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At the Foot of the Himalayas Route: Lijiang - ZhongdianIf you decide not to visit Tibet due to its high altitude or due to lack of time, this module will at least give you a sense of being in Tibet. If you are travelling to Tibet as well, this is the perfect place to acclimatise and you can fly straight to Lhasa after your Zhongdian tour. This is where the Tibetan world begins. You’ll travel from Lijiang through the Himalayan foothills to the Tibetan village of Zhongdian. During your Zhongdian tour you'll visit a Tibetan monastery at an altitude of 3200m. If you prefer to see the grasslands and nomadic people instead of white mountain tops, visit Xiahe and experience the Monks on the grassy plains module. |
| Duration: | 3 days / 2 nights | Departure: | Daily |
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| Comfort level (1-4): | 2 (see our accommodation page for more details) | Accommodation: | 2 nights in a simple hotel in Zhongdian |
| Price: | £108 per person - based on 2 people sharing | Included: | Transfer from Lijiang, accommodation |
| Transport: | Local bus Lijiang - Zhongdian (one-way) | Excluded: | Meals, drinks and entrance fees |
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Day 1: Lijiang – Zhongdian In all likelihood, you'll add this tour after your Lijiang’s Chinese Lanterns trip, so we'll arrange a local bus to the start of your Zhongdian tour, a 200km journey. During the drive you’ll pass through mountain passes and valleys. You’ll travel by bus and experience what it’s like to travel by public transport through China. At times your sitting space may be limited; however you’ll be sitting in between locals and enjoying cheerful- albeit mostly unintelligible- music. |
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Day 2: Zhongdian The following day is free to explore the city. We would recommend visiting the 300-year old Tibetan Ganden Sumtseling Gompa Monastery (also known as the Tsongtam Monastery), located just ourside of Zhongdian. The monastery is home to more than 300 monks and is the most important Tibetan complex in south-western China. You can go inside of the monastery after paying a Yuan 85 entrance fee. |
Day 3: Departure from ZhongdianToday this Zhongdian tour will end and you’ll arrange your own transport to the Zhongdian airport. If you’d like to visit Tibet, there are two morning flights to Lhasa each day. You can also visit the karst mountains near Guilin (transfer in Kunming) with the Bamboo sailing through karst mountains module. If you like you can also travel back to Lijiang, perhaps to hike the Tiger Leaping Gorge, or travel to Dali by bus. |
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