Tibetan Wonders: Fully-inclusive tour with FREE flights!

DAYS 1-2: FLY TO KUNMING

Fly overnight to the relaxed city of Kunming, ‘the city of Eternal Spring’.

DAY 3: STONE FOREST (B, L, D)

Meander through the formations of the UNESCO-listed Stone Forest. This afternoon view Dianchi Lake from the Western Hills. Returning to Kunming, tuck into the local delicacy Across the Bridge noodles for dinner.

DAY 4: TRAVEL TO DALI (B, L)

Drive to Dali, a charming town that offers a glimpse of bygone China. Wander the Ancient Quarter and see the magnificent Three Pagodas.

DAY 5: MOUNTAIN MEDITATION (B, L)

Mt Weibao is one of the Taoist religion’s most sacred mountains, and has twenty temples dotted on its forested slopes. Take a scenic walk and discover a handful of these temples, stopping at Qingxia temple where you will be met by a Taoist priest who will introduce you to Taoist meditation techniques. This afternoon visit a tie-dying workshop.

DAY 6: SHAXI ANCIENT TOWN (B, L)

Drive to Shaxi Ancient Town, nestled deep in the Himalayan foothills. Learn about the fascinating minority peoples who reside in the area and enjoy a local lunch. Continue to Lijiang.

DAY 7: JADE DRAGON SNOW MOUNTAIN & DONGBA SHAMAN (B, L, D)

The magnificent Jade Dragon Snow Mountain soars to 5,500m. Taking a chairlift, explore one of the high meadows and enjoy the amazing vistas. Admire the fascinating Ming Dynasty frescoes at Baisha and see the intricate creations of the embroidery school. Next, meet a genuine Shaman who will teach you to write the forgotten language of Dongba Pictograms.

DAY 8: TIGER LEAPING GORGE (B, L)

Visit Black Dragon Pool for magnificent views of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Over 3,000 metres deep, Tiger Leaping Gorge, with its backdrop of snow-capped mountains, is one of China’s most extraordinary sights. Continue on to the Tibetan monastery town of Zhongdian, also known as Shangri-La. Visit Dafo Temple and take some free time to explore the old town.

DAY 9: RURAL SHANGRI-LA (B, L, D)

Visit Songshanlin Monastery before enjoying an easy 2-3 hour hike to Napahai Grasslands, surrounded by towering mountains and among lush grasslands brimming with flora and fauna. Visit a rural Tibetan-style village where you will learn about the villagers’ way of life, make butter tea and taste home-cooked dishes.

DAY 10: FLY TO LHASA (B, D)

Fly to Lhasa, the heart and soul of Tibet. The afternoon is free to relax and acclimatise to the altitude.

DAY 11: JOKHANG TEMPLE AND SPIRITUAL BARKHOR (B, L, D)

Lhasa is a quickly growing modern city but among the narrow, old streets, you’ll feel a million miles from the modern world. Wander around the Barkhor to see traditionally dressed locals, stalls of religious trinkets and prostrating pilgrims. Inside the Jokhang Temple, the devotion is palpable as queues of people worship in the flickering light of yak butter candles. There will also be a visit to Sera Monastery, to witness the debating monks.

DAY 12: POTALA PALACE (B, L, D)

The Potala Palace is an architectural wonder towering over the city from its seat on Marpo Ri (Red Mountain). The Potala, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama, houses thousands of rooms filled with old treasures. This afternoon, explore Norbulingka, the summer residence of the Dalai Lama, before visiting a local Tibetan arts and crafts shop. Enjoy a traditional Tibetan dinner in the evening.

DAYS 13-14: SHIGATSE (B, L, D)

Travel across Tibet’s stark plains to Shigatse. Dominated by a fort, Shigatse is Tibet’s second largest city and the traditional home of the Panchen Lama. The rest of the day is spent exploring. (B,L,D) The next day continue by road to New Tingri admiring the awe-inspiring views of the mighty Himalayas as we go.

DAY 15: EVEREST BASE CAMP BOUNDARY MONUMENT (B, L, D)

Traverse some of the world's most incredible scenery to the Rongbuk township. See the world's highest post office, with the Himalayas dominating the horizon, before reaching the Everest Base Camp Boundary Monument. Here, situated under the gaze of Everest's north face, the views of the world's highest peak are unsurpassed (weather permitting). Visit Rongbuk Monastery, draped in colourful prayer flags, and stay overnight in the township.

DAY 16: EVEREST SUNRISE (B, L, D)

Rise early to see the sunrise over Everest (weather permitting). Return to New Tingri.

DAYS 17-18: SHIGATSE & GYANTSE (B, L, D)

Return to Shigatse via Tso la Pass. (B,L,D) The next day visit Tashilhunpo Monastery and join the pilgrims on their 'kora' (circumnavigation) of the monastery. Continue to the Gyantse Kumbum. Visit a traditional folk house for some home brewed 'chang'.

DAY 19: TSEDANG (B, L, D)

Travel along the Brahmaputra River to Tsedang, called the ‘cradle of Tibetan civilisation’. Visit Gangpo Ri.

DAY 20: YUMBULHAKANG PALACE (B, L)

Perched on a hill over the Yarlung River, the Yumbulhakang Palace was the palace of the first Tibetan king. Continue on to the Chang Chun Monastery and the King’s Tombs en route to Lhasa.

DAY 21: CHENGDU (B)

Fly to Chengdu. The afternoon is at leisure.

DAY 22: PANDAS (B, L, D)

Visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding where you can get up close to China’s celebrated icons. Visit People's Park, Matchmaker's Corner and a traditional tea house. Tonight, sample delicious Sichuan cuisine for dinner.

DAYS 23-24: CHENGDU TO AUSTRALIA (B)

This morning is at your leisure before you are transferred to Chengdu airport to board your flight to Australia, arriving home to same or following day.

Please note that prices are subject to availability at time of booking or until sold out and may change without notice.

• 13 Sep-04 Oct 2020 - was $7580 pp - NOW from $6680 pp twin share
• 04 -25 Oct 2020 - was $7580 pp - NOW from $6680 pp twin share

Travelling solo? Single supplements begin at $1,240. (You can also choose to share accommodation with another solo traveller of the same gender and waive the supplement entirely.)

Your accommodation is selected for convenience of location, comfort or character, and can range from a business hotel in one city to a family run guesthouse in a smaller town. In more remote areas, accommodation may be of a lower standard and may not have all western amenities. Hotels are generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note that there is no international classification system for hotels and differences in facilities and quality do exist between Australia and China.

All group tour hotels have private western bathroom facilities, air-conditioning, TV and telephone. Plumbing and electricity supplies can be erratic and quite often the power in hotel rooms is turned off while guests are out of the room.

Please note that double bed requests can be made at time of booking but can’t be guaranteed.

Please note: In Rongbuk the accommodation is extremely basic and the only facilities are simple public toilets. Rooms do not have an ensuite and there's no hot water or showers. You will have a wash basin and a thermos of boiled water in your room. Towels are not provided by the hotel. Ensure you bring layers to sleep in and keep warm. The location of the hotel however is unsurpassed: if the weather is good, you will be able to see Everest when you wake up!

How fit do I need to be to join this tour?

This 23 day tour is rates as a physical level 4 tour. A good level of fitness is required as you need to be comfortable walking for 2-3 hours and covering longer distances. As a whole, this itinerary requires a high level of fitness involving hiking and travelling to remote areas where tourist facilities are less developed.

This itinerary visits several remote locations where hotel facilities are extremely basic, especially in Rongbuk. Please read the accommodation section for more information. This itinerary travels to several areas of high altitude. If you have an existing respiratory, vascular or coronary condition, we recommend checking with your doctor before undertaking this itinerary.

You will spend a period of 14 days above 3,000m from Day 8 to 22, driving over several passes that are above 4,500m and sleeping above 3,000m. Mount Everest Base Camp is at an altitude of 5,200m.

Altitude

This itinerary visits areas of high altitude. If you have an existing respiratory, vascular or coronary condition, we recommend checking with your doctor before undertaking this itinerary. The following parts of the itinerary have high altitude:

1. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain near Lijiang. Sightseeing is at Yunshaping (Cloud Fir Meadow) which has an altitude of approximately 3,240m. Please note that the town of Lijiang, where you will be staying overnight is not at high altitude.

2. The town of Zhongdian has an altitude of 3,200m.

3. Lhasa is at an altitude of 3,650m

4. Gyantse is at an altitude of 4,050m

5. New Tingri is at an altitude of 4,342m

6. Mt. Everest Boundary Monument is at an altitude of 5,200m

AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) occurs in some people when they travel to altitudes over 3,000m. Mild symptoms of AMS include dizziness, fatigue, nausea or loss of appetite, breathlessness or headache. These usually develop over the first 36 hours at altitude and not immediately on arrival. AMS symptoms are experienced by people of varying ages and levels of fitness, and usually the symptoms will subside after a day or so. If symptoms worsen, you should seek medical advice and descend in altitude immediately. It is recommended to drink more water, non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated drinks and avoid exertion after arriving in altitude over 3,000m.

Making sure you are well hydrated (by drinking lots of water and refraining from alcohol/caffeine) before and during the tour, as well as exercising to improve your aerobic fitness before you leave, are generally considered to be excellent ways to prevent or alleviate the severity of mild AMS. If you smoke, your doctor will probably also advise you to stop several weeks before your tour. If you have an existing respiratory, vascular or coronary condition, we recommend checking with your doctor before undertaking this tour.

Visas

Most nationalities require a visa when travelling to China. Travellers should arrange visas well in advance of departure. The visa price is included in the price of your tour and the whole process is handled by the tour company. All you need to do is complete the paperwork and send your passport to us eight weeks prior to departure.

Please note that if you intend to arrive more than 24 hours before your tour commences or intend to stay in China after your tour has ended and you are NOT staying in a hotel you will need to register with the local police station. If you are staying in a hotel, registration is done on your behalf as part of the check-in process.

Luggage

All travellers are limited to two items of luggage each; a suitcase with a maximum weight of 20kg and one piece of hand luggage with a maximum weight of five kilograms. It is essential that your luggage is lockable. Please note that authorities will only allow bottles onto the aircraft if they have been checked in as main baggage. Bottles in hand luggage may be confiscated.

Do I need to tip on tour?

Local tipping is customary in Asia. However, this can often lead to awkwardness in knowing when it is appropriate to tip and how much. This tour operates a kitty system which your National Escort looks after. Customary tipping amount of approximately RMB1040 (AU$217) is paid locally in China and will be collected by your National Escort on arrival and distributed throughout the tour on your behalf. Any additional tipping on any of our tours is welcomed at your discretion.

What type of food can I expect during this tour?

Chinese cuisine is one of the most influential, diverse and flavoursome culinary styles in the world with a legacy stretching back thousands of years. Often, you’ll find that the local Chinese style is very different from what you’re used to at home. We welcome people on our tours with a wide variety of tastes and as such try to present an array of food to suit everyone in the group. Our schedule of meals is designed so that you can experience the local dishes, their individual flavours as well as the different ways they are prepared and cooked throughout China.

How many people will on this tour?

Most China groups consist of 10 travellers or more and will be accompanied by a National escort and local guides. There will usually be no more than 18 travellers in each group . All departures are guaranteed to operate with a minimum of 8 travellers booked (unless cancelled due to factors beyond our control).