{"title":"Summer Journeys — June to August","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"sichuan-discovery-private-tour-2026","title":"Sichuan Discovery — 8 Days","description":"\u003cp class=\"ct-product-lead\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEight days in China's most food-obsessed, panda-raising, Buddhist mountain-climbing province.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSichuan hits differently. The food is genuinely, memorably hot — not performatively spiced for tourists. The giant pandas at Chengdu Research Base are the real ones. Emeishan is a UNESCO World Heritage site with over a thousand years of Buddhist history still actively practiced on its slopes. This itinerary doesn't skip anything important.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eItinerary Highlights\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDays 1–2 — Chengdu:\u003c\/strong\u003e Arrival. Kuanzhai Alley (Broad and Narrow) at early morning before the crowds. Private Sichuan cooking class with a third-generation chef. Evening at a traditional teahouse.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDay 3 — Giant Panda Research Base:\u003c\/strong\u003e Arrive at 8 AM (pandas are most active before 10). Optional: volunteer keeper experience (advance booking required). Afternoon: Jinsha Site Museum — 3,000-year-old Shu civilization gold and bronze.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDays 4–5 — Leshan Giant Buddha \u0026amp; Emeishan:\u003c\/strong\u003e World's largest stone Buddha (71 meters, carved into the cliff). Cable car to Emeishan Golden Summit — sea of clouds permitting. Overnight in a mountain monastery guesthouse.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDays 6–7 — Jiuzhaigou Valley:\u003c\/strong\u003e Flight to Jiuzhaigou (or private car if roads are open). UNESCO-listed valley of colored lakes and waterfalls. Private photography guide available.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDay 8 — Return \u0026amp; Departure:\u003c\/strong\u003e Return to Chengdu. Airport transfer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003ePricing\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003cstrong\u003eUSD 4,280 per person\u003c\/strong\u003e (based on 2 travelers). Best September–October for Jiuzhaigou colors; February–April for pandas with cubs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e✏️ \u003cstrong\u003eHow to edit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Products → Sichuan Discovery → Edit. Update days, hotels, and pricing.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eLiving Heritage Encounter — Sichuan Shadow Puppet Theater\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Chengdu's Wide-and-Narrow Alley you attend a private performance by \u003cstrong\u003eMaster Hu Yibing\u003c\/strong\u003e, a senior inheritor of \u003cem\u003eSichuan piying xi\u003c\/em\u003e (四川皮影戏) — the Sichuan shadow puppet theater on China's national intangible cultural heritage list. The Sichuan style uses leather puppets cut from buffalo hide and colored with mineral pigments, distinguished from the northern Hebei tradition by its complex hand-articulation. Master Hu performs a 45-minute excerpt from \u003cem\u003eWhite Snake Legend\u003c\/em\u003e for a 10-seat audience. After the show he demonstrates the carving and articulation of a Lord-of-Hell puppet using the carving knife passed down from his master.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- ct-cache-bust-route-map-20260611 --\u003e","brand":"ChinaTourly","offers":[{"title":"Pay full","offer_id":55454147707048,"sku":null,"price":4280.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Pay deposit (20%)","offer_id":55596120473768,"sku":null,"price":856.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0748\/7419\/2040\/files\/e957a2cdd269764ac3d8e096f39387ac.webp?v=1780886787"},{"product_id":"tibet-plateau-private-tour-2026","title":"Tibet Plateau — 9 Days","description":"\u003cp class=\"ct-product-lead\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNine days at the roof of the world — Lhasa, the Potala Palace, Namtso Lake, and Buddhist monasteries that have been operating since the seventh century.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTibet is the only destination we include that requires a special permit beyond a standard China visa. It is also the destination that travelers describe most often as life-changing. The altitude (Lhasa sits at 3,650 meters), the light, and the sheer weight of spiritual life practiced there produce an effect that is difficult to describe in advance. You simply have to go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eImportant: Altitude Acclimatization\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDays 1–2 in Lhasa are deliberately light. Altitude sickness is real — we build in rest time, provide acclimatization support, and advise consulting your doctor about acetazolamide before travel. Most guests feel fine by Day 3.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eItinerary Highlights\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDays 1–2 — Lhasa Arrival \u0026amp; Acclimatization:\u003c\/strong\u003e Short walks only. Barkhor Circuit at your own pace. Jokhang Temple courtyard in the late afternoon light.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDays 3–4 — Potala Palace \u0026amp; Drepung:\u003c\/strong\u003e Potala Palace (timed entry, advance permit required — we arrange this). Drepung Monastery — once the world's largest Buddhist monastery, 10,000 monks. Morning debate session if timing allows.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDays 5–6 — Namtso Lake:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4-hour drive to Namtso, one of the world's highest lakes (4,718m). Overnight in a guesthouse on the lake shore. Sunrise over the Nyenchen Tanglha range.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDays 7–8 — Shigatse \u0026amp; Tashilhunpo:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tashilhunpo Monastery — seat of the Panchen Lama. Drive back through the Himalayan foothills. Optional: Gyantse Kumbum (15th-century stupa with 77 chapels).\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDay 9 — Return to Lhasa \u0026amp; Departure:\u003c\/strong\u003e Flight to Chengdu, Xi'an, or Beijing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003ePermits Required\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTibet Travel Permit + Alien's Travel Permit for areas outside Lhasa. We obtain all permits on your behalf — allow 3–4 weeks lead time for your booking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003ePricing\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003cstrong\u003eUSD 5,980 per person\u003c\/strong\u003e (based on 2 travelers). May–October only (roads close in winter). Permit fees included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e✏️ \u003cstrong\u003eHow to edit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Products → Tibet Plateau → Edit. Update the itinerary, permit details, and pricing.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eLiving Heritage Encounter — Tibetan Pulu Wool Weaving\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Gyantse, you spend an afternoon with \u003cstrong\u003eLhasang Drolma\u003c\/strong\u003e, an inheritor of \u003cem\u003eGyantse Pulu\u003c\/em\u003e (江孜帮典) — the traditional Tibetan wool weaving on China's national intangible cultural heritage list. Pulu has been the daily fabric of the Tibetan plateau for over a thousand years. Lhasang Drolma works the traditional vertical loom set up in her courtyard, dyes the wool with locally foraged plants (walnut husk for brown, madder for red, indigo for blue), and weaves the diagonal twill pattern unique to Gyantse work. You take part in the warping and learn the foot-pedal sequence on a small sampler piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- ct-cache-bust-route-map-20260611 --\u003e","brand":"ChinaTourly","offers":[{"title":"Pay full","offer_id":55454148657320,"sku":null,"price":5980.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Pay deposit (20%)","offer_id":55596120899752,"sku":null,"price":1196.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0748\/7419\/2040\/files\/d6a8d0ff8224832e7fbe2244a710cd45.webp?v=1780886814"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0748\/7419\/2040\/collections\/ct-coll-summer.jpg?v=1780480862","url":"https:\/\/chinatourly.com\/collections\/journeys-summer.oembed","provider":"Chinatourly","version":"1.0","type":"link"}