| 9 Days Tibetan New Year Festival Tour (Tour code: FE901) | |
| Themes:Minorities, nature | |
| Destinations: Chongqing - Lanzhou - Hezuo - Langmusi - Xiahe | |
| please contact us for group price |  |
| Destination | Chongqing |
| Activities | In the morning we arrive in Chongqing and meet with our tour leader and local guide. We transfer to visit Eling Park, People’s Hall and the Three Groges Museum, before we check in at our hotel. The rest of the day is free. |
| Attractions | Eling Park, People's Hall, Three Gorges Museum |
| Meals | Lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Chongqing - Hezuo |
| Activities | We take a morning flight to the capital of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, and after lunch by the airport we start our journey into the Tibetan territory, slowly climbing to 3000 meters altitude as we reach Hezuo, check-in and rest. |
| Attractions | Gansu's stunning nature |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* hotel |
| Destination | Hezuo - Langmusi |
| Activities | We visit the Mila Repa Temple before we start our journey into the heart of the Tibetan areas, slowly climbing to 3300 meters altitude. Here and there we will likely see herds of yak grazing. When we reach Langmusi we check in at our modest hotel. The scenery is stunning, with snow-capped mountains all around us if it snowed before. We are now deep in Tibetan territory. |
| Attractions | Mila Repa, Gansu's stunning nature |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 2* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Langmusi - Xiahe |
| Activities | Witness the sunning of the Tangka! Not much else in this world comes close to the experience of being part of the crowd that gathers to see what, to many Tibetans, is one of the most important religious relics anywhere in the world. At some point during the morning the monks from Langmusi Temple will carry the Tangka out from the dark halls inside and display it on a nearby mountainside. The Tangka, a 20-by-40 meter large wowen image of Buddha, is only displayed for about 30 minutes every year, on this day, and attracts huge numbers of pilgrims. The grand spectacle is preceded and followed by hundreds of monks accompanying the Tangka with music and prayers. We have lunch in Langmusi before we board the bus. We have a four hour drive to reach Xiahe, where another part of the festival will take place tomorrow. After arrival in Xiahe we check in and relax. |
| Attractions | The sunning of the Tangka |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Xiahe |
| Activities | After breakfast we head for Labrang Temple. Centuries old, this is one of the largest, most beautiful and influential temples outside of Tibet. During the morning a huge crowd will gather outside the main entrance to the temple, as will we. The centre of the spectacle is the Cham Dance, a religious dance where dancers dressed in ornamented costumes, accompanied by monks playing music on traditional Tibetan instruments, offers moral instructions and merit to all who listen. This is one of the most important aspects of the Monlam Festival, also known as the Great Prayer Festival, which we have come to participate in. |
| Attractions | Monlam Festival, Cham Dance |
| Meals | Breakfast and dinner |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Xiahe |
| Activities | In the morning we go back to Labrang Temple to see more of the very atmospheric buildings, this time also from the inside. The afternoon is on your own.Tonight is the very important 'blessing of the pilgrims', which will draw thousands of pilgrims back to the temple, where they line up and await the blessing by one of the monks. We may be allowed to watch from the courtyard in front of the temple. |
| Attractions | Labrang Temple |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Xiahe - Chongqing |
| Activities | We leave Xiahe early for the rather long drive back to the airport near Lanzhou. We stop for lunch somewhere around Linxia or Lanzhou, and then continue to the airport for our flight to Chongqing. We arrive in Chongqing and transfer to our hotel and check-in. |
| Attractions | Gansu's stunning nature |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Chongqing |
| Activities | Today we visit Chongqing Zoo to see the Giant Panda. This cute-looking but fierce animal is the national animal of China. Later we visit a tea house, and then Ciqikou Old Town, before we finish of the sightseeing at the Liberation Monument Square in the middle of the city. In the evenig we enjoy a farewell dinner of hot pot. |
| Attractions | The Giant Panda, Ciqikou, Liberation Monument |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Chongqing - home |
| Activities | We transfer to the airport and begin our journey home. A truly out-of-this-world trip is drawing to an end. |
| Attractions | None |
| Meals | Breakfast |
| Accommodation | Not incl. |
| Price information | |
Please contact us for group price.
Luxury upgrade: not available
Luxury Upgrade Policy: A luxury upgrade option is available with many of our tours. In accordance with our quality benchmark, upgrade options are divided into four categories: 1. Available - upgrade possible at all destinations in tour itinerary. 2. Partially available - upgrade not possible at one or more destnations in tour itinerary. 3. Not recommended - available or partially available, but not recommended (see Hotel Policy). 4. Not available - luxury upgrades are not possible on many of our trademark specialty tours to remote or developing regions. These tours are deeply genuine and authentic.
Keeping our guests' comfort in mind, we prefer to stay in a 2* or 3* hotel in or close to the attraction, rather than a 4* or 5* hotel much further away. Genuine China Tours' all-encompassing hotel policy is that we will never pick a hotel only because of its price. All our partner hotels must live up to a strict quality test that includes: 1. Geographical location - the location of our chosen hotel is of great importantce, both in large cities, where traffic congestion can play a vital role in the handling of the tour, and also on tours to remote villages, where the right choice of village or hotel can mean a world of difference to the tour. 2. Quality of hotel - including room size and cleanliness, quality of breakfast, ease of getting in/out and more. 3. Local environment - local environment should include local sights (when possible), be in the vicinity of local markets/night markets (if any) and have access to shops and convenience stores (if any). 4. Design and layout of hotel - we prefer hotels with history and atmosphere, especially if these have relevance with the sight(s) at the destination. 5. Value for money - any hotel must pass requirements 1-3 and 5. If a hotel passes all five requirements it becomes a Priority Hotel. |
|
| Price including |
| International tour leader for duration of the tour
Local English-speaking guides at all destinations Domestic flights as in itinerary All ground transportation in bus All entrances, cruises and shows as listed in itinerary Tips for guides and drivers Travel agency responsibility insurance All government taxes |
| Price not including |
Flights to/from China Personal expenses Anything not listed in itinerary |
| Important tour information |
Detailed tour information will be sent upon request. Please note that the more information you can give us about the group(s) you plan, the more accurate can we make the quotation and detailed tour information. We offer a wide range of services at all prices, but all of them bear our quality touch. Please get in touch with one of our expert tour designers with any questions you have - We know. We've been. |
| Genuine China Tours is an officially registered travel agency operating under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Guests are required to follow rules and regulations set forth by existing laws of the country, including behavior respectful of local customs and manners. Tour designs and quotations may not be used in connection with other travel agencies. Genuine China Tours cannot be held responsible for any inconvenience caused by weather, traffic, government policies or other situations outside GCTs control. |