Dongjiaominxiang Hotel
$3329. per person, double occupancy; 4 persons sharing train compartment; limited to 28 participants maximum. Add $661. for single supplement (no single train compartments available, only single hotel rooms).
Some changes are likely to occur since air schedules will change between now and tour departure.
July 11 (Saturday): ARRIVE BEIJING
Arrive in Beijing on your own. After completion of customs formalities, you will be met by a representative of the China International Travel Service (CITS) holding a sign reading "RING OF FIRE EXPEDTIONS". You will then be transferred to your accommodations provided at the Dongjiaominxiang Hotel. This is a four-star hotel located in the center of Beijing City. It is in the former embassy area. You may walk to Tiananmen Square and the Qianmen Commerical area in five minutes. Wangfujing Commerical Street is ten minutes walking distance. Dongjiaominxiang Hotel Beijing has 218 guestrooms and all rooms are equipped with air conditioning, satellite TV, cable TV, IDD, DDD and internet access. No meals included today. Overnight Beijing.
Dongjiaominxiang Hotel
July 12 (Sunday): BEIJING TO LHASA
Transfer from your hotel to the Beijing airport where you will board a flight to Lhasa (currently scheduled
for 9:15am arriving 3:05pm). Lunch served onboard. Following your arrival
there and after completion of landing formalities, you will be met by a representative of CITS and transferred for
overnight accommodations at the Lhasa Hotel. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight Lhasa (B,D).
July 13 (Monday): LHASA
Today you will become familiar with many of the fascinating sights in Lhasa. Your sightseeing will include a
visit to the Jokhang Temple--the religious and geographic center of the city--and Bharkhuo Street, a pilgrim
circuit which runs around the Jokhang and is lined with markets, shops and street vendors. The golden-roofed
Jokhang Temple is 1300 years old, built to commemorate the marriage of the Tang princess Wen Cheng to King
Songtsen Gampo and houses a pure gold statue of Buddha Sakyamuni. Also visit the Potala Palace, the former
residence of the Dalai Lama situated high above the city on Red Mountain. The palace is one of the architectural
wonders of the world, has thousands of rooms, shrines and statues. Each day a stream of pilgrims files through
while chanting, prostrating themselves and offering ceremonial scarves and yak butter. This afternoon you will
be able to experience shopping in Bharkhuo Street. Lunch and dinner at the hotel. Overnight Lhasa. (B,L,D).
Jokhang Temple
July 14 (Tuesday): LHASA
After breakfast, tour highlights today include both the Sera and Drepung Monasteries. The Drepung dates back to the 15th century
and is 4 miles (7 km) west of Lhasa. In its time it was the largest of Tibet's monastic towns and the largest monastery
in the world. Today the number of monks has dwindled from 7000 to about 400 and nearly 40% of its structures have
been destroyed. The Sera Monastery four 4km (2.5 miles) south of town was founded in 1419. Several hundred monks reside
there now. Sera, one of the three largest monasteries of Gelugpa, sits at the foothills of Tatipu. It is as
prestigious as Drepung and Ganden, which both have longer histories. Sera, in Tibetan, means "Wild Rose Garden"
since opulent wild rose woods once grew around it. Also you will visit Norbulingka, the summer palace of the
Dalai Lhama. Lunch and dinner at the hotel. Overnight Lhasa (B,L,D).
Drepung Monastery
July 15 (Wednesday): TRAIN FROM LHASA TO XINING
This morning, you will be transferred to the train station where you will board
the soft sleeper train for Xining. Why the train? This is the newly inaugurated highest railway in the world with
tourist travel accommodations between Tibet and Beijing. Deluxe tourist trains are due to start
running some time in 2007, but dates, times and fares have yet to be announced. They are marketed as Tangula
Express, running from Beijing, Xian and Shanghai to Lhasa with luxury sleeping-cars with double beds, private
shower & toilet, restaurant cars and lounge-observation cars. The Tangula Express trains are a joint venture
between Chinese Railways and a western company called Rail Partners.
The new Qinghai-Tibet Railway section is the highest in the world, climbing from
2,829m (9335 ft) above sea level at Golmud (Geermu) to 3,641m (11942 ft) at Lhasa, much of it built on permafrost.
Its highest point is in the Tanggula Pass, at 16,640 feet (just over 5,000m) above sea level. Because of the lack of
oxygen at that altitude, all passenger coaches are pressurized and airconditioned and oxygen is available
to passengers. Overnight on the train. Meals on your own.
The railway train.
July 16 (Thursday): XINING
Morning arrival in Xining at 9:14am. Transfer from the train station to buses for a city tour. Lunch will be
at a local restaurant. After this transfer to the airport for your flight to Chengdu. Currently this
flight departs 1:25pm and arrives 2:45pm but is subject to change due to the new flight schedule issued in
late March annually). Upon arrival in Chengdu check into the Tibet Hotel. Dinner tonite at a local
restaurant. Overnight Chengdu. (L,D)
Modern Chengdu
July 17 (Friday): CHENGDU
Today you will travel 140km (66 miles) northwest of Chengdu to the Wolong Nature Reserve. It was set up in the
late 1970s and is the largest of 16 reserves set aside by the Chinese government for panda conservation. The United
Nations designated Wolong as an International Biosphere Preserve; there are currently 60 captive pandas including
about 20 babies born in the last four years. Other animals protected there are the golden monkey, golden langur,
musk deer and snow leopard. The reserve is estimated to hold some 3000 types of plants and covers an area of
200,000 hectares. Overnight Chengdu (B,L,D).
Pandas at Wolong
July 18 (Saturday): CHENGDU
Today you will have a full day tour in Chengdu which includes the Dufu Cottage, Wuhou Temple, and Wangiang Tower.
Dinner tonight at a local restaurant. The Wuhou Memorial Temple is dedicated to Zhuge Liang, the outstanding
politician and militarist during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280),also the personification of intelligence.
The Du Fu cottage was built in honor of the great poet Du Fu of Tang Dynasty (618-907), who had deep insight
of the common people's desire and misery.Wangjiang Tower, meaning overlooking the river tower, is dedicated to
a lady poet in Tang Dynasty.Overnight in Chengdu (B,L,D).
Wangiang Tower
July 19 (Sunday): BEIJING
Transfer to the airport in Chengdu for your flight to Shanhai. Upon arrival in Shanghai, you will be met and
transferred to the Sofitel Hyland Hotel. Lunch and dinner on your own. Join with core eclipse group.
Overnight Shanghai. (B)
TIBET TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:
TIBET TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Carlson Wagonlit Future Travel recommends that each client purchase adequate trip cancellation insurance, medical, baggage, accident and other personal effects insurance. Trip cancellation insurance must be purchased at time of initial deposit. Clients should be aware that we cannot guarantee the weather for this astronomical event or any other.