Tibet holiday, Tibet experience
| country: | China, Tibet |
| departures: | 2008: 14 Sep, 12 Oct |
| price: | From £1755 (12 days) including domestic flights only, as per itinerary. Maximum group size 15. We can arrange flights from the UK. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Chengdu - Lhasa - Yamdrok Lake - Gyantse - Shigatse - Tsedang - Samye Monastery
A spectacular journey into Tibet, taking in the highlights and complex histories of the local people, the cities, sights and monasteries, as well as the awesome high altitude scenery for which Tibet is famous – from snow capped mountains to deep valleys, azure skies, gushing rivers, turquoise lakes and rolling plateaus.
This is a truly spectacular journey into one of the wildest and most beautiful regions of the world.
Highlights include:
Visit to Giant Panda Breeding Base Overland journeys through spectacular high altitude scenery of Tibet Views over Lhasa from Pawang Ka – visit to local Tibetan family home Historic Potala Palace Monastery and nunnery visits Walking the kora Backstreet walking tour through Lhasa’s Tibetan Quarter Stunning views of Yamdrok Lake Ferry ride to Samye monastery Local market visits Kumbum at Gyantse.
Price includes: 11 night's hotel accommodation, internal flights per itinerary, road transport (modern air-conditioned vehicle), sightseeing per itinerary (excluding entrance fees), daily breakfasts, tour leader (based on minimum of 7 people) and local English speaking guides.
A spectacular journey into Tibet, taking in the highlights and complex histories of the local people, the cities, sights and monasteries, as well as the awesome high altitude scenery for which Tibet is famous – from snow capped mountains to deep valleys, azure skies, gushing rivers, turquoise lakes and rolling plateaus.
This is a truly spectacular journey into one of the wildest and most beautiful regions of the world.
Highlights include:
Price includes: 11 night's hotel accommodation, internal flights per itinerary, road transport (modern air-conditioned vehicle), sightseeing per itinerary (excluding entrance fees), daily breakfasts, tour leader (based on minimum of 7 people) and local English speaking guides.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | Chengdu. Relish in Sichuan traditions and cultural performances, visit the nearby Giant Panda Research & Breeding Base, and experience a performance of Sichuan Opera. You can easily pass an afternoon just relishing the surrounds of People’s Park, a hub of activity. Hotel: YinHe Dynasty |
| Day 3-6: | Lhasa. Fly across the Himalayas to Lhasa, the spiritual heart and soul of Tibet. Take a day to acclimatise to the high altitude. You will find Lhasa’s Old Quarter backstreets and koras, monasteries and palaces as amazing as her landscapes. Visit Drepung Monastery, the Barkhor Circuit, Sera Monastery, Pawang Ka, and Potala Palace, as well as the Tibet Museum. Highlights will include a visit to a local Muslim teahouse and Braille without Borders. Hotel: Xiongbala Hotel |
| Day 7: | Yamdrok Lake & Shigatse. Cross two spectacular high-altitude passes for stunning views over Yamdrok Lake, and visit a Tibetan family in their home. Drive on to Shigatse, the seat of the Panchen Lama and the second largest city in Tibet. Located at the confluence of the Yarlong Tsangpo and Nyangchu rivers, Shigatse is home to the massive Tashilhunpo Monastery. Hotel: Shigatse Hotel |
| Day 8-10: | Gyantse & Tsedang. Beichu Monastery and the Kumbum Stupa in Gyantse are both impressive and humbling. Drive through Yarlung Valley and cross the Brahmaputra River to arrive at Tibet’s first monastery. Take a ferry to Samye Monastery, and drive back to Tsedang to arrive at the fortress of Yumbulagang, steeped in legend and mystery. Hotel: Gyantse Hotel, Tsedang Hotel |
| Day 11-12: | Chengdu. Drive back to Lhasa Airport and fly to Chengdu for a final taste of Sichuan Province. Depart on day 12. Hotel: YinHe Dynasty |
small group adventure holiday
These small group journeys have a maximum of 15 like-minded travellers which ensures that all travellers have an amazing overall experience with the destination and that they enjoy the flexibility that comes with the small group dynamic. On this trip you will stay at boutique accommodation with character. Our numbers are discreet enough for us to interact with local families in their homes and meet people in markets, bazaars and temples – something that’s just not possible when you arrive as part of a large tour group. Along with our unique combination of Western tour leader and local English-speaking guide this will ensure an unforgettable travel experience.how this holiday makes a difference
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We believe that travel should entail an exchange of knowledge and perspectives, a sharing of wealth, and a genuine appreciation of China’s natural environment. This philosophy underpins the heart and soul of our style of travel. We recognise that poorly planned itineraries or poorly informed tourists contribute less to cross-cultural understanding and less to the livelihoods of local people.
Experience this spectacular journey to the wildest and most beautiful regions in China. In Chengdu we visit the Giant Panda & Breeding Base to learn about these endangered animals and the conservation and breeding initiatives that have been implemented to protect them and their natural habitat. Once in Tibet we pay a visit to a local family home in the capital Lhasa where we enjoy tea with the family and have a chance to discuss and ask questions about local life and practices.  On this journey our local guides, many of whom are from ethnic minority groups, are trained to share their knowledge of cultural and other local issues in a balanced, informative way; in this journey alone you are likely to meet several local guides from different provinces in China. They share real experiences from their own lives and insights into their family life, influences and beliefs, thus providing our travellers with a deeper understanding of the places they visit. This is what motivates our guides, not shopping commissions. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |