Mighty China with a Lhasa topping 

On arrival in Beijing, one of our representatives will be waiting for you at the airport in Beijing. He/ she will then take you to your hotel in the centre of town.

Your accommodation is characteristic to the area; you'll stay in a traditional courtyard hotel surrounded by fruit trees, magnolias and flowers. The small scale and architecture of these hotels is truly charming.

There are several large streets with bakeries and stores near your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish.

This morning you'll be picked up at your hotel at 8:30 for a Beijing city tour with an English-speaking guide. Your first stop is Tian'anmen Square: the gateway to heavenly peace. After a short stop you and your guide will continue on to the largest and most important temples in Beijing: the Temple of Heavenly Peace and Lama Temple. Surrounded by the scent of incense and sandalwood you'll walk amongst red pagodas and monks. At around 12:30 your driver will drop you off at Tian'anmen Square.

You'll say goodbye to your driver, however your guide will stay with you for the rest of the day. S/he'll help you order lunch and together you'll visit the Forbidden City at your own pace in the afternoon. Together you'll walk through the former emperor's 18th century residence. The complex is open until 16:00; the entrance fee is approximately £6. Once you've seen all you want to see, you can take a taxi cab back to your hotel (approximately £1.50).

Naturally, no trip to China is complete without a visit to the Great Wall of China. So, you'll visit this famous wonder during your travels from Beijing to Lhasa. A hike across the wall from Jinshanling is the most enjoyable way to get a sense of the sheer size of the Great Wall of China. The 10km hike is pretty tough; you'll climb and descend restored and original parts of the wall for about 4 hours. Another alternative would be an excursion to the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu.

Recently the Simatai section of the Great Wall has been closed for renovation and is unavailable for clients to hike. The hike that we offer will still depart from Jinshanling and continue onto the point of closure at Simatai and then continue back to Jinshanling. Even with the closure of the Simatai section we still feel that the Jinshanling segment is the best place to experience the stunning landscapes in the mountainous area of the Luanping County.

This morning you'll have a free day in Beijing to do as you please! The emperor’s summer palace is 40 minutes away from the centre of Beijing. It's a large holiday home of sorts where the emperor and his family came to relax and unwind. The palace and the temple houses are located on the banks of a large lake on which dragon boats were once sailed. There are islands on the lake with stone bridges connecting them to the mainland.

At the end of the afternoon, around 17.00, you'll be picked up from your hotel and taken to the train station. We'll reserve beds (hard sleeper) for you for the night train to Xi'an. Once on board you'll hopefully fall asleep quite quickly to the rhythmic sound of the train.

On day 6 of your tour from Beijing to Lhasa, you'll be picked up at 9am for a visit to one of China's most popular attractions. The Terracotta Army excavation site is located in a park about 40 minutes from the city of Xi'an. The site was discovered in 1974 by farmers. They found approximately 7000 clay soldiers, clay horses and clay chariots, which were commissioned by the then 14 year old king Zheng for his future royal tomb.

The best way to view the site is to start in hall 3, then to continue on to hall 2 and finally 1. This way you'll save the largest and most impressive part of the site for last. Also try to visit the museum and the souvenir stands offering miniature clay soldiers, horses, weapons and other knick knacks. You'll be back in Xi'an around 1pm. 

You'll start off the day with a bike ride along the Yulong River. The scenery here is every bit as beautiful as it is at the Li River and it features a dramatic array of karst mountains. During your bike ride you'll leave the main roads and peddle across riverside paths, through farmland and rice paddies with the karst mountains as constant companions during your ride - this is sure to be one of the most scenic moments of your holiday from Beijing to Lhasa. You'll be able to stop for drinks or snacks in the small villages that you'll pass during your ride. After biking for a while, the bamboo raft will be waiting to take you back downstream. 

After a few kilometres you'll get back on your bike and peddle towards Moon Hill. You can choose to climb the hill if you wish. In warm temperatures it's a sweaty climb, however the view from the top will make up for any inconvenience of getting there. Back at your hotel you can reward yourself with a beer or glass of wine on the terrace. A blissful way to end the day!

Today you’ll have the entire day to spend as you please. There's plenty to do in this area; you can rent a kayak from the hotel, spend another day on a bike to explore the area on your own, or you can even take an hour-long Kung Fu lesson.

There's quite a show to see on and along the Li and Yulong Rivers in the evenings. The name Zhang Yimao may not ring a bell, however he is the most well known movie director in China and was responsible for directing the opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He’s created a show here in the outdoors with a backdrop of mountains that attracts about 1000 visitors each and every night. The show can be viewed daily from 8pm - 9pm. Tickets are on sale on location from about £15. After the show you can go souvenir shopping or have a bite to eat in one of Yangshuo's small busy streets.

At around 9am, we'll take you north through Guilin and on to the next destination on your tour from Beijing to Lhasa; the Longji rice terraces. The road you'll travel to get there is simply breathtaking and would be, in itself, a memorable part of any China trip.

The village Ping'an is only accessible on foot. Someone will be waiting to guide you from the parking lot along the 20-minute path to the village. If you don't feel like carrying your bags to the hotel, you can hire someone to carry your bags for about 30 Yuan. You'll reach the village of Ping'an around lunchtime where you'll stay in a modest, well maintained guest house. Like most homes in this area, the guest house is completely made of wood and therefore your room is not soundproof. The guest house's front veranda offers a spectacular views of rice fields and mountains. In the afternoon you can walk to the two view points above the village. 

Today you'll travel by land on your journey from Beijing to Lhasa towards a beautiful part of China. You'll travel by bus for 4 hours until you reach the fairytale town of Lijiang. The first part of the ride will take you past Erhai Lake, but actually the entire ride is stunning. You'll be dropped off in the historic part of town. This area, known as 'old town' or 'Dayan', is listed on the Unesco World Heritage List.

Your accommodation is located in the heart of 'old town' and is surrounded by bars, stores and restaurants. The entire town is a pedestrian area, so you won't have to deal with any traffic.

At night, red paper lanterns light up the quaint town of Lijiang. As you stroll along narrow canals, across stone bridges and along cobble stone streets, you can't help but take in the atmosphere of your China trip to Lijiang. It probably won't be long before the sound of singing draws your attention.

Men and women of the Naxi minority serenade each other with limericks- at times across canals. They sing, scream, drink, laugh, dance and, more often than not, the Chinese and western tourists also join in, making the atmosphere even more festive.

Next, on this trip from Beijing to Lhasa, you'll go on a bike ride through the area surrounding Lijiang. Accompanied by a guide, you'll ride out of Lijiang along a flat road with mountains to the right and left of you.

You'll visit the traditional Naxi village Baisha, where you'll park your bike and visit the legendary herbal practitioner, Dr. Ho, who's over 80 years old! When you enter his home he greets you with warmth, friendliness and cup of herbal tea. He may even show you some newspaper clippings with articles written about him in foreign papers. Around noon you'll return to Lijiang, where you'll say goodbye to your guide and your bike.

After lunch you can visit Black Dragon Pool Park (entrance fee around 40 Yuan). This park is home to one of the most often photographed places in China, the lake featured in the picture to the left, which beautifully reflects the temple and surrounding mountain peaks when the sun shines.

On day 20 of your holiday from Beijing to Lhasa you’ll be picked up by a car, driver and an English speaking guide; both will stay with you all day. For a while now, reservations are required to visit the Potala Palace, it isn’t possible to just walk in. Our agent will have your personal entry vouchers with the time of your scheduled visit. Today's programme depends on the time of this visit.

We will try to arrange a morning visit to the palace. When entering, you'll have to pay a US$10 entry fee. The Potala dates back to 1600 and is located on a hill above the city. It was once the home of the spiritual leader of the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama. Since his exile in India, the enormous complex is open to tourists. The view from the front of the palace will leave a lasting impression in your memories, along with all the other fascinating sights you've seen on your journey from Beijing to Lhasa. You'll only have 1 hour (a restriction imposed by the Chinese) to get an idea of the size of the palace and to visit a number of rooms, temples and chapels.

In the afternoon you’ll visit the Drepung and/or Sera Monastery. These monasteries are schools for apprentice Tibetan monks and are located just outside Lhasa. The Sera Monastery has a tradition of afternoon debating sessions where monks taking philosophy lessons practice their debating skills. The apprentice monks start their debate in the garden at around 3pm. If your visit to the Potala Palace is planned for the afternoon you could visit Drepung and possibly Sera and the debating garden (without the monks) in the morning. At the end of the day you’ll be dropped off at your hotel in Lhasa and you’ll say your goodbyes to your driver and guide.

Today you'll have an activity-free day. If you like, you can visit whichever monastery you weren't able to see yesterday (Drepung or Sera). Another option would be to visit the prominent Ganden Monastery; this sanctuary located 35km away from Lhasa can be found at a stunning location on top of a cliff. It is home for the Tibetan Buddhist Gelukpa sect, where the monks wear yellow or black caps. During the Ganden ‘Kora’, or circuit, you’ll see the Kyichu Valley and the snow topped Mountains in the distance. If you would like to arrange your visit to Ganden prior to your arrival in Lhasa, just ask your travel specialist.

You could also go for one last walk over the Barkhor at the end of the day and let the magic soak in for one last time. Take a deep breath and inhale the unique scents of the area and take your last pictures of this beautiful place.

You couldn't miss a visit to the Panda Research Centre on your travels from Beijing to Lhasa! This green bamboo park is home to giant pandas and they are monitored carefully here. 

You'll be picked up early in the morning so that you can arrive at the panda research centre when the animals are fed. Although it's a zoo, it is very responsible and well maintained. It's endearing to watch the pandas eating, playing and sleeping and if you visit the instructional panda museum you'll understand more clearly why the panda is an endangered species. 

You'll be back at your hotel around 11:30. The afternoon is then yours to spend as you wish.