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9-Day Tibet-Sacred Stillness Yoga Retreat
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Discover
This two-week route links China’s classic capitals with a hands-on panda experience and a relaxed Yangtze River cruise. You move from palace courtyards and Great Wall watchtowers in Beijing to terracotta warriors and lantern-lit lanes in Xi’an, spend a day as a panda “keeper” near Chengdu, drift through the Three Gorges on the Yangtze, and finish among Shanghai’s modern towers and historic riverfront.
Your private guide meets you in the arrivals hall and escorts you by private car to your hotel. After check-in, the rest of the day is free to rest or take a short walk near the hotel, depending on your arrival time and energy.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Walk across Tian’anmen Square and enter the Forbidden City, following a route that includes key ceremonial halls and some lesser-visited corners where you can feel the quieter side of palace life.
In the afternoon, explore Beijing’s hutongs by rickshaw, weaving through narrow lanes, crossing Silver Ingot Bridge, and visiting a traditional courtyard home to hear how life is changing in these historic neighborhoods.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Begin at the Temple of Heaven park, where locals practice tai chi, fly kites, sing, and play games under old cypress trees. Step into the historic altar complex to understand how emperors once prayed for good harvests.
Continue to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Take a cable car or chairlift up, walk between watchtowers along the ridgeline, and choose between cable car or toboggan for the way down, with time to enjoy the mountain views.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Stroll through the Summer Palace, a former royal retreat of gardens, pavilions, and lakeside walkways. Cruise across the lake by boat (weather permitting) and wander the long painted corridor, pausing at viewpoints over Kunming Lake.
Enjoy an authentic Beijing roast duck lunch, learning how to wrap the slices properly with condiments and pancakes. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Xi’an, where your local guide meets you and takes you to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Spend the morning at the Terracotta Army, visiting several pits and the museum to hear how these life-size soldiers were created, buried, and rediscovered.
Visit a local artisan’s traditional cave dwelling to see how terracotta figures are made today using local clay, and try shaping a small warrior of your own.
Back in the city, head up onto Xi’an’s ancient city wall. Walk or cycle along the ramparts for broad views over both the old city and modern skyline. Round off the day with a stroll through the lively Muslim Quarter if time allows.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Visit Little Wild Goose Pagoda and its temple grounds, a quieter complex that combines historic buildings, a small museum, and peaceful courtyards.
Join a local family in their home for a hands-on dumpling lesson. Learn how to mix fillings, fold different shapes, and then share a lunch of the jiaozi you’ve made together.
In the late afternoon, board a high-speed train to Chengdu. Your Chengdu guide meets you at the station and transfers you to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Spend the day at a panda base near Chengdu as part of a Panda Keeper Program. Under the guidance of staff, help clean or prepare bamboo, watch feeding time from a close but controlled distance, learn about panda behavior and conservation, and make simple panda “cakes” as enrichment. A basic staff canteen lunch is included on site.
This immersive day offers much more time with the animals than a standard zoo visit and is often a favorite memory for both adults and children.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Start the morning in People’s Park, where Chengdu’s relaxed city life unfolds in the open: sip tea at a local teahouse, watch or join a square-dance group, and see locals playing mahjong and chatting with friends.
Continue to Jinli Old Street, a lively lane of traditional-style buildings and snack stalls. Try classic street foods such as spicy bean jelly, sweet potato noodles, Sichuan-style wontons, or—if you’re adventurous—rabbit head in chili sauce.
In the afternoon, take a bullet train to Chongqing. Your guide escorts you to the Yangtze River cruise terminal to check in for your ship, which typically departs in the evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (on board)
Join optional tai chi on deck in the early morning if you like.
Take a shore excursion to Fengdu “Ghost City”, a hill of temples, gates, and statues that reflect traditional Chinese ideas about the underworld and judgment after death.
Back on board, enjoy river views and shipboard cultural activities or talks. An optional evening show may be offered after dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (on board)
If you wish, join an optional shore excursion to White Emperor City in the morning, a historic site with calligraphy, fortress walls, and a viewpoint matching the scene on the 10-yuan banknote.
Sail through the narrow Qutang Gorge and the misty, winding Wu Gorge, with commentary on the landscapes and villages along the banks.
In the afternoon, transfer to a smaller boat for an excursion up Shennv Stream, a clear tributary flowing between steep, green cliffs. Return to the ship for dinner and a crew show or talent performance in the evening.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Disembark in the morning for a visit to the Three Gorges Dam. From viewing platforms near the structure, take in the scale of both the engineering project and the river scenery.
After the tour, you are transferred to Yichang’s visitor center, where your private guide and driver meet you and take you to the railway station. Board a high-speed train to Shanghai and transfer to your city-center hotel on arrival.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Go beyond quick photos on the riverfront with an in-depth Bund walk. Step inside some of the historic buildings to hear how foreign banks, trading houses, and clubs shaped this waterfront in the early 20th century.
After lunch, ascend Shanghai’s tallest tower for panoramic views over the old city roofs, the river, and the forest of skyscrapers in Pudong.
The rest of the afternoon is free. Your guide can suggest options tailored to you—fashion districts, art spaces, food streets, local neighborhoods, or last-minute shopping.
Depending on your flight time, enjoy a relaxed morning café stop or final walk. Your guide and driver then take you to the airport and assist with check-in and departure.
Stay in well-located hotels in each city, generally in the 4-star or boutique 4–5 star range unless you request another level. On the Yangtze, you sail with a comfortable cruise ship offering private cabins with en-suite bathrooms and panoramic windows. Room upgrades, family rooms, or special hotel styles can be arranged according to your preferences.
Breakfast is included daily at your hotels or on the cruise ship. Most sightseeing days include lunch at selected local restaurants, featuring regional flavors from Beijing, Xi’an, Sichuan, and Shanghai. While on the Yangtze cruise, three main meals are served on board each full day. Some dinners on land are left free so you can explore local food streets or restaurants that match your tastes. With advance notice, most dietary requirements (vegetarian, halal, gluten-free, etc.) can usually be accommodated.
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