In this section you will find a short description of the daily possibilities. The tour leader will offer a program on almost every day but the program is informal and by no means obligatory leaving lots of room for your own initiative. Your guides will organize and accompany some activities and will also make suggestions so that you are free to dine or explore on your own.
Day 1 Departure USA
Day 2 Arrival Beijing
Day 3 Beijing - Forbidden City
Day 4 Beijing - visit the Great Wall - Summer Palace
Day 5 Beijing - Xian (night train)
Beijing is the capital and governmental center of China. It has a population of about 10 million inhabitants that is growing daily because of the steady stream of people who arrive from the rural areas. Beijing is a huge city. The easiest way to get around is by taxi or taxi-minibus. Even by taxi, getting from one attraction to the next can easily take half an hour. The center of the city is located around the square of Heavenly Peace where you find the famous Forbidden City, the mausoleum of Mao and the Great Hall of the People. One of the most beautiful parts of Beijing is the Berbar Park that is near the Forbidden City. Here you can rent a rowboat and spend a leisurely afternoon on the lake.
Of the numerous temples a few are worthwhile visiting. The Temple of the Heaven, located in the southeast of the city is made up of several buildings and a large altar, all built symmetrically. In the northeast of the city you will find the Lama Temple where presently Lamaistic Buddhism is widespread again. From Beijing the tour leader will organize an excursion to the Great Wall where you will have time to walk part of the wall. This excursion, except for the admission fee is included in the price. Most of the time the tour leader will try to combine this excursion with a visit to the summer palace, which is located just outside Beijing on a manmade lake.
Day 6 Arrival Xian
Day 7 Xian – visit Terracotta Army
Day 8 Xian – Lhasa (flight)
We travel by sleeper train with hard sleepers, unless you have requested a “soft sleeper” on your registration form. The trip is about sixteen hours from Beijing to Xian. For private trips only, you may upgrade to a flight from Beijing to Xian instead of a night train. For many years, Xian was the capital of China. In the past Xian was the starting point of the Silk Road, which gave the city a very cosmopolitan character. In the center of the city immediately behind the Drum Tower, you will still find the old Islamic neighborhood and the vast mosque complex with outer buildings and gardens. This neighborhood is loads of fun for walks and dining. You will also find many art and antique shops there.
The old center of Xian was always surrounded by a thick wall, which for the most part has been restored. You can go for walks on top of the wall. The best view over the city is from the old clock towers where in the past, the bell was rung each morning. A stone’s throw away from the south wall you will find the Provincial Museum that houses one of the largest collections of Chinese treasure including lots of ceramics and calligraphy.
Outside the walls you can visit the large and small wild goose pagoda, both characteristic of old Chinese architecture. We reserve one day in Xian to visit the world-famous terracotta army of Qin Shihuong that is located about 20 miles outside the city. Farmers discovered this find in 1974. This excursion is included in the price and will be arranged by the tour leader. The Emperor and the Assassin is an excellent Chinese (subtitled) film that will give you some historic background about this ruler and the violent unification of the Chinese kingdoms. We depart Xian and fly on to Lhasa to begin our journey in Tibet.
Day 8 Arrival Lhasa
Day 9 Lhasa
Day 10 Lhasa
Day 11 Lhasa - Shigatse
In Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, it is recommended that you spend the first day at a slow pace since you are now at an elevation of over 15,000 ft. On the way from the airport to Lhasa we cross the 14,919-foot high Kamba Pass. You will see numerous prayer flags and sacrificial stones to protect the traveler. The flapping of the prayer flags breaking the silence will leave a lasting impression. The flags are to draw the gods’ attention for their reverence. On this pass, as we progress towards Lhasa you will have an incredible view of the turquoise Yamdrok Tso Lake. The greatest landmark of Lhasa will stand out as we reach the city: the Potala Palace. The Palace built on top of a hill and rising high above the city, was the former residence of the Dalai Lama. You might expect this to be the most important pilgrimage destination, but it is not. The most revered religious building is the Jokhand, the oldest sacred place of Tibetan Buddhism. Many pilgrims from all parts of the country make their way here, traveling for days and days. On day 21, you will depart for Shigatse by bus.
Day 11 Lhasa – Shigatse
Day 12 Shigatse
The word “Shigatse” means “beautiful place” in Tibetan. The city is the second largest of the country and perhaps a good place to try your first cup of yak butter tea. The typical smell and taste is a favorite amongst Tibetans who are known to drink up to 30 cups a day! The salty taste will take some getting used to, but on a tour like this you will have to try it. In Shigatse there is time to visit the Tahilunpo monastery, the residence of the Panchen Lama and one of Tibet’s few still active monastery. The monastery was built in 1447 under supervision of the first Dalai Lama and for a very long time was the most important landmark of Tibet. Spiritual and economic leaders gathered here to make important decisions for Tibet. In those days 3000 monks inhabited the monastery: now 600 remain. The monastery has suffered little from the Chinese Cultural Revolution and a visit is a must on this tour. You might be lucky and attend one of the singing ceremonies of the monks, who are very friendly and will wave to you to come close and see. Dressed in the traditional yellow, they play drums in a concentrated trance. Here you will be met as a guest not a tourist, which will add enormously to the experience of this holiday.
Day 13 Shigatse - Gyantse
Day 14 Gyantse - Lhasa
Day 15 Lhasa-Chengdu (flight), Chengdu-Guilin (flight) – Arrival Yangshou
The visit to our next destination, Gyantse, will show you some of the most authentic Tibetan places remaining. Here the typical Tibetan atmosphere is reflected in the architecture, such as the dzong, (fortified monasteries) and other structures, and also by the trading spirit of the Tibetans. Gyantse was an important gathering place for wool merchants on their way to India. The imposing dzong offers a nice view of the Kumbum monastery and the city itself. Do not forget to visit the monastery, which has the highest stupa of Tibet, on its premises (105 feet). It is one of the most impressive buildings of Tibet. Inside are 112 chapels covered with splendid sculptures and beautiful murals. From Gyantse, you will return to Lhasa for a night and the next day we fly to Chengdu, then take a flight to Guilin.
Day 16 Yangshuo
Day 17 Yangshuo
Day 18 Yangshuo-Guilin (bus), Guilin-Guangzhou (night train)
We travel by bus from Guilin to the little village of Yangshuo, situated in the middle of a landscape with foggy rice paddies, rivers and sheep meadows completely surrounded by rising mountains, famous from Chinese prints. When you wake up in the morning, you can see these mountain giants through the shades. All have imaginative names. Yangshuo still breathes a country-like atmosphere in spite of the growing amount of souvenir shops and tourist cafes. It is an ideal place to rent a bike and spend a day exploring the area. Near Yangshuo you find the Man Hill where you have a spectacular view over the surrounding neighborhood. It is also fun to just drive up any little road and see where you end up. In Yangshou there is the possibility to rent a boat and go up the river to watch how fisherman, with the help of specially trained birds (cormorant) catch their bounty. At the conclusion of this boat trip on the river you can relax on one of the many little terraces and spend the rest of the night with the pleasures of a glass of beer or wine and a snack. We travel by bus back to Guilin where we board a night train to Guangzhou.
Day 19 Guangzhou (Canton)
Day 20 Guangzhou - Hong Kong (morning train)
From Yangshuo we embark on a long but colorful and ever-changing journey to Guangzhou (Canton). You will notice the active economy in the busy harbor town of Guangzhou; in addition, the city is world famous for its cuisine. In Guangzhou, literally everything that is alive is worked into a meal, including cat and dog. There are even specialty snake restaurants where you can pick your own from large buckets of slithering snakes in the window. Next to the many temples and parks, you can also visit the famous Quingong market. In addition to selling many types of animals here, they also sell all sorts of herbs and spices.
Day 20 Guangzhou - Hong Kong (morning train)
Day 21 Hong Kong
Day 22 Hong Kong - Arrival USA
The trip from Guangzhou to Hong Kong by train will take about 2 hours. After a long history under British rule, the city belongs officially to China, since 1997. Because of these British ties, the atmosphere here is different. Not only is the city very large and modern but you also see businessmen in suits and you constantly hear cell phones ring. Our hotel is located on the mainland where most of the inhabitants of Hong Kong live. From the mainland you can take the ferry all day to Central Island, the business district of Hong Kong with its world famous skyline. In the event you want to explore some other islands (altogether about 200 in total), you can take a boat from Central Island. Make sure you check the return departure time so you do not get stranded on one of the islands. On many of the small islands such as Lamma and Cheung Chau, you find a wonderful relaxed atmosphere, cozy little towns, beautiful beaches and great seafood restaurants. Because Hong Kong is very large, distances are hard to cover on foot. In addition to taxis and buses you also find double-decker, trams that cross-Central Island. The ideal transportation for longer distances is the subway, which is cheap and easy to use. From Hong Kong we fly back to the USA by Northwest/KLM.
