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With a total area larger than the contiguous United States, China's interior boasts an array of ethnic and cultural diversity that is only now becoming available to the luxury traveler. The Unique Destinations tour is designed for travelers interested in exploring the unique geography and minority cultures of Western China and the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Each and every one of our tours is accompanied
not only by a local Chinese guide, but also by an experienced
western China Host. Our carefully
chosen China Hosts, who are fluent in Chinese and English
(as well as French, German, Italian and Spanish), are there
to make sure that each client is treated Imperially and receives only the very best. |
Tour At a Glance - 10 Nights |
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Our Standard Services:
- Only the best hotels (and larger room categories)
- Only the best restaurants and dining venues
- Non-commissionable shopping
Unique Destinations Tour Included Highlights:
- Exclusive tour of a monastery by a Daoist monk
- Exclusive exploration of a Tibetan village and homes
- Horseback riding and traditional horse racing on the Tibetan Plateau
- Exclusive visit to monks quarters' in a Tibetan monastery
- Introductory lecture on Tibetan art and religion
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Day One: Chengdu |
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Upon arrival at Chengdu Airport, your China Host will meet you after you have claimed your luggage and passed through customs. You will be transferred to the hotel, and the remainder of the evening is at leisure (no other services included this evening).
Chengdu, the capital of modern Sichuan province, is a historic city serving as the traditional gateway to the Tibetan plateau, and it has in recent years become a vibrant and sophisticated metropolis. Prepare yourself for mouth-watering Sichuan food, wonderful cultural sites and of course one of the rarest bears on our planet. (Shangri La Hotel Executive Riverview Room 5 stars)
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Day Two: Chengdu |
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Early this morning we will take you to the Panda Research Institute, set within spacious parkland, where you will be able to observe pandas being fed a breakfast of bamboo shoots in their lush green pens. [ Optional - If there is a baby panda between three and twelve months available, for an additional fee, you will have an opportunity to hold a baby panda in your arms.]
Before lunch, we will visit a characteristic Chengdu promenade to view, if not taste, Sichuanese street snacks amongst traditional tea-houses. This afternoon, you will drive an hour outside the city to visit one of the most mysterious archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century - Sanxingdui. Believed to date from the third millennium BCE, the site features cast bronze “sacred trees,” hundreds of jade and lacquer wares, and a series of gold-plated bronze masks that are astonishingly beautiful.
(B, L, D)
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Day Three: Chengdu - Lijiang |
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Today we will visit one of China’s most important Daoist sites, the Qingyanggong temple. Quite apart from a personal meeting with a Daoist monk to learn about such ideological matters as synchronicity, the Eight Trigrams and their interaction with the energy forces of Yin & Yang, visitors will be able to investigate some of the above disciplines and also tour the living quarters of the monks.
This afternoon we depart for the airport in time for a flight to our next destination, Lijiang.(Banyan Tree Resort – Superior Suite – 5 stars) (B, L, D) |
Day Four: Lijiang |
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Founded in the shadow of snow-topped Jade Dragon Mountain, Lijiang rose to prominence 500 years ago as an entrepôt on the dangerous, bandit-infested Tea and Horse caravan route. In the morning we will wander the cobblestone alleyways of the idyllic town center, influenced by the predominant Naxi ethnic group. You will also visit the Daobaoji Temple at Baisha, where the union of three religions is celebrated side by side in Ming-dynasty (1368 - 1644) frescoes.
Lijiang's historic Tea and Horse caravan route is brought to life in the Zhang Yimou-directed extravaganza “Lijiang Impressions.” Presented at a specially-built stage on the slopes of Jade Dragon Mountain, this show uses hundreds of local farmers, drawn from various local ethnic groups, to illustrate the cultural traditions of the region.
Returning to the hotel in the afternoon you might wish to indulge in a treatment at the Banyan Tree Hotel’s spa. (B, L - no dinner included.)
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Day Five: Lijiang - Shangri-La |
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This morning our vehicle will scale the picturesque mountain passage from Lijiang to the remote Tibetan valley of Shangri-la. Along the way, traces of Naxi culture fade, and the serenity of the Tibetan landscape masks the area's somewhat turbulent history.
The altitude at the idyllic Banyan Tree Ringha is approximately 3,400 meters or 11,000 feet, so your first priority will be to take it easy. The rest of the afternoon will be left at leisure for you to acclimatize to the altitude and thin air. Those who have the inclination, however, are welcome to join a guide for a gentle trek. (Banyan Tree Resort Tibetan Suite 5 stars)(B, L - no dinner included.)
* Travelers should note that because of its traditional Tibetan architectural style all the bedrooms & suites at the Banyan Tree Ringha property have the bathroom on the floor beneath the bedroom. Alternative arrangements might be necessary for those for whom this is too great an inconvenience.
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Day Six: Shangri-La |
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This morning, we walk (or mount horses) to the untouched village below. For many, simply stepping into an ordinary Tibetan home will be one of their most authentic experiences. A village is always active and, depending on the household, we will view the local activities from butter making to yogurt making to textile weaving. The village will also lay on a traditional horse-race for us. The morning’s activities will be topped with a visit to the exquisite local temple.
In the afternoon we leave our utopian valley to investigate the surrounding area and explore the impressive inner stature of Ganden Sumtseling Monastery. We then will stroll through the old town of Shangri-la and visit the galleries and NGOs that have made this town their base. Following this, depending on availability, we will enjoy a private lecture/performance demonstrating the various schools of Tibetan music. (B, L - no dinner included.)
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Day Seven: Shangri-La - Lhasa |
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Our morning flight from the pristine countryside to Lhasa's bustling neighborhoods will complete your journey to the ancient center of Tibetan culture.
At about 3,650 meters or 12,000 feet above the sea, Lhasa stands approximately 4,500 feet higher than Colorado's Grand Canyon. The "land of the snows" has inspired artists and summoned the devoted for centuries. To best appreciate Lhasa's palaces, temples and society, we have arranged for an introductory lecture to familiarize you with the main themes, characters and symbols of Tibetan art and religious life. The remainder of the day will be left at leisure to allow you to acclimate to the altitude. (St. Regis Lhasa Potala View Deluxe Room 5 stars)
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Day Eight: Lhasa |
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This morning, you will be able to apply your newly acquired knowledge of Tibetan culture when we head 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.
In the afternoon we will visit Sera Monastery on Lhasa's outskirts. Once boasting thousands of monks, these wealthy monasteries vied for the hidden levers of governmental power. Now operating once more, you will see young monks meditating and studying in the debating gardens and chanting halls. (B, L - no dinner included.)
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Day Nine: Lhasa |
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We will begin the day on a meandering road to the crest of a tributary valley. Ganden Monastery, a striking array of white buildings, surrounding the red "Golden Tomb of Tsongkhapa" (the founder of the Gelugpa monastic sect) will suddenly appear in the hollow of a distant mountain ridge. Temples, colleges, dormitories, assembly halls, kitchens and the like proudly dominate the crown of this deep valley. The afternoon is left free to relax in the old Tibetan quarter of Lhasa and to make last minute purchases. You may wish to visit Dropeling, the home of the Tibetan Artists' Initiative whose aim is to promote local arts and crafts. (B, L - no dinner included.) |
Day Ten: Lhasa - Chengdu |
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Since the previous sites in Lhasa can provide a lifetime of striking visual imagery, the bar is set high for this morning's visit to the center of Lhasa's religious life at the 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. This is the kora, or pilgrimage route around the Jokhang Temple's circumference. As you amble clockwise 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.
In the afternoon we will take a flight back to Chengdu. (Shangri La Hotel Executive Riverview Room 5 stars) (B, L, D) |
Day Eleven: Chengdu |
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Today you will be transferred to the airport in time for a flight to your next destination. (B) |
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Please note that B, L, D denotes Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner. |
2012 Unique Destinations Tour Pricing
- Double Occupancy: USD10,220 per person.
- Single Supplement (for anyone requiring a single occupancy room): USD3,040 per person.
- Suite Upgrade (Double Occupancy in Chengdu, Lijiang, and Lhasa): USD2,000 per person.
- Domestic Airfare (Economy): USD1,130 per person.
- Domestic Airfare (First Class): USD2,180 per person.
Pre and post tour extensions in Beijing are available. Please contact us for more information.
2012 Tour Dates
Sep 3-13.
Tour group limited to 16 people. Departure requires minimum of 6 people.
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Included in the tour price are:
- 10 nights accommodation in the best five star
hotels. Please also pay particular attention
to the room category specified in the itinerary - we rarely use
entry level rooms.
- 10 breakfasts (buffet), 9 lunches & 4 dinners at
our carefully selected restaurants (soft drinks & local beer included).
- Services of a Western bilingual China Host and
local tour guides.
- All internal flights in economy class (Beijing/Xian, Xian/Guilin, Guilin/Shanghai).
- Note that prices for economy and first class are listed separately and will be added to the land tour price.
- All land transportation.
- Entrance fees to all tourist sites.
- Baggage handling, service charges, guide and
driver gratuities, hotel and domestic airport taxes.
- Tibet permit (please allow at least 2 weeks)
*Note that itinerary and tour prices are subject to availability and may change without notice prior to booking; domestic flight schedules are announced approximately three months in advance, and the itinerary is subject to revision.
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Not included in the tour price
are:
- International airfare to/from China, visa processing
fees, travel insurance.
- Personal expenses such as alcoholic beverages,
excess luggage fees, telephone charges, room service and laundry
charges.
- Gratuities to the China Host.
- The above domestic airfare price has been listed separately.
- Tours can be extended with an option to visit other destinations such as Beijing, Dunhuang, Guilin, Hong Kong & Macau , Hangzhou, Huangshan, Sanya, Shanghai, Shangri-La, Suzhou, and Xi'an. Please contact us for details.
**Please note that people who are planning on traveling to Lhasa should consult with their physician prior to travel. There are altitude sickness tablets that may prevent some symptoms, but travelers should consult their physician prior to any travel to this area. |
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