8 Days Hong Kong Tibet Tour with Stopover in Chengdu

Welcome to Hong Kong, the most energetic destination in Asia. Once your arrival at airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our tour guide, and then be escorted to your hotel in Hong Kong City. The rest of today is free for you to have fun in this international metroplis.

Today is free for you to explore this West-friendly metroplis on your own. As the most international city in Asia, Hong Kong always show her hospitality as much as she can to tourists of all kinds. You don't have to worry having trouble with language because English is highly spoken in Hong Kong.

You can start your exploration from Victoria Peak, the highest peak in Hong Kong. Stand on the observation deck of the peak and look around, the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Island are just like two pearls inlayed into the Victoria Harbor, skyscrapers sitting over the blue water, the city skyline reaches far away to the end of sightContinue to take a trip to Repulse Bay. Little noise, few shops, forget about the hustle and bustle for a while as you walking on the white sand of the long beach, you can really enjoy the sea breeze. Next, stroll along the Stanley Market, browse fancy petty commodities in various little stores, or just order a cup of coffee or beer at the seaside café or pub, a great way to spend time away from the maddening crowds.

Today, you are going to leave Hong Kong for the hometown of Giant Panda - Chengdu. There are many schedules of flights between Hong Kong and Chengdu most of which depart in the morning or late afternoon. It takes only about 2.5~3 hours to fly from Hong Kong to Chengdu. We suggest you take off in the morning so that you have more time to explore Chengdu.

After your arrival at Chengdu Airport, your tour guide will pick you up and take you to your hotel in downtown. The rest time of today is free for you to spend.

Chengdu has three famous features – Giant Panda, History and Leisure Living Pace. Today, you will go to explore these tree features one by one. First is to visit the lovely Giant Pandas in Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which is the No. 1 thing to do in Chengdu. You will leave your hotel early and drive about 30 minutes to the panda base so that you can catch up the great moments of pandas, such as feeding, playing, climbing tree, etc. There are different enclosures for pages of different ages, such as all around to see baby pandas, 1 year-old pandas, teenage pandas, and older pandas. Beautiful walking paths will lead you to visit the enclosures from one to next. Enjoy the happy time with pandas.

The second place to visit is the sacred Wenshu Temple which is hidden peacefully among the modern mansions. This temple is the most popular Buddhist temple in Chengdu region. It has beautiful traditional ancient architecture. The atmosphere is calm and quiet, some people are praying. There is a little garden and the monastery is very colorful and decorated. After Wenshu Temple, you are going to explore the leisure living peace of locals at Renmin Park and Jinli Street. Renmin Park, or People’s Park is the place for locals to go for a relaxing walk, meet friends, or have a cup of tea. While Jinli is the “street of tourists”. You can wander on the traditional old street to absorb the special atmosphere of Chengdu, taste local snacks, watching a performance, etc.

Optional Recommended Night Activity:
watch an fascinating show of traditional Sichuan Opera & Face Changing Performance in a local theatre.

Today, you will be free until your local guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to Lhasa (about 2 hours’ flight). Upon arriving at Lhasa Gongga Airport, you will be picked up by local tour guide at the airport hall, then be escorted to your hotel in Lhasa city in a private vehicle. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the local areas and acclimatize yourself to the air, temperature and high altitude of Lhasa.

High Altitude Acclimation Tips:
1 go for some leisure walking to acclimate the high altitude but avoid strenuous activity after arrival;
2 you'd better not have bath, in case of catching a cold;
3 drink more water, and have some fruit;
4 have a good rest.

This morning we will visit the Drepung Monastery – one of the great three Gelug monasteries of Tibet. Founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choge, on Tosngkhapa’s main disciples, the Drepung Monastery is home of Ganden Palace, which formerly served as the Dalai Lama’s palace before later moving on to the Potala Palace.

In the afternoon we will move on to see another of the great three of the Gelug monasteries in Tibet – the Sera Monastery. Founded in 1419 by another main disciple of Tsongkhapa, Jamchen Chojey, the main attraction of this monastery is the lively scene of the monks debating Buddhist scriptures in the courtyard behind the monastery in the afternoon.

Today we will start off with the fantastic Potala Palace, which historically served as the winter home of the Dalai Lama. It was first used in the 7th century by the 33rd king of Tibet. The most valuable collections in the Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of the former Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

After lunch, we will move on to the Jokhang Temple, which was also founded in the 7th century by the 33rd great king of Tibet to promote the Buddhist religion. Inside you can see the statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni as he was at the age of twelve – this is perhaps the most venerated object in Tibetan Buddhism. Around the temple is Barkhor Street where you can perform the “Kora” (a religious circuit around a sacred building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals. The Barkhor market is also a great place to pick up locally made handicrafts and souvenirs.

Tips for Visiting Potala Palace
1. The number of visitors to the palace is strictly limited to 2,300 per day. Visitors can only visit during the time specified on the admission ticket.
2. Admission tickets to visit the Potala Palace are sold out almost every day, so it is strongly recommended to book your tickets several days in advance.
3. There are many steps at the Potala Palace, so it’s best to take it slowly to avoid possible altitude discomfort.
4. Visitors should respect the rules while visiting. Do not wear hats, wear revealing clothes or step on thresholds as these actions violate local customs.
5. Photography and the taking of videos are forbidden inside the Potala Palace.
6. A security search will take place at the entrance to the palace. Explosives, flammables, knives, lighters and

Today is free for you until your tour guide transfer you to the airport in time for your flight or drop you off at Lhasa train station.

Tips of Today:
1. please pack your luggage carefully, especially for small things like camera charger, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet and towel;
2. If your flight is arranged in the afternoon, please make sure you check out the hotel before 12pm.