Ultimate China & Tibet 2026

15 Day Tour: September 20-October 4, 2026

Pricing for Ultimate China & Tibet

Tour Highlights

• Lhasa,
• Tibet
• Potala Palace
• Beijing
• Forbidden City
• Summer Palace
• Great Wall
• Xian Terracotta Warriors
• Chengdu
• Wolong Nature Reserve
• Day as a Panda Caretaker
• Jiuzhaigou National Park&
• SO MUCH MORE!

Tour Includes

• Round trip airfare from Chicago
• Internal Flights
• First Class Hotel Accommodations
• All Breakfasts, All Lunches & All Dinners
• Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation
• Admissions to all listed Attractions
• Round trip airport transfers in the Chicago land area
• Guided by Bill Ball,
• Baggage Handling
• All Gratuities

Tour Itinerary

Day One We depart Chicago on an overnight flight to Lhasa, Tibet.

Day Two We arrive in Lhasa this morning—one of the world’s most mysterious cities. Our touring begins in the Sera Monastery, dating from the Ming Dynasty and at its height, housing 10,000 lamas. Highlights of our tour include the gifts of the Ming Emperor and the Goddess of Mercy statue with 11 faces.

Day Three We begin our day at the Potala Palace (UNESCO site) dominating the city from a lofty cliff. This was the official home of the Dalai Lama from 1391AD. There are over 1000 rooms, 10,000 chapels and the tombs of 8 Dalai Lamas. The rooms are resplendent with gold and jewels. A certain highlight is the Pearl Pagoda, covered with over 200,000 pearls. We continue to the Jokhang Temple, the most important Buddhist temple in Tibet where pilgrims come from around the world to pray.

Day Four Norbulingka Park is our first stop this morning. This is the site of the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. The 370-room palace is nestled among 100 acres of gardens. We can see the murals and statues that fill the home and the bedroom of the last Dalai Lama to occupy the palace before he fled to India. Our afternoon tour takes us to Drepung Monastery, where you can climb to the roof for a magnificent view of the valley. This monastery houses a true treasure, a gilded Buddha. We return to Beijing late this afternoon.

Day Five This morning we visit the famous sites of Beijing. We see Tiananmen Square, which came to the world’s attention during the political demonstrations that took place there, the city gates (each with a specific use and interesting history), Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, and much more. Around each corner is a fabulous building, a delightful vista or an intriguing piece of history. This afternoon, we visit the incredible Forbidden City (UNESCO site). Built on 178 acres and containing over 8600 rooms, this is a palace like no other. We see the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the most stately of all buildings, the Baohedian—the most decorative hall which was used for banquets, and the Imperial Gardens. We end the day with a stop at the Temple of Heaven (UNESCO site).

Day Six We visit the Summer Palace (UNESCO site) the morning. While no less grand than the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace is completely different. The Summer Palace was built around a lake, and the buildings harmonize with their surroundings, the ornate buildings, walkways and bridges accentuate the natural
beauty of the area.

Day Seven Today we visit one of the Great Wonders of the World—The Great Wall of China (UNESCO site). In Badaling, the Great Wall is over 20 feet tall and over 18 feet wide. From the Wall we can see the watchtowers and marvel at this ancient feat of construction. We continue to the Sacred Way which is lined with 24 stone animals including lions, unicorns, camels, and elephants and larger-than-life stone statues of soldiers and officials. Finally we stop at the ornate Ming Tombs (UNESCO site). Built at tremendous cost, the Ming Tombs were built for the emperors.

Day Eight Our tour travels to Xian today via bullet train. Enroute we visit the Longmen Grottoes (UNESCO site). It is the largest collection of Chinese art from the Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties. More than 100,000 stone carvings from 493 are devoted to the Buddhist religion. We end the day in Xian.

Day Nine Xian is famous for the Terracotta Warriors, but there is more to see. Today we visit the Wild Goose Pagodas, with origins in India, the Great Mosque, Bell Tower and Drum Tower and the Banpo Museum—an archaeological site 6000 years old.

Day Ten The Terracotta Warriors and the Mausoleum of the first Qin Emperor (UNESCO site) await us today. Eight thousands soldiers protect the tomb of the first Qin Emperor, located approximately 4 miles away. We tour the 3 vaults where the soldiers are depicted holding crossbows, bells and drums, and charioteers command horses. Each soldier has a unique face and their uniforms and armor depict their rank. Over 700,000 people worked on the underground tomb for almost 40 years. An evening flight brings us to Chengdu.

Day Eleven Today is Panda Day! We head to Wolong Nature Reserve, (part of UNESCO reserve) home of the giant panada research center, where you can get up close and personal with these beautiful fuzzy creatures. First you will be a keeper for the day doing what the zoo experts do including feeding the adult pandas. To top
it off, we will then hold a baby panda. This is a Passport Special Experience.

Day Twelve We take a bullet train to the most beautiful parks in China and in the top 5 in all of Asia. We begin by exploring the mythical Hounlong National Park. This park is set in the snow-capped mountains with beautiful wild lands of forests, streams and lakes. One of those lakes is a wonder of nature—the 5 Colors Lake
which has actually more than 5 colors to it.

Day Thirteen We explore the crème-de-la-crème of scenic parks today—Jiuzhaigou. Home to giant pandas, snub-nosed monkeys and takin, this is a breathtaking park. High mountain peaks surround us as we explore the radiant valley. Multiple waterfalls, crystal clear streams and gorgeous vistas are around every corner. Few think of China as a natural paradise—that is because they never saw Jiuzhaigou.

Day Fourteen One last look at the beauty that is Jiuzhaigou before we board our flight back to our home base. With memories of immense palace complexes, an army of terracotta warriors, giant pandas, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, giant Buddhas and the most beautiful valley one can imagine.

Day Fifteen We arrive home full of the wonder that is China & Tibet.