12 Days Delhi Chengdu Lhasa Chongqing Yichang Shanghai Tour

Taking international flight from Indira Gandhi International Airport to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Upon arrival in Chengdu Airport, our guide will be meeting you and get you transferred to your hotel in Chengdu. The rest of the day is at leisure. (The direct international flight from Delhi to Chengdu suggests to be booked by yourself.)

Optional:
If there is enough time, you can enjoy a short walk at the ancient Jinli Street. Later, drive to Wenshu Monastery to have wonderful taste of the vegetarian food for dinner. Another alternative is to enjoy the cultural show - Sichuan Opera in the evening. (the cost is on you, based on your personal preference.)

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

• Chengdu Jinli Old Street
• Sichuan opera

In the morning, drive for about half an hour to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center, the home to giant pandas, where you will catch pandas' feeding time. They are at their most active, both Adults and Babies. There's a wealth of information and a panda museum in this 230-hectare park 10 km (6 miles) north of Chengdu. It takes about 2.5 hours to visit this site.

Then, the whole afternoon can be free for you to explore around.

In the evening, you will be transferred to Chengdu Train Station for the overnight train to Lhasa. The train departs from Chengdu North Railway Station. It takes about 1 hour to check in as the train takes about 1000 passengers. Please be sure to arrive at the train station for 1 hour or a half before the train departure. Train Z322 from Chengdu to Lhasa departs at 21:37, and your Tibet Permit will need to be checked when you check in.

Stay overnight in the train.

• Come and have close contact with adorable giant pandas
• cute giant panda

Spend the whole day on the train to Lhasa. It is quite a long journey of taking a train from Chengdu to Lhasa. It will take 36:18 hours in the Train. On the first day you will pass through two important provincial capital cities in northwest China, Lanzhou and Xining. Xining is known as the beginning of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Travelling along the rail line, you could see the scenery of countryside and cities in northwest China.

Stay overnight in the train.

Enjoy the most beautiful scenery of Qinghai-Tibet Railway: spectacular land of snows, boundless desert, vast grassland, and grand ice mountains, beautiful lakes that will continually appear and strongly attract your heart. You will arrive in Lhasa at 09:55. Your tour guide will hold a board with your name to welcome you at the exit of the train station and escort you to your reserved hotel in Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Qinghai-Tibet railway
• Tour guide will meet you at Lhasa Railway Station.

Today's tour will first bring you to the Potala Palace which is the winter palace of the Dalai lama. It was put to use since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

Then after lunch, tourists head to Jokhang Temple which was founded by the 33rd great king of Tibet in the 7th century. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve. Outside, you can see pilgrims making prostrating in front of Jokhang Temple. Around the temple is Barkhor Street, where you can do kora (a religious circle of a building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals, and explore the old market. Besides, we can taste Tibetan tea with locals in tea house.

Optional:
With time permitting, you may go with tour guide to visit Tibetan handicraft art or Tibetan Traditional Medicine center. You can upgrade your service to enjoy Tibetan Culture Show in the evening (fr. 60USD)

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Potala Palace is always the No.1 attraction for travelers visiting Tibet.
• A Tibetan pilgrim is worshipping Jokhang Temple

In the morning, you are going to visit Drepung Monastery which is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. You can visit the biggest monastery kitchen inside the monastery and enjoy Buddhist Sculpture Carving workshop near Drepung.

In the afternoon, you will visit Sera Monastery which is another one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. The hot attraction is the monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon. In addition, you can tour the Tibetan religious scripture printing house. Inside the monastery, you can see three sand Mandalas and colorful Rock Painting of Buddha.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Monks chat happily before the assembly hall of Drepung monastery.
• Monk debate in Sera monastery

You will fly to Chongqing where the Yangtze Cruise Tour start. Your tour guide will escort you to Lhasa airport and see you off.

Airport to Pier transfer with tour guide is included, your Chongqing tour guide will escort you to board the cruise and help you check out. You will have a chance to go through the Chongqing City from the airport to the pier, which is biggest city built by the Yangtze River. The cruise sail at about 21:00 in the evening.

Overnight in the cruise.

Today is your first day of Yangtze River Cruise Tour. You will visit Fengdu Ghost City (off cruise tour, optional) at about 09:00. Having nearly two thousand years' history, the Fengdu Ghost City combines the cultures of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism with the mystique of ghosts. Tourist can see the Chinese Ghose culture and characters in here.

Then enjoy a Shibaozhai Shore Excursion at about 16:00. Shibao Zhai Village is a tower with 12 floors. It is one of several high wooden buildings in China nowadays. It is the typical and symbolic buildings characterizing of China’s southern folk architectural techniques.

Stay overnight in the cruise.

• Fengdu Ghost City
• Shibao Zhai Village

The second day of Yangtze River Cruise Tour begins with the White Emperor City (off cruise tour, optional) at 07:30. It is situated at the entrance of Qutang Gorge, north of the Yangtze River. It was known as White Emperor City which dates from the Western Han dynasty, approximately 2000 years ago, when the king of Shu, Liubei, called himself the White Emperor.

Then you will sail through Qutang Gorge at 10:45, Wu Gorge at 12:45, and have a shore excursion to Goddess Stream at 15:15.

Stay overnight in the cruise.

• Qutang Gorge
• Wu Gorge

Today is the last day of your cruise journey, and you will visit Three Gorge Dam at 08:15. The world record smashing Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest dam and hydroelectric power station, you will have chance to witness the tropic man-made wonder.

The Cruise Tour ends at Yichang at 12:45. Yichang tour guide will pick up you from pier tourist station and escort you to the airport. Then you can fly to Shanghai. After around 2 hours’ flying, you will land in Shanghai and be picked up by the local guide. Then the guide will take you to the reserved hotel. The rest of the day is for you to have a good rest.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

• Three Gorge Dam
• Three Gorge Museum

Today we are about to visit some of the highlights of highlights of Shanghai Tour. Starting with fascinating Shanghai Museum, the magnificent 4-story building houses an incredible collection of bronzes, sculptures, ceramics, coins, paintings, calligraphy, costumes and other exhibits in different dynasties. It’s the perfect place for fans of Chinese history and art.

Next comes the Yu Garden. Built in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty, the Yu Garden used to be the private residence of a senior Government administrator in the Ming Dynasty. For passionate photographer, never miss the chance to photograph Old Street of Yu Garden.

In the evening, we will visit the most iconic building of Shanghai, i.e. Oriental Pearl TV Tower. You can enjoy the amazing panorama of the skyline of Shanghai at night. And as you stroll along the Bund, you will get amazed at the spectacular Huangpu River and dazzling light from buildings of Pudong.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

• Enchanting ancient Yu Garden offers a respite from bustling metropolis.
• Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the most iconic architecture of Shanghai.

In the morning, we are expected to visit picturesque Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, also known as the "Venice of China". It’s about 1 hour drive from downtown Shanghai. The ancient town dates back to Ming Dynasty. It’s highly recommended to enjoy the boat ride from one end of the water way to the other. Ke Zhi Garden and multiple shops and bridges, and street vendors selling handicrafts and goldfish and turtles provide a respite from boisterous metropolitan city.

Then the guide will transfer you to the airport and help you get on board. There are two direct flights leaving daily from Shanghai to Delhi and the overall travel time is around 7 hours. Hope you have a nice trip home and look forward to traveling with you again! (The direct international flight from Shanghai to Delhi suggests to be booked by yourself.)

• Typical rowing boat travelling in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, pretty similar to Gondola in Venice
• Peaceful Ke Zhi Garden is free from hustle and bustle, with exquisite ancient Chinese garden design.