Draft 1 (China + TIbet)
Day 1 - Beijing (Hutong Night Walk and Peking Duck Welcome Dinner) [D]
Note 1: Because it would be a Saturday night, we would like to go to a lively Hutong to get a first glimpse and have the welcome dinner there. Note 2: The restaurant must also offer vegetarian options. Day 2 - Beijing (Mutianyu Great Wall) [B/L]
Note: Chairlift (round trip) or Chairlift + Tobogan is included to visit the East Route. Some free time should be provided for guests who want to visit the West Route (Cable Car not included). Day 3 - Beijing (Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Dumpling Workshop in a Hutong, Free Time) [B/L]
Day 4 - Beijing-Xi’an (Bullet Train, Evening Xi’an Food Tour in the Muslim Quarter) [B/D]
Note: The food tour must be a proper food tour, not led by the tour leader; something similar to this example (). Take the opportunity to briefly see the Bell Tower, the Great Mosque, and the city wall. Day 5 - Xi’an-Zhangjiajie (Terracotta Warriors, Flight) [B/L]
Day 6 - Zhangjiajie, Furongzhen (Tianmen Cave & Glass Walkway, Transfer to Furongzhen, Sunset Orientation Walk, Dinner with a Waterfall View, Transfer Back to Zhangjiajie) [B/D]
Note 1: Cable Car and Glass Walkway included. Note 2: We would like to go to Furongzhen after Tianmen, have a quick orientation walk with the tour leader, free time, and a group dinner with a night view of the waterfall. After the dinner, we can go back to the hotel in Zhangjiajie. Question: Should we go to Furongzhen by private bus or by train? Day 7 - Zhangjiajie-Chongqing (Zhangjiajie Forest Park, Bullet Train) [B/L]
Note: Bailong Elevator and Tianzi Mountain Cable Car are included. Day 8 - Chongqing (Free Morning, Liziba Station, Kuixing Tower, Chongqing Art Gallery, Jiefangbei CBD, night viewpoint) [B/D]
Remove: The Ciqikou Ancient Town, the Yangtze River Cableway, and the Chongqing People's Auditorium. Note: We should go to the Grand Theater & Jiangtan Park, and then cross the Quiansimen Bridge to have a view of Hongyadong from above. Day 9 - Chongqing-Lhasa (Flight, Altitude Acclimatization, Hotel Group Dinner) [B/D]
Day 10 - Lhasa (Drepung Monastery, Monk Debate at Sera Monastery, Free Time at Hotel, Dinner with Potala Palace’s View) [B/D]
Day 11 - Lhasa (Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Tibetan Cultural Center) [B/L]
Note: When I visited Lhasa, I had the opportunity to visit a cultural center (see the photo below for contact details) where I participated in activities such as meditation, incense-making, prayer-flag woodblock printing, and Tibetan calligraphy. Day 12 - Lhasa-Yamdrok Lake-Lhasa Airport-Chengdu (Yamdrok Lake, Lunch with a Family, Evening Flight) [B/L]
Note: We won’t go back to Lhasa, but straight to Lhasa Airport to take an evening flight to Chengdu. Day 13 - Chengdu-Shanghai (Giant Panda Research Base, Sichuan Group Lunch, Renmin/People’s Park Orientation Walk & Tea House, Evening Flight) [B/L]
Note 1: For lunch, we would like to have authentic Sichuan food, but it should also offer non-spicy options. Note 2: In People’s Park, let’s sit down at a Tea House to taste some tea (included), relax, and enjoy the park. Day 14 - Shanghai (Free Day, Farewell Dinner) [B/D]
Suggestions for leisure time: The Bund, the French Concession, and the Marriage Market at People’s Park Day 15 - Departure
Draft 2 (China)
Day 1 - Beijing (Hutong Night Walk and Peking Duck Welcome Dinner) [D]
Day 2 - Beijing (Mutianyu Great Wall) [B/L]
Day 3 - Beijing (Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, rest of the day as free time) [B/L]
Day 4 - Beijing-Xi’an (Bullet Train, Evening Xi’an Food Tour in the Muslim Quarter) [B/D]
Day 5 - Xi’an-Zhangjiajie (Terracotta Warriors, Flight) [B/L]
Day 6 - Zhangjiajie (Zhangjiajie Forest Park) [B/L]
Day 7 - Zhangjiajie-Furongzhen (Tianmen Cave & Glass Walkway, Transfer to Furongzhen, Sunset Orientation Walk & Dinner with the Waterfall View) [B/D]
Day 8 - Furongzhen-Zhangjiajie-Chongqing (Bullet Train, Night Viewpoint & Dinner) [B/D]
Note: We should go to the Grand Theater & Jiangtan Park, and then cross the Quiansimen Bridge to have a view of Hongyadong from above. Day 9 - Chongqing (Walking Tour (Liziba Station, Kuixing Tower, Chongqing Art Gallery, Jiefangbei CBD), rest of the day as free time) [B/L]
Day 10 - Chongqing-Chengdu (Bullet Train, Tianfu Greenway Bike Tour, free evening) [B/L]
Day 11 - Chengdu-Shanghai (Giant Panda Research Base, Sichuan Cooking Class, Flight) [B/L]
Day 12 - Shanghai (Free Day, Farewell Dinner) [B/D]
Day 13 - Departure