Adventure China

We will visit the Mutianyu Great Wall where it is less touristy, walk 1000 steps up to the Great Wall and walk along the top imagining great invading hordes.  The construction of this section was started in the mid-6th century during China’s Northern Dynasties (386 – 581) and what now remains is from the restoration made during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It has served as a northern barrier of what is now Beijing 1,500 years. You will take a cable car up the hill and toboggan down.

Day 4 Beijing – XiAn

Take an early 5 hour trip on the famous high speed bullet trains from Beijing to XiAn where you will be picked by your guide from the station and escorted to your youth hostel..

Enjoy a relaxing afternoon walking tour around XiAn the ancient capital of China and learn the history in the home of the famous Silk Road.

Notes:
Overnight: hostel
Meals: Chinese food

Day 5 Xian Terracotta Army

Just outside of XiAn visit the world famous Terra Cotta Soldiers museum and the Mausoleum grounds of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.

Take the late afternoon 4 hour high speed train ride from Xian to Chengdu traveling the 643 kilometers at 300 km/hour. You will be picked up by your guide from the train station and escorted to your 4 star hotel in Chengdu.

Notes:
Overnight: hotel
Meals: Chinese food

Day 6 Chengdu – Giant Panda Breeding Center in Wolong — Mt Siguniang

This day’s journey will take you up onto the Tibetan Plateau and deep into the ancient Tibetan Kingdom of Kham. An early start is required as Rilong is over 250km from Chengdu. After an hour or so there will be a brief stop at the town of Yenzhing (Chinese: Yingxiu), which was devastated by an 8.0 Richter scale earthquake in 2008. On the way, you will stop for lunch at Wolong (Mandarin for sleeping dragon). Immediately after lunch visit the Giant Panda Breeding Center in Wolong to experience pandas close-up and personal.

The Wolong Valley is the prime Giant Panda habitat in China. As you travel deeper into the Mountains of Kham, the scenery becomes more impressive, the steep sided green hills are dotted with picturesque Tibetan villages.

After climbing the final stretch of 40km the tour will reach the Balang pass at 4,520m. Here it is possible to get your first view of Bumoshi Mountain. The region is referred to as the ‘Oriental Alps.’ From the pass the road sweeps down to the Tibetan town of Rilong, where you will eat and stay at a guesthouse.

Notes:
Overnight: guesthouse
Meals: Chinese food

Day 7 Rilong – Danba Zhonglu (Tibetan Village)

In the morning we will travel approximately 3 hours to Danba in Zhonglu. Our group will receive a traditional welcoming by the host families. You will then be taken to your Tibetan guesthouse where you can settle in and rest. After lunch we will divide into small groups and walk around the village and get to know the life and culture here. We’ll visit and talk with the local Tibetan families along the old trail and learn the history of the trails.

Notes:
Overnight: Tibetan guesthouse
Max Altitude: 2,000m

Day 8 – 10 Danba Zhonglu Community Projects

Project: Building a Trail for the Village

Mountain trails are the lifeblood of Tibetan Villages. You will participate in helping the villagers to build a trail.

You’ll learn the traditional techniques of building trails and how to use the ancient tools from local craftsman. Also you’ll begin to pick up a few simple Tibetan words. Over these 3 days, you will work alongside local villagers and learn how to build mountain trails during the day, and in the evening participate in group discussions – learn to drawn trail maps and conduct research on specific features of physical geography which affect the village.

Other cultural exchange programs during your stay include:

– Learning some Tibetan words from the locals.

– Learning the traditional Tibetan embroidery and print prayer flag using traditional Tibetan method.

– Singing and dancing with the local villagers.

– Campfire celebration

Day 11 Danba – Chengdu

In the morning we will board a shuttle bus and travel back to Chengdu, where you will stay at a four star hotel.

The evening will be free time with a group dinner.

Notes:
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Chinese food

Day 12 Chengdu

Spend a day experiencing one of China’s great inland cities. This city of 14 million is the capital of the Sichuan Province. Chengdu’s history dates back over 3,000 years when it served as the capital of the Shu Kingdom.

After a leisurely mid-morning, participate in a Chinese cooking class complete with shopping in the local markets and cooking your own group lunch under the guidance of a leading Sichuan chef.

In the afternoon take a private tour of the Jinsha Site Museum, the most important archeological discovery in China this century. The museum holds relics of gold, j bronze, stone and ivory from the ancient Shu Kingdom that flourished over 3,000 years ago in Chengdu.

Finally after soaking up the extraordinary Chengdu Culture enjoy a final celebration Sichuan dinner together with your guides.

Day 13 Chengdu to the U.S.

Prepare to say goodbye to your guides at the airport and board a return flight from Chengdu to the U.S. to complete a trip filled with memories, accomplishments and appreciation of different cultures.