10-Day Beijing, Xi’an & Tibet Odyssey: Great Wall to Potala Palace

Tour Overview

Experience the best of China on this 10-day odyssey from the Great Wall to the Potala Palace, from the imperial capital of Beijing with its stunning Forbidden City and Great Wall to the ancient capital of Xi’an with its world-famous Terracotta Warriors, and on to the Roof of the World – Tibet, with its stunning Potala Palace, its sacred Jokhang Temple, its beautiful monasteries, and its breathtaking high-altitude lakes. This journey combines the best of China’s imperial history, ancient archaeology, and the unique culture and stunning natural beauty of Tibet.

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

Arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport (Beijing, China). Transfer to your hotel. Explore Beijing, the capital of China, a vibrant city with its stunning imperial palaces, its historic hutongs, its modern skyscrapers, and its rich history. Visit the Forbidden City (the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the largest and best-preserved ancient wooden structure complex in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Visit Tiananmen Square (one of the largest public squares in the world, with its iconic monuments including the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, and the Great Hall of the People). Visit the Temple of Heaven (a stunning imperial temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Evening welcome dinner with Chinese cuisine including Peking duck, dumplings, and various other dishes. Overnight in Beijing.

Day 2: Beijing – Great Wall & Summer Palace

Morning visit the Great Wall of China (one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Visit the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall (one of the best-preserved and most beautiful sections, with its stunning watchtowers and beautiful mountain scenery). Walk along the Great Wall and enjoy the stunning views. After the Great Wall, visit the Summer Palace (a beautiful imperial garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its stunning Kunming Lake, its beautiful Long Corridor, its elegant pavilions and temples, and its beautiful gardens). Visit the nearby Olympic Park (with the iconic Bird’s Nest National Stadium and the Water Cube from the 2008 Beijing Olympics). Evening dinner with Beijing cuisine. Overnight in Beijing.

Day 3: Beijing to Xi’an & City Tour

Morning take a high-speed train from Beijing to Xi’an (approximately 4.5 hours). Upon arrival in Xi’an, transfer to your hotel. Explore Xi’an, the ancient capital of China for 13 dynasties, one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Visit the Xi’an City Wall (one of the best-preserved ancient city walls in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Walk or cycle along the city wall. Visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (a stunning Buddhist pagoda built in the Tang Dynasty, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its beautiful architecture and its history as the place where the famous monk Xuanzang translated the Buddhist scriptures he brought back from India). Visit the nearby Tang Paradise (a beautiful Tang Dynasty-themed park with its stunning architecture and beautiful gardens). Visit the bustling Muslim Quarter (a vibrant neighborhood with its beautiful mosques, its bustling markets, its delicious street food, and its rich Islamic culture). Evening dinner with Xi’an cuisine including biangbiang noodles, roujiamo, and various other local dishes. Overnight in Xi’an.

Day 4: Xi’an – Terracotta Warriors & to Tibet

Morning visit the Terracotta Army (one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a collection of over 8,000 life-sized terracotta soldiers, horses, and chariots buried with the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang). Explore the three pits, visit the museum, and learn about the history and construction of this incredible archaeological wonder. Visit the nearby Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum. After lunch, take a flight from Xi’an to Lhasa (Tibet, approximately 2.5-3 hours, with a stopover in Chengdu or another city). Upon arrival in Lhasa (at an altitude of 3,650 meters, the capital of Tibet, the Roof of the World), transfer to your hotel. Rest and acclimatize to the high altitude (it is important to take it easy on the first day in Tibet to avoid altitude sickness). Visit the nearby areas and enjoy the beautiful views of the Potala Palace from a distance. Evening dinner with Tibetan cuisine including momos (Tibetan dumplings), thukpa (Tibetan noodle soup), yak meat, butter tea, and barley beer (chang). Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 5: Lhasa – Potala Palace & Jokhang Temple

Morning visit the Potala Palace (the most iconic landmark of Tibet, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a stunning palace and monastery complex built on a hill in the center of Lhasa, the former residence of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political leader of Tibet, with its stunning architecture, its beautiful temples, its rich collection of Buddhist art and artifacts, and its breathtaking views of Lhasa. The Potala Palace is over 1,300 years old and is one of the most important Buddhist sites in the world). Explore the palace, visit the various temples and halls, see the beautiful murals and statues, and enjoy the stunning views from the top of the palace. After the Potala Palace, visit the Jokhang Temple (the most sacred Buddhist temple in Tibet, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built in the 7th century by King Songtsen Gampo, with its stunning architecture, its beautiful golden roof, its sacred Jowo Buddha statue (the most sacred Buddha statue in Tibet, brought to Tibet by the Chinese princess Wencheng when she married King Songtsen Gampo), and its rich collection of Buddhist art and artifacts). Visit the Barkhor Street (a sacred pilgrim circuit around the Jokhang Temple, with its bustling markets, its colorful prayer flags, its prostrating pilgrims, and its vibrant atmosphere. Walk the kora (pilgrim circuit) around the Jokhang Temple and experience the spiritual atmosphere). Evening dinner with Tibetan cuisine. Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 6: Lhasa – Sera Monastery & Drepung Monastery

Morning visit the Sera Monastery (one of the three great Gelugpa monasteries of Tibet, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, founded in 1419, with its stunning architecture, its beautiful temples, its rich collection of Buddhist art, and its famous debating monks (the monks of Sera Monastery are famous for their lively philosophical debates, held every afternoon in the monastery courtyard, with the monks clapping their hands and gesturing as they debate Buddhist philosophy). Watch the monk debates (if held in the afternoon). Visit the various temples and halls of the monastery. After lunch, visit the Drepung Monastery (the largest monastery in the world in its heyday, with over 10,000 monks, one of the three great Gelugpa monasteries of Tibet, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, founded in 1416, with its stunning architecture, its beautiful temples, its rich collection of Buddhist art, and its beautiful setting on a hillside overlooking Lhasa). Explore the monastery, visit the various temples and halls, and enjoy the stunning views of Lhasa and the surrounding mountains. Visit the nearby Nechung Monastery (the former seat of the State Oracle of Tibet, with its beautiful murals and its fascinating history). Evening dinner with Tibetan cuisine. Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 7: Lhasa to Yamdrok Lake & Gyantse

Morning depart Lhasa for a journey to the stunning Yamdrok Lake (Yamdrok Yumtso, one of the three sacred lakes of Tibet, a stunning turquoise-blue lake at an altitude of over 4,400 meters, with its crystal-clear water, its stunning mountain scenery, and its beautiful setting in the Himalayas. Yamdrok Lake is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and is a sacred site for Tibetan Buddhists). Drive over the Kambala Pass (at an altitude of 4,794 meters, with stunning panoramic views of Yamdrok Lake and the surrounding mountains). Visit the lake, enjoy the stunning scenery, and walk along the shores. Continue to Gyantse (an ancient town in the Nyang Chu Valley, at an altitude of 3,900 meters, with its rich history, its stunning ancient sites, and its beautiful setting). Visit the Gyantse Dzong (a stunning ancient fortress on a hill overlooking the town, with its beautiful architecture and its fascinating history as the site of the famous Battle of Gyantse in 1904 between the Tibetan forces and the British expedition under Francis Younghusband). Visit the Kumbum Stupa (the Pelkor Chode Monastery, a stunning 15th-century monastery complex with its famous Kumbum Stupa (a beautiful multi-tiered stupa with over 100 chapels and thousands of murals, one of the most unique and beautiful Buddhist structures in Tibet). Explore the monastery and the Kumbum Stupa. Evening dinner with Tibetan cuisine. Overnight in Gyantse or Shigatse.

Day 8: Shigatse – Tashilhunpo Monastery & to Namtso Lake

Morning visit Shigatse (the second-largest city in Tibet, at an altitude of 3,840 meters, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second-most important spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama). Visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery (the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the most important monasteries in Tibet, founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama, with its stunning architecture, its beautiful temples, its giant Maitreya Buddha statue (the largest gilded Buddha statue in the world, at 26 meters tall), its rich collection of Buddhist art, and its beautiful setting). Explore the monastery, visit the various temples and halls, see the giant Maitreya Buddha statue, and visit the tombs of the Panchen Lamas. After lunch, drive from Shigatse back towards Lhasa and then on to Namtso Lake (one of the three sacred lakes of Tibet, the largest lake in Tibet, at an altitude of 4,718 meters, with its stunning turquoise-blue water, its beautiful setting surrounded by snow-capped mountains including the Nyenchen Tanglha range, and its peaceful and spiritual atmosphere. Namtso Lake is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and is a sacred site for Tibetan Buddhists). Drive over the Lhachen La Pass (at an altitude of 5,190 meters, with stunning views of the Nyenchen Tanglha mountains). Arrive at Namtso Lake in the late afternoon and enjoy the stunning sunset over the lake and the mountains. Visit the Tashi Dor peninsula (a beautiful peninsula with its ancient monastery, its beautiful rock formations, and its stunning views of the lake and the mountains). Evening dinner with Tibetan cuisine. Overnight at Namtso Lake (in a guesthouse or tent camp, at an altitude of 4,718 meters).

Day 9: Namtso Lake & return to Lhasa

Morning enjoy the stunning sunrise over Namtso Lake and the surrounding mountains. Walk along the shores of the lake, enjoy the peaceful and spiritual atmosphere, and visit the Tashi Dor Monastery (a small ancient monastery on the Tashi Dor peninsula, with its beautiful setting and its stunning views of the lake). Visit the nearby rock formations and the beautiful scenery. After breakfast, drive from Namtso Lake back to Lhasa (approximately 4-5 hours), enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery along the way. Upon arrival in Lhasa, visit the nearby areas and do some last-minute shopping for Tibetan products including traditional crafts, jewelry, prayer flags, incense, yak products, and local products. Visit the Barkhor Street markets for souvenirs. Evening farewell dinner with Tibetan cuisine, reflecting on the incredible journey from the Great Wall to the Potala Palace. Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 10: Lhasa & Departure

Morning free for last-minute exploration of Lhasa or shopping. Visit the nearby areas or relax at a café. After breakfast, transfer to Lhasa Gonggar Airport for your departure flight (or fly to Chengdu, Beijing, or another city for your international departure). Concluding your 10-day China Beijing, Xi’an, and Tibet odyssey from the Great Wall to the Potala Palace.

What’s Included

• Air-conditioned vehicle
• Driver
• Fuel Cost, Parking Fee, Toll Fee
• Accommodation in selected hotels
• Daily breakfast

What’s Not Included

• Entrance fees to attractions
• Tour Guide
• Meal (lunch and dinner)
• International flights
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses