Highlights of Sichuan and Tibet

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15 Days Private Tour Chengdu – Leshan – Emei Shan – Chengdu – Sanxingdui – Jiangyou - Pingwu - Jiuzhaigou – Huanglong – Songpan – Maoxian - Taoping – Wolong – Dujiangyan – Qingchengshan - Chengdu – Lhasa – Yamdrok – Gyantse – Shigatse – Lhasa

We arrive in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, the home town of Panda. Here we discover the Great Buddha of Leshan, the Buddhitic Mount Emeishan, the high culture of Sanxingdui, Taoping Daorf of Qiang Minority, the pandas in Wolong, the ancient Dujiangyan irrigation system and the Daoist mountain Qingchengshan.

On this trip, two of China's most beautiful national parks are on program: Jiuzhaigou (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992) and Huanglong (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992) show the magnificent mountain sceneries of the Minshan Mountains in northern Sichuan Province. The scenery of crystal clear water, countless mountain lakes, rushing streams and waterfalls, lush vegetation, populated by exotic animals, the rugged peaks - is so unreal beautiful - is Jiuzhaigou. Because of its spectacular and breathtaking karst landscape with countless travertines the Huanglong National Park is world famous.

By air we reach the holy city Lhasa on the roof of the world. In Lhasa - the capital city of Tibet - you have two days for the attractions: Potala, Jokhang, Norblinka and Sera. And from Parla Lupu Monastery we'll enjoy the magnificent view of Potala Palace. We could circle around the Tibetan holiest Monastery Jokhang with pilgrims, who come from all over Tibet and the Tibetan cultural areas of Kham-Amdo of the provinces of Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan. Many pious Tibetans measure the way on the Barkhor market with their body length. On the scenic drive to Gyantse and Shigatse we will experience the magnificent scenery, pass by the turquoise Yamdrok Lake and cross over the passes Kamba La (4,794m) and Karo La (5,010m). Then visit the unique Kumbum Pagoda in Gyantse and Tashilunpo Monastery in Shigatse.

Highlights

Itinerary

Itinerary
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DAY
1

Arrive in Chengdu

Home town of panda. Kuanzhai Xiangzi, drink tea in People’s Park

In the morning arrive in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, home town of giant panda. Picked up by the local guide at airport and then transfer to hotel. In the afternoon stroll in the beautiful old block of Chengdu - Wide Alley and Narrow Alley (Kuan Xiangzi and Zhai Xiangzi), the relics of the Manchurian garrison since 1718 and consist of 3 parallel lanes with the old classical houses, which are unique in southern China just like the northern Chinese architectural style presented by Hutong. After a careful renovation in June 2008, the pubs, teahouses, restaurants and guesthouses are concentrated here, and in no time at all, it becomes the "lobby of leisure capital Chengdu". A walk here gives you a first impression of the "city of loafers". Then visit the People’s Park in the city center, have a seat in an old teahouse, enjoy your covered-bowl tea in a comfortable environment with bamboo chair and bamboo table. The tea culture of Chengdu is well known throughout China.

Overnight at 4*Xinliang Hotel

Tea House in People’s Park

DAY
2

Chengdu - Leshan - Emei Shan

Visit Grand Buddha in Lingyun Temple, boating on the Minjiang River. Visit nunnery Fuhu Si

In the morning leave for Leshan. On the way enjoy the beautiful countryside landscape of western Chengdu Plains during about two hour’s driving on the expressway. Upon arrival in Leshan visit the Grand Buddha in Lingyun Temple. The grand Buddha was completed in 803 of Tang Dynasty after 90 year’s construction and enjoys the fame of the biggest sitting stone sculpture in the world with a 71-meter height. Carved on the cliff face, the sculpture is well designed with perfect balance and effective water drainage system. After visiting the Lingyun Temple and the Grand Buddha, boat on the Minjiang River to see the front site of the Grand Buddha and the “hidden sleeping Buddha”. Afterwards head for Mt. Emei, the main ritual place of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (Puxian Pusa) and one of the four most celebrated Buddhism Mountains in China. Visit nunnery Fuhu Si at the foot of Mt. Emei.

197 km
2 hours 43 minutes
Overnight at 4*Hengmai Hotel

Breakfast

Grand Buddha

DAY
3

Emei Shan – Chengdu

Visit Golden Summit of Mt. Emeishan,

Early in the morning take the sightseeing bus to the Leidongping Bus Station along the 52-kilometer zigzag mountain road. Upon arrival, take the cable car to the Golden Summit that is with an elevation of 3099 meters. If the weather is well, you will find that your vision becomes broadened; the verdant forest waves surge along the mountain; Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu River are like three pieces of silk; Mt. Daxue and Mt. Gongga seem to stretch to the horizon; the sun emerges with all shimmering rays through the surging cloud. Lucky enough, the Buddhist light is available to see. Visit Huazang Si Temple and the golden statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (Puxian Pusa). Then take cable car and the sightseeing bus down to the Wannian Temple to enjoy the famous carving of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra riding on his white elephant. Hike on the old stone steps descend via Qingyin Pavilion (Clear Sounds Pavilion) to the One-Thread-Sky, and to the bus station at Wuxiangang, and then get picked up to descend the mountain and drive back to Chengdu.

159 km
2 hours 1 minute
Overnight at 4*Xinliang Hotel

Breakfast

Golden Summit of Mt. Emeishan

DAY
4

Chengdu – Sanxingdui – Jiangyou

Visit Sanxingdui Museum

Drive to Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, about 40 km north of Chengdu and just setting up at the northeast corner of the famous Sanxingdui Ruins. The nearly square ruin covers an area of 12 square kilometers and is protected by a river on the northern side and a city wall on the other sides. It was the Sanxingdui culture in the period 2800 to 800 BC. Sanxingdui is one of the oldest cultivated settlements of humanity and is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Opened in October 1997, the modern and informative Sanxingdui Museum showcases over 1,000 excavated gold, bronze, jade, clay and stone and ivory works of art. But the most beautiful, astonishing and mysterious are the bronzes, above all huge bronze masks and a larger than life bronze sculpture - they are so strange and with their big ears and eyes and the high-bridged nose look completely different from the already known Chinese art works! Apparently, the Sanxingdui culture mastered both the fine art of bronze technique and unprecedented aesthetics. This site is recognized as one of the most important ancient remains in the world for its vast size, lengthy period and enriched cultural contents. The unique Sanxingdui Museum is a good place to explore the mysterious ancient Shu culture and history. In the afternoon reach Jiangyou.

209 km
2 hours 51 minutes
Overnight at 4*Jiangyou International Hotel

Breakfast

Sanxingdui Museum

DAY
5

Jiangyou - Pingwu – Jiuzhaigou

Visit Bao'en Si Temple at Pingwu

Drive to Jiuzhaigou. On the way visit Bao'en Si Temple at Pingwu that is a well-preserved fifteenth-century Buddhist monastery complex and was built by Wang Xi, a local chieftain, between 1440 and 1446 during Emperor Yingzong's reign (1427–64) in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The wall paintings, sculptures and other ornamental details were finished by 1460. These ornamental additions, such as the Ming period sculpture, painting and murals, the wooden Avalokitesvara and the sutra repository are masterpieces of the period. The complex is very well preserved and a major achievement in Ming religious architecture.

303 km
5 hours 54 minutes
Overnight at 4*Jiuzhai Resort Hotel

Breakfast

Bao'en Si Temple at Pingwu

DAY
6

Jiuzhaigou

Sightseeing and Walking in Jiuzhaigou Nature Park

In western China, in the north of Sichuan Province, between the Sichuan Red Basin and the eastern foothills of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau lies Jiuzhaigou - the Nine-village valley. In the midst of the magnificent mountains of the Minshan Mountains, Jiuzhaigou stretches for 50 kilometers and covers a total area of 720 square kilometers at an altitude between 1900 and 3100 meters. The Nine-village valley includes two mountain rivers, which merge in the middle of the area Y-shaped and thus form a chain of countless lakes, which string like pearls. According to a traditional story, a Tibetan mountain god fell in love with a goddess and one day gave her a precious mirror, brilliantly polished with wind and clouds. But the mirror fell out of her hand, splintering and tumbling down into the valley, where the 108 pieces of shards turned into crystal-clear mountain lakes shining in bright blue or dark blue, turquoise and green. There are lush brooks and waterfalls everywhere, magnificent bamboo groves and mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, snow-capped peaks and picturesque Tibetan villages. The Jiuzhaigou Natural Park was protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992. With the help of the environmental buses of the National Park, which commute between the Scenic areas, you have a fantastic view of Jiuzhaigou.

Overnight at 4*Jiuzhai Resort Hotel

Breakfast

Jiuzhaigou Nature Park

DAY
7

Jiuzhaigou - Huanglong - Songpan – Maoxian

Walking and sightseeing in national park Huanglong. Songpan Ancient Town

In the magnificent valleys along the upper Min River, picturesque villages of the Qiang nationality with their characteristic stone houses and striking towers attract visitors’ eyes: beautiful, idyllic, prominent and mystical. The Qiang nationals are descendants of an ancient ethnic group of China. "Qiang" is a historical ethnic group of China, which was found on 3,000-year-old oracle bones. Over time, records of other nationalities in China such as Han (Han Chinese), Zang (Tibetan), Yi, Naxi, Bei, Hani and Lisu emerged. Their way of life is the evidence of ancient traditions practiced. The villages with the tower-like stone houses testify the advantageous of a high-building life, especially in the epochs of warlike conflicts. On the way visit the village of Taoping Qiang. The village is located in the epicenter of Sichuan's major earthquake on May 12, 2008 and has been severely damaged. As part of the reconstruction program, the Qiang national stonemasons and villagers have masterfully restored their village from the rubble heaps. Then drive to Wolong Natural Reserve, 52 km long from east to west and 62 km wide from south to north, and with the whole area of 200,000 hm². It is one of the China earliest natural reverses that is rated the preservation zones network of “mankind and living beings” by the Organization of Education, Science and Culture of United Nations (UNESCO). The virgin forest, second bush forest and bamboo groves are very green. There are over 4,000 kinds of high-level plants, 24 kinds of them are valuable plants, such as Gongtong (Chinese dove tree), red China fir, Lianxiang and so on. There are more than 450 kinds of vertebras, 45 kinds of them are rated national focal preserved animals, such as giant panda, golden monkeys, antelopes, white-mouth deer etc. The natural beautiful scene is quiet and secluded. Visit Shenshuping Panda Base in Wolong, about 50 pandas live here, it is the largest breeding center for giant pandas, integrating scientific research, feeding, breeding, reproduction, wildness training, etc. Then drive to Dujiangyan. If you have interest, in the evening walk around the ancient South Bridge (Nanqiao), a landmark of Dujiangyan.

237 km
4 hours 45 minutes
Overnight at Holiday Inn Express Dujiangyan Ancient Town

Breakfast

National Park Huanglong

DAY
8

Maoxian - Taoping - Wolong – Dujiangyan

Taoping Village of Qiang Minority. Shenshuping Panda Base in Wolong Natural Reserve

In the magnificent valleys along the upper Min River, picturesque villages of the Qiang nationality with their characteristic stone houses and striking towers attract visitors’ eyes: beautiful, idyllic, prominent and mystical. The Qiang nationals are descendants of an ancient ethnic group of China. "Qiang" is a historical ethnic group of China, which was found on 3,000-year-old oracle bones. Over time, records of other nationalities in China such as Han (Han Chinese), Zang (Tibetan), Yi, Naxi, Bei, Hani and Lisu emerged. Their way of life is the evidence of ancient traditions practiced. The villages with the tower-like stone houses testify the advantageous of a high-building life, especially in the epochs of warlike conflicts. On the way visit the village of Taoping Qiang. The village is located in the epicenter of Sichuan's major earthquake on May 12, 2008 and has been severely damaged. As part of the reconstruction program, the Qiang national stonemasons and villagers have masterfully restored their village from the rubble heaps. Then drive to Wolong Natural Reserve. 52 km long from east to west and 62 km wide from south to north, the whole area is 200,000 hm². It is one of the China earliest natural reverses, which is rated the preservation zones network of “mankind and living beings” by the Organization of Education, Science and Culture of United Nations (UNESCO). The virgin forest, second bush forest and bamboo groves are very green. There are over 4,000 kinds of high-level plants, 24 kinds of them are valuable plants, such as Gongtong (Chinese dove tree), red China fir, Lianxiang and so on. There are more than 450 kinds of vertebras, 45 kinds of them are rated national focal preserved animals, such as giant panda, golden monkeys, antelopes, white-mouth deer etc. The natural beautiful scene is quiet and secluded. Visit Shenshuping Panda Base in Wolong, about 50 pandas live here, it is the largest breeding center for giant pandas, integrating scientific research, feeding, breeding, reproduction, wildness training, etc. Then drive to Dujiangyan. If you have interest, in the evening walk around the ancient South Bridge (Nanqiao), a landmark of Dujiangyan.

237 km
4 hours 45 minutes
Overnight at Holiday Inn Express Dujiangyan Ancient Town

Breakfast

Taoping Village of Qiang Minority

DAY
9

Dujiangyan - Qingcheng Shan – Chengdu

Dujiangyan Ancient Irrigation System. Walking and sightseeing at Daoist Mt. Qingchengshan

In the morning visit Dujiangyan Irrigation System that was built around 250 BC by Li Bin, a governor of Shu Prefecture in Qin State. The great project still works well today after more than two thousand year’s function, which not only puts an end of the water disaster to the local people but also makes Chengdu Plain “the land of abundance”. While visiting the water conservation work, you may find that the methods of harnessing the river that the ancient people used are so simple but useful. In 2000, Dujiangyan became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And we’ll also visit the Temple of Two Kings (Erwang Miao), Anlan Cable Bridge, Fish Mouth Water-Dividing Dam (Yuzui). Take the panorama view of Dujiangyan Irrigation System from the Qinyan Pavilion. Afterwards drive to visit Mt. Qingcheng. In Taoism mythology, it was the site of the Yellow Emperor's studies with Ning Fengzhi. As a centre of the Daoist religion it became host to many temples. Hike up to visit the Shangqing Gong Temple and proceed to visit Laojunge Tower. Then take the cable bus down to the mountain foot. Afterwards drive back to Chengdu.

98 km
2 hours 11 minutes
Overnight at 4*Xinliang Hotel

Breakfast

Dujiangyan Ancient Irrigation System

DAY
10

Flight Chengdu – Lhasa

Welcome to Lhasa - the roof of the world. Visit nunnery Ani Sangkhung

Early morning transfer to the airport and fly (CA4445 0825/1050) to the holy city Lhasa, the capital of Tibet (3,650 m). Upon arrival at Gonggar Airport, pick up and transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, visit the nunnery Ani Sangkhung. "Ani" means nun, and "Sangkhung" is a meditation cave. The nunnery Ani Sangkhung was founded in the 15th century by a disciple of Tsongkapa. It is located in the old city center near Jokhang. Today about 100 nuns live here. The monastery set up prayer hall, dorm, kitchen, etc. The nuns plant many plants, so the monastery looks like a garden.

Overnight at the 3*Yak Hotel

Breakfast

Barkhor Street

DAY
11

Lhasa

Potala Palace – landmark of Lhasa, Jokhang and Barkhor Street

In the morning visit Potala that was originally constructed in 637 by Songtsen Gampo, the first king of the united Tibet, and later expanded and served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas as well as the religious-political nexus of traditional Tibet. The crowds of pilgrims, innumerable magnificent murals, Buddhist statues, scriptures and rare treasures altogether create a dense religious and art atmosphere that impresses every visitor. In the afternoon visit Jokhang Monastery, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred land of Buddhist followers where thousands of pilgrims come for worship everyday. The temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Walk on the Barkhor street surrounding Jokhang, a big free market with its prolific stalls for selling local specialties.

Overnight at 3*Yak Hotel

Breakfast

Potala Palace

DAY
12

Lhasa

Panoramic view over Potala, Norbulingka, Debate in Sera

In the morning visit Parla Lupu Cave Monastery that is located on the slopes of Yaowang Mountain and was built in the 7th century. It is 22m high and from here you can have a wonderful panoramic view over Potala palace. Afterwards visit Norbulinka, the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas. In the afternoon visit Sera Monastery, which was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. It is also one of the six master monasteries of the Gelugpa. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called “the court of wild rose”. Today still 200 lamas live in there. You have the opportunity to experience the famous monks' "Buddhism scriptures debates". Public religious debates are part of the education of monks.

Overnight at 3*Yak Hotel

Breakfast

Debate in Sera Monastery

DAY
13

Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse

Karo La Pass and Glacier, holy lake Yamdrok, Palkhor with Pagoda Kumbum

Look forward to a breathtaking mountain world! Today you will drive over several passes to Gyantse (260 km). At the highest point of the trip (Karo La Pass at 5,010 m) is the glacier of Noejin Kangsa (7,223 m) during the drive. On the way to the third largest holy lake of Tibet – Yamdrok, you can take some fantastic photos. Upon arrival in Gyantse you will visit Palkhor Monastery and the impressive pagoda of Kumbum. Then drive to Shigatse, the second largest city of Tibet.

356 km
6 hours 41 minutes
Overnight at 4*Mulunlazong Hotel

Breakfast

Gyantse

DAY
14

Shigatse – Lhasa

Tashilunpo Monastery in Shigatse, traditional manufactory for Tibetan incense sticks

In Shigatse visit the Tashilunpo Monastery. Tashilunpo is one of the six master monasteries of the Gelugpa. Shigatse was the seat of Pantschen Lama. The monastery houses a giant statue of the Maitreya Buddha, the biggest gilded statue of Maitreya (Buddha of the future) in China. Then return to Lhasa. On the way visit a traditional manufactory for Tibetan incense sticks in the small village Tunba by the Yarlung Tsangpo River.

273 km
4 hours 58 minutes
Overnight at the 3*Yak Hotel

Breakfast

Tashilunpo Monastery

DAY
15

Leave Tibet

Travel to next destination

Transfer to airport or railway station, and then leave Tibet.

Breakfast

Barkhor Street

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