Panda and Tibet Extension

Upon arrival at Chengdu’s airport, you will meet your professional guide and driver outside the customs. After a warm greeting, go on a comfortable ride to the hotel and check in. Have a rest at the hotel for the rest of the day.

Seeing adorable giant pandas in China must be included on your to-do list. After breakfast, your guide will escort you to the famous Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to get closer to those furry balls, who are offered a carefree life in a green environment simulating their wild home.

Next, drive for 50-60 minutes to the Wide and Narrow Alley to immerse in the quaint ambience of this historical block. In this “capital of food”, how about trying Chengdu cuisine for lunch? Drop by one of the countless restaurants here to enjoy it! Perhaps Hot Pot, a local specialty loved nationwide, will interest you most, if you are into spicy flavors.

After a lunch break, we will continue our trip to Sichuan Cuisine Museum by a one-hour private drive. You will not only learn the history, culture, and special ingredients of Sichuan Cuisine, but also taste some local-flavor snacks. If interested, you can learn to cook a few dishes from a professional chef. Famous for its “fiery” food, Chengdu might astonish you with its culinary past: there was not even a thing named chili here until the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644 AD), when it was introduced from the Americans and first grown as decorative potted plant. People only started adding it to diet centuries later. So, in short, chili didn’t originate in Sichuan; however, it’s Sichuan people that made the most of it! With enough knowledge, you will then be treated to a gourmet dinner in the museum before we transfer you back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dinner

Today, your Chengdu Tibet tour package extends to Lhasa. After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel and transfer you to the airport for a 2.5-hour flight to Lhasa. A simple lunch will be served onboard. You can also prepare some snacks in case the meal is not to your taste.

You will land at Lhasa Airport at about 15:00. Your local guide and driver will wait for you outside the luggage claim area, and provide you with a private drive to the hotel. On the way, your guide will brief you about the Tibet tour itinerary and also give you some tips on how to acclimatize to the high altitude of the Tibetan region. The rest of the time is free for you to rest at the hotel. You can have dinner at the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today your guide will lead you to see the essential attractions of Lhasa. Our first stop will be the Potala Palace, a Buddhist palace complex, and the largest, that survived 1,300 years nearly intact. Situated on a mountain peak, this beautiful and grand landmark overlooks and dominates the cityscape of Lhasa. Inside, you can enjoy looking at arrays of precious historical artefacts, including Buddha statues, Thangka, Buddhist scriptures, murals, gold and silver wares. The next stop is Jokhang Temple, the religious center of Lhasa and the greatest pilgrimage site for local Tibetan Buddhists. It enshrines a golden statue of Sakyamuni at age 12, before which is seen year-round a constant flow of people prostrating themselves for blessings.

At noon, enjoy a hearty lunch at a local restaurant. This afternoon, your guide will accompany you to Barkhor Street, the liveliest commercial area within the city. Across the many storefronts, a wide selection of Tibetan clothes and handicrafts can be seen. Next, we will continue the trip to Norbulingka, the summer retreat for the Dalai Lama. Inside, you can take a leisurely stroll around its elegant garden, decorated with exquisite ponds, pavilions, bridges, and flourishing trees and flowers. At the end of the day, you will be escorted back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today, we will set out for a 3.5-hour comfortable ride to Yamdrok Yumtso Lake, which is holy in the heart of local Tibetan people. Seen from the top of a mountain, the lake resembles a giant sapphire embraced by rolling mountains, reflecting azure sky and white clouds on clear days. This magnificent scenery also presents the perfect opportunity for taking photos.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we will drive north to visit the Sera Monastery, one of the three greatest Buddhist temples in Lhasa. Here you will have an opportunity to witness a spectacle of thousands of monks debating, sometime fiercely, over Buddhist doctrines in both oral and body languages, a way of discussing and learning. When today's trip is over, your guide will transfer you to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today is the last day on this Lhasa tour itinerary from Chengdu. Before you leave, you will have one more opportunity to explore Lhasa at a nunnery. Afterwards, your guide and driver will chauffeur you to the airport or railway station and see you off.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast