Day01 Arrive in Kunming Arrive in Kunming, transfer to the hotel. Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, is also called “Spring City” due to its fine climate all year round. Yunnan in Chinese means "to the south of the clouds". 2N in 4*Kunming Hotel Day02 Kunming BL After the breakfast drive to Shilin, a county of the Sani minority, to visit the Stone Forest. The bizarre karst stone rocks feature in various formation and some of them tower above to 30 m high. Drive back to Kunming, visit the West Hill with the Longmen Caves. Day03 Air Kunming – Dali BL In the morning fly to Dali, where stroll in the alleys of the ancient small town. The well preserved ancient city gates and the historic buildings have shown the city’s long history. In the afternoon visit San Ta Si (Three Pagoda Temple) in the northwest outskirts of Dali. Then boating on the Erhai Lake in the east of the city. The lake with an area of 249 square kilometers, is 40 km long and surrounded by high mountains such as Cang Shan. 1N in 4*Wing of Landscape Hotel Day04 Dali – Lijiang BL Drive northwards approx. 200 km to Lijiang (2600 m), the hometown of Naxi Minority. It is famous for its old wooden houses and the layout of the town’s streets. It has been listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Visit Hei Long Tan (Black Dragon Pool), which is located in the northern foot of the Elephant Hill. The summits of the Yulong Snow Mountain are clearly reflected in this pond. Afterwards visit Dongba Culture Museum. 1N in 4*Liwang Hotel Day05 Lijiang – Tiger Jumping Gorge – Shangri-La BL Continue the journey to Tiger Jumping Gorge on the Jinsha Jiang (Golden Sand River), the upper reaches of the Yangtze River (the longest river of China, 6380 km). Short walking in the gorge and keep drive to Shangri-La (3330 m), the historic southern gateway to Kham and Tibet. 2N in 4*Guanguang Hotel Day06 Shangri-La BL In the morning visit the Sumzanlin Monastery, which was created in 1679 by the Fifth Dalai lama. Characterized by its Han-Chinese and Tibetan construction style, the monastery is the most important monastery of Gelugpa-sect in Yunnan province. Afterwards walking 2 – 3 hours through villages, grasslands, fields, hills to Napahai Preserve. After visit Napahai drive back to hotel. Day07 Air Shangri-La – Lhasa BL Take a morning flight to Lhasa (3650m), the capital of Tibet, transfer to hotel. In the afternoon, visit the beautiful Ani Sangkhung Nunnery. There are plants everywhere and it feels like you are in a garden in the middle of the city. In the nunnery there is a little shop where they print prayer books. If the nuns are working on it you are welcome inside to see how it is done. 3N at 3*Thangka Hotel Day08 Lhasa BL In the morning visit Potala, which was originally constructed in 637 by Songtsen Gampo, the first king of the united Tibet, and later expanded and served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas as well as the religious-political nexus of traditional Tibet. The crowds of pilgrims, innumerable magnificent murals, Buddhist statues, scriptures and rare treasures altogether create a dense religious and art atmosphere that impresses every visitor. In the afternoon visit Jokhang monastery, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred land of Buddhist followers where thousands of pilgrims come for worship everyday. The temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Walk on the Barkhor street surrounding Jokhang, a big free market with its prolific stalls for selling local specialties. Day09 Lhasa BL In the morning visit Drepung monastery the sacred land of Gelug Sect., which was established in 1416 and the second, third and fourth Dalai Lama once resided in. Afterwards visit Norbulinka, the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas. In the afternoon visit Sera monastery, which was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called “the court of wild rose”. Today still 200 lamas live in there. The "Buddhism Scriptures Debate" in Sera is very famous. Day10 Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Gyantse – Shigatse BL In the morning drive to Gyantse along the Kyichu River. On the Kamba La (4.796 m) have a fantastic view of the holy lake of Yamdrok Yumtso (4441 m), one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the largest habitat of waterfowls in south Tibet. Pass by the 5.010 m high Karo La and the Simi La to Gyantse (approx. 3.900 m). In the afternoon visit Pelkor Chode Monastery as well as the splendid Kumbum Stupa (100-Thousand-Buddha Pagoda) nearby, both of them built in the15th century and situated in the northwestern edge of Gyantse. This typical Tibetan Buddhist monastery is the only one large building complex in Tibet that old monastery and stupas are completely preserved and characterized as a monument. It is recorded14,000 kilograms of copper was used to make the 8-meter-high sitting statue of Sakyamuni Buddha housed in the grand hall of the temple. The 8-storey stupa is 42m high and 62m in diameters contains a total of 76 chapels with wonderful murals revered by art scholars around the world. In the afternoon drive about 90 kilometers to Shigatse (3880m), the second largest city with 40,000 inhabitants in Tibet and the traditional capital of the Tsang. 1N at 3*Manasarovar Hotel Day11 Shigatse – Lhasa BL In the morning visit Tashilunpo monastery of Gelug Sect, the seat of the Panchen Lama built in 1447 and one of the six grand monasteries in Tibet. The monastery houses a giant statue of the Maitreya Buddha, the biggest gilded statue of Maitreya (Buddha of the future) in China, and a tomb of the 4th Panchen Lama containing masses of jewels and gold. In Tibet Buddhism, Panchen Lama is just the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha. Today 600 monks live in the monastery. In the afternoon drive back to Lhasa. 1N at 3*Thangka Hotel Day12 Leave Tibet B Transfer to the airport or the railway station, leave Tibet.
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