Steve & Ann
China Custom Tours 2005
15 Day Beijing , Xi'an , Lhasa & the
Great Wall Hiking Adventure
Day by Day Itinerary:
March 28/Monday Arrive Beijing
Arrive Beijing at 3:40pm via AC29, upon arrival in Beijing, you are met by our friendly tour guide and transferred to Qianmen Jianguo Hotel (or similar).
March 29/Tuesday Beijing (B)
Full day at leisure to rest and adjust time difference
March 30/Wednesday Beijing to Xi'an (B)
Fly to Xi'an, the ancient capital city in China, upon arrival, transfer to Bell Tower Hotel (or similar).
March 31/Thursday Xi'an (B, L)
Join full day seat-in coach tour to the Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors, Banpo Neolithic Museum, Huaqing Imperial Hot Spring and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda with lunch.
April 1/Friday Xi'an to Lhasa (B)
Take a morning flight to the Holy City of Lhasa (if there is no direct flight, connect flight in Chengdu), upon arrival at Lhasa Gong Gar Airport, You will be greeted by your Tibetan tour guide and drive two hours to Lhasa City. Check into Lhasa Hotel (Former Holiday Inn, 4 star, the best available). Remainder of the day is at leisure to rest and adjust the high altitude.
April 2/Saturday Lhasa (B, L, D)
Today excursion features the renovated Potala Palace, which rises majestically from the face of sacred Putuo Hill, the Norbulingka Palace, which was the
Summer Palace of Tibetan Kings, and the Sera Monastery.
April 3/Sunday Lhasa (B, L, D)
Today sightseeing begins with the 7 th century Jokhang Monastery, one of the holiest shrines in Tibet, then continue on the cliff top Drepung Monastery. In the afternoon, visit a Tibetan clinic and famous Eight-Corner Street to get a glimpse of daily Tibetan life.
April 4/Monday Lhasa to Beijing (B)
Fly to Beijing, (connect flight in Chengdu if there is no direct flight), transfer to Qianmen Jianguo Hotel, get ready for your Great Wall Hiking adventure.
April 5/Tuesday Beijing to Huangyaguan (B, L, D)
Drive to Huangyaguan and check into Huanyaguan Great Wall Hotel at the foot of the Wall. Hike along the wall from Taipingzhai to the base area. The
Great Wall at Huangya Pass acquired its name from the yellow cliffs into which it was built. Built across the Ju River in Jixian County, the pass and its round guardhouse, Phoenix Tower , have an imposing look. The most unique feature here is the Street of the Eight Diagrams, an architectural wonder of the Ming Dynasty lying just below the pass. A labyrinth meant to confuse and entrap invading armies, this fortification's design is based on the ancient trigrams of the Book of Changes. Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon free or hike along the west wing of the Wall. Optional visit to the Great Wall Museum. Dinner at the hotel.
April 6/Wednesday Huangyaguan/Simatai/Jinshanling (B, L, D)
Check out of your hotel after breakfast, then drive to the Great Wall at Simatai. Here the wall travels along the ridges of high mountains and, at certain points, along cliffs formed by huge rocks, where builders were able to create an impregnable wall by merely piling up a few layers of bricks. Hike from Simatai to Jinshanling with lunchbox enroute (approximately 4 hours), and then check into the Jinshanling Hotel. The Jinshanling section is virtually a museum of the architectural styles of Ming-era towers. As many as 67 are found within a distance of
only 10 kms. The towers are built in a surprising variety of shapes, the largest of which is the impressive "Storehouse Tower", so named because of the storehouse on its southern terrace. This tower was used as a garrison headquarters and is protected by special defensive barriers and an extra wall 60 meters downhill.
April 7/Thursday Jinshanling/Mutianyu/Huanghuacheng (B, L, D)
Check out of your hotel after breakfast, then drive to the Great Wall at Mutianyu and embark on another full-day hike (approximately 5 hours), lunchbox provided. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is known for its beautiful surroundings - dense woods and rich pastures changing colors with the seasons of the year. It winds its way over 1000 meters to the crest of a mountain before turning sharply and dipping downhill, forming a triangle known as the "Ox-Horn Wall". Two unique features of this section are the double battlements and branch walls found throughout the area. Overnight Huanghuacheng
April 8/Friday Huanghuacheng/Juyongguan (B, L, D)
Full day walk along the Great Wall at Huanghuacheng (Yellow Flower Fortress). Here the Wall clings to a high hillside adjacent to a reservoir. Lunch box provided. Dinner at Dayi Friendship Restaurant. Overnight Zhongshang Hotel.
April 9/Saturday Juyongguan/Beijing (B, L, D)
Full day walk along the Juyongguan Great Wall. Juyong Pass is site of an ancient citadel (or pass town in Chinese). The town is replete with military installations, watch towers, official residences, temples, a confucian school and other structures. The Juyong Pass has been known for its strategic importance for more than 2,000 years. Lunch box provided or lunch at Dayi Friendship Restaurant. Drive back to Beijing in the afternoon and check into Qianmen Jianguo Hotel (or similar).
April 10/Sunday Beijing (B, L, D)
Have a day free to explore on your own, or arrange an optional sightseeing tour to some of Beijing's cultural attractions. Gala Peking Duck Dinner at famous Quanjude Restaurant.
April 11/Monday Beijing to Tianjin Xingang Pier (B)
Private drive from Beijing to Tianjin Xingang Pier and board your cruise ship.
B= Breakfast L= Lunch D= Dinner
Tour cost includes:
-- All intra- China air/land transportation
-- China airport taxes
-- 14 night hotel accommodation with daily breakfast
-- Round trip transfers between airport/hotel/pier with baggage handling
-- Escorted sightseeing tours, English speaking guide service
- Meals and evening entertainment as specified
Not including:
-- International airline tickets
-- Chinese visa fee and Tibet permit
-- Tips
-- Travel insurance
-- Personal expenses
The best times for hiking along the Great Wall are April, May, early June, September, October, and early November. Not recommended during the bitter cold of winter or the sweltering heat of summer. Your hiking tour along the Great Wall includes English-speaking guide(s), transfers to and from the airport, hotel accommodations as listed, transportation for yourself and one piece of luggage between sections of the Great Wall, meals as listed, 2 bottles of drinking water during the hikes, admission fees and Beijing Duck dinner.
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