GONE 2 ASIA

		SAMPLE ITINERARY
		Day 1: Depart the USA bound for Hong Kong.
		Day 2: Arrive Hong Kong. Transfer to airport hotel.
		Day 3: Hong Kong - Chengdu
		Morning departure from Hong Kong to Chengdu, arriving about 1:00pm. Transfer to the hotel followed by a city tour. D.
		Day 4: Chengdu
		Full day to explore Chengdu including the Sichuan Provincial Museum, Wenshu Monastery and the Chengdu Zoo. B, L, D..
		Day 5:Chengdu - Lhasa
		Early morning departure from Chengdu to Lhasa, the capital city and religious center of Tibet. After our arrival we will transfer to the Lhasa Hotel. Remainder of the day will be free to relax and adjust to the high altitude. Afternoon sightseeing to be advised. B, L, D.
		Day 6: Lhasa
		After breakfast our sightseeing will include the Potala Palace, the Jokhang, and the Barkhor Bazaar. Since its construction the Potala Palace has been the residence to each Dalai Lama and the seat of the Tibetan government. It was left relatively unscathed during the Cultural Revolution. The Jokhang is the most revered religious structures in Tibet. In front of the entrance is a forecourt generally crowded with prostrating pilgrims. The Barkhor is both the spiritual heart of the holy city and its main commercial district. The circuit is lined with stalls selling everything a Tibetan or visiting tourist could possibly need. B, L, D.
		Day 7: Lhasa
		Sightseeing today includes exploring the Sera Monastery and the Drepung Monastery. The Sera Monastery is one of Lhasa’s two great Gelugpa monasteries and in its heyday hosted five colleges of instruction. This monastery was home to the Dalai Lama until the 5th one built the Potala. The Drepung Monastery was once the worlds largest monastery with a population of about 10,000 monks. We will also visit Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. B, L, D.
		Day 8: Lhasa - Gyantse
		After breakfast we will drive to Gyantse. The day will be spent on the road enjoying the Tibetan countryside. Gyantse is 254 km southwest of Lhasa in the Nyang Chu Valley. B L, D.
		Day 9: Lhasa - Shigatse
		Today’s sightseeing includes the Gyantse Dzong, the Gyantse Kumbum and the Pelko Chode Monastery. This afternoon we will drive to Shigatse. B, L, D.
		Day 10: Shigatse - Tsedang
		Sightseeing in Shigatse includes the Tashilhunpo Monastery. This monastery is the seat of the Panchen Lamas. The title Panchan means great scholar and this lineage of spiritual and temporal leaders were second only to the Dalai Lama. This monastery is one of the few to escape the Cultural Revolution and has recently been renovated to a grand state. This afternoon we will drive to Tsedang in the Yarling Valley. Tour of Samye, the oldest monastery in Tibet. B, L, D.
		Day 11: Tsedang
		Today’s touring will include Yumbul-akhang, the first castle built for the first Tibetan King followed by a visit to Tsangdruk Temple, one of the oldest Tibetan temples built in the 7th century. B, L, D.
		Day 12: Tsedang - Lhasa
		After breakfast we will return to Lhasa. Remainder of the day is free. B, L, D.
		Day 13: Lhasa - Chengdu - Kunming
		Early morning departure by air from Lhasa to Chengdu and on to Kunming. Depending upon our arrival time we may have a short city tour after checking into our hotel. B, L, D.
		Day 14: Kunming
		Full day of sightseeing in this capital city of Yunnan including a visit to Shilin, the Stone Forest. B, L, D.
		Day 15: Kunming - Dali
		This morning we will fly to Dali. Upon arrival we will transfer to the hotel. Afternoon visit to the “Old City”, where the old gate towers are still intact at either end of the town and there are many shops and restaurants along the way. Close by we will also visit San Ta, the Three Pagodas. B, L, D.
		Day 16: Dali
		Today’s highlight is a visit to Xizhou and Shaping, Bai minority villages, and a boat ride on Erhai Lake. B, L, D.
		Day 17: Dali - Lijiang
		After breakfast we will depart by bus for Lijiang, 95 miles northeast of Dali Lijiang is the old capital of the Naxi people, kin of the Tibetans. After checking into our hotel we will explore the old town, now a World Heritage site, and the Black Dragon Pool. B, L, D.
		Day 18: Lijiang - Yulong Xue Shan - Lijiang
		Today we will drive to Baisha (the former Naxi capital) and visit this beautiful mountain area where we can view the mountain from a meadow half way up the slopes. B, L, D.
		Day 19: Lijiang
		Free day to further explore the old city and villages surrounding Lijiang. B, L, D.
		Day 20: Lijiang - Kunming
		Today we fly back to Kunming. Visit to Xi Shan, Western Hills, a series of temples that over-look Lake Dian. Close to the top is the Taoist Sanqing Ge (Sanqing Temple), formerly the residence of a Yuan dynasty prince. From here you reach the Long Men (Dragon Gate), a network of narrow corridors, shrines and grottos dug out of the hillside by Toaist monks between 1781 and 1835. B, L, D.
		Day 21: Kunming - Hong Kong
		Our flight departs mid-afternoon and arrive Hong Kong about 6:00pm. Transfer to hotel. B, L..
		Day 22: Hong Kong - USA

		The Tibet tour requires 5 passengers to confirm. Tour members may be grouped with others upon arrival in Kathmandu. Departures cannot be guaranteed. Flights depart and return to Kathmandu on Tuesdays and Saturdays through October.

		This tour is designed to follow the Bhutan or Nepal tours or it can be done alone with a minimum group of 5 people. Air flights available October thru December. Other months entry available by ground transportation only.

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				The Tibet Experience
				TIBET