Chengdu Marathon

The itinerary below reflects the 4-night package. We highly recommend adding one of our post-race extensions to your trip to allow you the time to discover and enjoy much more of China.

Arrival Day

On arrival into Tianfu/Shuangliu International Airport, make your own way to your selected hotel and check in for your 4-night stay.

The rest of the day is free for you to explore the city until 17:00pm when the Marathon Tours & Travel Welcome Reception and Briefing will take place – this is scheduled to last for approximately 1 hour, so if you are making dinner reservations, please make sure these are after 18:00pm.

Full Day City Tour

After breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for a full day city tour of Chengdu!

First, you will visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which is located about 25km out of Chengdu City.

• This huge institution replicates the natural habitat of the giant panda and is dedicated to preserving and increasing their population to ensure they will not become extinct. You are able to get real close-ups to some pandas and photograph them as well as the so-called lesser red pandas which look and act like raccoons. One of the biggest attractions is the panda breeding center where, if you are lucky, you can watch the baby pandas in their playpens.

Following this, we will enjoy lunch at local restaurant.

This afternoon you will visit both the Wuhou Temple and Jinli Old Street

• The Wuhou Temple, also known as the Wuhou Shrine or Temple of Marquis Wu, is a sprawling complex in Chengdu, China, dedicated to the memory of heroes from the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD). Wuhou Temple is considered the most prestigious museum dedicated to the Shu Kingdom and its legendary figures.

• Jinli Old Street, also referred to as Jinli Ancient Street or Jinli Pedestrian Street, is a famous historical and cultural street located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. It boasts over 1,800 years of history, with its roots dating back to the pre-Qin Dynasty era. Jinli Old Street is a must-visit for tourists as it offers a delightful blend of cultural experiences, delicious food, and historical charm.

This evening, after the tour is complete, you will enjoy dinner at local restaurant followed by a Sichuan Traditional Dance and Opera performance.

(Breakfast, lunch & dinner included)

Warm-up Run and Pre-race Dinner

The warm-up run (organized by Chengdu Marathon) takes place today – details and timings for this will be confirmed closer to the time.

The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy Chengdu at leisure!

18:00pm – 20:00pm Pre-Race Pasta Dinner (buffet; private venue tbc). Includes soft drinks, tea, coffee and local mineral water

(Breakfast & dinner included)

Race Day & Celebrations!

Today is RACE DAY – transfers to the start area are included with this package.

The Chengdu Marathon is a scenic and prestigious race offering a chance to explore Chengdu’s rich culture and potentially witness adorable pandas. The race has its sights set on joining the elite Abbott World Marathon Majors. Being part of this prestigious group would put Chengdu on the map as a major marathon destination.

Both hotel options are within walking distance of the finish area.

18:00 – 20:00 Celebration Dinner (buffet; location and venue tbc). Includes soft drinks, tea, coffee, local beer, local mineral water and house wine.

(Breakfast & dinner included)

Chengdu – Leshan

In the morning pick up and head for Leshan for the Giant Buddha Maitreya, a sculpture of a sitting Buddha, more than 70m in height, facing the confluence of three rivers, Minjiang, Daduhe and Qingyijiang. Our visit includes a panoramic boat ride and walk to the top of the Giant Buddha.

We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before, in the afternoon, continuing on to Emeishan, one of the Four Buddhist Sanctuaries in China.

Tonight, dinner will be served at a local restaurant and we will enjoy an overnight stay in Emeishan.

(Breakfast, lunch & dinner included)

Emeishan

Today you will enjoy a full-day excursion to Emeishan!

In the early morning a shuttle bus will take you uphill to Leidongping, and from here you will go to the top in a cable car to enjoy the great landscape around Golden Summit.

Lunch is included today at a local restaurant.

Later you will have the opportunity to visit the temple Baoguosi and Fuhusi which are located further down the mountain.

Tonight you will have dinner provided at a local restaurant and enjoy another overnight stay in Emeishan.

(Breakfast, lunch & dinner included)

Emeishan – Chengdu

In the morning, we return by road to Chengdu.

On our way back we will have the opportunity to explore a local tea plantation and visit the Jinsha Ruins Site and Museum to learn about the ancient culture of Shu.

Once again, lunch will be provided at a local restaurant.

This evening we return to Chengdu, where you are free to enjoy dinner at your leisure.

(Breakfast & lunch included)

Arrival Day

Early morning transfer to the airport (with takeaway breakfast) for the flight from Chengdu to Lijiang in economy class.

FLIGHT 3U8645 TFULJG 06:10-0745 or similar

Today we will enjoy an exciting half day exploration tour of Lijiang. During the tour we visit the Black Dragon Pond, Dongba Culture Museum and The Lijiang Ancient Town.

Lunch will also be provided at a local restaurant.

This evening dinner is at your own leisure.

(Take-away breakfast and lunch included)

Mu Family Residence, Wangu Pavillion and Shuhe Old Town

This morning you will visit the Mu Family Residence, and Wangu Pavillion (Lion Hill) to enjoy a panoramic view of Lijiang Ancient Town

The Mu Family Residence: is located in the southwest of the Lijiang Old Town. It is the Tusi Mu’s Yamen of the Naxi Ethnic Group in Yunnan and covers an area of 30,000 square meters. Tusi Mu was the ruler of Naxi during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. During their reign, this residence was the centre of politics, power, and wealth in ancient Naxi.

After you have enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit Shuhe Old Town.

Shuhe is a village named after the mountain, which means “village under the peak”. It is one of the earliest settlements of Naxi ancestors in Bazi of Lijiang. It is an important market town well preserved on the ancient tea horse road.

This evening we will return to the hotel in Lijiang and dinner is at your own leisure.

(Breakfast and lunch included)

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Impressions of Lijiang and Baisha Village

After breakfast this morning, you will enjoy an excursion to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain with a cable car to the Highest Peak (Shanzidou, altitude approx. 4,600m.)

The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yu Long Xue Shan) is 15km north of Lijiang city, an oceanic glacier nearest to the equator in the Northern Hemisphere, and a state-level tourist site in China. The mountain has 13 peaks extending for 35km from north to south, along side the deepest gorge in the world: Tiger Leaping Gorge. It is snow clad year-round, with grandeur and sublime. Fan Steep, its top peak, is 5,596 meters above sea level against the sky. The mountain is precipitous, picturesque, and peculiar, charming with the scenery sites of Yunshan Ping (Spruce Meadow), Baishuihe (River of White Water), Heishuihe (River of Black Water), Ganhaizi (Dry Sea), Glacier Park (Serac Forest), and so on, to make the mountain a tourists’ resort for sightseeing, exploration, mountaineering, skiing, scientific survey, or just holiday enjoyment.

After lunch, enjoy the open-air show Impressions of Lijiang, Baisha Village and the famous murals, the former Residence of Joseph Rock in Yuhu Village.

Impression Lijiang is currently the only large-scale open-air performance in China given during the day. Using Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as stage background, it shows the ancient Dongba culture of Lijiang, the long history of the ancient tea-horse road and the folk customs of the local Naxi people in forms of songs and dances.

Baisha village is the place to witness the authentic life of the Naxi People and appreciate their culture. The village, at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, is about 8km (4.9 miles) to the north of Lijiang Old Town. It is much quieter because it is not commercialized. Here, you can experience the Naxi people’s peaceful daily life. Heading for this village, the Baisha Murals cannot be missed. These Murals are representative of Lijiang Murals and their creation took about three hundred years, from the early Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911).

(Breakfast & lunch included)

Transfer to Shangri-La, the First Bend on the Yangtze River and Tiger Leaping Gorge

After breakfast this morning, you will begin your journey to Shangri-La!

During this journey you will have the opportunity to visit the First Bend on the Yangtze River and Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The First Bend of the Yangtze River, a scenic hiking area, is located near Lijiang ancient town. The Yangtze River flows from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and it makes a 90 degree turn from south to east within 1 kilometer, just like the letter “V”. The town of Shiguzhen is at the bend of the Yangtze River and is famous for its jade stele. With beautiful scenery and abundant resources, Shiguzhen becomes the ideal place for people to escape summer hot. There is a market every three days. The scenic area is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) away from Lijiang. It is not only the important sightseeing area in Lijiang, but also a place linking Tiger Leaping Gorge and Mount Moirigkawagarbo.

Tiger Leaping Gorge is a canyon on the Yangtze River or the Golden Sands River, located 60km away from Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang City. It is 16km long at the upstream of Jinsha River. The Tiger Leaping Gorge can be divided in to upper, middle and lower sections, winding 25km. It has Jade Dragon Snow Mountain at east, Haba Snow Mountain at west. The vertical elevation difference of the gorge is 3,790m which is one of the deepest valleys in the world. The narrowest part of the gorge was just 30m, which is so narrow that a tiger can jump over the gorge, hence the name. Along the gorge, there are 21 dangerous shoals and 10 waterfalls.

Tonight you will enjoy an overnight stay in Shangri-La.

(Breakfast & lunch included)

Songzanlin Tibetan Monastery, Napahai Lake and Return to Chengdu

After breakfast today you will have the chance to visit the magnificent Songzanlin Tibetan Monastery, then enjoy the scenery of Napa Lake and the Nixi pottery village.

Songzanlin is the largest Tibetan Buddhism monastery in Yunnan Province. Covering an area of 30 hectares, it looks like a mini Kumbum (Ta Er) Monastery. It is located on a mountain slope 5km from the county town of Shangri-La. Since the 5th Dalai Lama chose the site through divination in 1679, the monastery has grown into the most important community of its kind in Yunnan. Naturally, throughout its history spanning 325 years there have been ups and downs – the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), for instance, saw the lamasery almost completely destroyed – but the strong faith of the people in Shangri-La has always prevailed and today Songzanlin once again houses more than 700 monks and lamas.

Napahai Natural Lake Reserve is 3,270m above sea level and covers 660 square kilometers. It is about 8km northwest of Shangri-La town in Yunnan Province. It is both an ideal field for herdsmen and a paradise for many species of birds. This is, in the true sense, a seasonal lake. When summer comes, snow on the adjacent mountains melts and flows down into about ten rivers forming a vast lake. In the dry season, Napahai becomes a boundless green grassland – the best time for herding sheep cattle. Every September the lake again turns into a temporary habitat for migratory birds, such as bar-headed geese, wild ducks and black-necked cranes which are one of the 12 rarest bird species in the world. During this period, the lake becomes an ideal place for ornithologists from around the world.

Nixi, located in the Shangri-La County, Yunnan Province, is a part of the the Ancient Tea Horse Road. It has a long history of potting. Their potting skills have been carried on for nearly one thousand years. Nixi black pottery enjoys great prestige in northwestern Yunnan Province and the whole Tibet area, for its unique appearance and special function for cooking (it makes the food more delicious).

This evening you will be transferred to Shangri-La Airport where you will take a flight back to Chengdu. You will stay overnight in Chengdu, close to the airport.

(Breakfast & lunch included)

Flight to Hong Kong

Morning transfer to the airport for the flight from Chengdu to Hong Kong in economy class.

FLIGHT CA427 TFUHKG 13:10-15:50 or similar.

On arrival in Hong Kong, we transfer to the hotel with an English-speaking guide.

Evening at leisure

(Breakfast included)

Half Day Hong Kong Island Tour

In the morning, take the Peak Tram, the world’s oldest and most famous funicular railway, to visit Victoria Peak. With access to the Sky Terrace viewing deck, enjoy one of the world’s most breath-taking views. The panorama from the peak offers a magnificent portrait of the famous Victoria harbour, Kowloon, and nearby islands.

Dim Sum lunch at local Restaurant. Afternoon time at leisure.

Evening Aqua Luna Evening Cruise

Aqua Luna Evening Cruise – relax on a lounge bed, sip on a refreshing drink, and soak up the sights and sounds of Hong Kong’s harbour and stunning skyline on the 45-minute Harbour Cruise. Join our Sunset Cruise and see the sparkling city lights illuminate over an aqua luna Sundowner cocktail.

(Breakfast & lunch included)

Full-day Lantau Island Tour

Visit 360 Ngong Ping Village, visit the Big Buddha and Po Lin Temple, round-trip standard class cable car (Tung Chung- Ngong Ping – Tung Chung).

Lunch at a vegetarian restaurant.

Ngong Ping Village is the best starting point for Hong Kong to visit “must-see” attractions such as the Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery. Enjoy the pristine nature preserved at Ngong Ping Plateau and walk around the mountainous terrain to discover the most gorgeous “wild” side of Hong Kong.

The Big Buddha, also known as Tian Tan Buddha, is famed as the most iconic attraction of Lantau. Sitting next to the Po Lin Monastery, it is only a 10-minute walk away from Ngong Ping Village.

(Breakfast and lunch included)