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Overview

Customized Trip to China

According to an old Chinese saying, “The road to Sichuan is harder than the road to heaven”. Sitting right next to the Himalayas, it’s true that this region’s mountainous landscape does make it look like an impenetrable fortress, which is perhaps why it was so difficult for visitors to come here for so many years. This isolation might also be why Sichuan managed to remain so authentic over the years: despite the decadence, imposing skyscrapers, and postmodern architecture of Chengdu, many visitors find that the soul of Sichuan is the most vibrant and spirited in all of China. Wherever the territory isn’t too rugged, you’ll find small villages surrounded by terraced fields of wheat and corn, a few old wooden houses with elaborate decorations, as you’ll see for yourself in Shangli and Jiaju. This region really takes travelers to another world: with peaceful lakes nestled between sharp rugged peaks, Sichuan is blessed with a well-preserved and magnificent natural heritage. This customized trip to China will allow you to see all of this and much more, including a 4000-meter-high mountain pass! You’ll even come face to face with one of the country’s most famous national symbols at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Sichuan is also one of the China’s most important spiritual centers and is home to many Taoist monasteries with names that evoke mystery and history. The Black Goat Taoist Palace is an absolute travel must! Of course, Sichuan is known across the globe for its quality cuisine, as you’ll find our for yourself on this customized trip to China, in Sichuan, a mere traditional meal often leads one’s mouth to culinary heaven…simply unforgettable!

Make sure you contact Uniktour’s China specialist today for more information on this beautiful tailored trip to Sichuan!

Itinerary

Day 1| Chengdu
Arrival in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. Take a stroll on Qintai Street in the city’s old town, where traditional houses have been transformed in boutiques and restaurants. Lunch in the city. You’ll get the chance to sample the region’s specialty, Mapo Tofu. Sichuan cuisine is known for its strong flavors, spices and peppers.
Visit Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, followed by the Black Goat Palace, the region’s most important Taoist temple. To really immerse yourself in the local ambiance, make a stop at a traditional teahouse. Dinner in the old town. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 2| Chengdu - Kangding
Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Kangding on a beautiful road surrounded by impressive rocky peaks covered in lush vegetation, passing by many cascades along the way. Once you exit Erlangshan tunnel, the plateau’s landscape sudden opens up. Visit world-famous Luding Bridge, an important step in the Red Army’s historic Long March.
Lunch on the road. Late afternoon arrival in Kangding. Settle into your hotel. Typical dinner. Overnight at hotel.

Day 3| Kangding - Tagong
Breakfast at your hotel before heading to Mugecuo Lake. Enjoy a stroll around the lake. Lunch on the road. Continue on towards Tagong and the Zheduo mountain pass (alt. 4290 m). Spend the day exploring the Tagong area. Visit Tagong temple, then walk around a hill covered in prayer flags, and take a stroll in the area’s grasslands. Dinner and overnight at a hotel.

Day 4| Tagong - Danba
Breakfast is followed by a visit to the village’s elementary school, and then to the head offices of ASENT: founded in 2006, this NGO provides support for the local children’s education and development. Visit the Golden Stupa and enjoy superb views of Mount Yala. Lunch in between visits. Travel to Danba. Local dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 5| Danba - Ya’an
Breakfast at your hotel. Visit Jiaju, a typical Tibetan village. Visit Suopo village and have fun walking around the terraced cornfields and great traditional houses. Its stone watchtowers are a well-known local attraction. Lunch in between visits. Departure for Ya’an. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 6| Ya’an - Chengdu
Breakfast at your hotel. Visit the Panda Reserve and then you can take a walk in the lovely green valley along crystal clear rivers. Lunch on the way.
Visit Shangli village, known for the beautifully decorated old wooden houses set up along the river. Return to Chengdu. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7| Chengdu – Departure
Breakfast at your hotel. Transfer to the airport for your flight to your next destination.

Budget

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Overview

China is forever linked to its ancient civilization, friendly people, and many of the world's most revered treasures, such as The Great Wall, Terra-Cotta Warriors & Horses and the Yangtze River.
Today, one can also find spectacular architecture and towering skylines in Shanghai
and Beijing (site of the 2008 Summer Olympics), a wealth of luxury accommodations – and as always – exquisite cuisine.

Come and see why China is drawing millions of visitors from all over the world. And, why each and everyone of them returns home smiling :)

Source ; china tourism office (http://www.cnto.org )

Tourism

Visitors are often surprised to find out how modern China really is.
Since the early 90's China has been in the middle of a building boom and infrastructure upgrade that has brought its tourism industry up to Western standards almost overnight.

Tourist facilities and transportation in large cities are almost on the same level as of the United States. All major cities and tourism centers have undergone a total metamorphosis in visitor comfort and transportation facilities. Complaints of poor facilities, service or transportation have all become memories of the past.

Today you can tour China with ease and safety (the crime rate is very low there), stay in comfortable 4 & 5-star hotels, try new Chinese delicacies, enjoy familiar Western cuisine, shop in modern designer boutiques, or explore centuries-old markets and shopping arcades. You can tour the countryside in modern motor coaches, relax in first class train compartments, or speed to the next destination by jet while exploring one of the oldest cultures of the world, and seeing some of the most extraordinary sights any where and there is much to see in this vast country of 1.3 billion people.

Geography

China's land drops off in the escarpments eastward to the ocean, letting in humid air currents and leading many rivers eastward.
Among the rivers totalling 220,000 kilometres in length in China; the Yangtze and the Yellow are the two major ones.

China has a diversity of land formations including mountains, hills, highlands, plains and basins. The highlands and hill regions account for 65 percent of the country's land mass. The highest mountain peak is Qomolangma (Everest), 8,848 metres above sea level; the lowest point is the Turpan Basin, 154 metres below sea level.

Culture

China is the most populous country in the world, with 1.25909 billion people at the end of 1999, about 22 percent of the world's total.
This figure does not include many Chinese in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Taiwan Province and Macao Special Administrative Region. The population density in China is 130 people per sq km. This population, however, is unevenly distributed. Along the densely populated east coast there are more than 400 people per sq km; in the central areas, over 200; and in the sparsely populated plateaus in the west there are less than 10 people per sq km. The population in cities and towns makes up 30.4 percent; and that in rural areas, 69.6 percent. The male population is 50.8 percent; and the female population is 49.2 percent. People 14 years or younger make up 25.7 percent; those from 15 to 64, 67.6 percent; and those 65 or older, 6.7 percent.

Climate

China is characterized by a continental climate.
The latitudes span nearly 50 degrees, its southern part is in the tropical and subtropical zones, and its northern part near the frigid zones. The northern part of Heilongjiang province has long winters but no summers; while Hainan Island has long summers but no winters. The Huaihe River valley is marked by distinctive seasonal changes, but it is spring all year round in the south of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. China's high tundra zone is situated in Qinghai-Tibet, where the temperature is low in all four seasons.