Southwest China Ethnic Tour 2007

Beijing/Guilin/Dali/Lijiang/Zhongdian/Lhasa/Gyantse/Shygatse/Lhasa/Beijing (Hong Kong)

Day 01 (September 27, Thursday)
UK/Beijing
Arrive in Beijing by air. Met and transferred by hotel shuttle bus to the hotel/Sino Swiss Hotel★★★★

Day 02 (September 28, Friday)
Beijing/Guilin (B)
Transfer to the airport by hotel shuttle bus and fly to Guilin by CZ3282 (12:35-15:20). Met and transferred to the hotel/Bravo Hotel★★★★

Day 03 (September 29, Saturday)
Guilin (B)
Free own your own or visit Baishi Village and the source of the Xiang River.

Day 04 (September 30, Sunday)
Guilin (B)
Free on your own or visit Sanyue Ling near Chang Gang Ling. Mary and Bill arrive in Guilin by N8121 (17:30-18:45) and transfer to Guilin Bravo Hotel

Day 05 (October 01, Monday)
Guilin (B, L, D)
Trek on the Yulong River and have meal at farmer’s house. Enjoy an evening show, Impression of the Third Sister Liu at Yangshuo and transfer back to Guilin after the show.

Day 06 (October 02, Tuesday)
Guilin/Kunming/Dali (B, L, D)
Fly to Kunming by CZ3247 (15:50-16:50). Transferred directly to Dali on your arrival(4 hours)/MCA Hotel

Day 07 (October 03, Wednesday)
Dali (B, L, D)
Dali is a 600-year-old town featuring stone walls, grey-tilted roofs, doors and windows carved with dragon and phoenix patterns. It also features beautiful gardens, and the entire town is covered by a maze of streams fed by runoffs from Cangshan Mountain. Today you will visit Three Pagodas, one hour cruise on Erhai which is the most beautiful lake on this plateau. Drive back to Dali around the lake and visit the villages of the Bai Minority, such as Wase and Shuanglang, on the way.

Day 08 (October 04, Thursday)
Dali/Lijiang (B, L, D)
A 3-hour van ride to Lijiang and on the way visit Xizhou, a well preserved Bai minority village and Zhoucheng village located at the foot of Changshan Mountain. Today you will have time to go into local people’s houses to see the life of the local families/Ruihe Garden Hotel

Day 09 (October 05, Friday)
Lijiang (B, L, D)
Bordering Tibet, Lijiang is set in a beautiful valley. Walk through "Old Town"— a delightful maze of cobbled streets, colorful wooden buildings, gushing canals going through the whole town with ancient stone bridges, prosperous free markets with arts and crafts souvenirs; clothes and snacks dazzling along the streets. Visit the old town of Shuhe, a well preserved Naxi village away from the ordinary visitors, old town of Lijiang, Black Dragon Pool and the Dongba Museum.

Day 10 (October 06, Saturday)
Lijiang (B, L, D)
Today you will take the cable car to Yak Meadow of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where you will be greeted by a stunning view of the mountain and probably groups of Naxi women dancing and singing and visit Dr. Rock’s House, Yuhu Village of the Naxi minority, Yufeng Monastery and Baisha Fresco afterward. You will also have time to walk around the old town of Lijiang yourselves. Enjoy Naxi Music in the evening.

Day 11 (October 07, Sunday)
Lijiang/Zhongdian (B, L, D)
Take a van ride to Zhongdian (Shangri-la). you will visit Hutiao Gorge (Tiger Jumping Gorge), said to be the world’s deepest canyon with 3000 meters drop, Shigu which is the first bend of the Yangtze River and Stone Drum on the way/Jiantang Hotel

Day 12 (October 08, Monday)
Zongdian/Deqin (B, L, D)
On the way to Deqin you will see Napai Lake, Yangtze Gorge and visit a Naxi village and Dongzhulin Monastery/Mingzhu Hotel★★★

Day 13 (October 09, Tuesday)
Deqin/Zhongdian (B, L, D)
Catch the view on the summit of Kawagebo, 6740 meters high, and visit Feilai Monastery in the morning. Drive back to Zhongdian/Jiantang Hotel

Day 14 (October 10, Wednesday)
Zhongdian/Lhasa (B, L, D)
Be transferred to the airport and fly to Lhasa in the morning. Free on your own in the afternoon to be acclimated/Yaluzangbu Hotel★★★★

Day 15 (October 11, Thursday)
Lhasa (B, L, D)
This morning we will head to the center of Lhasa to explore the winter palace, the Potala, one of the architectural wonders of the world. Dating from the 17th century, it is 363 feet high, and its 1000 rooms cover 102 acres. In the afternoon we will visit the grand Sera Monastery .where we can watch the monk debating their scripture. In the late afternoon we will be guest in a local Tibetan people

Day 16 (October 12, Friday)
Lhasa / Gyantse / Shygatse
In the morning we will cross over the Ganbala Pass, where we will have a bird’s eye view of the Sacred Lake, Yamdrok Yamtso Lake. We will reach the old town of Gyantse at noon .Gyantse is one of the best well preserved Tibetan Town with long history. In the afternoon we will visit the Palgor Chorten (Baiju Monastery) and the pretty Palgor Pagoda, And we can walk around in the old town on your own/ Shygatse Hotel★★★

Day 17 (October 13, Saturday)
Shygatse /Lhasa (B, L, D)
In the morning we will visit Shigatse, the capital city of Back Tibet, where the Panchen Lama takes it as his base. Also you will visit Tashilunpo Monastery, which is also one of the biggest monasteries in Gelu School with pretty soul pagoda. Drive back to Lhasa in the late afternoon/Yaluzangbu Hotel★★★★

Day 18 (October 14, Sunday)
Lhasa (B)
Jane and Graham are free on their own. Mary and Bill fly to Chengdu by CA4422 (17:15-19:05) and transfer to Tianfu Sunshine Hotel★★★★


Day 19 (October 15, Monday)
Lhasa/Beijing (B)/Chengdu/Hong Kong(B)
Jane and Graham are transferred to the airport and fly to Beijing by CA4111 (16:05-21:35). Transfer to the hotel by hotel shuttle bus/Sino Swiss Hotel★★★★
Mary and Bill are transferred to the airport and fly to Hong Kong by KA825 (14:05-16:50).

Day 20 (October 16, Tuesday)
Beijing/UK (B)
Jane and Graham are transferred to the airport by hotel shuttle bus and fly back to UK. The tour ends.

Included:
1)    Hotels listed but a change to that of the same level might be possible according to the reality.
2)    All the meals listed (B: breakfast; L: lunch: D: dinner).
3)    Admissions for parks and items listed are included.
4)    Domestic flights.
5)    Ground transportation (private van).
6)    English speaking guides.
7)    Insurance for accidents with an indemnity of RMB300, 000 (US$36145). We also suggest you buy your own travel insurance in UK.
Not included:
1)    International flight tickets between England and China.
2)    Over weighed luggage charge (Each passenger can have 20 Kg for the checking bag).
3)    Tips for guides, drivers and bagboys are not included.
4)    Something not mentioned in the itinerary.