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Day 1/Wed: Departing Home City
The journey begins with our transpacific flight departing the west coast in early afternoon. Cross the International Date Line.

Day 2/Thu: Arrival in Beijing
Meet our guide upon arrival in late afternoon and transfer to the hotel. The balance of the day is at leisure.

Day 3/Fri: Beijing
Beijing, capital of China, is the country's second largest city in terms of population. Following a brief orientation we visit Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City and an old hutong - alleyway flanked with traditional residential courtyards. Welcome dinner features delicious Beijing roast duck, a local delicacy. (B/L/D)

Day 4/Sat: Beijing
Enjoy a full-day excursion to the legendary Great Wall, 70km northeast of the city. Zigzagging over 6,000 kilometres from east to west along the undulating mountains, the Great Wall, said to be visible from the moon, was built to hold off tribal invaders from the north. (B/L)

Day 5/Sun: Beijing - Xining
Morning sightseeing at the Temple of Heaven. Built for emperors to worship Heaven, the Temple of Heaven is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings occupying an area of 273 hectares and three times the area of the Forbidden City. Late afternoon flight to Xining. (B/L/D)

Day 6/Mon: Xining
This morning we drive 30 km to the southwest of the city to visit Kumbum (meaning 100,000 images), or Ta'er Monastery, situated in a scenic valley. One of the six largest monasteries of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the 400-year-old monastery is dedicated to the memory of Tzongkaba (1357-1419 A.D.), the founder of the Yellow Sect. Return to the city for some further sightseeing before boarding overnight train (sleeper class) following dinner. (B/L/D)

Day 7/Tue: On the Train to Lhasa
Wake up to spectacular scenery of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau! During the 25-hour rail journey covering 1972 kilometers intermitted by several photo stops passengers may spot a variety of wildlife roaming the highlands, especially in pristine Hoh Xil, China's largest area of uninhabited land and home to Tibetan antelopes and wild horses. The train pulls into Lhasa Station at 9:50 pm. (B/L/D)

Day 8/Wed: Lhasa
Situated in a wide, mountain-fringed valley on the north bank of the Kyichu River, Lhasa (elevation 3700m) is a rapidly expanding city with a population of over 540,000. An important settlement for well over a thousand years, Lhasa was originally called Rasa, but was renamed by King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century when he moved his capital here from the Yarlung Valley. Following the collapse of the Yarlung dynasty two centuries later, power dispersed among local chieftains and the city lost its pre-eminence. It was not until the seventeenth century, with the installation of the Fifth Dalai Lama as ruler by the Mongolian emperor, Gushri Khan, that Lhasa once again became the seat of government.

This morning we visit the Dalai Lama’s Potala Palace. Afternoon sightseeing at Jokhang Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist buildings in Tibet and a remarkable combination of Tibetan, Indian, Nepalese and Han Chinese architectural styles. No visit to Jokhang Temple is complete without checking out the Barkor Street bazaar outside the temple. (B/L)

Day 9/Thu: Lhasa
Morning visit to the Dalai Lama's summer residence Norbulinka. This afternoon we tour grand Sera Monastery, where lively debates held Monday to Saturday from 3 to 5 pm between resident monks often draw a large audience. (B/L)

Day 10/Fri: Lhasa - Gyantse - Shigatse
Following breakfast, we drive along the Southern Route to Gyantse (265km). Highlights of the scenic drive include Kambaba Pass (4700 metres/15416 feet above sea level) and the holy lake Yamdrok Yumtso. Every summer throngs of Tibetan pilgrims come to the lake to pray for blessings by the lake fairy. Afternoon sightseeing in Gyantse takes in the Fortress of Gyantse Dzong and Pelkhor Choede. We continue on to Shigatse (90km) in late afternoon arriving at the second largest city in Tibet around dinnertime. (B/L/D)

Day 11/Sat: Shigatse - Lhasa
This morning we visit Tashilunpo Monastery, the religious and administrative headquarters of the Panchen Lama - paramount leader of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Return to Lhasa via better paved Northern Route (295km). Vast pastureland, barren mountain slopes, snow-capped peaks, blue skies, white clouds, scanty population, and ubiquitous prayer flags - these images combine to conjure a sense of solitude and mystery. (B/L)

Day 12/Sun: Lhasa - Shanghai
Spend the morning relaxing or exploring the ancient Tibetan capital on your own. We fly to Shanghai in mid-afternoon. Please note that depending on flight availability we may need to leave Lhasa in the morning. (B/D)

Day 13/Mon: Shanghai
Paris of China, Pearl of the Orient, city of quick riches, paradise of the adventurers - those were some of the names by which Shanghai was known before the Communists took it over from the Nationalist Government in 1949. Like of the rest of the country Shanghai is currently undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions the world has ever seen, having experienced 19% GDP growth per year for the past 16 years. Our sightseeing in Shanghai begins with a stroll on the Bund - a waterfront promenade famous for its landmark neoclassical buildings of European style, followed by Shanghai Museum and Yu Garden. Evening entertainment is a dazzling acrobatic show. (B/L/D)

Day 14/Tue: Shanghai
Today is a free day. Exploring China's most dynamic city on your own is easy and fun. Our recommended to-do list includes a visit to glitzy Pudong New District, a ride aboard the world's only commercially run Maglev train, and the popular evening cruise on Huangpu River to enjoy the city's spectacular neon-lit skyline. (B/D)

Day 15/Wed: Shanghai - Home City
Free morning to pack and relax. Transfer to airport to board return flight. Arrive home the same day. (B)

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Hotel list
City	No. of Nights	Hotel	Star Rating
Beijing	3	The Great Wall Sheraton Beijing
Xining	1	Yinglong Hotel
Xining to Lhasa	1	overnight train	sleeper class (see Important Note below)
Lhasa	4	Four Points by Sheraton	- best available
Xigaze (Shigatse)	1	Shandong Hotel	- best available but very basic
Shanghai	3	Sheraton Shanghai Pudong
Important Note There are two sleeper classes on the train. While every effort will be made to secure "soft" sleeper tickets for our tour members, your group or some in your group may end up in a "hard" sleeper compartment. The only difference between the two classes is the number of bunk beds in a compartment. There are four beds in a soft sleeper compartment and the number becomes 6 with a hard sleeper compartment. Since we will only arrange 4 passengers in a hard sleeper compartment and pay extra to keep two beds empty, our cost would be the same regardless of the class of your ticket. As an ethical business with extensive first-hand experience, we feel we must disclose this important fact before taking your deposit. We encourage you to take a look at the train photos before contacting us for more information. If any tour operator guarantees you soft sleeper class on this particular route, you are either lucky or being misled. Some agents may indiscriminately pass on to the client whatever information fed to them by the tour operator who in turn looks to their Chinese ground handler for help. A train ticket in China cannot be issued more than 10 days before travel date and reservations made months ahead can be meaningless if local government officials or a foreign delegation hosted by the government happens to needs your bed! We once got bumped by a Thai princess and her entourage. If you are not deterred by the warning, please proceed to check out the dates and prices below.

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