The Middle Goes Up

Special Notes

A few things on this route follow the calendar, the season, an altitude profile or a supplier's confirmation. Here they are, told straight.

• Booking & Confirmation — This itinerary is available for enquiry and booking subject to travel dates. Please verify each component individually, including hotels, four segments of high-speed rail, domestic flights, sightseeing vehicles at the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, and associated fees. Specific inclusions, pricing, availability, and payment terms are subject to the written quotation and confirmation.
• Departure Date — Please provide your intended travel dates. The opening status of Jiuzhaigou Valley, as well as train and flight schedules and accommodation at each stop, must be verified against these dates. If the original plan cannot be fulfilled, we will first discuss adjustment options before confirming the quote.
• Mondays — The Forbidden City is typically closed on Mondays. Once your travel dates are confirmed, please adjust the itinerary for the Beijing segment based on the day's opening status.
• Altitude — On Day 8, travel by high-speed rail to the Jiuzhaigou region; no sightseeing is scheduled for the day. Day 9 involves entering a scenic area at a higher altitude, with continued local activities on Day 10 and a return to Chengdu on Day 11. Three nights of accommodation are included locally. Guests with concerns about altitude, or a history of cardiopulmonary disease or altitude sickness, are advised to consult a physician before booking. Additional costs for medical care, oxygen, evacuation, and insurance supplements are not included.
• The two plateau rail segments — For days eight and eleven, please verify the availability of the round-trip high-speed train services against your actual travel dates and ensure they are coordinated with local activities and accommodation before confirmation.
• In-park transport — The sightseeing bus in Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, Mutianyu cable car or chairlift and toboggan slide are listed as optional paid items for the current itinerary; final purchase methods and fees are subject to written quotations and on-site rules.
• Security screening at the square — Security checks are required for entry into Tiananmen Square, and queue times vary by date. Day 4 also includes the Temple of Heaven, a museum, and an afternoon high-speed rail service; please verify achievable visiting times after confirming your train schedule.
• Visa window — Entry and visa requirements vary by passport-issuing country, duration of stay in China, and travel date. Please check the applicable official Chinese policies before booking and allow sufficient processing time if a visa is required.
• US passports — Guests holding US passports should verify the applicable entry and visa requirements for China against their planned travel dates. Visa fees and processing costs are not included in the route price; please allow sufficient time for the application process before finalising your itinerary.
• Confirmation and changes — The confirmation time commitment and the change and refund terms are being settled with our on-the-ground partner. Until they are, each quote states in writing its own confirmation deadline and its change and refund conditions. Note what a date change touches on this route: four rail segments, one domestic flight, hotel inventory, and the plateau season window, all at once.