---
title: "The Long Way Up"
description: "15 days climbing from 44 meters to 3650 and learning what altitude asks"
type: "tour"
route_id: "china-tibet-ascent-15-days"
total_days: 15
price: 4440
highlights: ["Beijing", "Xi'an", "Chengdu", "Lhasa", "Shanghai"]
url: "https://www.lyriktrip.com/tours/china-tibet-ascent-15-days"
canonical_url: "https://www.lyriktrip.com/tours/china-tibet-ascent-15-days"
locale: "en-US"
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---

# The Long Way Up

15 days climbing from 44 meters to 3650 and learning what altitude asks

The classic cities, in order. The Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, pandas, a teahouse afternoon, the Bund, with English-speaking guides city by city.

- Sea level for the first eight days, then high ground. The plan gains altitude in one direction only, gives a whole day to each of the two long transfers, and puts one day at the top with nothing on it at all.

## Overview

Most people go up too fast. This plan does the opposite. Beijing sits at 44 meters, Xi'an at 400, Chengdu at 500. The plateau comes only after that. Eight days at low altitude is not padding, it is what makes the ninth day survivable. Beijing gives you the palace axis and one wall. Xi'an gives an army a whole day and a city wall you ride on. Chengdu is the last low place, so it is deliberately the slowest: pandas in the morning, and an afternoon nobody organizes. Shanghai brings you back to the water to end. You'll notice your own breathing somewhere around the middle of this trip, and once you have noticed it you will not stop.

— LyrikTrip travel designers

Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us your dates, who is coming and anything about your health that altitude might touch. First reply within four hours; a clear price for your dates within one business day. On this route we will also tell you plainly where the Lhasa arrangements stand before you are asked for anything, and if your dates do not work, we will say so instead of selling.

## Summary

- Route ID: china-tibet-ascent-15-days
- Duration: 15 days / 14 nights
- Starting price: $4,440
- Status: active
- Highlights: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Lhasa, Shanghai
- Cover image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/boWFM4ne.webp

## Hero tags

- private
- From 1 guest
- Max: no fixed limit

## Highlight notes

- The classic cities, in order. The Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, pandas, a teahouse afternoon, the Bund, with English-speaking guides city by city.
- 15 days from 44 meters to 3,650. Understand what altitude asks.

## Selling points

- Walk one axis through the Forbidden City and come out the north gate, then climb the hill directly opposite and look back down at every roof you just walked under.
- Ride the cable car up to the Great Wall at Mutianyu and give one wall the whole day: the long drive each way is built into it, and nothing else is booked against it.
- Stand over the pits at the Terracotta Warriors with a full day for them, close enough to tell a general from a crossbowman by his armor and the knot of his hair.
- Ride a bicycle along the top of the Xi'an City Wall, admission and bicycle both in the price, and see the old city at the height its builders chose.
- Get to the panda base in the morning, the hours when the pandas are actually moving rather than sleeping through your visit.
- Sit a whole afternoon in a People's Park teahouse over a gaiwan that gets refilled as long as you stay, with nothing scheduled after it.
- Close on the Bund after dark with your guide beside you: the old waterfront on one bank, the Pudong towers on the other, at sea level again.

## City highlights

- Beijing (3 days): Land low
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a9hctOg9.webp
- Xi'an (2 days): Lanes in the morning, rails after lunch
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/i9P5rg1P.webp
- Chengdu (3 days): On top of the wall, then through the mountains
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9WEKeUb9.webp
- Lhasa (4 days): The whole day goes to the climb
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b4793a84353b.jpg
- Shanghai (3 days): Down
  - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/hvNDpUle.webp

## Experiences

The classic cities, in order. The Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, pandas, a teahouse afternoon, the Bund, with English-speaking guides city by city.

- The Forbidden City (Beijing): the palace the Ming and Qing courts ran the country from, finished in 1420 and lived in for five centuries. You walk one axis: the ceremonial halls, the living quarters behind them, the imperial garden, then out through the north gate to Jingshan. Entry is by timed reservation and the booking system sits poorly with overseas mobile numbers, so your quote states in writing who books your slot and by when. The admission itself is in the base price. Audio guides and guides hired inside the palace are not. Guests regularly find the site tiring, so the route is cut to that single line with places to sit, and no departure puts this day on a Monday, when the palace closes.
  - Subtitle: the palace the Ming and Qing courts ran the country from, finished in 1420 and lived in for five centuries.
  - Tags: Heritage
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: the palace the Ming and Qing courts ran the country from, finished in 1420 and lived in for five centuries. You walk one axis: the ceremonial halls, the living quarters behind them, the imperial garden, then out through the north gate to Jingshan. Entry is by timed reservation and the booking system sits poorly with overseas mobile numbers, so your quote states in writing who books your slot and by when. The admission itself is in the base price. Audio guides and guides hired inside the palace are not. Guests regularly find the site tiring, so the route is cut to that single line with places to sit, and no departure puts this day on a Monday, when the palace closes.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7f313a6dab74.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8a6cdb9ca2b9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/de8d1138706b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cb45218f2b95.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/08a2b46a7206.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/43c9d4d18be6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/49598606918a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/17cfe569ced7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/aff552490ca6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/db0255c2930c.jpg
- Jingshan Park (Beijing): Jingshan Park offers one of the best classic views across the Forbidden City rooftops.
  - Subtitle: A hilltop view over imperial Beijing
  - Tags: Viewpoint
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: A short climb rewards travelers with a strong city overview.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/408fc381c4b4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7f313a6dab74.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6a3ff539ffc8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2c700baa4e73.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/00decb026e42.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/51ec43ea0513.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9604ef61c628.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7dc03e9310a1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/964e96f11238.jpg
- Mutianyu Great Wall (Beijing): A well-restored Great Wall section with open views and easier walking conditions for first-time visitors.
  - Subtitle: A classic Great Wall section near Beijing
  - Tags: Great Wall
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: A polished Great Wall experience with flexible cable car or walking options.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f6c07b2f8772.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3a661e194c2f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1b0f83ddd1e5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7207d6532c2f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e88879531691.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/926d916b9408.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/91465599744f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a720fb1678e6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/608cdc21a04d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9b968ec44131.jpg
- Farmhouse lunch below the Great Wall (Beijing): home-style northern Chinese dishes made with local ingredients, at a farmhouse restaurant near the foot of the wall, on the wall day. Its pricing basis is being finalized with the operator, so your quote states in writing whether this lunch sits inside your base price.
  - Subtitle: home-style northern Chinese dishes made with local ingredients, at a farmhouse restaurant near the foot of the wall, on the wall day.
  - Tags: Meal
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: home-style northern Chinese dishes made with local ingredients, at a farmhouse restaurant near the foot of the wall, on the wall day. Its pricing basis is being finalized with the operator, so your quote states in writing whether this lunch sits inside your base price.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/12700e5a57c2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/dae5d13ac00f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/333741463d8b.jpg
- Hutong lanes and the Shichahai lakeside (Beijing): courtyard lanes and lakeside streets where old Beijing still runs its daily life: gray brick, doorway stones, bicycles, the lakes going quiet toward dusk. About two hours, flat the whole way, and it is set on the morning of a travel day so the pace stays low. In the base price.
  - Subtitle: courtyard lanes and lakeside streets where old Beijing still runs its daily life: gray brick, doorway stones, bicycles, the lakes going quiet toward dusk.
  - Tags: City
  - Host: Beijing, Beijing Lens — Imperial capital and Great Wall
  - Access: courtyard lanes and lakeside streets where old Beijing still runs its daily life: gray brick, doorway stones, bicycles, the lakes going quiet toward dusk. About two hours, flat the whole way, and it is set on the morning of a travel day so the pace stays low. In the base price.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c24addfaebbd.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fe9f94178424.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a89bc6c4fd98.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/04a1b8761320.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f33f3be71930.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b3f2f5a11e6c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8f53a337fbca.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9334df3db1e2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/748ea658803d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7d46557f3072.jpg
- High-speed rail, Beijing to Xi'an (Beijing to Xi'an): an afternoon aboard China's high-speed railway, roughly 1,100 kilometers of the North China Plain going past the window at speed. Station transfers at both ends are by your own vehicle and your guide hands you over at the gate. In the base price. Cabin class is being finalized, so your quote states in writing the class booked for your order.
  - Subtitle: an afternoon aboard China's high-speed railway, roughly 1,100 kilometers of the North China Plain going past the window at speed.
  - Tags: Transport
  - Host: Guangzhou, Guangzhou Lens — Trade history and southern city life
  - Access: an afternoon aboard China's high-speed railway, roughly 1,100 kilometers of the North China Plain going past the window at speed. Station transfers at both ends are by your own vehicle and your guide hands you over at the gate. In the base price. Cabin class is being finalized, so your quote states in writing the class booked for your order.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fb93d232554d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7781d5ce0818.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/657532699f1f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5612dfe51dad.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a97eca2cd5ca.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bd925cf52a58.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2a591fe89642.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e7adeb642885.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ec5b8ff6b5da.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/dc80c6b7f8e4.jpg
- Terracotta Warriors: Reading the Pits (Xi'an): the excavation halls outside Xi'an holding the underground army of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, and one of the country's most significant archaeological finds. You look down into the pits at ranked columns of soldiers: individual faces, armor by rank, formations still legible after two millennia of burial. Your guide teaches you to read them: which are officers, which are archers, what the formation was for. Why it rewards a slow visit: the scale reads in one glance, the craftsmanship only up close.
  - Subtitle: the excavation halls outside Xi'an holding the underground army of Qin Shi
  - Tags: History
  - Host: Xi'an, Xi'an Lens — Warriors and ancient capital
  - Access: Why it rewards a slow visit: the scale reads in one glance, the craftsmanship only up close.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/de05241524fb.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/788c1d294602.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/70bc50b897e9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f58fac3efc36.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/dcbc4615cebd.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a379bf924cf3.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4cd4eb7405cc.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3d63338ab682.jpg
- Shaanxi noodle lunch (Xi'an): lunch after the museum, in the local style: Shaanxi is wheat country, so lunch here is noodles rather than rice. Your guide orders. Its pricing basis is being finalized, so your quote states in writing whether this lunch sits inside your base price.
  - Subtitle: lunch after the museum, in the local style: Shaanxi is wheat country, so lunch here is noodles rather than rice.
  - Tags: Meal
  - Host: Xi'an, Xi'an Lens — Warriors and ancient capital
  - Access: lunch after the museum, in the local style: Shaanxi is wheat country, so lunch here is noodles rather than rice. Your guide orders. Its pricing basis is being finalized, so your quote states in writing whether this lunch sits inside your base price.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/afafaeecd131.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b73ade1e52ce.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7c635ec6a98a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/13dda5353b3b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6474ed30da65.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f220855209e1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2cb23323af90.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a1ca07f28ea8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/27f05bd6d5f6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bb412050bfa5.jpg
- Xi'an City Wall cycling (Xi'an): one of the most complete ancient city walls still standing in China, wide enough on top to ride two abreast. You ride as far as you feel like and turn back; the wall is a closed loop, so there is no wrong direction. Wall admission and the bicycle are both in the base price, and the ride is set for the morning, before the afternoon train.
  - Subtitle: one of the most complete ancient city walls still standing in China, wide enough on top to ride two abreast.
  - Tags: Active
  - Host: Xi'an, Xi'an Lens — Warriors and ancient capital
  - Access: one of the most complete ancient city walls still standing in China, wide enough on top to ride two abreast. You ride as far as you feel like and turn back; the wall is a closed loop, so there is no wrong direction. Wall admission and the bicycle are both in the base price, and the ride is set for the morning, before the afternoon train.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/daf832e303d0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8f7c7a922b33.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f864b69ac4b1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9c4dc5e6e575.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b69829f31585.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fa7cbb02b287.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/250856ce1d51.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1170df991f6f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6e33ef1383e4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6c4bc5467067.jpg
- High-speed rail, Xi'an to Chengdu (Xi'an to Chengdu): the afternoon the landscape changes. The line runs south through the Qinling mountains, the range that divides northern China from southern China, in and out of tunnels, and you arrive in a place that eats, talks and moves differently from the one you left after lunch. In the base price, cabin class stated in your quote.
  - Subtitle: the afternoon the landscape changes.
  - Tags: Transport
  - Host: Guangzhou, Guangzhou Lens — Trade history and southern city life
  - Access: the afternoon the landscape changes. The line runs south through the Qinling mountains, the range that divides northern China from southern China, in and out of tunnels, and you arrive in a place that eats, talks and moves differently from the one you left after lunch. In the base price, cabin class stated in your quote.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/779230c107f7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fb93d232554d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0986d5a97d51.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c9fa01a18210.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0557755296eb.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/673e97272b64.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/04b64e8174f2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/456ffccae8e2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/60eb70c6e497.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/02659d304894.jpg
- Chengdu panda base (Chengdu): the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a research and breeding center on the edge of the city. Your visit is set for the morning, the hours when the pandas are generally more active; arrive later and you mostly watch them sleep. About three hours on flat, shaded paths. Whether the park's internal shuttle is running in your month, and whether it sits inside your price, is stated in writing in your quote.
  - Subtitle: the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a research and breeding center on the edge of the city.
  - Tags: Nature
  - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture
  - Access: the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a research and breeding center on the edge of the city. Your visit is set for the morning, the hours when the pandas are generally more active; arrive later and you mostly watch them sleep. About three hours on flat, shaded paths. Whether the park's internal shuttle is running in your month, and whether it sits inside your price, is stated in writing in your quote.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5b5d1775d251.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e650f27937d8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c910f00284ac.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fb8f2b170763.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f84d52332ce8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3e8e1eba78b6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/106d08f5e8be.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/df22c3d68f08.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cdab22c7bcf5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bcdc08962f93.jpg
- Teahouse sitting in People's Park (Chengdu): an open-air teahouse in a public park in the middle of Chengdu, bamboo chairs at low tables under the trees. You sit down and stay: the table and one gaiwan per guest, the lidded cup China brews in, are in your price, and the kettle comes back as long as you are in the chair. Around you the park does what it does on a weekday, cards at the next table, a tuning fork ringing as an ear cleaner works his way between the tables. Roughly three hours are set aside, because sitting is the content here rather than a pause on the way somewhere. The ear cleaning and anything you eat or drink beyond that one gaiwan are on your own account.
  - Subtitle: an open-air teahouse in a public park in the middle of Chengdu, bamboo chairs at low tables under the trees, keep your seat and the tea keeps coming.
  - Tags: City
  - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture
  - Access: bamboo chairs under the trees and a gaiwan each, the lidded cup China brews in, refilled by a man with a long-spouted kettle for as long as you keep the seat. Around you: neighbors playing cards, an ear cleaner working the next table with a tuning fork. Your seat and the refills are in the base price; the snacks and the ear cleaner are your own account. A full afternoon is set aside, because sitting is the content here rather than a pause on the way somewhere.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/77584e962219.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2bff65c653e6.png, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/34f6c86b2f9f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a4c2127aee55.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6a74f063db8f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a27d0f4e6224.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/89eb340e5ae2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3b775398e844.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b33e34d550fa.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3cbc8f748897.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/aa9f96490a8c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bb9ce7deea94.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1ea505e390f1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/221e3aa47210.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/43f5d1ab4117.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/12ed3c8b6eac.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/54273121005d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4e4bd21b9b97.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9d549716c30b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9cf32f1b02e8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d57a819a2152.jpg
- Wenshu Monastery (Chengdu): a working monastery rather than a museum, with monks living and chanting inside it, and a vegetarian canteen alongside where local people line up at lunchtime. Quiet, flat and about ninety minutes. In the base price.
  - Subtitle: a working monastery rather than a museum, with monks living and chanting inside it, and a vegetarian canteen alongside where local people line up at lunchtime.
  - Tags: Heritage
  - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture
  - Access: a working monastery rather than a museum, with monks living and chanting inside it, and a vegetarian canteen alongside where local people line up at lunchtime. Quiet, flat and about ninety minutes. In the base price.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4cde1b546423.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cd0a98778b61.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d9351ad14dbb.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/08028e98dfd6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/da72ce581e88.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/171f544b32c1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/47e82d70cc0b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/86cebd9977b5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7299ad08e4e7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/57a800ae461c.jpg
- Kuanzhai Alley and Taikoo Li (Chengdu): a historic neighborhood built around three parallel lanes, and the newer quarter beside it, walked on foot with your guide and with no ticketed venue involved. Both are commercial and busy, and we say that plainly rather than sell it as the last of the old city. Next to it, Taikoo Li shows you what the same city spends its money on today. About two and a half hours on foot with your guide; the guide's time is in your price and anything you buy is on your account.
  - Subtitle: a historic neighborhood built around three parallel lanes, and the newer quarter beside it, walked on foot with your guide and with no ticketed venue involved.
  - Tags: City
  - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture
  - Access: a historic neighborhood built around three parallel lanes, restored and now as much a shopping street as a quarter of old Chengdu; we say that plainly rather than sell it as the last of the old city. Next to it, Taikoo Li shows you what the same city spends its money on today. About two and a half hours on foot with your guide.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/32a4dc46e28f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/61859314af60.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cc98f04d1142.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/aa2e718f79ba.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/53c7fdc344a2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/07f3ceea8440.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/813e0ad5e32f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3f12a2960f0c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c3d25d0d0bc4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7d46557f3072.jpg
- Yu Garden: Older than the Skyline (Shanghai): A classical garden of pavilions, rockery, ponds and paths that never run straight, sitting inside the oldest quarter of Shanghai. It is the one place in the city that predates everything the skyline is famous for. A short, level visit — two hours, all of it flat — and it is the last thing on the trip, sized to fit before an afternoon flight. Admission is in your base price.
  - Subtitle: A classical garden of pavilions, rockery, ponds and paths that never run straight in the oldest quarter of Shanghai, and the one place that predates everything its skyline is famous for.
  - Tags: Heritage
  - Host: Shanghai, Shanghai Lens — Skyline and riverfront culture
  - Access: a classical garden of pavilions, rockery, ponds and paths that never run straight, sitting inside the oldest quarter of Shanghai. Two hours, all of it flat. It is the one place in the city that predates everything the skyline is famous for.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7c5e906b378e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/07b39b023295.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/075884fd7738.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3623b2d6ff22.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c3f4af921585.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7bc088a35094.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b4ff42f10f39.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8ab6fa3c88e9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/793d4d9ec24d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a1dac8269a5f.jpg
- The Bund by Night: On the Lookout (Shanghai): the historic waterfront buildings on one bank of the Huangpu River and the Pudong towers on the other, a hundred years apart and facing each other across the water. Your guide stays with you through the evening, which also settles the practical question: the approach from strangers offering English practice or a tea invitation on the waterfront is a known scam, and you are not walking into it alone. In the base price.
  - Subtitle: the historic waterfront buildings on one bank of the Huangpu River and the Pudong towers on the other, a hundred years apart and facing each other across the water.
  - Tags: City
  - Host: Shanghai, Shanghai Lens — Skyline and riverfront culture
  - Access: the historic waterfront buildings on one bank of the Huangpu River and the Pudong towers on the other, a hundred years apart and facing each other across the water. Your guide stays with you through the evening, which also settles the practical question: the approach from strangers offering English practice or a tea invitation on the waterfront is a known scam, and you are not walking into it alone. In the base price.
  - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/44b4c59711e7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/819f854bed70.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/25f3fbf391b7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ab3be6b19c59.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/520402ec044f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/eed1a59d8207.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/334c0bdef4be.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8851a6617c7b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a2a8d5aca0bf.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2e92d8293a47.jpg
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## Itinerary

### The Long Way Up - 15 days

Journey

#### Beijing (3 days)

- Subtitle: Land low
- Recommendation: Your driver meets your flight, whatever time it lands. The first day asks nothing of you, and that is the same principle the whole route runs on.
- Transport: High-speed rail
- Transport mode: train

Airport pickup · Beijing at 44 meters · Evening

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a9hctOg9.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/14h8ZnOb.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/17bdSgjF.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1bDq9gT4.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1cZHxWkg.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1vwu9mIQ.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1X29GyUB.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1xVI7jTc.webp
##### Day 1: Land low

- (transport) — your driver and vehicle are waiting for the flight number on your confirmation, and the run into the city is yours to sleep through.
- (sight) — ring roads, then poplars and the lit shopfronts of a city street. Note the altitude on the first night, because in eight days it is the number the trip turns on.
- (note) — nothing is scheduled. Your guide is reachable, and dinner near the hotel is recommended and booked for you if you want it, on your account.
- (accommodation) Novotel Beijing Peace — Hotel stay in Beijing.

##### Day 2: One axis, then the hill

- (sight) — your timed slot is booked ahead by us, so you walk in on schedule. Inside, one axis: the ceremonial halls where the court did its business, the living quarters behind them, the imperial garden at the end, then out through the north gate. Stand in the middle of the main courtyard and look back through the gates you came in by: they line up, one inside another, all the way out.
- (sight) — the north gate opens onto the hill, ten minutes of steps to the pavilion at the top. From up there the roofs you spent the morning walking under lay themselves out in a single golden line, and the city keeps going straight north behind them.
- (sight) — the palace is large and guests often find it long, so the route stops at the seats we know about and the hill is left until after lunch.

##### Day 3: One wall, all day

- (transport) — out through the suburbs and into the hills, an hour and a half or so each way in your own vehicle. This is the day the route deliberately spends on one place.
- (sight) — the cable car takes the climb, so you arrive at the wall with your legs intact. Walk the restored stretch between watchtowers, put your hand on the parapet and look at where the next tower sits: your guide shows you why it stands exactly there, and the whole line of them suddenly reads as one system rather than scenery.
- (dining) — northern home cooking at a farmhouse restaurant near the foot of the wall, local ingredients, served family style.

#### Xi'an (2 days)

- Subtitle: Lanes in the morning, rails after lunch
- Recommendation: A slow morning at street level, then five hundred kilometers before dinner. The first of three days built to be easy.
- Transport: High-speed rail
- Transport mode: train

Hutong lanes and Shichahai · High-speed rail to Xi'an · Arrival in Xi'an

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/i9P5rg1P.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2IrwPATt.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2SYFFac8.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2z6MDkku.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/34qxDxFA.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3DF4Fowd.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3G0oTlIq.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/56RpQD9k.webp
##### Day 4: Lanes in the morning, rails after lunch

- (sight) — gray brick walls, doorway stones worn round, bicycles leaned where they always are and the lakes going quiet as the morning goes on. Your guide walks it with you at whatever pace the morning takes.
- (transport) — your vehicle runs you to the station and your guide sees you onto the platform. Then the North China plain for the afternoon, flat to the horizon, villages and wheat fields going past at speed. You'll find you stop talking for a while and just watch it.
- (transport) — met at the station and driven to the hotel. Altitude 400 meters, which is the second step of four.
- (accommodation) Somerset Xindicheng Xi'an — Hotel stay in Xian.

##### Day 5: Eight thousand of them

- (sight) — you stand at the rail above the pits, where an estimated eight thousand figures are set out in formation. Your guide teaches you to read rank off the bodies: the armor plates, the knot of the hair, the stance of a crossbowman kneeling. Once you can do it, the pit stops being a crowd and becomes a chain of command.
- (sight) — in these sections you can still see traces of the original pigment on the figures, the color that survived the air.
- (dining) — Shaanxi grows wheat, not rice, so lunch is noodles. Your guide orders for the table.

#### Chengdu (3 days)

- Subtitle: On top of the wall, then through the mountains
- Recommendation: An hour on a bicycle above the old city, then the train that cuts through the range dividing north from south.
- Transport: Private vehicle
- Transport mode: car

Xi'an City Wall cycling · High-speed rail through the Qinling mountains · Arrival in Chengdu

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9WEKeUb9.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/18sksaPz.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1BPFDek8.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2iDGv07g.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2sL1auf0.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/37Mf4mO1.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4BqwVBVY.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4mDgLfna.webp
##### Day 6: On top of the wall, then through the mountains

- (sight) — you ride on top of the wall, the ramparts on your right and the old city roofs below on your left, past the gate towers at the corners. The loop closes, so you can turn back whenever you want and still be going the right way.
- (transport) — the afternoon train south runs mostly in tunnel under the range that separates northern China from the south. You go in with dry northern air and come out about three hours later into a wetter, greener basin, and the food changes with it.
- (transport) — met at the station and driven to the hotel. Altitude 500 meters, the last low step before the plateau.
- (accommodation) Atour Hotel Chengdu Taikoo Li Chunxi Road Pedestrian Street — Hotel stay in Chengdu.

##### Day 7: Pandas early, then nowhere to be

- (sight) — you get there early, in the hours the pandas are generally moving: eating, climbing badly, falling off things. Flat paths, about three hours, and you are back in the city by lunch.
- (sight) — bamboo chairs under the trees, a gaiwan in front of you (the lidded cup China brews in), topped up as long as you stay. Cards at the next table, the ear cleaner's tuning fork ringing somewhere behind you. You'll catch yourself checking nothing, for a couple of hours.
- (sight) — this is the last day below one thousand meters, and a rested body handles the climb ahead better than a busy one.

##### Day 8: A working temple and two versions of a street

- (sight) — monks live here and chant here, so you keep your voice down and stand out of the way. Beside it, the vegetarian canteen has a queue of local people at noon, which tells you more about the place than the plaque does.
- (sight) — three parallel lanes, restored and commercial now. We say so plainly. Walk them for what they show: a Chengdu street with the shops turned up loud.
- (sight) — the modern open-air shopping quarter a short walk on. Two versions of the same street a few hundred meters apart, which is the point of putting them on one day.
- (note) — nothing scheduled, and an early night is the plan: tomorrow is the transfer to the plateau.

#### Lhasa (4 days)

- Subtitle: The whole day goes to the climb
- Recommendation: One flight, and nothing else on the day. This is the step the whole route was built around.
- Transport: Flight
- Transport mode: airplane

Chengdu to Lhasa by air · The first hours up there

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b4793a84353b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f9kZeHMg.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fHoaOnUi.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/kmRH6ROt.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4dfebadb193b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/abe5f3123753.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f351a7d767ff.jpg
##### Day 9: The whole day goes to the climb

- (transport) — the plan gives this transfer the entire day, arrival to hotel and no further. The air segment is outside the price.
- (sight) — the plan is to move slowly, eat lightly and stay in. What altitude does to a body is not something anyone can promise in advance, which is exactly why the day carries nothing.

##### Day 10: The day with nothing on it

- (sight) — nothing is scheduled, on purpose. The plan is a late start, short flat walks near the hotel and an early night, with pulse-oximeter monitoring alongside the group.
- (sight) — the plan treats the first two days up here as settling time. Every named site on this route sits after that window, not before it.

##### Day 11: The palace on the rock

- (sight) — the plan places it in the morning. Entry is timed and the climb is stairs at altitude, which is why it comes on the third day up rather than the first.
- (sight) — the plan is the temple in the late afternoon with a long rest between the two, rather than both in one push.
- (sight) — two sites, one long break, and a day that ends early.

##### Day 12: Debate in the yard, water past the pass

- (sight) — the monastery's debate courtyard, where monks argue points of doctrine out loud with clapped hands. The plan sets it for the afternoon session.
- (sight) — the road there crosses a pass higher than Lhasa itself. The plan puts this day after seventy-two hours on the plateau, and pass conditions in late season are confirmed with the ground operator before any date is sold.

#### Shanghai (3 days)

- Subtitle: Down
- Recommendation: Two thousand meters of descent in two hours, and the air comes back.
- Transport: Flight
- Transport mode: airplane

Lhasa to Shanghai by air · Arrival at sea level

- Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/hvNDpUle.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/13x1KtnS.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1Q9afrZn.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1Riqjj0n.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1VrlDwIi.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1vYpI6NZ.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3PEjxTGx.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4EbDdFHb.webp
##### Day 13: Down

- (transport) — the plan gives this day entirely to the flight and the recovery at the other end. The air segment is outside the price.
- (transport) — you land where the trip started, at the bottom of the scale. After four nights up high, nothing down here is being asked of your lungs, and that is its own thing to notice.
- (accommodation) Bellagio by MGM Shanghai on the Bund — Hotel stay in Shanghai.

##### Day 14: Garden, then the water

- (sight) — pavilions, rockery, ponds and a path that never runs straight, dropped inside the oldest quarter of the city. Flat the whole way, and after the plateau it is the easiest morning of the trip.
- (sight) — the old waterfront buildings hold one bank of the river and the Pudong towers hold the other, a hundred years apart, facing each other across the water. Your guide is with you for the whole evening, which is also how the waterfront tea-invitation scam stays a story you heard rather than one you tell. Standing at sea level with the plateau four days behind you, you'll feel the fifteen days close into one picture.

##### Day 15: Home

- (transport) — your driver takes you to the airport, timed to your flight with room to spare; if a late flight leaves the day open, tell us and we plan the gap around your check-out rather than around a schedule.

## Daily plan

### Day 1 — Land low

Your driver meets your flight, whatever time it lands. The first day asks nothing of you, and that is the same principle the whole route runs on.

- Airport pickup: your driver and vehicle are waiting for the flight number on your confirmation, and the run into the city is yours to sleep through.
- Beijing at 44 meters: ring roads, then poplars and the lit shopfronts of a city street. Note the altitude on the first night, because in eight days it is the number the trip turns on.
- Evening: nothing is scheduled. Your guide is reachable, and dinner near the hotel is recommended and booked for you if you want it, on your account.
- Stay: Beijing
- Meals: None included today

### Day 2 — One axis, then the hill

The palace from the inside, then the same palace from above. Five centuries of planning read in one afternoon.

- The Forbidden City: your timed slot is booked ahead by us, so you walk in on schedule. Inside, one axis: the ceremonial halls where the court did its business, the living quarters behind them, the imperial garden at the end, then out through the north gate. Stand in the middle of the main courtyard and look back through the gates you came in by: they line up, one inside another, all the way out.
- Jingshan Park: the north gate opens onto the hill, ten minutes of steps to the pavilion at the top. From up there the roofs you spent the morning walking under lay themselves out in a single golden line, and the city keeps going straight north behind them.
- Pace: the palace is large and guests often find it long, so the route stops at the seats we know about and the hill is left until after lunch.
- Stay: Beijing
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 3 — One wall, all day

The wall gets the whole day because the drive is long and the wall is worth it. Nothing else is booked against it.

- The drive north: out through the suburbs and into the hills, an hour and a half or so each way in your own vehicle. This is the day the route deliberately spends on one place.
- Mutianyu Great Wall: the cable car takes the climb, so you arrive at the wall with your legs intact. Walk the restored stretch between watchtowers, put your hand on the parapet and look at where the next tower sits: your guide shows you why it stands exactly there, and the whole line of them suddenly reads as one system rather than scenery.
- Farmhouse lunch: northern home cooking at a farmhouse restaurant near the foot of the wall, local ingredients, served family style.
- Stay: Beijing
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel · farmhouse lunch

### Day 4 — Lanes in the morning, rails after lunch

A slow morning at street level, then five hundred kilometers before dinner. The first of three days built to be easy.

- Hutong lanes and Shichahai: gray brick walls, doorway stones worn round, bicycles leaned where they always are and the lakes going quiet as the morning goes on. Your guide walks it with you at whatever pace the morning takes.
- High-speed rail to Xi'an: your vehicle runs you to the station and your guide sees you onto the platform. Then the North China plain for the afternoon, flat to the horizon, villages and wheat fields going past at speed. You'll find you stop talking for a while and just watch it.
- Arrival in Xi'an: met at the station and driven to the hotel. Altitude 400 meters, which is the second step of four.
- Stay: Xi'an
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 5 — Eight thousand of them

An army that was buried to keep working. One site, one day, no second stop.

- The Terracotta Warriors: you stand at the rail above the pits, where an estimated eight thousand figures are set out in formation. Your guide teaches you to read rank off the bodies: the armor plates, the knot of the hair, the stance of a crossbowman kneeling. Once you can do it, the pit stops being a crowd and becomes a chain of command.
- The newer excavation areas: in these sections you can still see traces of the original pigment on the figures, the color that survived the air.
- Shaanxi noodle lunch: Shaanxi grows wheat, not rice, so lunch is noodles. Your guide orders for the table.
- Stay: Xi'an
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel · Shaanxi noodle lunch

### Day 6 — On top of the wall, then through the mountains

An hour on a bicycle above the old city, then the train that cuts through the range dividing north from south.

- Xi'an City Wall cycling: you ride on top of the wall, the ramparts on your right and the old city roofs below on your left, past the gate towers at the corners. The loop closes, so you can turn back whenever you want and still be going the right way.
- High-speed rail through the Qinling mountains: the afternoon train south runs mostly in tunnel under the range that separates northern China from the south. You go in with dry northern air and come out about three hours later into a wetter, greener basin, and the food changes with it.
- Arrival in Chengdu: met at the station and driven to the hotel. Altitude 500 meters, the last low step before the plateau.
- Stay: Chengdu
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 7 — Pandas early, then nowhere to be

The morning is scheduled and the afternoon deliberately is not. Chengdu is where this route slows down on purpose.

- Chengdu panda base: you get there early, in the hours the pandas are generally moving: eating, climbing badly, falling off things. Flat paths, about three hours, and you are back in the city by lunch.
- People's Park teahouse: bamboo chairs under the trees, a gaiwan in front of you (the lidded cup China brews in), topped up as long as you stay. Cards at the next table, the ear cleaner's tuning fork ringing somewhere behind you. You'll catch yourself checking nothing, for a couple of hours.
- Why here: this is the last day below one thousand meters, and a rested body handles the climb ahead better than a busy one.
- Stay: Chengdu
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 8 — A working temple and two versions of a street

Incense in the morning, shopfronts in the afternoon, and the same city holding both.

- Wenshu Monastery: monks live here and chant here, so you keep your voice down and stand out of the way. Beside it, the vegetarian canteen has a queue of local people at noon, which tells you more about the place than the plaque does.
- Kuanzhai Alley: three parallel lanes, restored and commercial now. We say so plainly. Walk them for what they show: a Chengdu street with the shops turned up loud.
- Taikoo Li: the modern open-air shopping quarter a short walk on. Two versions of the same street a few hundred meters apart, which is the point of putting them on one day.
- Evening: nothing scheduled, and an early night is the plan: tomorrow is the transfer to the plateau.
- Stay: Chengdu
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 9 — The whole day goes to the climb

One flight, and nothing else on the day. This is the step the whole route was built around.

- Chengdu to Lhasa by air: the plan gives this transfer the entire day, arrival to hotel and no further. The air segment is outside the price.
- The first hours up there: the plan is to move slowly, eat lightly and stay in. What altitude does to a body is not something anyone can promise in advance, which is exactly why the day carries nothing.
- Stay: Lhasa
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 10 — The day with nothing on it

An empty day at 3,650 meters is not a gap in the plan. It is the plan. 3,650

- Acclimatization: nothing is scheduled, on purpose. The plan is a late start, short flat walks near the hotel and an early night, with pulse-oximeter monitoring alongside the group.
- What the day is for: the plan treats the first two days up here as settling time. Every named site on this route sits after that window, not before it.
- Stay: Lhasa
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 11 — The palace on the rock

The building on the hill first, then the temple the pilgrims walk toward. Two centers of the same world.

- Potala Palace: the plan places it in the morning. Entry is timed and the climb is stairs at altitude, which is why it comes on the third day up rather than the first.
- Jokhang Temple: the plan is the temple in the late afternoon with a long rest between the two, rather than both in one push.
- Pace: two sites, one long break, and a day that ends early.
- Stay: Lhasa
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 12 — Debate in the yard, water past the pass

An argument you cannot follow and a lake you will not forget the color of. The plateau at its two speeds.

- Sera Monastery: the monastery's debate courtyard, where monks argue points of doctrine out loud with clapped hands. The plan sets it for the afternoon session.
- Yamdrok Lake: the road there crosses a pass higher than Lhasa itself. The plan puts this day after seventy-two hours on the plateau, and pass conditions in late season are confirmed with the ground operator before any date is sold.
- Stay: Lhasa
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 13 — Down

Two thousand meters of descent in two hours, and the air comes back.

- Lhasa to Shanghai by air: the plan gives this day entirely to the flight and the recovery at the other end. The air segment is outside the price.
- Arrival at sea level: you land where the trip started, at the bottom of the scale. After four nights up high, nothing down here is being asked of your lungs, and that is its own thing to notice.
- Stay: Shanghai
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 14 — Garden, then the water

A classical garden in the morning, the waterfront after dark. The last full day answers the first one.

- Yu Garden and the old city: pavilions, rockery, ponds and a path that never runs straight, dropped inside the oldest quarter of the city. Flat the whole way, and after the plateau it is the easiest morning of the trip.
- The Bund after dark: the old waterfront buildings hold one bank of the river and the Pudong towers hold the other, a hundred years apart, facing each other across the water. Your guide is with you for the whole evening, which is also how the waterfront tea-invitation scam stays a story you heard rather than one you tell. Standing at sea level with the plateau four days behind you, you'll feel the fifteen days close into one picture.
- Stay: Shanghai
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

### Day 15 — Home

Breakfast, then the airport. The plan ends the way it started, with a driver and no hurry.

- Airport drop-off: your driver takes you to the airport, timed to your flight with room to spare; if a late flight leaves the day open, tell us and we plan the gap around your check-out rather than around a schedule.
- Stay: Trip ends
- Meals: Breakfast at the hotel

## Hotels

### Shanghai Royal Garden Hotel (Shanghai International Resort)

- City: Shanghai
- Description: Shanghai Royal Garden Hotel: a luxury garden hotel near Pudong Airport and Disneyland, with free shuttle service to both.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a07e8f886100.jpg

### Atour Hotel (Beijing West Railway Station South Square)

- City: Beijing
- Description: Upscale local hotel near Beijing West Railway Station South Square.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/dHqyz391.webp

### Shangri-La Lhasa

- City: Lhasa
- Description: Five-star Tibetan-design hotel with oxygen-enriched rooms for high-altitude acclimatization.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3AvCcitN.webp

### Hilton Chengdu Chenghua

- City: Chengdu
- Description: A practical Chengdu base for travellers who want easy city access, relaxed days out, and a comfortable return after sightseeing.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3pup59R7.webp

### Atour Hotel Chengdu Taikoo Li Chunxi Road Pedestrian Street

- City: Chengdu
- Description: A simple Chengdu stay near Chunxi Road, good for travellers who want easy walks, food stops, and short city transfers.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bUOsDqAb.webp

### Bellagio by MGM Shanghai on the Bund

- City: Shanghai
- Description: A curated hotel option in Shanghai, used as the shared route hotel resource.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9u9jCkFL.webp

### Pullman Shanghai Zhongganghui Hotel

- City: Shanghai
- Description: Pullman Shanghai Zhongganghui Hotel, in Dapuqiao near Tianzifang, steps from Metro Line 9 and the Expo site.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5xOD9FRB.webp

### Shangri-La Hotel

- City: Xian
- Description: Shangri-La Hotel Xi'an: five-star luxury near the Terracotta Warriors, 35 minutes from the airport.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ldYT8r2G.webp

### Sheraton Xi'an North City Hotel

- City: Xian
- Description: Sheraton Xi'an North City: five-star luxury five minutes from the Daming Palace, with an indoor pool and wellness centre.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/k01OUBYw.jpg

### Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast

- City: Beijing
- Description: International high-end hotel in Beijing, suitable for business and city stays.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bWOFYezP.jpg

### Atour S Hotel Shanghai Hongqiao Centre Aegean

- City: Shanghai
- Description: Atour S Hotel in Hongqiao: steps from Aegean Place and Metro Line 10, six km from the National Exhibition and Convention Center.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ciHY2Qvs.webp

### Shangri-La Lhasa Hotel

- City: Lhasa
- Description: Shangri-La Lhasa Hotel, near Norbulingka and Tibet Museum, with mountain views, an oxygen lounge and 4 restaurants.

### The Temple House

- City: Chengdu
- Description: Boutique luxury hotel inside a restored Qing-dynasty courtyard near Taikoo Li with one of Chengdu's strongest design statements.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2Dh9ApbX.webp

### DoubleTree by Hilton Beijing East Third Ring Road

- City: Beijing
- Description: International upscale hotel in Beijing, suitable for business and leisure stays.
- Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/kkFJOiOe.webp

## Included / Excluded

### What's Included

- Private vehicle: Air-conditioned private vehicle for all listed touring in the four cities above, including the full-day Great Wall round trip. Airport pickup on day one and drop-off on day fifteen. Hotel and station transfers for both rail segments
- High-speed rail: Two segments: Beijing to Xi'an on day four, Xi'an to Chengdu on day six. The cabin class for your order is stated in writing in your quote, and no order is taken without it
- Hotels: 10 nights at your chosen level, four-star, five-star or quality boutique, breakfast included: Beijing 3 · Xi'an 2 · Chengdu 3 · Shanghai 2
- Guide: Licensed English-speaking local guide on every touring day in Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai, including the whole Bund evening
- Tickets & experiences, Beijing: The Forbidden City with the timed reservation booked by us · Jingshan Park · Mutianyu Great Wall with the cable car up · the hutong and Shichahai lakeside walk
- Tickets & experiences, Xi'an: The Terracotta Warriors · Xi'an City Wall cycling, wall admission and bicycle included
- Tickets & experiences, Chengdu: The panda base in the morning · the gaiwan teahouse sitting in People's Park with seat and refills · Wenshu Monastery · Kuanzhai Alley and Taikoo Li
- Tickets & experiences, Shanghai: Yu Garden and the old city quarter · the Bund and the Pudong skyline in the evening, guide accompanied
- Meals: 10 hotel breakfasts, one after each of the 10 nights above, and two arranged lunches: the farmhouse lunch below the Great Wall on day three and the Shaanxi noodle lunch on day five. The pricing basis of those two lunches is being finalized, so your quote states in writing whether each of them sits inside your base price
- Insurance: Travel accident insurance

### Not Included

- The Lhasa leg: Days nine to thirteen in full: both air segments, the four Lhasa nights, the Tibet permit service and all sightseeing up there. Not priced, not confirmed, not sold
- International flights: Flights into Beijing and out of Shanghai
- Visas: Visa fees and processing for guests who need a Chinese visa
- Meals: Beyond the 10 breakfasts and the two arranged lunches: lunches and dinners are recommended and booked by your guide, on your account
- Medical: Personal medical costs, including any altitude-related treatment, beyond what the travel accident insurance pays
- Optional add-ons: None on this route at present. Any add-on agreed later is priced separately when you choose it and is never added into the base plan
- Personal: Gratuities, single or extra-room difference, personal spending

### Special Notes

Several things on this route follow the calendar, the altitude or a supplier's confirmation. Here they are, told straight.

- Bookings are not open: three things have to be real first. The Lhasa ground operator. Hotel rooms with in-room oxygen supply, on a specification we can verify. The Tibet permit service for this route. A fourth runs in parallel: the written health screening described below has to exist in final form. Until all of that is done we take no orders and no deposits. Tell us your dates and we will write to you on the day it opens.
- The Lhasa leg is outside the price: days nine to thirteen are written on this page so you can see the shape of the route, and that is all they are. They are not quoted, not confirmed and not sold as highlights. When the three items above are secured, that stretch moves into the inclusions and this page is updated.
- Oxygen is a prerequisite, not an upgrade: sleeping at 3,650 meters without in-room oxygen supply is outside what we sell on this route. That is a delivery standard, and it is the single item holding the plateau leg out of the price.
- Health screening before any order: four nights at 3,650 meters puts a real load on the heart and lungs. Before any order is taken, every guest completes a written screening covering cardiopulmonary history and any previous reaction to altitude. That form is being finalized, and no order is taken before it exists in final form.
- Departure window: October 8 to October 17, 2026, and nothing else this season. Two reasons. The plateau is not a route we sell from November through March, so the whole 15 days has to finish inside October: the latest departure that does is October 17. And no departure falls between October 1 and 7, the national holiday week, when crowds at the Terracotta Warriors peak. Requests in the closed window are declined at enquiry rather than held.
- Departure dates and Monday: dates are set so that day two never falls on a Monday, when the Forbidden City closes. Inside this window that affects the October 11 departure, and for that date days two and three change places.
- Tibet permit and the booking cutoff: every guest on this route needs a Tibet travel permit. It is pre-reviewed at least 15 days before departure and there is no expedited channel, so the booking cutoff is 20 days before departure. Inside 20 days of a date, we do not sell that date. One further point we will not paper over: whether a guest who enters China visa-free can obtain the permit has no written answer on file yet, and we will not confirm an order on the assumption that it can.
- Visa-free entry: most European passports currently enter China visa-free for stays days. UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand ones do too. Per order we check your 15 days plus any other days in China against that window. The current policy runs through December 31, 2026, and the whole October window sits inside it.
- US passports: the US is not on the 30-day visa-free list, and 15 days is longer than the ten-day visa-free transit policy allows, so a US guest would need a Chinese tourist or business visa. Whether this particular route is sold to US guests is under commercial review and has not been settled, so we are not quoting US enquiries at present. We would rather say that than take a booking we are not sure of.
- The pass to Yamdrok Lake: the road crosses a pass higher than Lhasa itself, and late-season conditions there are confirmed with the ground operator against your exact dates before that day is sold. We are not making a passability claim on this page.
- Rail times: both rail segments run on the current autumn schedule, which is checked against your exact dates before anything is charged. Your quote carries the train numbers, times and cabin class for your order.
- Confirmation and changes: the confirmation-time commitment and the change and refund terms are being finalized with our ground partners. Until they are settled, each quote states in writing its own confirmation deadline and its change and refund conditions. Note that a late date change on this route touches permit processing as well as trains and hotels.

## Is Fifteen Days Your Length?

Fewer than fifteen days?

### Fewer than fifteen days?

The low half stands on its own: Beijing, Xi'an and Chengdu make a complete route without the plateau, and it is the version we can sell you today. The plateau is the part that cannot be shortened, because the days that make it safe are the days people want to cut. Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we cut cities rather than cut the climb.

## Good to Know

- Group: Private, just your party. From 1 guest. No fixed maximum party size.
- Pace: Five stops in 15 days. Beijing 3 nights, Xi'an 2, Chengdu 3, Lhasa 4, Shanghai 2. Two long transfer days carry nothing else, and one day on the plateau carries nothing at all
- Altitude: Four steps up: 44 meters, then 400, then 500. The last step is 3,650 meters. The order never changes and no step is left out. Four nights at the top, with the first full day up there left empty and pulse-oximeter monitoring alongside the group
- Effort: Low at sea level: cable car up the Great Wall, flat walking elsewhere. The load on this route is altitude, not distance, and it is the reason for the health screening
- Ports: Beijing in, Shanghai out; airport pickup on day one and drop-off on day fifteen
- Visas: Most European passports enter visa-free for days. UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand ones do too. Checked order by order against your dates. Every guest also needs a Tibet travel permit, pre-reviewed at least 15 days out. US enquiries are not quoted at present
- Language: Licensed English-speaking local guides throughout the four included cities
- Payment: When this route opens for booking: From 1 guest. A 10% deposit (minimum $399) locks your dates. The balance is due 14 days before departure. "Or similar" never means a quiet downgrade
- Season: Bookable window October 8 to October 17, 2026. November through March is closed for this route

## Your Private Concierge

- Name: Jason Hu
- Title: Private China Route Concierge
- Tagline: A bilingual planning desk for tailor-made China journeys.
- Bio: Our China team tunes pacing, hotels and local hosts around each route style.
- Avatar image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c0TBypRh.png

### Stats

- 20+ Years
- 300+ Trips designed
- 24/7 On-trip care

### The Conversation

Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us your dates and who's coming — and if this length isn't right for you, we'll say so and shape a shorter arc. First reply within four hours; a clear price for your dates within one business day.

- CTA: Start the conversation

### Step 01: Tell us what excites you

Not your dates and budget — your curiosity. Where have you always wanted to go? What do you want to feel? We start there.

- 24h: First concept delivered

### Step 02: We design it around you

Your specialist builds the itinerary from scratch — routes, hosts, hotels, and experiences you won't find anywhere else.

- 100%: Bespoke, never off-the-shelf

### Step 03: Lock it in with 10%

When the plan feels right, a 10% deposit holds your entire trip. Balance due 30 days before departure.

- 10%: Deposit to secure everything

### Step 04: Travel. We handle the rest.

Your Trip Pack arrives before you fly. On the road, your concierge is one message away — for the expected and everything you didn't plan for.

- 24/7: Support throughout your journey

- Free cancellation up to 30 days
- English-speaking concierge
- Secure payment via Stripe

- CTA: Talk to Us

## Guest Reviews

- Overall rating: 4.9
- Total reviews: 523
- Count label: from 523 verified reviews

4.9 / 5

### Platforms

- google: 4.9 (312 reviews)
- tripadvisor: 5.0 (211 reviews)

- Filter tabs: All, Google, TripAdvisor
- Emily Carter (🇺🇸 Seattle, USA · 5★ · May 2026 · google): Perfect for couples - My partner and I had an amazing time in China. Everything was arranged for us — transfers, hotels, guides. No stress at all.
- Claire Brooks (🇬🇧 London, UK · 5★ · Apr 2026 · tripadvisor): Great for families - Traveled with my two kids and had zero issues. The team made sure the pace wasn't too rushed and included things the kids would enjoy. Communication was easy throughout. Will definitely use them again for our next Asia trip.
- Laura Bennett (🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada · 5★ · Mar 2026 · google): Alisa made the whole experience easy - Alisa was our point of contact throughout and she was brilliant — patient, knowledgeable, and always quick to reply. The trip itself was wonderful. Beijing and Guilin were highlights.
- Mark Henderson (🇺🇸 Denver, USA · 4★ · Feb 2026 · tripadvisor): Good service, minor hiccup but sorted quickly - Really good service. There was a small mix-up with one of our restaurant bookings but it got sorted quickly. The rest of the trip was seamless.
- Rebecca Miller (🇺🇸 Boston, USA · 5★ · Jan 2026 · google): Really listened to what we wanted - Really helpful team. They listened to what we wanted and delivered. Beijing and Xi'an were incredible.

## China Ready

We've solved the hard parts. Here's everything a first-time Western traveler needs to know before arriving.

### VPN & Internet Access

- Badge: Do this before you fly
- What's blocked: Google, Gmail, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and most Western news sites are inaccessible in China without a VPN.
- Download before you leave: It's nearly impossible to download a VPN once inside China. Install and test at home. Recommended: Astrill (most reliable), Mullvad, ExpressVPN — subscribe to at least two in case one stops working.
- Hotel Wi-Fi tip: Some hotels block VPN connections on their Wi-Fi. Use your phone's mobile data as a hotspot if the VPN drops.
- Good news: WhatsApp works perfectly through a VPN, so your messaging stays unchanged. Apple iMessage and Signal also work.

### Paying in China

- Badge: Your concierge sets this up on Day 1
- China is cashless: Alipay and WeChat Pay are used for almost everything — restaurants, taxis, markets, tickets. Cash is rarely accepted in cities.
- International cards now work: Foreign Visa/Mastercard can now link directly to Alipay (set up in minutes, $5,000 single transaction limit). Your concierge walks you through the setup on your first morning.
- Carry some cash: We recommend ¥500–800 RMB in cash for the rare vendor that won't accept digital payment, and for small towns.
- Booking this trip: Your deposit and balance are charged via Stripe — the same trusted platform used by Airbnb and Booking.com. USD billing, no surprise conversion fees.

### Visa & Entry

- Badge: We handle the paperwork
- Do you need a visa?: Most US, UK, EU, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand passport holders need a tourist (L) visa for stays over 10 days. We provide a visa invitation letter with every booking — it significantly speeds up approval.
- 240-hour visa-free transit: Citizens of 55+ countries (including USA, UK, most of EU, AUS, NZ, Canada) can enter China visa-free for up to 10 days if transiting through eligible ports. This covers our 12-day itinerary only if you have a confirmed onward flight.
- Processing time: Apply 4–6 weeks before departure. Standard processing: 4–7 business days. Express (3 days) and same-day options available at most Chinese consulates.
- What we provide: Visa invitation letter, hotel confirmation for all nights, suggested itinerary document — everything the consulate needs, formatted correctly.

### Safety & Practical Tips

- Badge: Our responsibility, always
- Is China safe?: China consistently ranks among the safest countries for foreign tourists. Violent crime against visitors is extremely rare. Cities have extensive CCTV coverage and a visible police presence.
- Emergency numbers: Police: 110. Ambulance: 120. Your concierge is your first call for any non-emergency situation — she has local contacts for every city on the itinerary.
- Health & medications: Bring a full supply of any prescription medication. International pharmacies exist in major cities but may not carry your brand. Travel insurance is required — we can recommend policies that cover China specifically.
- Language: English fluency outside hotels and tourist sites is limited. Your guides all speak English. We provide a printed pocket card with essential Chinese phrases and emergency contacts for every traveler.

## Before You Book

Everything worth knowing before you book.

### Why can't I book this trip?

Because the plateau half is not secured yet. Three things are outstanding: the Lhasa ground operator, hotel rooms with in-room oxygen supply on a specification we can verify, and the Tibet permit service for this route. A written health screening for every guest is being finalized alongside them. Until all of that is done we take no orders and no deposits, and days nine to thirteen stay outside the price. What you can do now is send us your dates: we will write to you the day this route opens, and in the meantime we can quote you the low-altitude half, Beijing to Xi'an to Chengdu, which is complete on its own.

### Four nights at 3,650 meters. Am I going to be all right?

Nobody can promise you a body's response to altitude, and we do not. What we can do is design against it, and this route is mostly that design. Eight days at low altitude come first. Altitude is gained in one direction and never out of order. The flight up gets a whole day of its own. The first full day on the plateau is left completely empty. The highest ground of the trip waits until after seventy-two hours. Pulse-oximeter monitoring runs alongside the group. Rooms up there must have in-room oxygen supply, and that requirement is precisely why this route is not yet on sale. Before any order you complete a written screening covering cardiopulmonary history and previous altitude reaction. If the answers say this is not your trip, we will tell you so. The low half still gives you the palace axis, the wall, the buried army and a teahouse afternoon.

### Why is the departure window only ten days long?

Because the calendar closes it from both ends. We do not sell the plateau leg from November through March, so all 15 days have to finish inside October, which puts the last departure on October 17. And we hold no departures between October 1 and 7, the national holiday week, when crowds at the Terracotta Warriors peak and a full day at the pits stops being a full day at the pits. That leaves October 8 to 17. If your dates fall outside it, we would rather decline than improvise a version of this route that does not work.

### Do I need a visa, and what is a Tibet permit?

Most guests on this route need no visa. Most European passports enter China visa-free for stays days. UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand ones do too. Before you pay we check your 15 days plus any other days in China against that window. The current policy runs through December 31, 2026, and the October window sits inside it. The Tibet travel permit is separate from a visa: it is a document required for the Tibet Autonomous Region, pre-reviewed at least 15 days before departure with no expedited channel, which is why we stop taking a date 20 days out. Here is the part we will not gloss: whether a guest entering visa-free can obtain that permit has no written answer on file yet, and we will not confirm an order on the assumption that it can. US passports are a separate case again, and we are not quoting US enquiries while that decision sits with our commercial review.

### Fifteen days and five cities. How much of it is spent traveling?

Four days carry a long transfer, and we gave each of them the room to be a transfer rather than squeezing sights around it. Two are by high-speed rail with a sightseeing morning before them: hutong lanes before the Beijing to Xi'an train, the city wall before the Xi'an to Chengdu train, both city center to city center. The two air segments, up to the plateau and back down, take a whole day each and carry nothing else, which is a decision about altitude rather than about logistics. That leaves nine days on the ground in five places, plus the empty acclimatization day. Your own vehicle runs both ends of every transfer, and your guide hands you over at the door.