13-Nights Mountains and Myths in China and Tibet - Small Group Journeys from $10,795

Abercrombie & Kent

OFFER ID 1652126

Blending classic destinations with off-the-beaten-path locales, this journey ranges from Beijing and the Great Wall to glittering Hong Kong, packing an in-depth exploration of Tibet and the Yunnan province in between. Explore sites that reveal the serene beauty of Tibetan Buddhist culture and learn about the lives of the Naxi minority. Visit the real-life Shangri-La and, in Lhasa, walk in the footsteps of the Dalai Lama.

13 nights from $10,795 per person

Itinerary

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Itinerary Details

1 Arrive Beijing, China

Beijing is China’s capital, a cultural and political nerve center more than 20 million people call home. Among them are our on-the-ground local experts who help open doors to the city’s most extraordinary experiences.

The Peninsula Beijing

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2 Beijing – Walking the Great Wall

Meander by pedicab through a hutong — a neighborhood of small winding alleyways — witnessing local daily life firsthand. Then travel outside the city to the well-preserved Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China. Walk or ride a cable car to the top and view the stunning mountains. Return to Beijing, where tonight you gather for a welcome dinner.

The Peninsula Beijing

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3 Lijiang – Legends and Lost Horizons

Fly to Lijiang, a city surrounded by the lofty peaks of the Hengduan Mountains in China’s southwestern Yunnan Province. Home to over a million residents, Lijiang is the hub of the Naxi minority, the descendants of Tibetan nomads. Begin your explorations at Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stroll Black Dragon Pool Park, its arched bridge, wood pagoda and snow-crowned mountain backdrop forming a living postcard. Stop by the Dongba Museum to learn more about the Naxi culture.

Banyan Tree Lijiang

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4 Lijiang

Immerse yourself in the local cultures surrounding Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on a guided tour. Ride by cable car up to Yak Meadow and enjoy a scenic stroll, absorbing the mountain vistas. Proceed to Yuhu Village, where you visit with a Naxi family to learn more about their unique culture, including Naxi traditional dress, and try your hand at their pictographic language.

Banyan Tree Lijiang

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5 Shangri-La – Tiger Leaping Gorge

Take a scenic drive to Shangri-La, a city named after the Hilton novel’s mythical Tibetan paradise. Cross an 8,600-foot pass, taking in the view of the Yangtze River flowing through the valley below. Stop in the charming village of Shigu to visit a memorial commemorating a historic military action. Eat lunch before continuing to Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the world’s deepest chasms. Upon arrival in Shangri-La, settle into your modern hotel overlooking Old Town (also called Dukezong Ancient Town).

Hotel Indigo Diqing Moonlight City

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6 Shangri-La – Monastery Visit

Immerse yourself in the Tibetan culture of Shangri-La with a visit to the 300-year-old Songzangling Monastery, also known as Little Potala Palace. Stop into a Tibetan family’s home and sip yak butter tea before visiting the Tibetan Culture Museum to view a colorful thangka (traditional Buddhist painting) exhibition. Climb to Guishan Temple for scenic views and the opportunity to spin one of the largest prayer wheels in the world. Return to Old Town this evening before savoring a Tibetan hot pot dinner.

Hotel Indigo Diqing Moonlight City

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7 Lhasa – Gateway to Tibet

Fly to Lhasa, the heart and soul of Tibet, one of the highest cities on earth at 12,000 feet. Enjoy an afternoon on your own, free to relax and acclimatize.

The St. Regis Lhasa Resort

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8 Lhasa – Buddhist Treasures

Wander Lhasa’s colorful Barkhor Bazaar, perusing lively market stalls selling all manner of handicrafts, such as ornate prayer wheels, embroidered thangkas and Buddhist rubbings. You may find yourself standing side by side with Tibetan and Chinese residents or even nomads from eastern Tibet. Then discover the spiritual heart of Tibet at the sacred Jokhang, a 1,300-year-old temple housing Tibet’s most revered golden Buddha. Then venture just outside the city to the Sera Monastery, famous for its tantric teachings.

The St. Regis Lhasa Resort

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9 Lhasa – Palace of the Dalai Lama

Begin the day with Sanggye Dhunghor, where some 200 statues are carved into a dramatic rock face. Next, set foot in the towering Potala Palace, considered the crowning glory of Lhasa. Once a center of political and religious power, it contained the living quarters of the Dalai Lamas as well as their golden tombs. Proceed to the Dalai Lama’s former summer residence at Norbulingka, a colorful palace surrounded by ponds, gardens and pavilions. This evening, sip cocktails and learn about Tibetan traditional dress, perhaps donning the garments yourself.

The St. Regis Lhasa Resort

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10 Kunming – City of Eternal Spring

Fly to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province. This “city of eternal spring” is surrounded by mountains on three sides. Kunming’s proximity to several nations just across China’s southeastern border has made it an important transit hub throughout history. Benefiting from abundant annual rainfall and a temperate climate, local gardens bursting with azaleas and rhododendrons are plentiful. Visit Western Hills, a park offering scenic outlooks and temples such as the stone-carved Dragon Gate.

Shangri-La Kunming

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11 Kunming – A Forest of Stone

Discover one of the most unusual landscapes in China, the Stone Forest. Hike among the rock pillars, spotting notable formations such as Baby Elephant, Baby Buffalo and Moon-Gazing Rhino. Stop at the Shilin Karst Geology Museum before returning to Kunming.

Shangri-La Kunming

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12 Hong Kong – Where East Meets West in Style

Walk along colorful, fragrant Yongdao Street, perusing its markets full of flowers, birds and fish before flying to Hong Kong, famed for its dazzling high-rise skyline, electric atmosphere and non-stop nightlife. The original “East meets West” Asian locale, Hong Kong is a capital of culture and a center of world trade. Enjoy an evening to explore the city as you please.

The Peninsula Hong Kong

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13 Hong Kong – Bustling Markets to Fishing Villages

Experience the city’s bustling market culture with stops at a herbal market, street-side antique shops and an open-air curio market. Ride the funicular up to Victoria Peak for a stunning view of Victoria Harbour, and finish with a traditional sampan (wooden boat) ride through the local fishing villages. Tonight, gather for a farewell dinner.

The Peninsula Hong Kong

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14 Depart Hong Kong

After breakfast, take your private transfer to the airport to board your departing flight.

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Featured Destinations

Hong Kong

As Asia’s premier gateway to China and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong offers a great travel experience. Visitors will find everything from hiking, horse racing and sailing to internationally renowned art galleries and lively art festivals. Some of the best hotels, dining and shopping in the world are found in this metropolis. Hong Kong is one of the world’s great cities and a delightful realm of natural wonders and serene rural villages. With its wealth of cultural attractions, Hong Kong invites exploration and inspires interest to even the most experienced traveler. Sights include Museum of History – which houses a collection of archaeological finds and historic photographs providing an introduction to Hong Kong’s history. Cultural Center is the city’s newest performing arts venue. The Space Museum’s dome, where Omnimax shows and astronomy exhibits are featured, is nearby. Adjacent is the Museum of Art. Stanley Market is an open-air market for browsing and finding bargains in fashions, leather, porcelain, and linens. Jade Market is a specialty market featuring 450 stalls with jade items.

Excursions

Hong Kong Heritage Tour - 4.5 hours - Hong Kong

Lamma Island Tour - 8.5 hours

Hong Kong Highlights Tour with Lunch – 6 hours - Hong Kong

Treasures of Kowloon (private tour) - 4 hours - Hong Kong

Macau Excursion – 8 hours - Hong Kong

Hong Kong - Full Day Macau Tour by jetfoil (10 Hours)

Hong Kong Island Tour (4 hours)

Hong Kong: Kowloon Market Tour (4 hours)

Hong Kong: New Territories Tour (4 hours)

Hong Kong: Lantau Island Tour (5 hours)

Hong Kong: Disposal Tour (4 hours)

Hong Kong Island Tour (8 hours)

Hong Kong: Disposal Tour (8 hours)

Kunming

Located 400 mi/645 km south of Chengdu at an elevation of 6,200 ft/1,900 m, Kunming, the "city of eternal springs," is surrounded by gorgeous mountain scenery. It's a pleasant, well-laid-out city, with a temperate climate and many gardens and lakes. The city was a base for the Flying Tigers during the early stages of World War II. It also played a key role in the Sino-Japanese War as the end point of the Burma Road.

Kunming also has a number of golf courses. China's burgeoning middle class is enthusiastically taking to the sport of golf, and greens are being built around the city. The Lakeview Country Club course was designed by British golf pro Nick Faldo.

Kunming is home to many of China's ethnic minorities—tribal people—who consider themselves distinctly different from China's predominant ethnic group, the Han. The city is also intriguing because some of the neighborhoods escaped the ugly 1950s Chinese modern architecture that characterizes most cities in the rest of the country, although given Kunming's rapid growth and ongoing construction this may not always be the case.

Things to see in Kunming include an interesting market, some ruined pagodas, the Yuantong Temple (a glorious building set on Green Lake) and stores selling tribal handicrafts.

Perhaps the best thing about Kunming, however, is that its traditional Chinese teahouses have survived. Tucked into side streets, they serve as neighborhood centers where older citizens play games and smoke the afternoon away—visitors are welcome.

There are many lakes and old temples outside the city that make fun destinations for day trips. Most notable are the Huating Temple in the Western Hills (built in the 1300s) and the 300-year-old Golden Temple (bronze-covered pillars, roofs and gates), linked by cable car to the World Horticultural Expo Garden.

Another attraction in the vicinity is the Shilin Stone Forest of Lunan county. These oddly shaped rock formations are actually better seen during an overnight stay rather than a day trip because they're about 75 mi/125 km southeast of town, although a highway makes a day trip possible.

Well-connected by road and rail, as well as the Kunming Airport, Kunming makes an excellent hub from which to explore the Yunnan province. The metro system, comprised of six lines, is a great way of getting around.

Lhasa

Zhongdian (Shangri-la)

Lijiang

Beijing

Vacation Details

Valid Date Ranges

05/25/2026 - 06/07/2026

from $10,795 per person

06/15/2026 - 06/28/2026

from $10,795 per person

08/24/2026 - 09/06/2026

from $10,795 per person

09/14/2026 - 09/27/2026

from $10,795 per person

10/12/2026 - 10/25/2026

from $10,795 per person

10/26/2026 - 11/08/2026

from $10,795 per person

11/09/2026 - 11/22/2026

from $10,795 per person

* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.

Prices Start At

from $10,795 per person

Length

13 Nights

Air City

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Vacation Rating

Luxury

Remarks

Prices are per person, double occupancy and include internal air where applicable. Holiday surcharge may apply. Departure dates, prices and availability may change at any time. Some restrictions may apply.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

OFFER ID

1652126

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