China and Tibet, the Roof of the World featuring a 3-night downstream Yangtze River Cruise
Set off on your tour by exploring Beijing. Discover Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Cruise the Yangtze River downstream for three nights on this 18 day small group tour of China and Tibet. Travel aboard the "Sky Train" as it ascends through spectacular scenery to Lhasa, Tibet, the rooftop of the world. Visit the iconic Potala Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tour the Giant Panda Breeding Sanctuary. Enjoy a rickshaw tour of the capital and have lunch with a farming family at their home in a rural village, outside Xian.
Visit the Three Gorges Dam which, when completed, will be the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. Board an overnight train to Tibet and the highest train in the world. A guided tour of the Giant Panda Breeding Sanctuary brings you up close to these national treasures.
Highlights
Beijing, Fengdu, Three Gorges Dam Project, Terracotta Warriors, Train to Tibet, Potala Palace, Giant Panda Breeding Sanctuary, Olympic Green, Cooking Class, Home Hosted Lunch, Kite Master
Collette Experience
Call (410) 825-9887 for more information or to book today! Mention code 10576538
- Tour Operator
- Collette Vacations
- Offer
- Offer valid through 3/31/2012
- Duration
- 18 Days
| Day | Destination | Description |
| Air 1 | Overnight Flight | Overnight Flight |
| Day 2 | Beijing | Beijing, China - Tour Begins : Embark on your journey through China and Tibet - beginning in China's vibrant capital city - Beijing. |
| Day 3 | Beijing | Beijing : Learn some key words and phrases in Chinese to better communicate with locals ? Set off to tour Beijing ? Visit historic Tiananmen Square, the largest square in the world ? Continue to the Forbidden City, a vast network of 17 palaces and the Chinese Imperial Palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties ? Browse a local market to learn about traditional ingredients ? Afterwards, roll up your sleeves for an interactive cooking lesson ? Learn about jade carving and help design your very own custom-made jade name seal stamp ? This evening, savor a Peking duck dinner! Today breakfast , lunch and dinner will be included. |
| Day 4 | Chongqing | Beijing - Chongqing - Board Ship : Fly to Chongqing, your gateway to the Yangtze River ? Visit the General Stillwell Museum, his headquarters during World War II and home of the Flying Tigers ? Continue to Eling Park and take in grand views of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers ? Board your ship for a three night downstream cruise along the Yangtze. Today breakfast , lunch and dinner will be included. |
| Day 5 | Fengdu | Cruising - Chongqing - Fengdu : Cruise the mighty Yangtze River today en route to the city of Fengdu. Today breakfast , lunch and dinner will be included. |
| Day 6 | Shennong Stream | Cruising - Three Gorges - Shennong Stream : Sail today, entering the first of the Three Gorges - one of nature's most extraordinary sculptures ? Pass through Qutang and Wu Gorge, taking an excursion through the Shennong Stream ? Finally, cruise through the third gorge, Xiling Gorge ? This evening, pass through the dam ship locks. Today breakfast , lunch and dinner will be included. |
| Day 7 | Xi'an | Cruising - Three Gorges Dam Project - Disembark Ship - Xian : Enjoy a memorable visit to the twenty-five billion dollar Three Gorges Dam; when completed, it will be the world's largest hydroelectric dam ? Disembark in Yichang ? Head to Wuhan for your flight to Xian. Today breakfast , lunch and dinner will be included. |
| Day 8 | Xi'an | Xian : Visit the Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the world's most famous Buddhist temples ? Step into the courtyards of Xian's Islamic Mosque ? Enjoy an imperial lunch with twenty courses of dumplings ? Explore the excavation site of more than 8,000 terracotta warriors and horses guarding the tomb of China's first emperor ? Then, view the panoramic movie on the discovery of the site. Today breakfast and lunch will be included. |
| Day 9 | Xining | Xian - Xining - Overnight Train : Fly to the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau when you go to Xining ? Visit the Ta'er Monastery, one of the famous monasteries of the Gelugpa Sect (Yellow Hat Sect) of Tibetan Buddhism ? After dinner, it's all aboard your overnight train en route to Lhasa ? Experience a "local" train adventure on the highest train in the world, interacting with friendly Chinese and Tibetan people. Today breakfast , lunch and dinner will be included. |
| Day 10 | Lhasa | On Board Train - Lhasa, Tibet : Experience the "Sky Train" today - an engineering marvel ? Journey past yaks grazing in emerald fields against a backdrop of snowcapped mountains and azure skies ? Three locomotives pull the train over the 16,600 foot Tangula Pass en route to Lhasa ? The train's cabins feature two oxygen sources to help acclimate you to the altitude ? Arrive in Tibet - the "roof of the world" - at approximately 10:30 this evening and head to your hotel. Today breakfast , lunch and dinner will be included. |
| Day 11 | Lhasa | Lhasa : Enjoy your free morning ? Set off for a tour of the Jokhang Temple - built in 647 A. D. - Tibet's spiritual center and holiest shrine for Tibetan pilgrims. Today breakfast , lunch and dinner will be included. |
| Day 12 | Lhasa | Lhasa : Visit the Potala Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, considered the greatest monumental structure in Tibet; it was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India ? Enjoy a leisurely tour of the Tibetan Museum ? This afternoon, visit the Jatson Chumig School, founded to provide a positive environment for orphans and underprivileged children ? Meet the local children as you learn about the organization and Collette Foundation's active involvement. Today breakfast and lunch will be included. |
| Day 13 | Lhasa | Lhasa : Tour the Norbilinka Palace - the Dalai Lama's "summer palace" ? It was from here that the present Dalai Lama (XIV) escaped from Chinese troops to India in 1959 ? Spend time with a local Tibetan family, gaining insight into their lifestyle. Today breakfast , lunch and dinner will be included. |
| Day 14 | Chengdu | Lhasa - Chengdu : This morning, fly to Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan Province ? After lunch, stroll through a local market ? Enjoy an evening at leisure. Today breakfast and lunch will be included. |
| Day 15 | Beijing | Chengdu - Beijing : Visit the Giant Panda Breeding Sanctuary to learn how China's national treasure is being protected from extinction ? Your guided tour of the sanctuary - a simulated habitat - allows you the rare opportunity to see the Giant Panda in its natural environment ? Return to Beijing. Today breakfast and lunch will be included. |
| Day 16 | Beijing | Beijing : Interact with history when you walk along a portion of the Great Wall of China - a 3,700-mile marvel - at its Juyongguan section ? Travel through the valley of the Ming Tombs, burial sites of 13 Ming Dynasty emperors ? Your route takes you for a scenic walk along an avenue called the Sacred Way ? Feel the excitement of the 2008 Summer Olympics when you view the Olympic Green where you have the opportunity to take photos of two famous structures - the Bird's Nest and Water Cube! Today breakfast and lunch will be included. |
| Day 17 | Beijing | Beijing : Explore the world-famous Temple of Heaven ? See locals enjoying morning exercises ? Try your skill at Tai Chi ball if you'd like ? Tour old Beijing by rickshaw, exploring its narrow streets ? Stop to have lunch with a local family and learn the art of dumpling making ? Afterwards, a kite master teaches you about the art of this ancient Chinese pastime ? Learn about the importance of tea to the local people during a traditional ceremony ? Tonight, enjoy a special farewell dinner. Today breakfast , lunch and dinner will be included. |
| Day 18 | Tour ends | Beijing - Tour Ends : Your tour ends in Beijing. Today breakfast will be included. |
- Dates/Pricing
- Lodging
- Beijing Marriott City Wall Hotel, Beijing
- President VI, Chongqing
- New World Hotel, Xian
- Qinghai Tibet Train, Overnight Train,
- Sheraton Four Points, Lhasa
- Kempinski Hotel, Chengdu
- Beijing Marriott City Wall Hotel, Beijing
- Disclaimer
- NOTE: Specials are marked with a *
NOTE: NOTE: Tour prices are Land Only rates based on per person double occupancy. Please call for triple or child occupancy rates. Taxes and fees are additional for tours that feature a cruise; port taxes are not included in the prices shown. Some dates may feature various changes in hotels, sightseeing and inclusions. Please confirm your specific itinerary at the time of booking.
