15 Days Journey to the Roof of the World

Includes: Beijing, Chengdu, Leshan, Dujiangyan, Lhasa, Gyantse & Shigatse

    This is a tour designed for the truly adventurous. It begins in Beijing, the capital of Imperial and modern China, moves on to Sichuan Province to visit two impressive monuments of Buddhist devotion and ancient civil engineering and culminates with seven days touring the mountain kingdom of Tibet, the "roof of the world". High altitudes and rough roads will challenge your stamina, but the rewards are rich.
    Begin with a full program of sightseeing which shows you all aspects of ancient and modern Beijing, as well as a special Beijing Roast Duck dinner and a performance of the Beijing Opera. Then journey far to the southwest to the burgeoning city of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province. Just outside this dynamic city lies a world of quieter rhythms and ancient monuments. A trip south through the rich Sichuan countryside will take us to Leshan, site of the Grand Buddha, a 71-meter tall statue sculpted from the rock of a riverside cliff. North of Chengdu lies the ancient irrigation works at Dujiangyan. Here, in the third century B.C., engineers devised a system of weirs to divert the fast-flowing Min River into a series of canals. We will have the opportunity to view both the ancient and modern elements of this project and enjoy the surrounding rural and mountain scenery.
    From Chengdu, we will fly over the snowcapped peaks of western Sichuan to Tibet, the "roof of the world". In Lhasa, the capital of Tibet and the site of its most famous monuments, we will visit the Norbulingka Palace, the former summer residence of the Dalai Lamas; the magnificent Potala Palace, perhaps the single most recognizable image of Tibet; and the large Sera Monastery. A visit to the ancient heart of Lhasa, the 1300-year-old Jokhang Temple and the pilgrimage center and market jamboree of Barkhor Square, reveals the centuries-old customs and rituals of Buddhist devotion.
    From Lhasa, a three-day adventure takes us to the high, wild countryside of the Tibetan plateau. The first stage travels to the town of Gyantse by way of the magnificent Yamdrok Yutso mountain lake and the 7,191-meter Nojin Gangzang snow peak, and includes a crossing of 5,045-meter Khari La pass. Along the road, we will pass between two glaciers and have the chance to observe Tibetan rural life. Gyantse offers two remarkable sights: the great monastic complex of Pelkhor Chode, which includes the magnificent Kumbum, a nine-level octagonal stupa named for its 10,000 images of the Buddha; and the hilltop Gyantse Dzong fortress.
    After an overnight stay in Gyantse, we travel onward to visit the stunning red-and-gold monastery of Tashilhunpo, one of the largest in Tibet and the seat of the Panchen Lama. An overnight stay in the small city of Shigatse provides another chance to experience rural Tibetan life before our return to Lhasa by way of the valley of the upper Brahmaputra Rive.