16-day Xinjiang Gansu Yunnan Sichuan Tibet Tour

Day 1Beijing/Urumqi

Welcome to Xinjiang! Upon arrival in Urumqi, your local guide will meet and escort you to check in the hotel for a short rest. Then proceed to visit the Xinjiang Museum and Xinjiang International Bazaar.

Xinjiang Museum is the main institution to collect and investigate the unearthed cultural relics and specimens in Xinjiang. There are more than 50 thousand pieces of various kinds of cultural relics stored in the museum, among them, the ancient mummies represented by ‘the Loulan Beauty', manuscripts in Chinese, Kharosthi, Qiuci, Yanji, Tibetan, Uigurian and other characters prevailed in ancient Western Regions, the silk ,wool, cotton and hemp fabrics and folk retainment, etc., are unusual tidbits in the world.

Erdaoqiao Market & International Bazaar is the largest in Urumqi. You'll find a bustling market filled with fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and almost anything that you can imagine. On Sunday, there are more stalls and more goods to buy than any other day. The old streets around the bazaar are really worth seeing.Here is the most welcomed place by tourist especially by ladies where they can buy some traditional Uygur make up cosmetic.

Day 2Urumqi/Heaven Lake/Turpan

A delightful day start with a morning visit to the beautiful ‘Heavenly Lake’ which is located about halfway up the 5,000 metres high Bogda Mountain. The drive to this green pine-covered mountain past many Kazakh yurt encampments is as interesting as the lake itself. and an evening transfer to Turpan.

Day 3Turpan/Dunhuang

A morning visit to Jiaohe ruins, Karez Irrigation System,Sugong Minaret, Tuyoq Valley and the Flaming Mountain and have the lunch in the local family with vineyard. After dinner transfer to the station and take the overnight train with soft sleeper to Dunhuang.

Jiaohe Ruins is located on a mesa in willow leaf shape between the Yarnaz River valleys 10 kilometers to the west of Turpan City. running from northwest to southeast, 1760 meters long and 300 meters across at the widest part. The city includes city gates, streets and lanes, government office, temples, domestic houses, cave houses, wells, and an underground temple.

Karez Irrigation System,is a unique irrigation system in Turpan, which, taking advantage of the slopes, draws the underground water to flow by itself to irrigate farmland. It consists of four parts: vertical wells, underground channels, ground canals and small reservoirs Sugong Minaret was built in the 41st year of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty,It is an embodiment of the ancient architectural arts of the Uygur nationality. The tower is 37 meters high and 10 meters in diameter at the base. The body of the tower is cylindroid in shape, built with bricks arranged in various symmetrical patterns.

Tuyoq Valley,constructed in eastern and western cliffs in Tuyoq valley . more than 40 caves, there are 10 preserving murals. They are considered to be the earliest caves in Turpan, Murals are mostly damaged, but unique in style.

Day 4Dunhuang

Afer breakfast upon your arrival in Dunhuang via Liuyuan, you will start a full day Dunhuang tour to visit Mogao Caves, Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake. Mogao Grottoes : Constructed over a millennium, from the 4th to the 14th centuries, the caves hold the world's richest treasure house of Buddhist sutras, murals and sculptures.Cameras are not permitted.

Echoing-Sand Mountain: Crescent Moon Spring is 6km south of Dunhuang in the Singing Sands Mountains and is quite literally an oasis in the desert. The spring's name derives from the crescent moon shape taken by the small pool of spring water between two large sand dunes. Although the area is very dry, the pool doesn't dry up as one might expect.

Day 5Dunhuang/Jiayuguan/Lanzhou

Morning transfer by bus or bullet train to Jiayuguan and visit the Jiayuguan Pass, The Great Wall on the Cliff, Great Walls Museum And take a evening flight or bullet train to Lanzhou.

The Jiayuguan Pass : Jiayuguan Pass stands in the southwest part of Jiayuguan City, about 6 km away from downtown. The castle was begun in 1372 in the Ming Dynasty and located in the Jiayu Highland, hence its name Jiayuguan Pass. It is situated between the Wenshu and Heishan Mountains at the foot of Jiayuguan Hill of Qilian Mountain.

The Great Wall on the Cliff : The Suspended Wall is a part of the Great Wall. The wall here was built on the ridge with the gradient of 45 degrees. It is high in the air and it looks as if it fell down from the top of the hill. So people refer to this section of the Great Wall as the "Suspended Wall". The Suspended Wall, the extension of the walls at the Jiayuguan Pass towards the north, was an integral part of the ancient defense system at the Jiayuguan Pass.

Great Walls Museum:The Great Wall museum opened to visitor in October 1989 and it is the first one to exhibit the Great Wall culture in a comprehensive and systematic way.The Museum covers an area of 12,312 square meters with an exhibition area of about 1,766 square meters. Its main building takes a shape of a typical signal fire tower on the Great Wall.

Day 6Lanzhou/Xi'an

After breakfast, you will start a morning visit to the Gansu Provincial Museum, White Pagoda Hill. Then take a bullet train (3 hours) in the afternoon to Xi'an, the capital city of Shaaxi Province. Upon arrival, you local guide will meet you and escort you to take a biking or walk along the top of Xian's Ancient City Wall to get a bird’s eye view of this amazing ancient city.

Option: In the evening you will be taken to an amazing Jiaozi (Dumpling) Feast followed by the Tang Dynasty Show, which bring the pageantry and music of the ancient Tang Dynasty to life.

Day 7Xian/Lijiang

After breakfast at your hotel, your guide will meet you and you will be driven to visit the incredible Terracotta Warriors. After lunch you will be driven to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area, where you will stroll through the gardenlike area around the pagoda. Then take a night flight to Lijiang Old Town in Yunnan province.

Day 8Lijiang

After breakfast visit the Lijiang Ancient Town, Black Dragon Pool, Baisha Village, Mountain River Show.

Lijiang old Town is officially called "Dayan Town", "Dayan" literally means a "great ink stab", a graphic description of the town's location on a piece of rich flatland fed by a river and surrounded by green mountains. Dayan Town is the large Naxi settlement first built during the Southern Song Dynasty some eight centuries ago. Dayan Town is one of the few places in China with well-preserved old style folk buildings.

Black Dragon Pool Park:Somewhat idiosyncratically known as Black Dragon Pool, the Jade Spring Park to the north of Lijiang derives its name from the waters which sparkle like jade and are as clear as spring water. The entire park is green with grass and shaded by swaying willow trees. Under the Shuocui Bridge, a waterfall creates a constant roar as it cascades downstream. At the far side of the pool, there are renovated buildings used for art exhibitions, the Moon-Embracing Pavilion with its own white marble bridge across the water, and the Five-Phoenix Temple built during the Ming Dynasty.

Day 9Lijiang

After breakfast head to visit Stone Drum Town, First Bend of Yangtze, Tiger Leaping Gorge,and then drive back to Lijiang.

First Bend of Yangtze River :The attraction is the Jinshajiang section of the Yangtze, with an elevation of over 1800 meters. The sight is one of the top attractions of Lijiang and the important hub linking the Tiger Leaping Gorge, Laojunshan and Meli Snow Mountain.The great Yangtze flows down from the world's roof –Tibet Plateau and enter into the Yunnan province from Batang (one Tibet County), the river mixes two other great rivers, Lancang River (Lantsang) and Nu River (the Angry River) here, and then the Three Parallel Rivers landscape is formed.

Tiger Leaping Gorge:It is on the Jinsha River of the upper reaches of the Yangtze) is located 105 kilometers south of Zhongdian County. The gorge is 17 kilometers long with a drop of 213 meters.The Tiger Leaping Gorge is divided into three sections: Upper, Middle and Lower Hutiao. At the narrowest spot the river is only 30 meters wide. The mouth of the gorge is 1,800 meters above sea level. The river is flanked by Yulong and Haba snow mountains, with a height difference of 3,900 meters. It is one of the deepest gorges in the world.

Day 10Lijiang/Lhasa

Take a morning flight to Lhasa, your local tour guide and escort you to check in the hotel. After checking in, the rest of the day is for you to acclimate to the high altitude and weather of Lhasa. Avoid strenuous physical activities during this first day since that may cause high altitude sickness.

Guide Tips:
1) avoid vigorous activities but do take some leisurely walks in the city to acclimatize to the air and high altitude of Lhasa city (altitude of 3600m);
2) do not drink liquor in the arrival day, instead plenty of water and fruits are recommended.

Day 11Lhasa

Pay a morning visit the famous Potala palace and explore the grandest of this myriad chapels. As the symbol of Tibet, it was built in 641 AD and was the winter palace of Dalai Lama who is Tibet's pope. Impressive Tibetan architecture, huge golden Buddha statues, red-robed lamas and devoted pilgrims all make it a must-visit.

In the afternoon, you'll visit the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet. Every day, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek here from long distances to worship. Finally, walk the special circular pilgrimage route as local followers always do at Barkhor Street.

Tips: 1) wear suitable headgear and glasses to protect you from strong sunlight, but do not wear any hat while visiting inside the Tibetan monasteries; 2) photography is not allowed inside the chapels of monasteries; 3) have your passport with you all of the time.

Day 12Lhasa

After breakfast, we start today with a morning visit to the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas and also the largest Tibetan garden – Norbulingka Park. The luxuriant trees and flowers, cool ponds and comfortable palaces make Norbulingka the best place for a summer retreat. Then drive about 5km westward to Drepung Monastery, once the largest Monastery housing 10,000 monks in its heyday.

If we are very lucky, we may even come across Sera Monastery’s Monks debiting which was held in the courtyard at around 3;00-5:30 in the afternoon. Your tour ends at Sera Monastery.

Day 13Lhasa/Chengdu

After breakfast, you will take a morning flight to Chengdu. Upon arrival, you will be transfered to visit Chengdu Big Panda Breeding Center, to see lovely Panda. Then a walk around Kuanzai Alley in Chengdu city.

Day 14Chengdu/Leshan/Mt. Emei

After breakfast, will transfer you to visit Huanglongxi Ancient Town which has 1,700 years of history. Then take bus to Leshan, to see the world's largest stone Giant Buddha. Then visit the Lingyun Temple, the ancient Plank Cliff Path and the Stele Forest. After visiting will take bus to Emeishan, stay overnight at the foot of Mount Emei.

Day 15Emei Mountain/Chengdu

After breakfast you will take cable car up the Mt. Emei. Visit the Wannian Temple. Then walk through Qingyin Pavilion - the biggest natural ecology reserve area for monkeys. Then take the tourist bus down to the foot of the mountain. To visit the Fuhu Temple, one of famous nuns temple. After visiting will transfer you back to Chengdu for a rest.

Day 16Chengdu Departure

Today you will be free until your guide meet you and escort you to the airport for the flight to next destination.