15 Days Classic China, Nepal & Bhutan

Beijing, Xi'an, Lhasa, Kathmandu, Thimphu, Paro

Tour Code: TAT-Bhutan-04

Tour Type: Private Tour

Price from: on request Free Inquiry

Tour Feature

  • Take a classic China tour covering Beijing, Xian and Lhasa, enjoy the spectacular history and culture as well as the beautiful landscape of China
  • Visit the melting pot of Hindu and Buddhist culture -Nepal where you will visit the most famous temples and squares, having a majestic view of Himalaya from Nagarkot
  • Be stunned by the perfect blend of the religion and nature in the last Shangri-la of Bhutan

Tour Itinerary Expand All

Day 1 Arrival Beijing

Transfer service to hotel

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Beijing

Arrive in Beijing, the capital city of China, you will be greeted by our local guide at the airport with TCT signboard. Then our guide will transfer you to check in hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the day for you to get over the jet lag.

Beijing City View
Beijing City View

Day 2 Beijing

Temple of Heaven, Hutong, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City

Meals: Hotel Breakfast, A la carte Chinese lunch
Accommodation: In Beijing

TCT local guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at the appointed time. It will be an exciting day as we will explore the world's well-known wonders today. The 1st stop is the Temple of Heaven, the existing largest structure for sacrifice to heaven and a place where the emperors prayed for a year of abundance. In the visit to the Temple of Heaven, you will be astonished by the exquisite ancient Chinese architectures. Besides, you will see local seniors doing morning exercises in the square and full of vigor. You will have a chance to watch Chinese Kongfu, Taichi, square dancing, playing cards, playing chess, etc.

Then our group will move to a less commercial Hutong nearby. A short walking along the authentic Beijing Hutong will give you a deep impression of the local residents’ live. A la carte lunch is served at a local restaurant to have a taste of the authentic Chinese food at noontime and have a break at the restaurant.

Then continue this Beijing city treasure city by a visit to Tian'anmen Square, the world's largest city center square, the locality of numerous major political and historical events. It is the witness of Chinese development. It is only a walking distance from Tian'anmen Square to Forbidden City, the world's existing largest and most complete ancient wooden structure buildings. You will explore the glorious palace halls and gardens for more than 2 hours in Forbidden City, learning the legendary story of the emperors and how the royal family lived there. You will be stunned by the numerous old art treasures exhibited in halls. Drive back to the hotel, we will have a stop at a pearl store en route. Please feel free to consult with your local guide about the evening activities in Beijing, such as the night shows of Beijing.

Forbidden City
Forbidden City

Day 3 Beijing

Mutianyu Great Wall, Bird Nest and Water Cube

Meals: Hotel Breakfast, A la Carte Lunch
Accommodation: In Beijing

It will be an exciting day today. In the early morning, guide will pick you up from your hotel lobby. Today we will visit the must-visit spot in Beijing--- Mutianyu Great Wall, one of the famous sections of China Great Wall. It takes about 2 hours driving from the downtown of Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall. Mutianyu Great Wall was first built in the mid-6th century during the Northern Qi, making it older than the Badaling section. (***Cable car and slideway are available at Mutianyu Great Wall. It is optional and excluded from our price***)

A la carte lunch is arranged at a good restaurant at the foot of Mutianyu. Drive back to downtown of Beijing. We will have a stop at a tea store en route. When we reach Beijing, we will have a photo stop outside the Bird Nest and Water Cube, which were the famous sites constructed for 2008 Beijing Olympic. The tour finishes by dropping off at your hotel. If you would like to try local specialty tonight, you could ask for some suggestion about Peking Roast Duck Restaurant.

Mutianyu Great Wall
Mutianyu Great Wall

Day 4 Beijing - Xian

Summer Palace, High speed train to Xian

Meals: Hotel breakfast, A La Carte Lunch
Accommodation: In Xian

In the morning, check out from hotel and start to visit the last spots in Beijing --- Summer Palace, the existing largest, best-preserved imperial garden in China. The Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake are regarded as the representative of Summer Palace. In the park, you could choose to take a boating trip on the lake, enjoying the beautiful royal garden view. Walk along the Long Corridor--- the longest corridor in the world, admiring the extremely rich and prestigious paintings on the beams of the corridor.

A la carte lunch will be arranged at a local restaurant on the way to Beijing West Railway Station to take a high-speed train (2nd class seat, duration: about 5-5.5 hours) from Beijing to Xi'an. TCT guide will wait at the exit of Xi'an train station with our signboard and transfer you to check-in hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the time.

Summer Palace
Summer Palace

Day 5 Xian

Ancient City Wall, Taichiquan Course, Terracotta Warriors

Meals: Hotel breakfast, A La Carte Lunch
Accommodation: In Xian

Today we will have a full day to explore this historical and cultural city in China. Pick up from hotel in the morning, and then have a visit to the landmark of Xi'an---Xian City Wall. You could choose to have a bicycle riding on the city wall (***Bicycle riding is optional and excluded from our price***). An impressive Tai Chi Chuan course is arranged at the City Wall for you. Originating from the roots of classical Chinese culture, Tai Chi Chuan absorbed a variety of sources including the Book of Changes, Taoism and Buddhism. With a professional Tai Chi Master's teaching, you will understand Chinese culture better.

After that, we will drive to the highlights in Xi’an ---the Terracotta Warriors. On the way to Terracotta Warriors, we will have a stop at a pottery workshop, where you will have chance to learn how to make a pottery figure.  A la carte lunch is arranged at a local restaurant nearby Terracotta Warriors. In the afternoon, we will have enough time to visit this world wonder --- Terracotta Warriors, one of the world’s most important archaeological finds, with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation.

The tour finishes by dropping-off at the hotel lobby. You could ask your local guide for some information about evening entertainment or night show, such as Tang Dynasty Show.

Terracotta Warriors
Terracotta Warriors

Day 6 Xian - Lhasa

Transfer service to airport, fly to Lhasa, Airport pickup in Lhasa

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: In Lhasa

After breakfast, be transferred to the airport for morning flight to Lhasa. Your Tibet tour guide will wait for you at the airport and help you to transfer to the hotel.Relax and have a good rest at your hotel to acclimatize when you arrive. In the afternoon, you might walk around to get first impression of Tibet. Have a good rest at night and get ready for tomorrow's tour.

Lhasa City View
Lhasa City View

Day 7 Lhasa

Potala Palace, Jokhang Monastery, Barkhor Street

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Overnight: In Lhasa

A full day to explore this holy city. We will visit Potala Palace, the largest monastery of its type in the world and official home to Dalai Lama. Walk around the Potala PalaceClockwise to appreciate those who worship every day and also experience the life of local residents. After that, we will arrange a visit to the opposite hill in order to get a panoramic picture of Potala Palace, which is the best photo spot. In the afternoon, take a tour to Jokhang Monastery, where monks receive their official training and education. Shopping time at Barkhor Street, a window into Tibetan culture and an opportunity to buy colorful ethnic handicrafts rarely seen outside of Tibet. If you are interested in any night show, such as Tibetan singing and dancing show, you could discuss with the local guide.

Tips: When you enter into a temple or monastery in Tibet, please take off your hats at the entrance to show your respects and follow the clockwise direction for visiting. No smoking, do not touch the Buddha statues, turn the Buddhism scriptures or toll the bell.

Potala Palace
Potala Palace

Day 8 Lhasa

Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Overnight: In Lhasa

Today, we will visit two important monasteries in Lhasa. The first stop in the morning is the Drepung Monastery, one of the ‘Greatest Three’ Gelug monasteries of Tibet and it is found in 1416. The Ganden Palace in Drepung Monastery is used as Dalai Lama’s palace before moving to the Potala Palace.

In the afternoon, we will drive to the edge of the town to explore Sera Monastery, another one of the ‘Great Three’ Gelug monasteries in Tibet. If we are very lucky, we may come across Sera Monastery's Monks debating which was held in the courtyard at around 3:00-5:30 in the afternoon. The famous debate sessions of the monks in Sera monastery was created in 1419 and has been an important Buddhist seminary.

The tour ends by transferring back to your hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.

Sera Monastery
Sera Monastery

Day 9 Lhasa - Kathmandu

Transfer service to airport, Fly to Kathmandu, Kathmandu airport pickup

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Kathmandu

You have to say goodbye to Tibet, China, and fly to your next destination---Nepal on the southern foot of the Himalayas. Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal. It takes about 1.5 hours to fly from Lhasa to Kathmandu. The local guide will pick you up at the airport and transfer to check-in hotel. After check-in, you could have a rest. In the afternoon, our local guide will show you to visit  Boudhanath Temple, the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet, where you could see the largest stupa in Nepal. Then have a leisure time shopping around Thamel, a tourist district of Kathmandu. Thamel bustles with activity late into the late evening. It is a mere 10-minute walk from the center of Kathmandu, yet completely different from the rest of the city.

Boudhanath Temple

Boudhanath Temple

Day 10 Kathmandu - Nagarkot

Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, The Lion Gate-Dating, The Golden Gate, The Palace of Fifty-five Windows, Nagarkot

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: In Kathmandu

After hotel breakfast, drive for 5 km southeastward from Kathmandu to Patan, known as the city of fine arts. Patan is full of Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments. The diversity of the medieval culture that allowed both Hinduism and Buddhism to flourish has left a rich legacy of impressive sightseeing here for today's visitors, such as Patan Durbar Square-The old palace of the medieval rulers of Patan, Krishna Mandir, Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, Mahaboudha, Patan Industrial Estate, known for handicrafts such as wood carvings, metalcraft, handwoven woolen carpets and thanka paintings. There is a shopping arcade where handicrafts are on exhibition.

In the afternoon, drive to Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the plaza in front of the royal palace of the old Bhaktapur Kingdom, one of three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Then visit the best places in Bhaktapur, like The Lion Gate-Dating, The Golden Gate, The Palace of Fifty-five Windows, The Statue of King Bhupatindra Malla, Batsala Devi Temple, etc.

In the late afternoon, take a short drive of about 20 minutes to Nagarkot, one of the nearest and most famous Mountain View point from Kathmandu. Enjoy the sunset over the Himalayas. The panorama of the major peaks of eastern Nepal Himalayas including Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest-if weather permits), can be seen from here). The Himalayan peaks Like Manaslu (8463 in). Ganesh Hinial (7111 in), Langtang(7246 in), Choba Bhanre(60l6 in), Gaurishanker (7134 m) and number (6957 in), are also clearly seen from Nagarkot). After check in enjoy the sunset and walking around the hotel.

Nagarkot Mountain View

Nagarkot Mountain View

Day 11 Nagarkot-Kathmandu

Sunrise and Himalaya mountain view, Pashupatinath Temple, Guheswari Temple, Swayanmbhunath Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Kathmandu

Early morning enjoy sunrise and Mountain View. You can choose to go to View tower which is just in 30 minutes walking distance one way [3km]. From here you can see more area including Mountains [altitude 2175m].

After breakfast drive to Kathmandu. In the afternoon, Have a visit to Pashupatinath Temple, the most sacred of the Hindu temples in Nepal. Guheswari Temple, a historic and holy temple of Guheswari. Only Hindus are allowed to enter the temple courtyard, as well as Swayambhunath temple, the oldest Buddhist shrine. Looking east from here, one can see the almost entire Kathmandu valley spread out below. Kathmandu Durbar Square or Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square is the plaza in front of the old royal palace of the then Kathmandu Kingdom. The Square teems with life as vendor’s children tourists and other crowed around the temple of the Living Goddess Kumari.

Finally, visit Kasthamandup, a temple built from a single tree from which the Kathmandu derives its name. And then transfer to Hotel. If you would like to explore Kathmandu more, you could choose to visit the nearby local markets on your own or visit Thamel. a tourist district of Kathmandu. Thamel bustles with activity late into the late evening. It is a mere 10-minute walk from the center of Kathmandu, yet completely different from the rest of the city.

Kathmandu Burbar Square

Kathmandu Burbar Square

Day 12 Kathmandu - Thimphu

Fly to Bhutan, Transfer to hotel, Chuzom, Tachogang Lhakhang, Tashichho Dzon

Meals: No meal
Accommodation: In Thimphu

Free at leisure before transfer to airport for the flight to Bhutan.

Welcome to Bhutan! Upon arrival at the Paro airport, you will be met by the local English-speaking tour guide will meet you after the immigration procedures. Then we will drive to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. We will have a stop at Chuzom, the confluence of Thimphu River and Paro River, where you will find 3 chortens in different styles. On the way, you will also see the Tachogang Lhakhang, known as "the temple of the excellent horse" and the Iron Bridge.

Check-in hotel in Thimphu, a vibrant city with a blend of modern development and ancient traditions. After a short-time refreshment, we will head to Tashichho Dzong, a Buddhist monastery and fortress, which hosts the biggest annual bash, Tsechu festivals as well as many national events of the city. Walk around Local Crafts Bazaar and walk around in the city.

Tashichho Dzong
Tashichho Dzong

Day 13 Thimphu - Paro

National Library, The Institute for Zorig Chusum, the Textile Museum, the Simply Bhutan, Changangkha Lhakhang, Kuensel Phodrang (Bhuddha Point), Simtokha Dzong, the King's Memorial Chorten, Drive to Paro

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Paro

Today we will explore the Thimphu Valley. Firstly, we will visit the National Library. It collects a lot of priceless Buddhist manuscripts. The Institute for Zorig Chusum also named the Painting School is our next stop, where the students will learn the courses about 13 Bhutanese traditional arts and crafts for 6 years. We will move to the Textile Museum, to enjoy the most distinctive art forms of Bhutan. Then continue our trip to the Simply Bhutan, which is a place you can experience the Bhutanese culture and heritage, such as tasting the local wine and butter tea, practicing the traditional sport, etc.

Lunch is arranged at a local restaurant to savor the authentic Bhutanese food. Then keep visiting Changangkha Lhakhang, Kuensel Phodrang (Buddha Point), and Simtokha Dzong. You will have a good insight into the belief of Bhutanese by visiting these three religious stops. Then we will visit the King's Memorial Chorten, a beautiful white building, to learn about the third King of Bhutan. Then we will drive to Paro for accommodation.

Monks in Bhutan
Monks in Bhutan

Day 14 Paro

Tiger's Nest, Ta Dzong, Rinpung Dzong

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Paro

After breakfast, we will start our trip by the trip to Tiger's Nest, also called Taktshang Monastery, which is a must-see spot in Bhutan. In the afternoon, we will visit Ta Dzong and Rinpung Dzong, another 2 highlights in Paro. You just indulge yourself in the rich religious ambiance of this Buddhism nation.

Paro Taktsang
Paro Taktsang

Day 15 Departure Paro

Transfer to airport

Meals: Breakfast

Free at leisure before transfer to airport for departure.

Service ends

Notice:

Due to the uncertainties of this tour, such as special local conditions , the changes of accommodation rate, etc, the tour has to be tailor-made and its price is on request. Please tell us in advance your group information inclusive of departure date, number of pax, and other individual needs, which will be helpful to work out a fit program and the right price.

What our clients say

5/5.0 | Excellent

S

Stephen

5.0

Sep 15 ,2019

Great way to see the major sights & experience traditional food & culture.
Wow!!! Our Japan and Korea tour has a good balance of historical, traditional, and contemporary sights or experiences. TopAsiaTour managed the logistics of getting around cities and countries which made this effortless for us. The guide was incredibly helpful and always went that extra mile for the group. The size of the group was good and ensured you never missed anything.

S

Sabina Sapkota

5.0

Jun 18 ,2019

Every aspect of planning our trip to China was seamless. Joyce has been amazing. She responds to any and every request immediately and has been incredibly informative about every aspect of our trip. I would definitely recommend the Top Asia Tour team

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