Beijing to Kathmandu map and Itinerary
ITINERARY
DAYS 1-6: Beijing - Xi’an
The highlights in Beijing will fill your memory card in a matter of
minutes! We visit the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and the
Forbidden City among others. The ancient city of Xi’an is next on our
list and here we will see
the famous Terracotta Warriors. These are an army of life-size clay
soldiers and chariots, each detailed with different facial expressions,
builds, and weapons. Following on, we take an
overnight train to Yichang.
DAYS 7-11: Yichang - Yangtze Cruise – Chongqing - Yangshuo
We now enjoy a three night cruise along the
Yangtze River. The cruise is an unforgettable experience and takes in
this famous river’s rural splendour and amazing scenery. We disembark
in Chongqing, fly to Guilin and then transfer to Yangshuo. Here you
can relax in the tranquil setting or learn more about Chinese culture
by taking a variety of authentic classes in areas such as cooking, painting
and Tai Chi.
DAYS 12-19: Kunming - Dali - Tiger Leaping Gorge Trek – Lijiang
We now fly to Kunming, the ‘City of Eternal Spring’. Visit the Bamboo
temple before we make our way to Dali, the home of the Bai People. We
then embark on the popular Tiger Leaping Gorge Trek, spending the first
night at a family guesthouse inside the gorge. The following day the
trek takes us past stunning views of Jade Dragon Mountain and the Yangtze
River. We then travel to the old town of Lijiang. There are many canals,
buildings and
parks to explore in this peaceful lake setting.
DAYS 20-28: Chengdu - Lhasa - Kathmandu
We take a flight from Lijiang to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province,
and we have time to sample the famous Sichuan cuisine, enjoy a tea at
a traditional teahouse, visit the famous Panda Research Centre and see
a traditional Chinese opera. We will visit the immense Leshan Giant
Buddha, a statue around 71 meters (233 feet) high, and then fly to Lhasa,
the capital of the Tibet region. After time to explore and visit such
sights as the Potola Palace, Sera and Drepung Monasteries, we take an
amazing flight across the Himalayas to Kathmandu, where our tour concludes.
Please note: The itinerary above is given as a guide only and tour leaders
may need to make adjustments due to unforeseen circumstances. The crew
will also try to be in the best place for local holidays and festivals,
etc. We endeavour to incorporate any permanent changes into these ‘Trip
notes’ and as such, the itinerary may vary slightly from the one printed
in the brochure. To make sure you have the most up to date itinerary
please download a copy of these trip notes from our website just before
travelling.
ADDITIONAL INFO
Your ‘Need2Know’ Pre-departure Information
Once you have booked your tour, we will provide you with our Need2Know
to help you prepare for your trip. It is very important that you read
this document before you travel for valuable information on the Local
Fund, travel documents, insurance & health; money & budgeting;
packing; joining your tour & life on the road; accommodation, transportation,
crew and food details. In addition you will also need to download the
relevant Country Profile(s) from our website for more specific information
about visas, local currency, weather etc.
Joining Your Tour
Once your booking has been confirmed with Budget Expeditions you will
receive all of the relevant information you need regarding joining hotels,
instructions on how to meet your tour departure, and finishing hotels.
Tour Cost & Local Fund
The cost of your tour is divided into two separate, compulsory payments
– the tour cost Beijing to Kathmandu and the Local Fund. The tour cost
is paid to your travel agent and the ‘Local Fund’ must be paid directly
to your tour leader in US dollars (US$) cash on Day 1 of your trip.
The Local Fund covers most of the ‘group’ expenses and it is managed
by your tour leader.
Optional Excursions
Choose as many or as few optional excursions as you like! Your tour
leader will be able to make recommendations and bookings in advance
for most of these extras so you have more flexibility and control over
your trip. Visit www.budgetexpeditions.com and download our Optional
Excursions Guide for details.
Entrance Fees
Entrance fees to sites described in the itinerary are not included.
This enables those who have a student card to enjoy even more savings.
Spending Money
To give you a rough idea, we recommend you allow at least US$150 per
week. This should cover additional meals, snacks, laundry, drinks, some
souvenirs, the compulsory tipping kitty (see below) and most museum
and site entrance fees. If you like to eat in high quality restaurants
or enjoy lots of nightlife, then we recommend you take some extra. Remember
this amount DOES NOT allow for any of the optional excursions!
What’s not included?
Before you book your trip you must also budget for: international flights
and airport departure taxes, visas, travel insurance (compulsory to
join a trip), personal travel items, spending money (see above) and
optional excursions.
Tipping Kitty
Budget Expeditions operates a tipping kitty. At the beginning of the
tour approximately US$10 for every two weeks is collected from each
person and given to the Tour Leader who changes this into local currency
and allocates this to the various service providers encountered in the
destination.
Accommodation
We use inexpensive hotels, hostels and guesthouses which are basic but
clean and centrally located. Price is based on twin share basis. Most
hotels are 2* and 3*. All rooms are on a share basis, normally twin
or triples. Some rooms will have private bathrooms but many will not,
a shared bathroom down the hall will be quite common! A word of advice
here; most hotel services are very good, however on occasions you may
find there is no hot water. Of course your crew will try to sort out
any problems but bear in mind that things don’t always work out, so
please try to keep a cool head and go with the flow – it is all part
of the experience of travelling in China!
Trains
The overnight train journeys on this tour are all on ‘hard sleeper’
trains. Many travellers find this to be an exciting aspect of their
travels, a great way to meet the locals and very much a part of the
adventure! The trains have comfortable carriages partitioned into open
compartments. You will have a bunk bed with a mattress, clean sheet
and a blanket, and there are either 4 or 6 bunks in each compartment.
Chinese (‘squat’) style toilets are located at the end of each carriage
although there may be a western toilet on board. You may wish to bring
a sleeping sheet in addition to the mattress and sheet provided.
We suggest you bring your own food rather than purchasing the meals
on the train. Your tour leader will offer advice on where to purchase
food prior to the journey.
Special Requirements
The Need2Know sheets include an extensive luggage checklist. You will
not need a sleeping bag as all bedding is included; however you may
wish to bring a sleep sheet for on the overnight trains. You will need
to bring a towel and a torch.