Wendy Wu Tibetan Wonders

– Meditate with a Taoist Master
– Admire the glistening Songzanlin Monastery
– Immerse yourself in the Buddhist way of life in Lhasa
– Stunning views of Mount Everest

Days 1-2: Fly to Kunming

Fly overnight to the relaxed city of Kunming, the ‘city of Eternal Spring’. Depending on your time of arrival the rest of the day is yours to start soaking up the local culture.

Day 3: Discover the Stone Forest

Meander through the formations of the UNESCO-listed Stone Forest, where towering limestone pillars stand tree-like in a fascinating illusion of petrified woodland.

Day 4: Enchanting Dali

Driver to Dali, a charming town where you’ll be able to wander though the ancient quarter and see the magnificent Three Pagodas.

Day 5: Taoist Mountain Meditation

Visit Weibaoshan, a sacred mountain, dotted with twenty temples. Take a scenic walk and meet a Taoist priest who will introduce you to Taoist meditation techniques

Day 6: Shaxi

Drive to the ancient town of Shaxi in the Himalayan foothills, where you can learn about the locals and enjoy lunch. Afterwards, continue onto Lijiang where you can spend the evening wandering the old town.

Day 7: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

A magnificent mountain massif, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain soars to 5,500 metres. Taking a chairlift, explore one of the gorgeous high meadows and enjoy the amazing vistas. Admire the fascinating Ming Dynasty frescoes at Baisha and see the intricate creations of the embroidery school.

Day 8: Tiger Leaping Gorge

Over 3,000-metres deep, Tiger Leaping Gorge, with its backdrop of snow-capped mountains, is one of China’s most extraordinary sights. Continue on to the Tibetan monastery town of Zhongdian, also known as Shangri-La. Once there, visit Dafo Temple and spend some free time exploring

Day 9: Rural Shangri-La

Visit Songzanlin Monastery before taking a hike to Napa Hai. Later, visit a rural Tibetan village where you can learn about local life, make butter tea and taste home-cooked local dishes

Day 10: Mystical Lhasa

Fly to Lhasa, the heart of Tibet where you’ll have a free afternoon to relax

Day 11: Jokhang Temple and Barkhor

Wander around the Barkhor to see traditionally dressed locals, stalls of religious trinkets and prostrating pilgrims. Inside the Jokhang Temple, the devotion is palpable as queues of people worship in the flickering light of yak butter candles. There will also be a visit to Sera Monastery, a renowned seat of Buddhist learning.

Day 12: Potala Palace

The Potala Palace is an architectural wonder towering over the city from its seat on Marpo Ri (Red Mountain). The Potala, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama, houses thousands of rooms filled with old treasures from intricate shrines to beautiful frescoes. This afternoon, explore Norbulingka, the summer residence of the Dalai Lama, set in parkland just outside the city.

Day 13: Shigatse

Travel across Tibet’s stark plains to Shigatse. Dominated by a fort reminiscent of the Potala, Shigatse is Tibet’s second city and the traditional home of the Panchen Lama. The rest of the day is spent exploring.

Day 14: New Tingri

Continue by road to New Tingri, admiring the awe-inspiring views of the Himalayas as you pass

Day 15: Mount Everest

Wake early to make the journey to Rongbuk. From there, you’ll stop by the world’s highest post office before continuing to the Everest Base Camp Boundary Monument.

Day 16: Everest Sunshine

Wake early to catch a glimpse of the sun rising over Mount Everest before heading back to New Tingri

Days 17-18 : Shigatse & Gyantse

Return to Shigatse. The next day, visit Tashilhunpo Monastery and join pilgrims on their evening ‘kora’ of the monastery. Afterwards, continue on to the town of Gyantse, where you’ll see venture to the Gyantse Kumbum in Pelkor Monastery.

Day 19: Tsedang

Travel along the Brahmaputra River to Tsedang and visist Gangpo Ri, the ‘birthplace’ of the Tibetan people.

Day 20: Yumbulhakang Palace

Perched on a hill over the Yarlung River, legend says that the ancient Yumbulhakang Palace was the first building in Tibet and the palace of the first Tibetan king. Continue on to the Chang Chun Monastery and the King’s Tombs en route to Lhasa.

Day 21: Chengdu

Fly to Chengdu in Sichuan Province

Day 22: Pandas

Visit Chengdu’s famous Panda Conservation Centre where you can get up close to China’s celebrated bears in surroundings that mirror their natural habitat. Visit the fascinating Shu Brocade factory. Tonight, sample delicious Sichuan cuisine for dinner.

Day 23: Fly Chengdu to UK

Fly to the UK arriving the same or following day.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience of location, comfort or character, and can range from a business hotel in one city to a family run guesthouse in a smaller town. In more remote areas, accommodation may be of a lower standard and may not have all western amenities.

Sunrise over Mount Everest

Watch the sun rise over the world’s tallest mountain

Tashilhunpo Monastery

Visit the seat of the eminent Panchen Lama

Lesson with a Shaman

Spend time with a Shaman who will teach you about Dongba Pictograms

– Return international flights
– All Accommodation
– Selected meals: 21 breakfasts, 18 lunches and 14 dinners
– All transportation & transfers
– All sightseeing & entrance fees
– English speaking National Escort & local guides
– Visa fees for UK & EU passport holders

Please note, prices listed are guide prices only and are based on 2 people sharing and don’t include any additional supplements. Holiday prices are fluid and dynamic and may be changed at a moment’s notice, prior to booking, at which point they are confirmed. Please call the team free on 0800 707 6229 for more departure dates available and a quote.

Coaches: Coaches with air conditioning are used on our group tours for city sightseeing, short excursions to the countryside and longer transfers where necessary.

Panes: Internal flights are based on economy class, with reputable airlines.

Go Beyond

Venture off the beaten track to explore fascinating destinations away from the tourist trail. You will discover the local culture in depth and see sights rarely witnessed by other travellers. These tours take you away from the comforts of home but will reward you with the experience of a lifetime.

Most Wendy Wu groups consist of 10 travellers or more and will be accompanied by both a National Escort and local guides. There will usually be no more than 16 travellers in each group although you may encounter other Wendy Wu tour groups while you are travelling.

This tour has a physical rating of 4. A good level of fitness is required as you can expect to be walking, or taking part in a physical activity like cycling, for longer periods of time on several days throughout the tour, and may be required to tackle some more challenging terrain.

If you want to explore more of China or simply want more time in your destination, then you can add an extension or stop over.*

Choose from the following Extensions and Stopovers
Macao Special (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong Glimpses (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong in Focus (Hong Kong)
Macau (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong and Macau (Hong Kong)
Kunming & Lijiang (Kunming)
Nine Villages Valley (Chengdu)
Zhangjiajie (Zhangjiajie)
Chongqing, Dazu and Wulong (Chongqing)
Guilin and Yangshou (Guilin)
Mount Huang (Shanghai)
Lhasa (Lhasa)
Chengdu (Chengdu)
Beijing and Xi’an (Beijing)
Suzhou and Hangzhou (Shanghai)
Shanghai (Shanghai)
Guilin (Guilin)

*Available extensions and stopovers depend on your chosen airline