Upon your arrival at the airport/train station in Chongqing, the tour guide and driver will meet you at the exit, and then escort you to the well-selected hotel in Chongqing. The rest of the day is free on your own so you can have a good rest for the jet lag or explore by yourself around your hotel.
After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel and take you to explore the main attractions of Chongqing. Your first stop is the Three Gorges Museum, where you can admire an extensive collection of over 280,000 precious historical relics. This will give you a better understanding of the great Yangtze River and the formation of the Three Gorges, as well as the gradual development of Chongqing from a thousand years ago to the 20th century. After your visit, you can take some photos in front of the People's Assembly Hall, which is located outside the museum.
Later, you will be escorted to take Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 from Huanghuayuan Metro Station to Liziba Metro Station to look at the city’s prototype from a different angle. Then, get off to have the never-seen magic of the train going through a 11-storey block of flats, existing only in the fantastically structured Chongqing built against mountains. After lunch, move to E’ling Park and catch the impressive panorama of Chongqing city which has been highly praised as “Little Hong Kong” with its well-arranged row upon row of modern skyscrapers and two winding rivers surrounding.
In the late afternoon, go to Hongya Cave, which is a must-see attraction that showcases the unique wooden houses of the Ba and Shu regions. These houses are layered and tilted, and they stretch up to 11 stories high, creating a glittering effect when illuminated by orange lights at night. You can even climb up to the 11th level and enjoy the stunning view of the Jialing River and nearby buildings, which are beautifully lit up with neon lights.
This is the first day in Tibet. Your guide will greet you at Lhasa Gonggar Airport/Railway Station and transfer you to your hotel. It usually takes around 1 hour to drive from Lhasa Airport to downtown Lhasa and takes about 20 minutes from Lhasa Railway Station. Tourists could have a look at the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the largest and longest river in Tibet on their way to the hotel. After check-in, you can have a good rest first. And if you feel like going out, you can wander around the city. But just remember that don't take too much stuff, try to go with a light pack. Meanwhile, drink some more water, and do not move strenuously. It’s really useful to get acclimatized to the high altitude.
In the morning your guide will meet you at the hotel and take you to visit the famous Potala Palace, the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. It was first built by the 33rd King Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th century and rebuilt later by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Now it is a museum and world heritage site.
In the afternoon, we will go to visit Jokhang Temple in the center of the old Lhasa city. Jokhang Temple is the most sacred temple in Tibet and it is always bustling with earnest local pilgrims since the early days. After that, you will take a walk around the Barkhor Street which is one of the most devotional circuits as well as a crowded central market of Lhasa. Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the locals are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, it is also a must-see place for visitors.
Today’s first attraction is Drepung Monastery. Drepung means "piles of rice" in Tibetan, which symbolizes prosperity. It's the world's largest monastery that housed more than 10,000 monks in the past. Also, It's the highest-ranking monastery in the Gelug Sect. After lunch, you will continue to visit the Sera Monastery, the most beautiful Tibetan monastery in Lhasa. The Buddhist scripture debating is the highlight of Sera Monastery.
Your tour ends today. Our guide and driver will collect you from your hotel to transfer to Lhasa Airport/Railway Station for your next destination.
