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| Itinerary -
11 Days (Eastbound) |
| Day 1: BEIJING |
| Guests are met upon
arrival in Beijing and are transferred to the
centrally located five-star Peninsula Palace Hotel,
or similar, for a two-night stay. This afternoon we
have the first opportunity to meet our fellow
travellers as we take a tour to the magnificent
Summer Palace, which has the largest Imperial garden
in the world. Having gained UNESCO world heritage
status in 1988, it is a wonderful start to our 11-day
journey. Our welcome banquet is hosted in a local
restaurant and we get our first proper taste of
authentic Chinese cuisine. |
| Day 2: BEIJING |
| Our second day to
experience the sights and sounds of this modern and
confident capital city. Today’s tour includes
the magnificently restored Forbidden City, home to
the Emperors and their numerous concubines. Our
afternoon sightseeing program is devoted to one of
the most awe-inspiring sights in the whole of China,
the Great Wall. We travel out to a section at
Badaling and have the opportunity to walk along some
of the restored walkways. This evening we visit
Tiananmen Square, the largest open urban square in
the world and the site of several key events in
China’s history, most infamously the student
protests in 1989; and we enjoy dinner in a local
restaurant near the Square. |
| Day
3: BEIJING |
| This morning we will visit
the Temple of Heaven, the grandest of the four great
temples situated in Beijing before having free time
to explore more of this fascinating city and maybe
spend some time bartering for souvenirs in the local
markets. We meet up again in the late afternoon to
board the Shangri-La Express, China’s most
prestigious train and our home for the next 4 nights.
There is time to settle into our comfortable cabins
with modern facilities and enjoy a drink in the bar
car with new friends before having dinner on board. |
| Day 4: LUOYANG |
Arriving into Luoyang in the morning we have a full
day to discover this former ancient capital situated
in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Valley. We
visit the local museum, which contains many relics
from Luoyang’s days of glory, including
artefacts recovered from tombs, such as sculpted
horses and camels. We then travel out to the Longmen
Caves, one of China’s most important artistic
sites and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This
enchanting network of 1,350 caves contains over
110,000 statues.
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| Day
5: XIAN |
| Morning arrival in the
ancient city of Xian. The morning is dedicated to
visiting the world famous Terracotta Warriors,
discovered by peasants barely 30 years ago. The 6,000
Terracotta figures, arranged in row after row of
warriors and horses, are one of the greatest
archaeological finds of the 20th century. After lunch
we take in some of the highlights of the city
including the Great Mosque, the 14 km city walls,
Drum and Bell Towers, and Big Wild Goose Pagoda. If
there is time we can take a stroll through winding
lanes of the historic Muslim quarter and spend some
time bartering for souvenirs. This evening we attend
the excellent Tang Dynasty dinner show before a late
evening departure. |
| Day
6: ON BOARD |
| The day is spent relaxing
on board our comfortable train as we head through the
Gobi desert. As well as watching the magnificent
scenery there is time to socialise in the bar car and
maybe take in a one of the talks that is on offer to
increase our knowledge of this fascinating country. |
| Day
7: GOLMUD, CLIMB TO THE ‘ROOF OF THE
WORLD’ |
| After an early arrival in
Golmud, starting point for the new 1,142 km
‘Roof of the World’ line to Lhasa, we say
goodbye to the Shangri-La Express. From here we
change to the new high-altitude train and embark on a
12-hour daylight journey into the Tibetan Capital of
Lhasa cresting the 16,640 foot (5,072m) Tangula Pass
6 hours after leaving Golmud. This is the
world’s highest scenic railway pass –
over 3 miles (5 km) above sea level and is certainly
a once in a lifetime experience. Due to the high
altitude, extra oxygen is pumped in through the
ventilation system, and personal oxygen masks are
available if required to make the journey as
comfortable as possible. On arrival into Lhasa we are
transferred to the Brahmaputra Hotel for a four-night
stay. |
| Day
8: LHASA |
| Lhasa is located in a
small basin surrounded by mountains, and it literally
means "place of the gods". At an altitude
of around 11,975ft (3,650m) it is one of the highest
cities in the world; it is also the traditional seat
of the Dalai Lama and the holiest centre of Tibet
with over a thousand years of cultural and spiritual
history. Today we have free time to either explore
the city or we can spend time in the hotel whilst we
acclimatize. |
| Day
9: LHASA |
| On our second full day
here, we visit the 13th century Jokhangm Temple,
Tibet’s holiest shrine and the spiritual home
for almost all Tibetans. Next we explore the adjacent
Barkhor market, the oldest market in the capital and
a well-trodden route for the many pilgrims who make
their way to the temple. A local lunch is accompanied
by traditional folk music. This afternoon we visit
the 17th century Potala Palace, former seat of the
Tibetan Government and the Dalai Lama’s winter
residence before he fled to India in 1959. It
contains thousands of rooms, dominates the city
skyline. Perched upon Marpo Ri hill, 130 meters above
the Lhasa valley, the Potala Palace rises a further
170 meters, is the greatest monumental structure in
Tibet and one of the architectural wonders of the
world. |
| Day
10: LHASA |
| Morning visit to Norbu
Lingka, the Dalai Lama’s Summer Palace, it was
built in the 1740’s as a retreat from which to
escape the heat of the summer. Meaning either
“jewel garden” or “precious
garden” it is still a tranquil haven from the
noise of the city and a wonderful place to explore.
This afternoon we have free time to wander through
Lhasa and soak up the atmosphere of this picturesque
city. We have our farewell dinner tonight and say our
goodbyes. |
| Day
11: LHASA |
| Flight departures Early
morning transfer to Lhasa airport for flight
departures. |
|
| Lhasa
– Xian – Beijing - 11 Days (Westbound) |
| Day 1 |
Lhasa (arrivals) |
Day 7 |
Xian |
| Day
2 |
Lhasa |
Day 8 |
Luoyang |
| Day
3 |
Lhasa |
Day 9 |
Beijing |
| Day
4 |
Lhasa |
Day 10 |
Beijing |
| Day
5 |
Golmud |
Day 11 |
Beijing (departures) |
| Day
6 |
Xining |
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2009 Tour Prices (11 DAYS) |
|
£ |
US$ |
€ |
Single |
4,895 |
9,795 |
6,595 |
Twin |
3,495 |
6,995 |
4,795 |
Deposit |
750 |
1,500 |
1,000 |
2009 |
Eastbound
|
May 28
- Jun 07 |
Sep 10 - Sep 20 * |
Upgrade: Upgrade to two cabins
rather than one to give you double the
space
for an additional £2,000/$4,000/€3,000
|
*Spanish speaking interpreter
on this tour. Please advise us if you require this
service |
Visa Information: Currently
British citizens will require a single entry visa
for China. Citizens of other nationalities should
contact their local consulate
for specific
visa information. Please note that all visa
requirements are subject
to change.
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