Monks Tibet Tibetan Landscape
Monks amid the mountain landscape of Tibet

Classic China and Tibet

Witness ancient traditions and modern life in China and Tibet on this popular journey
Starting at $6,586
Including airfare, airline taxes & departure fees
Call 855-330-1542
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Overview
  • Immerse yourself in the cultural landscape of China and mystical Tibet. Begin with four days in the historic capital of Beijing where you’ll explore Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace, and travel to the Great Wall. In Xi’an, the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, view the extraordinary Terra-Cotta Warriors, walk along the ancient city walls, and visit the impressive history museum.

    Travel to Tibet for an insider’s look at Tibet’s Buddhist culture during three days in Lhasa, set high on a Himalayan plateau. Explore the sacred Potala Palace and vast Sera Monastery, and visit with a Tibetan family in their home. Then take a leisurely three-night cruise on the Yangtze River, with its spectacular gorges and monumental new dam, an emblem of modern China. Conclude your tour in dynamic Shanghai, where you’ll view the renowned art collections of the Shanghai Museum, and stroll the winding pathways of Yu Yuan Gardens in old Shanghai.
    • Special Value
  • This tour is specially designed for a small group of 16 to 24 Smithsonian travelers and offers outstanding travel value. Prices include airfare, airline taxes, fuel surcharges, and departure fees.
    • Smithsonian Experts
  • Throughout this tour, travel in the company of an exceptional Smithsonian Study Leader. Ingrid Larsen is a Chinese art historian and specialist in early Chinese painting. She did her doctoral training at the University of Michigan and Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and received national scholarships from the National Academy of Sciences and the Fulbright Commission. She will lead the September 2013 departures.
    • Special Highlights
  • See Beijing’s World Heritage sites including the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven.
  • Gaze upon the imposing ranks of the Terra-cotta Warriors of Xi’an, so impressive when viewed from above.
  • Spend three nights in Tibet’s capital Lhasa, learning about Tibetan Buddhism and visiting with a local Tibetan family.
  • Travel through the heart of China on a three-day Yangtze River cruise and transit partway through the locks of the Three Gorges Dam.
  • Stop at the Yu Yuan Gardens in Shanghai with pavilions and courtyards which create the illusion of mountains, caverns and lakes.
    • World Heritage Sites
  • This tour features the following World Heritage sites in China and Tibet:
    • The Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Beijing
    • The Great Wall of China
    • Temple of Heaven, Beijing
    • Summer Palace, Beijing
    • The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Xi'an
    • Dazu Rock Carvings, near Chongqing
    • Historic Area of the Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet
    See a complete list of all Smithsonian tours featuring World Heritage sites.


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