Round Trip - China with Tibet

Arrival and reception by your tour guide. You will then travel to the world-famous panda breeding station. Experience and observe over 100 panda bears in the wild. This is followed by a short city tour in Chengdu with a visit to the historic city center, where you will find fine restaurants, typical teahouses and galleries, and then transfer to the hotel.

In the morning, transfer to the airport and flight to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, whose fascination no one can escape. In Tibet, even the mountains breathe deep religiousness and nowhere is one closer to God. On arrival, transfer to the hotel.

Today is dedicated to the Potala Palace in Lhasa. It was once the extremely splendid residence and seat of government of the Dalai Lama - today it is a highly interesting museum of Tibetan high culture. This jewel of Tibetan architecture has around 1,000 rooms and the buildings are up to 13 storeys high, divided into palaces, fortified buildings and gardens. The Sera Monastery University, a few kilometers outside Lhasa, was founded in the 15th century and, with its three faculties, is one of the most important in China alongside Drepung Monastery.

Today you will travel 175 km from Lhasa to Gyantse. At the crossroads of two ancient caravan routes, it was once an important trading town. Here you will visit the monastery town of Palkhor, which is surrounded by a large red wall. The 32.5 m high Kumbum chorten is considered a masterpiece of Tibetan architecture and art. Continue by coach to Shigatse, the residence of the Panchen Lama. The residence has extraordinary and spacious gardens and is located in various parts of the city. They served as his residence during his visits to the region until his death.

Today you will visit the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, one of the most important sights in Tibet. The 150,000 m2 complex, "Mountain of Eternal Blessing", was considerably expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries and has a huge, 26 m high Buddha statue made entirely of bronze. The magnificent murals in the tomb chapel of the 1st Dalai Lama are also well worth seeing. Today, the monastery town once again has around 600 monks and is the destination of many pilgrims who fill up the countless butter lamps and make small offerings. You then continue to Tingri. The route takes you over two high mountain passes, the Tsola Pass (4,600 m) and the Gyatsola Pass (5,248 m). If visibility is good, the first view of the mighty Mount Everest awaits you on the way.

Drive along the road to Mount Everest base camp. If the sky is clear, you will have a magnificent view of Mount Everest shining in the morning sun. At the foot of Mount Everest, you will visit the unique, highest monastery in the world, where nuns and monks live together. You then drive back to Shigatse.

Train journey on the new high-speed train from Shigatse to Lhasa. On arrival, visit to the Jokhang Temple and the Gendun Qunpei Museum in Lhasa. The Jokhang Temple is the most important shrine in Tibetan Buddhism and the destination of many pilgrims in the region. The Gendun Qunpei Museum below the Potala Palace exhibits Buddhas, masks, rare sutras on Tibetan cultural history and objects of Tibetan arts and crafts from many centuries.

Transfer to the train station in the morning. This day's stage, which takes you via Golmud to Xining, is one of the most spectacular and highest railroad lines in the world. On this route, you will pass through several tunnels and cross countless bridges, some at an altitude of over 5,000 meters. The views of a fantastic landscape with scree deserts or snow-capped mountains on the high plateaus are impressive.

In the early morning, you arrive in Xining, the provincial capital of Qinghai at an altitude of 2,260 meters. You will then go on an excursion to the nearby Kumbum Monastery, one of the six great Gelupka monasteries. Transfer to the airport and flight to Beijing. On arrival in Beijing, transfer to the booked hotel.

During your short stay in Beijing, you will visit the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Palace, also known as the "Forbidden City", is the largest and most important building in China. The 720,000 m2 complex is surrounded by a 10 m high purple wall, which denied ordinary mortals access. In the palace itself, the imperial yellow predominates in the glazed bricks of the main buildings. The large southern part was mainly dedicated to representative and ceremonial occasions, while the smaller northern part was the private living quarters of the emperors, their concubines and the eunuchs. Afterwards, drive to the Great Wall including lunch. The Great Wall stretches over 6,700 km and is said to be visible from space. "There is no true hero who has not climbed the Great Wall"; this popular saying testifies to the great respect the Chinese have for this structure.

Transfer to the airport. Return flight to Germany and arrival in Frankfurt on the same day.