder of the World Terra-Cotta Warriors is the eighth wonder of the world

Day 6 Xian ( B, L )

Start today's Xian tour with a visit to the landmark of Xian - Big Wild Goose Pagoda. This earliest and largest square pavilion style pagoda built in Tang Dynasty is a seven-layered pagoda with a height of 64.5m. The pagoda was first built to store the Buddhist sutras brought back from the Ancient India by Xuanzang (the prototype character of Tang Seng in the novel of Journey to the West). After that, move to Shaanxi History Museum, where collects over 370,000 pieces cultural relics of different dynasties, including bronzes, Chinaware, gold and silver wares, grave frescos, currencies of various dynasties, etc.

The rest time of today is free for your own to spend and get prepared for tomorrow's flight to Lhasa. 

  • Shangxi History Museum Treasure Collected in Shaanxi History Mueseum
  • 1300-Year-Old Giant Wild Goose Pagoda 1300-Year-Old Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

Day 7 Flight to Lhasa from Xian ( B, L )

After breakfast, you’ll be escorted to the airport and take a flight to Lhasa (about 3.5 hours). Upon arriving at Lhasa Gongga Airport, you will be picked up by local tour guide at the airport hall, then be escorted to your hotel in Lhasa city in a private vehicle. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the local areas and acclimatize yourself to the air, temperature and high altitude of Lhasa. 

High Altitude Acclimation Tips:1) go for some leisure walking to acclimate the high altitude but avoid strenuous activity after arrival; 2) you'd better not have bath, in case of catching a cold; 3) drink more water, and have some fruit; 4) have a good rest.

Day 8 Lhasa ( B )

Start today’s Lhasa exploration with an exciting visit to the landmark - Potala Palace which is regarded as one of the most beautiful architectural building in the world. You will climb up the palace along the zigzag stone paths with white-and-red walls to the top of the palace where you can not only appreciate the exotic Tibetan-style architecture, but also get a great view of Lhasa’s urban areas, then walk into the inner space of Potala Palace to explore the stately chapels and learn about the history of the palace.

Continuing your exploration, you will then get to Jokhang Templewhich is considered as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Each day, there are thousands of pilgrims coming from different places in Tibet to the temple to worship to the Buddha. This temple is also known as the “house of Buddha” because it keeps the precious Jowo Rinpoche, the life-sized (5 foot/1.5m) image of the Shakyamuni at the age of 12. The last site for today’s exploration is the famous Barkor Street. It is a circular and wide street encircling the Jokhang Temple. The local people like to walk on the street for several circles usually in the late afternoon as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. The street also has many shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handcrafts.

Tips of today: 1) there are 1,080 steps up to climb to the top of Potala Palace, so don’t walk in a rush, which may cause high altitude sickness; 2) taking photos is not allowed inside the palace; 3) today you will be mainly outside, please bring some water, a hat, sun cream, and sun glasses with you.

  • Potala Palace in Autumn Great view of Potala Palace in the evening
  • Golden Roof of Jokhang Temple Golden Roof of Jokhang Temple
  • Souvenirs Sold on Barkhor Street Souvenirs Sold on Barkhor Street

Day 9 Lhasa ( B )

After breakfast, you will firstly go to visit the beautiful Norbulingka which used to be the former summer palace of Dalai Lamas in the ancient time, and now is a public park. It is famous for its Potrang, the private palaces of former Dalai lamas with grandiose Tibetan architecture style. Next, drive several kilometers to the western outskirts of Lhasa to visit Drepung Monastery. Drepung, in Tibetan, means “prosperity”. Since its establishment, Drepung Monastery has always been one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. In its heyday, there were more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery. Throughout its history, many important and famous Tibetan leaders used to study here, especially the Dalai Lamas. So Drepung Monastery is also respectfully known as the “Mother School of Dalai Lamas”.

In the afternoon, you will be taken to another famous monastery in Lhasa - Sera Monastery. It is famous for the spectacular “Buddhism Debating”. As a daily routine, the monks gather in a courtyard, and debate on the Buddhist doctrines with supplemented gestures, which is thought to be helpful to facilitates better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. After enjoying the "Buddhism Debating", you will be transferred back to the city. The rest time is your own free time to rest.

The Etiquette of Visiting Monastery: 1) you shouldn’t wear short and uncover shoulders; 2) taking off your sunglasses and hat before entering the chapels; 3) taking photos is usually not allowed inside the chapels.

  • Scripture Debating  in Sera Monastery Buddhism Debating Scripture with dramatic gestures in Sera Monastery
  • Drepung Monastery First Sight of Drepung Monastery
  • Norbulingka Park in Lhasa - the Summer Palace of Dalai Lama Norbulingka Park is a good summer resort in Lhasa

Day 10 Lhasa Departure ( B )

Today is free for you until your tour guide transfer you to the airport in time for your flight or drop you off at Lhasa train station.

Tips of Today: 1) please pack your luggage carefully, especially for small things like camera charger, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet and towel; 2) if your flight is arranged in the afternoon, please make sure you check out the hotel before 12pm.

Useful Trip Notes

  • 1. Tibet Permits Guaranteed

    To travel in Tibet, all Non-Chinese passport holders need to have a Tibet Travel Permit which is issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa. And only Chinese travel agencies like Tibet Discovery can apply for the permit on behalf of tourists. You must obtain it before your tour starting because the permit will be checked when you board your flight/train to Tibet. Traveling with Tibet Discovery, you don't have to worry about the complicated procedures of Tibet Travel Permit application. All you have to do is to confirm a tour package with us and send us your passport and Chinese visa copies at least 15~20 days in advance before your tour, then we will take care of all the rest things. Once the permit is issued, we will deliver to your address in China, such as your hotel, local travel agency, etc.

  • 2. Available Months to Visit Tibet

    Generally speaking, April to October is the best time. July and August are the peak season and rainy season. It is usually snowy and cold in winter, which is not suitable for visit Mount Everest, Namtso and Mount Kailash regions. While other places such as Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse are suitable for travel all year around. The temperatures in daytime and night differs a lot, usually 5~15℃ in the daytime and -5~0℃ in the night, so please wear accordingly.

  • 3. High Altitude Sickness

    The average altitude of Tibet is about 4000 meters above the sea level (Lhasa: 3700m; EBC: 5200m; Namtso: 4718m). You may suffer a bit from High Altitude Sickness in the beginning days of your Tibet trip if you haven’t had rich high plateau travel experience. But don’t worry too much, the high altitude can be acclimatized usually in 2~3 days. Our suggestion is to take a physical examination and get suggestions from your doctor, and also bring some medicines to prevent from High Altitude Sickness before your trip. While in Tibet, you should keep warm all the time, avoid strenuous activities, drink more water and eat more vegetables and carbohydrates. You’d better not take showers during the first two days after your arrival in Tibet. If you don’t feel well, get help from your tour guide or go to the hospital without any delay.

  • 4. How to Go to Tibet

    Basically you have two options – flight and train. Currently, you can take a flight to Lhasa from Beijing(4.5hrs), Xian(3.7hrs), Chengdu(2.5hrs), Chongqing(3hrs), Kunming(3hrs), Kathmandu (1.5hrs), etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu and Xian have more frequent flights to Lhasa.
    If you prefer a train travel, you can take a train to Tibet from Beijing(40.5hrs), Xian(32hrs), Chengdu(43hrs), Shanghai(47hrs), Chongqing(42hrs), Lanzhou(25hrs), Xining(22hrs), Guangzhou(54hrs).

  • 5. Packing and Wearing Ideas

    Firstly you can’t forget your passport and Chinese Visa. A large backpack and a smaller one are recommended (the smaller one can be used for daily activities). Also bring necessary medicine you need. Other stuffs like sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sun block are recommended.
    As for wearing, you are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is necessary in Spring and Autumn. A pair of durable and comfortable shoes is necessary.

Recommended Tibet Group Tour Packages

Escorted by a skilled driver and companied by a professional local tour guide to organize all the activities, all you have to do is to enjoy your fantastic Tibet journey.Following are some other recommended Tibet group tour packages that you may be interested in. You can also contact us to customize a trip if you want..