This trip will definitely be an exciting one to the land of spirituality. You will witness the piety of monks on the clean streets and temples of Tibet, fly across Mt. Everest, engage in conversation with saints in Kathmandu and discuss the significance of their religious beliefs, and experience the charm of the holy Ganges in India. If you want to experience these meaningful spots over a short trip, then this itinerary is tailor-made for you.
Days
14
Price
from US$4,488 P/P
Best For
Adventurers
Best Time
Oct. to Mar.
Tour Highlights
Itinerary Details
The scenic spots included in this itinerary were arranged by the company's designers after careful evaluation. Of course, this is only an example. You can change the schedule according to your needs and preferences. This is a private tour, and the pace of the tour is determined by you.
You will begin your trip in Beijing, the capital city of China.
After your arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel, where you can take rest for the rest of the day.
Visa
Before entering Tibet, you need to apply for an entry permit. This is a very important document, and it may take you a month to get it. There is information available online about Tibetan visa and entry permit processing times. At the bottom of this page is the latest information released by the Tourism Bureau for reference.
Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is a city that is rich in culture, history, and scenic spots. Over the course of this day, you will visit the most important landmarks in Beijing. In addition, you can visit the Wine Museum to learn about wine making and its history.
The first stop of today's tour is the Mutianyu Great Wall. It has earned the epithet of being a "dangerous ridge and powerful pass". Many wars have been fought here. We have carefully selected this section of the Great Wall for you. The presence of fewer tourists will give you a better travel experience.
In the afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Heaven, a place where ancient emperors worshipped the heavens and prayed for abundant grain. The rich life of Beijing people can also be seen here.
Choose between a high-speed bullet train and a plane to reach Xi'an. We highly recommend that you to take the bullet train to experience the thrill of its speed.
After arriving in Xi'an, you will go to the Muslim district. Finally, you will cycle on the Ancient City Wall of Xi'an to experience the grandeur of the city wall at sunset.
A visit to the historic Terracotta Warriors is sure to leave you spellbound. Also called the Terracotta Army, it is a large collection of life-size terracotta sculptures of warriors, representing the imperial guard of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
Next, you will learn how to make a small terracotta warrior and watch how technicians make it.
Making Terracotta Warrior Models
In ancient times, there were no factories or workshops, so these life-like terracotta warriors were made by peasants and artisans using ceramic techniques. There are some locals who have learned these techniques and still continue to make these figures by hand. You will learn to make a miniature terracotta warrior with them. What's more, once you finish making it, you can take away your model terracotta warrior.
What Makes It Special
Exclusive experience: The place where you can learn how to make terracotta warriors is only open to China Highlights, making it an exclusive experience.
Re-live history: The craftsman takes you back in time as he teaches you the same manufacturing skills that were followed thousands of years ago. Recounting this history, perhaps you can share this special experience with your friends after your trip.
Finally, return to the city center and visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Today you will fly from Xi'an to Lhasa, an international tourist city with spectacular alpine scenery and an ethnic culture. It is also a holy place for Tibetan Buddhism. Lhasa has sunny weather throughout the year, with little rainfall, mild summers and winters, and a pleasant climate. After arriving, you may need some time to acclimatize to the high altitude.
On your first day in Lhasa, you will visit famous scenic spots such as Potala Palace, built by the Tibetan king to marry a princess, Tibet's most splendid extant Tubo-era building, and one of the oldest extant religious structures in Tibet — Jokhang Temple.
In the afternoon, we will be taken to a nunnery to experience the holistic lifestyle of nuns.
Today's Highlight: A Cup of Sweet Tea at Ani Tsamkhung Nunnery
This is a small nunnery, once the meditation center of the Tibetan king, and now the home of nuns. Among them are young nuns and nuns who have lived there for decades. They make a living by selling handmade works of art. You can also taste the milk tea and simple snacks prepared by them.
What Makes It Special
Away from the city: The nunnery is some distance away from the city. Here you can enjoy the quiet outdoors, watching the nuns go about their regular activities of chanting and inserting papers with prayers into prayer wheels.
Learn to make some simple crafts: The nuns will teach you some craft-making skills, and you can also help them with their daily chores, such as cleaning the courtyard, which will be a very meaningful experience.
In the morning, you will head to Nepal, where you will be transferred to your hotel to take some rest.
In the afternoon, you will get to talk to a native about the local customs and religious beliefs in Kathmandu.
Today's Highlight: Spiritual Talk
Pashupatinath Temple is the most worshipped temple in the area. Your tour guide will take you on a 20-minute bus ride to this holy place. More than a temple, Pashupatinath is a home for the sadhus (ascetics) there. In order to pursue their beliefs, the sadhus gave up their more comfortable lifestyles, and have instead embraced austerity. They have no fixed place to sleep, only some shabby clothes to wear, and simple food to eat. You can engage in a conversation with them to understand their way of life.
Next, sip a cup of strong tea in the restaurant and then go back to the city.
What Makes It Special
Try to understand noble thoughts: it is very rare to meet people who have renounced wordily pleasures and to strike a conversation with them, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Local means of transportation: Take a bus to travel on a rugged mountain road. Although it is bumpy, it can help you experience the life of the locals.
(Note: We will still need to use private transfer if you are traveling with more than five people.)
You will fly over Mt. Everest early this morning. All the scenic spots you will visit today are in Kathmandu, Kathmandu Durbar Square, and Swyambhunath Stupa.
Today's Highlight: Mt. Everest
At 5 a.m., you will be taken to the airport to board the plane, which will fly along the edge of the mountain. Sit back and feel the charm of the world's highest peak.
Notes
1. Whether you can fly or not depends on the weather condition on that day.
2. During the flight, you may feel slight discomfort due to the high altitude. There will be a doctor onboard to attend to the sick. Children under 3½ years of age are not allowed to fly.
What Makes It Special
After you get off the plane, you will be given a certificate — a proud achievement to show off to your friends back home. Share with them your experience of flying over the mountains.
Flying over Mt. Everest is by no means a small feat. If you have this item on your wish list, you better finish it quickly.
On Day 10, you will leave Kathmandu and get on the plane to New Delhi.
After arrival, relax in the hotel and save up your energy for tomorrow's trip.
Experience the hot Indian summer in New Delhi. You will visit museums and the Red Fort. The most interesting part of today's tour is that you can buy small souvenirs and learn about people's lifestyles in the local markets.
Take a flight to Varanasi in the afternoon.
In Varanasi, you will visit Sarnath. Millions of years ago, Sakyamuni taught Buddhism here for the first time.
You will fly over Mt. Everest early this morning. All the scenic spots you will visit today are in Kathmandu, Kathmandu Durbar Square, and Swyambhunath Stupa.
Today's Highlight: Mt. Everest
At 5 a.m., you will be taken to the airport to board the plane, which will fly along the edge of the mountain. Sit back and feel the charm of the world's highest peak.
Notes
1. Whether you can fly or not depends on the weather condition on that day.
2. During the flight, you may feel slight discomfort due to the high altitude. There will be a doctor onboard to attend to the sick. Children under 3½ years of age are not allowed to fly.
What Makes It Special
After you get off the plane, you will be given a certificate — a proud achievement to show off to your friends back home. Share with them your experience of flying over the mountains.
Flying over Mt. Everest is by no means a small feat. If you have this item on your wish list, you better finish it quickly.
You will get on the plane to New Delhi and enjoy a nice lunch there.
Later, you will take a flight back home at the airport. See you next time!
Price Includes
Price from: $4,488 (Tour code: gh-ah-17)
Trip Notes
Seasonal information
This tour is designed for all-time, and the best time possible is during late August to early December. During this time, you will not be wore out by the heat and take the advantages of pre-Christmas before a bigger crow flushes in.
It is still, however, possible to create a memorable trip if you plan to travel on other spans of time. Trust in our expertise to balance your interests and locality seamlessly, for example, there will be less outdoor activities during summertime and we will only use A/C private transfer instead of public transportation (which is detailed in this very tour).
India Visa
Citizens of Maldives can enter India without visa and Japan passport holders may apply for Visa on Arrival in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata or Mumbai.
Other nationalities are required to obtain common tourist visa or e-Tourist Visa (ETV) before their travel. An application for e-Visa must be made at least four calendar days in advance of the date of arrival and can be made as early as 120 days in advance. The visa is valid for 60 days after issued. Prices range from USD25 to 75 and some free.
E-Tourist Visa can be applied on your own and we are also happy to help.
Special dietary requirements
Daily breakfast at hotels and a lunch for days with sightseeing are included, so are some dinners as mentioned in the itinerary. For meals that are not included, your tour guides will suggest where and what to eat.
Most restaurants in China offer spicy or none-spicy food, please make your requests beforehand. In Tibet, most dishes are Sichuan-style, which is relatively spicy and oily. The restaurants that we choose for you in Beijing, Xi'an and Tibet are of local styles and we will make sure the flavor suitable to your palate (mostly none-spicy unless required otherwisely)
As for Nepal and India, you will see a lot of curry-based foor, chicken and mutton are more often-seen rather than pig and beef. The restaurants that we arrange for you in Nepal and India are international fusion, options of local cuisine as well as western plates.
Transportation
You will have a private car in each destination; our cars are within 5 years of usage and your private drivers will be polite and drive with strong regard for safety.
Internal flights that are detailed in this very tour are run by nation-own airline companies, such as Air China, Hainan Airlines and India Air. They are trustworthy and punctual.
For some sightseeing, we will suggest public transportation instead of private cars for the cause of environment protection. However, for groups of more than 6 people, private transfer is still a must.
Arrangements of the tour
Sightseeing, activities and accommodations that are mentioned in this tour you are looking at are just for your inspiration.
If you don't feel like getting into a wine museum in Beijing, change it; if talking to a Sadhu is not your interest, we can do something else; if you would rather stay in than getting to Sarnath in the afternoon, ok you got it; it is always up to you to make the trip just the right way you want. If you are looking for experiences that are not done by others, Discovery your way, Global Highlights' motto suites you the best.
Responsible travel
Travel avails you with special experiences. Somehow its impact on the local community can be more beyond imagination and what Global Highlights wishes to do is lead the impact onto a good path, a path that helps the local people (not only your tour guides) boarden their outlook and the local communities develop.
During your trip, you will visit a local nunnery to pay your respect and perhaps some alms; and you will use local transportation in some destinations; and chances to show your support to some local artists or Sadhus (Of course, no pressure!) Taking baby steps one at a time, we highly appreciate you would like to be part of it.
With that being said, detours to so-called factories or specialty workshops are strictly prohibited. We make sure your tour guides earn enough to support their families without squeezing commissions out of you.
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