The Kham and Amdo Regions of Greater Tibet
Day 08: Morning tour of the Muslim Quarter, Great Mosque, Drum Tower, and Bell Tower. Fly from Xi’an (西安) to Guilin (桂林) in the afternoon.
Day 09: Arrival in Guilin. Cruise on the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo for a tour through the amazing karst topography of one of China’s most beautiful landscapes followed by a special fish dinner.
China is enormous and has much to offer any traveler no matter how experienced. This selective route provides some of China’s most celebrated places and amazing sites anyone of any age could experience. Breakfast and dinner will be provided daily. To offer you more choices, you will be responsible for most of your lunches (but we will help you order any time if you need assistance). You will stay in Four-Star hotels in the larger cities and the best places possible everywhere else.
EASTERN CHINA - 14 Days
CHINA with Brad Houk
WESTERN CHINA: 20 Days
Indigenous cultures around the world are changing rapidly, especially with the advent of globalization. This adventurous tour offers a unique opportunity to experience the traditional Tibetan cultures of Kham and Amdo and to witness the Mongols firsthand. The people and landscapes are incredible! Get your journals, sketchbooks, and cameras ready because this will be an experience you will want record every moment and remember for a lifetime. You will stay in Four-Star hotels in the larger cities and the best places possible everywhere else. Three nights are given over to camping on the grasslands, the traditional home to nomads. All camping equipment will be provided. Everywhere, you will enjoy the local cuisine. Breakfast and dinner will be provided daily. To offer you more choices, you will be responsible for most of your lunches (but we will help you order any time if you need assistance). This is a tour that will open worlds.
Day 01: Departure via scheduled airline.
Day 02: Arrive in Beijing and enjoy a special dinner of Beijing duck.
Day 03: Fly from Beijing to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, and drive into the Kham region of Greater Tibet before stopping in Kangding. Kangding has long been known for its intermingling of Tibetan and Han Chinese cultures.
Day 04: Rest up, hike around, and explore Kangding.
Day 05: Drive in a Tibetan-staffed caravan of four-wheel-drive land cruisers from Kangding deep into to mountainous and picturesque countryside of Kham. You will pass through the village of Tagong before stopping in Danba.
Day 06: Explore Danba and the surrounding Tibetan villages, architecture and famous towers. (For those interested, there might be an opportunity for a little service-learning (i.e.: helping Tibetan students learn English or villagers with a local project for a few hours), for those who would like to connect with some local Tibetan residents.
Day 07: Drive from Danba into the Tibetan region of Amdo to Ngawa, also known by its Chinese name as Aba and explore the community.
Day 08: Drive from the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture , through Mewa, also known as Hongyuan, to Dzoge, also known as Ruo’ergai, and observe the culture of Tibetan nomads on the grasslands which connect northern Sichuan Province with southern Gansu Province.
Day 09: From Dzoge, (Ruo’ergai), you will visit Taktsang Lhamo and tour the amazing monastery with incredible mountain views.
Day 10: Horseback riding and trekking around Taktsang Lhamo.
Day 11: Drive through the Sangchu Grasslands to Labrang Monastery (拉卜楞寺) in Xiahe.
Day 12: Explore surrounding area of Labrang.
Day 13: From Labrang you will drive to Repkong, also known as Tongren (同仁), a thriving small city with a high concentration of monasteries and famously renowned for its Repkong Art (a Tibetan center for Buddhist painting).
Day 14: Drive from Repkong (Tongren ) to the Tsekog, also known as Zeku (泽库), grassland camp.
Day 15: Tsekog grassland camp with nomads.
Day 16: Grassland camp Tsekog/Sogwo, also known as Henan Mongol Autonomous County.
Day 17: Drive from Tsekog to Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province. Rest up and explore the city.
Day 18: Fly from Xining (西宁) to Beijing and enjoy a Beijing Opera.
Day 19: Time to return to the airport to catch your flight back to the USA.
Day 20: Fly back to the USA.
Day 01: Departure via scheduled airline.
Day 02: Arrive in Beijing and relax. A special welcome dinner will be held at the hotel.
Day 03: Morning tour to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the afternoon you will tour a traditional Beijing neighborhood called a hutong. The hutong you will visit will be Nanluoguxiang. Dinner will be a specialty of Beijing, roast duck, followed by an acrobatic show.
Day 04: Train and bus to the ancient city of Pingyao. Pingyao is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with incredible Ming-era walls and Qing-era architecture.
Day 05: Spend the day exploring the ancient city of Pingyao on foot followed by a Mongolian-style hotpot dinner.
Day 06: Morning tour of the 6th century Shuanglin Temple and the Qiao Family Courtyard House (also noted for being the site of Zhang Yimou’s film Raise the Red Lantern). After a ride back to Taiyuan you will board an over-night soft-sleeper train to Xi’an.
Day 07: Arrival in Xi’an and, following breakfast, you will check into your hotel to rest. During the afternoon you will tour the Terracotta Army, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, representing part of Emperor Qinshihuang’s mausoleum. After a dumpling dinner you will experience a Tang-style Cultural Show.
Day 10: Spend the day exploring Yangshuo on foot.
Day 11: Drive back to Guilin and fly to the beautiful city of Hangzhou before an afternoon tour of the famous West Lake.
Day 12: Drive to the water-town of Tongli (同里), known for its canals Tongli is sometimes called the “Venice of the East.” You will explore Tongli before driving to Suzhou for a visit to the Master of the Net’s Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before taking an over-night, soft-sleeper, high-speed rail back to Beijing.
Day 13: Arrive in Beijing. You will spend the day at the Great Wall site of Simitai , a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following a Mongolian-style hotpot dinner you will be treated to a Beijing Opera show.
Day 14: Time to return to the airport to catch your flight back to the USA.
For details contact Brad at: bhouk@ictours.us
