Here is a preliminary itinerary for our February trip to Lhasa. Once I have a better idea of the number of people who will be joining, then we may be able to negotiate an even better price!

Email Margot if you have questions: margot@imperialtours.net

Shanghai – Chengdu – Lhasa – Guilin - Huangshan - Shanghai

Five Star Hotels unless otherwise noted!

Day One – Sunday, 2/11/2007

You will be met at the airport by an Imperial Tours’ China Host who will accompany you during the remainder of your stay in China (the China Host acts as a personal concierge to you throughout your stay in China, allowing you to make changes as you see fit…this may mean adding a site or taking out a site, changing a restaurant or booking a foot massage!). (Grand Hyatt – River View Rooms)

Day Two – Monday, 2/12/2007

After a morning of rest, we will fly to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. You will be surprised by the lush greenery of the city and will enjoy some of the best food in China. This afternoon you will take a private cooking lesson at the Chengdu Institute of Higher Cuisine. (Kempinski Hotel – Deluxe Rooms) (B, D – no lunch included)

Day Three – Tuesday, 2/13/2007

This morning we will take you to the Panda Research Institute where you will be able to observe pandas being fed their morning breakfast. And if you are lucky, you will be able to hold one of the younger pandas!

In the afternoon, you will drive an hour outside the city to visit one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. While the site is not as famous as the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, it is arguably much more impressive. The site, discovered in the 1980’s, dates back to 3,000 BCE and consists of bronze masks and sculptures that are astonishingly beautiful. (B, L, D)

Day Four – Wednesday, 2/14/2007

This morning, we will take an early morning flight to Lhasa. Upon arrival, we will drive from Gangkor Airport to the Lhasa Hotel (1 hour).

Our altitude in Lhasa is about 3,650 meters or 12,000 feet, approximately 4,500 feet higher than Colorado's Grand Canyon. The remainder of the day will be left at leisure to allow you to acclimate to the altitude. (Lhasa Hotel – 4 Stars – Deluxe Rooms) (B, D – no lunch included)

Day Five – Thursday, 2/15/2007

The "land of the snows" has inspired artists for centuries. James Hilton's utopianist "Shangri-La" is based on Tibet's monastic communities and devout way of life. To best appreciate Lhasa's palaces, temples and society, we have arranged for a morning lecture to familiarize you with the main themes, characters and symbols of Tibetan art and religious life.

You will be able to apply this knowledge after lunch when we head to the center of Lhasa's religious life at its Jokhang Monastery. It is impossible to put into words the sense of peace and equanimity that imbues the atmosphere of this historic monastery. On the one hand, Tibetan pilgrims display intense devotion as they pray before their deities, pouring yak (a local variety of cow) butter or ghee into the altars' butter lamps. On the other hand, the casual comings and goings of the red-robed monks lend this beautiful building the reliability of tradition and the self-confidence of knowledge. Afterwards, you will stroll onto the Barkhor for the first time. This is the kora, or pilgrimage route around the Jokhang Temple's circumference. As you amble along it, surrounded by pilgrims, you will be assailed by novel sights, sounds and wonders. Poking your nose into local Tibetan markets, your eyes will feast on strangely clad clansmen from Tibet's outlying regions and peruse the wares of the many antique and thangka shops of this astonishing circuit. After a late afternoon rest, we will return here in the evening to watch a Buddhist ceremony in a nearby temple. (B – no lunch nor dinner included)

Day Six – Friday, 2/16/2007

Since yesterday should have provided you with some of the most striking visual images of your life, the bar is set high for this morning's visit to the Potala Palace - the trapezoidal, red and white Winter Palace that oversees the growing city beneath. Few buildings are as emblematic of their people - America's White House is perhaps as much a symbol of America's liberties and values as the Potala Palace expresses the remoteness and former might of Tibet. The elaborate golden tombs of past Dalai Lamas are of inestimable beauty, value and mystery.

After lunch we will visit a craft studio responsible for making traditional Tibetan carpets. As integral to the quality of a Tibetan carpet as the skill of the weaver is the quality of its wool. Only in rare pockets of the world is it possible to avoid the ubiquitous Merino wool in favor of the more lustrous variety bred in sheep at high altitude. In the late afternoon, we visit Sera Monastery to watch the young monks discussing their learning in the Debating Gardens. (B – no lunch nor dinner included)

Day Seven – Saturday, 2/17/2007

Today you will take a day trip outside of Lhasa to visit Ganden Monastery. The drive will take you along some lovely Tibetan scenery. Once at Ganden, you may wish to walk its kora.

The afternoon will be left for rest. (B – no lunch nor dinner included)

Day Eight – Sunday, 2/18/2007

Today you will fly to Guilin to be welcomed by this area’s tropical warmth and exquisite landscapes. (Hotel of Modern Art – Deluxe Rooms) (B – no lunch nor dinner included)

Day Nine – Monday, 2/19/2007

The day begins with a ride on traditional bamboo rafts along a less visited stretch of the Li River. Children swim in the rippling waters, lined with overhanging clumps of bamboo. Local farmers rake the riverbed for reeds to give to their wives to dry out and weave. Fishermen click signals to their cormorants as they hunt the river bottom for fish.

After a white-linen banquet in the spectacular karst landscape, you will have a chance to see rural China by traveling far from the tourist route deep into the countryside to view village life. You will visit a local school, watch villagers prepare soy milk and tofu and wander through the rice fields. This is a wonderful place to relax and really enjoy rural China. (We ask you not to bring presents for the young children at the school. Imperial Tours takes care not to create a culture of dependency amongst the school children, and instead donates equipment to the school in return for the access it provides our guests.) (B – no lunch nor dinner included)

Day Ten – Tuesday, 2/20/2007

This morning has been left free. Many people prefer to spend this time quietly relaxing with a book on the hotel’s lovely grounds. If you are feeling active, there are many options open to you from cycling to learning how to throw a pot.

In the afternoon, you will fly to Huangshan City, arriving in the evening where you will check into its finest hotel (via Shanghai). (Huangshan Pine Golf Hotel –Deluxe Rooms) (B – no lunch nor dinner included)

Day Eleven – Wednesday, 2/21/2007

Waking up early to take full advantage of your day on the Yellow Mountain, you will be immediately driven from Huangshan City to the mountain itself. Having ascended three-quarters of the rugged mountain by cable car, you will still need to hike uphill for another 45 minutes before arriving at Huangshan's circuitous peak. For the next two or three hours you'll want to stroll around the peak appreciating its dramatic views. Depending on the weather, you may enjoy views of granite tusks suddenly piercing through the swirling mist, or else if it's colder, will be delighted by the famous seas of pink-tinged clouds floating between Huangshan's jagged ridges.

In the afternoon, it will be up to you to decide whether to descend by foot or by cable-car. The walk down is demanding, but then again these views can be the most sensational. During dinner, you will be the guests of honor at a private performance of local Huangmei opera. (B, D – no lunch included)

Day Twelve – Thursday, 2/22/2007

This morning you will tour some ancient, picturesque villages, conveniently located near Huangshan City.

Commonly, it is the remote geography of such villages that has harbored them from the destructive force of China's turbulent history. This visit, then, will be a rare opportunity for you to experience first hand the design and architecture of affluent Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) villages. Apart from enjoying curious architectural details, such as a wind shield covering a six hundred year old "window", you will also be able to appreciate the sheer ingenuity of traditional urban designs, maximizing the use of flowing streams for aesthetic, spiritual and practical benefits.

In the early afternoon, you will return to Huangshan to walk through its ancient city quarter, which features a centuries old, double-tiered shopping street, packed with intriguing wares. As evening approaches you will be whisked to the airport, from where you will fly back to Shanghai. (Grand Hyatt – River View Rooms) (B, L – no dinner included)

Day Thirteen – Friday, 2/23/2007

Today you will have some time in Shanghai for site-seeing and/or shopping (you will have the car and China Host available to you today). (B, L, D)

Day Fourteen – Saturday, 2/24/2007

This morning you will be transferred to the airport in time for your flight home. (B)

Please note that B, L, D denotes Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

The price of this tour is USD2,940 per person based on double occupancy.

Included in the tour price is:

-13 nights accommodation in 5 star hotels, unless otherwise noted

-13 breakfasts (buffet breakfast), 3 lunches, 5 dinners at our carefully selected restaurants

-Services of a Western bilingual China Host and local tour guides

-All internal flights in economy (Shanghai/Chengdu, Chengdu/Lhasa, Lhasa/Chengdu/Guilin, Guilin/Shanghai/Huangshan, Huangshan/Shanghai)

-All land transportation (as listed on the itinerary)

-Entrance fees to all tourist sites (as listed on the itinerary)

-Local guide, driver and China Host gratuities

-Baggage handling, domestic airport, city and hotel taxes

Not included in the tour price is:

-International airfare to/from China, visa processing fees, travel insurance

-Personal expenses such as alcoholic beverages, imported mineral waters, excess luggage fees, telephone charges, room service and laundry charges