Imperial Cities And The Roof Of The World – 13 Days

Start at Tiananmen Square, the great public square at the centre of the capital, and walk through its gates into the Forbidden City. For nearly five centuries this was the palace of the Ming and Qing emperors, and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of vast halls, marble terraces and golden roofs.

Climb the small hill of Jingshan Park, just north of the palace, for the classic view back over the Forbidden City’s sea of yellow roofs. Lunch is at a local restaurant.

Ride by rickshaw into the hutongs, the old alleyway neighbourhoods of grey brick courtyard homes, where neighbours chat on doorsteps and small shops spill into the lanes.

Drive out to Mutianyu, a restored section of the Great Wall set along wooded ridges and usually quieter than the busiest sections. Walk between the watchtowers at your own pace, with the wall snaking away across the hills in both directions. The walk includes plenty of steps, so take it at whatever pace suits you.

Lunch is at a local restaurant near the wall.

Walk the Sacred Road of the Ming Tombs, the ceremonial avenue lined with stone officials and animals, from elephants and camels to mythical beasts, that led to the burial grounds of the Ming emperors.

Begin with a walk through a local morning food market, where Beijingers shop for fresh vegetables, tofu, noodles and steamed buns.

Visit the Temple of Heaven, where emperors prayed for good harvests. The round, triple roofed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is one of Beijing’s most recognisable buildings, and the park around it is full of locals practising tai chi, singing and playing cards.

Your driver takes you to the station for the high-speed train to Xi’an, about four and a half hours. Your Xi’an guide meets you on arrival and takes you to your hotel.

Drive out to the Terracotta Warriors, the UNESCO-listed army of clay soldiers, archers and horses buried to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unify China. Every figure has its own expression, and the scale of the main pit is hard to forget.

Stop at a jade gallery to see how jade is carved, then have lunch at a local restaurant.

Walk or cycle on the Ancient City Wall, the most complete city wall surviving in China, built in its present form in the Ming dynasty, with views over the old city’s rooftops.

If you wish, add the Tang Dynasty Show, a costumed performance of music and dance from one of China’s great golden ages. Seating is shared with other guests.

Spend the morning at leisure in Xi’an before your driver takes you to the airport.

Fly to Lhasa. Your Tibetan guide meets you at the airport and drives you to your hotel, about one and a half hours along the river valleys. The road runs through broad valleys of barley fields and whitewashed farmhouses with prayer flags on their roofs.

Rest at your hotel this evening and take things slowly to let your body adjust to the altitude.

Climb the steps of the Potala Palace, the great red and white palace on the hill above Lhasa that was the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside, chapels and halls glow with butter lamps, murals and golden stupas.

Lunch is at a local restaurant, where you can try momo dumplings and butter tea.

Visit the Jokhang Temple, the most sacred temple in Tibet, where pilgrims prostrate at the entrance. Then join the clockwise flow of pilgrims around the Barkhor, the ring of lanes around the temple, lined with stalls selling prayer flags, incense and silver jewellery.

Visit the Norbulingka, the summer palace and gardens of the Dalai Lamas, part of the Potala UNESCO listing, then drive to Drepung Monastery on the hillside above the city, once one of the largest monasteries in the world.

Lunch is at a local restaurant.

Continue to Sera Monastery, where in the afternoon monks gather in a shaded courtyard for animated debates on Buddhist philosophy, punctuated by claps and gestures. Your guide explains the customs of each monastery, such as walking clockwise and asking before taking photographs.

Enjoy a last morning at leisure in Lhasa before your driver takes you to the airport.

Fly to Chengdu, the relaxed capital of Sichuan. Your guide meets you and takes you to your hotel. Chengdu sits far lower than Lhasa, and the green, humid air of the Sichuan basin feels very different. Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

If you wish, add an evening of Sichuan Opera, famous for its lightning fast face changing. Seating is shared with other guests.

Arrive early at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, when the pandas are at their most active, munching bamboo and tumbling about their enclosures.

Visit Wenshu Temple, an active Buddhist monastery of quiet courtyards and incense, followed by lunch at a local restaurant.

Sit for a while in a traditional tea house, where locals sip jasmine tea, play cards and have their ears cleaned by roaming practitioners. End on Jinli Old Street, a restored lane of wooden shopfronts, lanterns and snack stalls.

The morning is at leisure. If you wish, join a Sichuan cooking class to learn how to balance the region’s famous numbing and spicy flavours, perhaps with mapo tofu or kung pao chicken.

Fly to Shanghai, where your guide meets you and takes you to your hotel. Spend the evening at leisure, perhaps strolling the Bund at night.

Visit Yu Garden in the old town, a classical garden of rockeries, carp ponds and pavilions laid out in the Ming dynasty, and wander the bustling lanes of Yuyuan Market.

See how silk is made at a silk workshop, from cocoon to thread, then walk the Bund, the riverside promenade of grand early twentieth century banks and trading houses facing the towers of Pudong across the Huangpu River.

Return to the Bund after dark, if you like, when both banks of the river light up.

Enjoy breakfast before your driver takes you to the airport for your onward flight.