The Magnificent Avatar Mountains and Great China Tour Route

Tour details

EXAMPLE (etc.) HOTELS

Beijing

Howard Johnson Paragon 4* etc.

Xi’an

Jian Guo Hotel 4* etc.

Chengdu

Chengdu Tianfu Sunshine Hotel 4* etc.

Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie Qinghe International Hotel 5* etc.

Shanghai

Pagoda Baixia Hotel 5* etc.

Participation Requirement

This trip is organized with a minimum participation requirement of 30 people.  If sufficient participation is not achieved, the final cancellation notice date is 20 days before the tour start date. A tour canceled due to insufficient participation will be notified to you through your agency.

Visa

PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Our VISA PROCEDURE for CHINA tours is as follows.

Documents that need to be submitted to us

WE KINDLY REQUEST THAT THESE BE REQUESTED DIRECTLY FROM OUR GUESTS AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION AND SENT TO US.

- Participants must send us a full-page scanned copy of their passport image. There should be no reflection, glare, or cut-off edges, etc.

- An up-to-date Multilingual Criminal Record Certificate must be obtained (Guests with any criminal record cannot obtain a Chinese visa.)

After these 2 documents are delivered to us, we request an invitation document from our local agency in China. It takes approximately 7 days to arrive.

After the invitation document reaches us, we send the passenger's passport, criminal record certificate, invitation text, and several documents related to us, along with the passenger's contact information, to Ligarba Tourism.

Then Ligarba Tourism contacts the passengers one by one and obtains the documents from our guests. (Including the passport) and applies for a group visa. It takes approximately 3 weeks to be finalized and costs 200 USD per person. The visa payment is paid directly to Ligarba Tourism by the guests.

Passengers applying for a Chinese visa cannot use their passports to travel to another country during the visa application process; their passports will remain at the consulate throughout the application period. After the visa is finalized, they can pick it up from Ligarba Tourism themselves, or Ligarba Tourism can ship it to our guests.

We need to start the procedures up to 65 days before the tour departure; otherwise, the visas may be at risk.

Ordinary Passport                -            Visa required                         

For the People's Republic of China; holders of Ordinary Passports (Burgundy Passports) are subject to a visa. Holders of Special Passports (Green Passports), Service Passports, and Diplomatic Passports are exempt from a visa for trips with a stay of up to 30 days without obtaining a Chinese visa.

Health

Those who regularly use medication should bring more medicine than they need. Not all medicines can be found. In addition, if you have a serious health issue (heart, blood pressure, diabetes, etc.), it would be beneficial to carry a signed document with you. We also recommend that you do not drink tap water and drink bottled water that you open yourself for the first time.

Flight Durations

Istanbul                           Beijing                    10 hr 15 min

Shanghai                           Istanbul                10 hr 25 min

Optional Tours & Activities

Optional tours and activities are organized by the local agency of the service center with a minimum request requirement of 10 people, and participation is not guaranteed. If sufficient numbers are not reached, the excursions may not be carried out, or the prices, content, and means of transportation of a tour/activity may vary depending on changes. In addition, the scheduled times of annual tours/activities may be changed by the guide according to the opening/closing status of museums, ruins, or venues at the destination and weather conditions.

Meals

During periods such as fairs, congresses, concerts, events, sports tournaments, etc., distances of more than km exist. Depending on the 3-person capacity, accommodation may be provided, but the bed offered to the 3rd person may be smaller than standard beds. A triple room consists of 1 large bed and 1 extra bed. Extra beds, including folding beds and rollaway beds, are considered accepted for local occupancy restrictions and bed types in 3rd person/child reservations. Child discounts apply only to one (1) child staying with 2 adults and meeting the age groups specified in the care section. Breakfasts included in the tour program services are generally served as continental breakfast, depending on the offered cost and breakfast fee, with a limited menu consisting of toast, bread, tea, or coffee, and may be served in a separate hall reserved for groups.

Currency

The currency of the People's Republic of China is the Yuan. It is recommended that you bring USD and its smaller denominations with you.

Time Zone

 There is a 5-hour time difference between Turkey and China. When it is 12:00 in Turkey, it is 17:00 in China.

Clothing and Necessary Items

It is recommended that you bring T-shirts, short- and long-sleeved shirts, various cotton trousers, and comfortable walking clothes for daytime and evening use. In addition, you may also bring an umbrella, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, earplugs against possible noise, a camera, video camera, their chargers, and spare memory cards. Although China, with its very large area, has climates that vary by region, it is generally possible to say that it is a country with four seasons. Summers in the country are extremely humid, so temperatures feel higher. Spring and autumn are mild.

Food Culture

China has an extremely rich cuisine with regional variations across its geography. Peking Duck, dumplings prepared with various fillings and eaten with sauces, and sweet mustard sauces are characteristics of the country's cuisine. It is important to remember that it is a cuisine different from Turkish cuisine.

Shopping

 China is a true shopping paradise. From electronics to textiles, you can find everything you are looking for in a wide range.

Important Notes

Having a passport and/or obtaining a visa (i.e., for the required destination/passport) does not mean that entry into the country will be possible. Passport police have the authority to let you into the country. Papua Tour is not responsible for this situation; responsibility lies with the passenger. Papua Tour is an intermediary institution between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the Hague Protocol dated 28.09.1955. There may be a risk of delays on scheduled and special flights, or the current tour and pre-flight times may change. Papua Tour ensures that this software is reported as soon as possible. Our passengers have purchased the tour accepting that flight details may change. Passengers aged 0-2 do not pay allocation and service fees. Panoramic city tours included in the tour package are organized for the general introduction of cities and are panoramic tours narrated by the guide from inside the vehicle, with entrance to ruins/sites lasting at most 2-3 hours. Panoramic tours, including the other tours specified in the program, if the local authorities do not allow visits or entry on the day and place of the tour, or if there are closed roads for any reason, and if the tour becomes impossible due to weather conditions once, Papua Tour is not responsible for carrying out the aforementioned tours. Some tours may be conducted by public transportation or on foot at points where roads are closed or vehicle entry is not permitted.

What's included
  • Round-trip economy class airline tickets on Turkish Airlines for the routes Istanbul (IST) – Beijing (PEK) // Shanghai (PVG) – Istanbul (IST)
  • Airport taxes
  • 2 nights in Beijing, 1 night in Xi’an, and 1 night in Chengdu with bed-and-breakfast accommodation in 4-star hotels
  • 2 nights in Zhangjiajie and 3 nights in Shanghai with bed-and-breakfast accommodation in 5-star hotels
  • Shanghai Tour
  • 3 Lunches to be taken during the tours
  • Panoramic Chengdu City Tour with Lunch (Including Tea Tasting)
  • Chengdu Panda Center Tour worth 70 USD
  • Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Avatar Mountains Tour with Lunch worth 95 USD
  • Grand Canyon and Baofeng Lake Tour with Lunch worth 85 USD
  • High-speed train ticket and taxes between Beijing and Xi’an
  • High-speed train ticket and taxes between Chengdu and Zhangjiajie
  • High-speed train ticket and taxes between Xi’an and Chengdu
  • Flight and airport taxes on scheduled local airline service between Zhangjiajie and Shanghai
  • Transfers between Airport – Hotel – Airport
  • All transfers required for the program
  • Professional Turkish-language guiding and assistant services
  • Hotel and tourist city taxes
  • Travel and health insurance (surcharge applies for those over 65 years old)
Not included
  • Fees for items such as overseas exit tax stamps, visas, etc., for personal and official matters
  • All kinds of personal expenses and hotel extras
  • All services not explicitly stated in the program and included services
  • Entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites not explicitly stated as “visited” in the program
  • Optional tours and activities, if any, in the program
  • Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages taken during included meals, if any, in the program
  • Domestic connecting flights and domestic transportation fees
  • Driver tips and gratuities are excluded
Tour Program
Istanbul - Beijing
We meet at Istanbul Airport International Departures Terminal, and after ticketing, baggage, and boarding procedures, we depart for Beijing on a scheduled Turkish Airlines flight. We will spend the night on the plane.
Beijing - Tiananmen Square - Forbidden City - Temple of Heaven - Beijing
After our arrival in Beijing in the early morning, we will meet our private vehicle and have breakfast at a local restaurant before transferring to our hotel. Afterward, there will be free time (we will arrive at the hotel early, and check-in time is 14:00; those who do not want to wait for check-in may leave their luggage and explore the city). Guests who wish may join the optional tour arranged by our guide, the Lunch-Included Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven Tour (140 USD). Our first stop will be Tiananmen Square, one of the largest city squares in the world and one of China’s most important political and historical symbolic areas. Among the places we will see panoramically in the square are the Mao Zedong Mausoleum, an imposing structure where the remains of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic of China, are displayed; the Great Hall of the People, the monumental state building that hosts the meetings of the National People’s Congress; and the National Museum of China, located on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square and one of the world’s largest museums, showcasing China’s thousands of years of history. Next, we will visit the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that served as the imperial palace of Chinese emperors for approximately 500 years during the Ming and Qing dynasties and is one of the largest and best-preserved palace complexes in the world. Surrounded by high red walls and golden roofs, this vast complex was the center of the imperial era and was called the “Forbidden City” because it remained closed to ordinary people for centuries. We will have the opportunity to visit this structure, which contains hundreds of palace halls, courtyards, and imperial gardens. After our visit to the Forbidden City, we will continue to the Temple of Heaven, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important religious complexes where emperors in past dynasties prayed for good harvests and heavenly blessings. The temple is considered one of the most elegant examples of Chinese architecture. Surrounded by a vast park area and ceremonial structures, this sacred site was one of the most important centers for Chinese imperial rituals. After the tour, transfer to the hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
Beijing - Great Wall - Summer Palace - Beijing
After breakfast at our hotel, you will have free time. Guests who wish may join the optional Great Wall & Summer Palace Tour with Lunch (110 USD), organized by our guide. The first stop of our tour is the Great Wall of China, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whose construction began in 220 BC to protect against invasions coming from Central Asian Turks from the north. After visiting the wall, we will have lunch and then visit the magnificent Summer Palace, located on the shore of Kunming Lake. The Summer Palace is the best-preserved imperial garden and palace complex in China, located in the northwest of Beijing. Its history dates back to the Jin Dynasty in the 12th century, but its present form was shaped during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty in the 18th century. The emperor had it built to escape the crowded atmosphere of the main palace and relax in close contact with nature. The palace was damaged during the Second Opium War in 1860 and was later restored by Cixi with funds allocated from the state navy budget. Although this is known as a controversial anecdote, the palace’s present elegance is the result of the detailed restoration carried out at that time. Afterwards, we will see the Beijing Olympic Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest, from the outside. We will have lunch at a local restaurant during the tour. Then transfer to the hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
Beijing - Xi'an - Terra Cotta Museum - Xi'an
After breakfast at the hotel in Sabah, we transfer to Xi’an by high-speed train. Upon arrival, we transfer to the hotel for rest and free time. Guests who wish may join the optional Terra Cotta Museum Tour with Lunch (100 USD), organized by our guide. We will visit the “Underground Army of Statues” museum, known as the Terra Cotta Warriors, one of the most important archaeological excavations uncovered in the 20th century, created to protect the tomb of China’s first emperor, Shi Huang. Discovered by chance in 1974 by a farmer, this army is home to 8,000 “terra cotta,” or “baked clay,” soldiers, each with a different facial expression and posture. These statues were prepared as a “spirit army,” believed to protect the emperor even after his death. During our visit, we will have the opportunity to see the emperor’s power and the level of craftsmanship of the period. After our excursion, we return to Xi’an. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant during the tour. At the end of the tour, we transfer to the hotel for rest. Overnight at our hotel. **Depending on train availability, the journey may be carried out by plane.**
Xi'an-Chengdu
After breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer to the train station and take the high-speed train to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in southwestern China. Chengdu is one of the most distinctive metropolises of the Far East, with its thousands of years of history, world-famous spicy cuisine, and modern city life. Upon arrival, we will enjoy a short panoramic Chengdu city tour with lunch included (including a tea tasting). During the tour, we will visit People’s Park, where the people of Chengdu gather in traditional teahouses, enjoying the slow pace of the day while sipping tea on bamboo chairs among lotus-covered ponds, stone bridges, and the historic Heming Teahouse, reflecting the city’s daily culture in its most natural form. We will also visit Wide and Narrow Alleys (Kuanzhai Xiangzi), where courtyards from the Qing Dynasty, gray-brick historic buildings, traditional teahouses, restaurants serving Sichuan cuisine, and local handicraft shops bring together Chengdu’s past and modern life in the same atmosphere. Afterwards, we will have a “tea tasting” at a local teahouse and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Then we will transfer to our hotel and have free time. Overnight at our hotel.
Chengdu - Zhangjiajie
After breakfast at our hotel in the morning, we depart for the Chengdu Panda Center Tour. We will visit the Chengdu Panda Center, one of Chengdu’s most iconic attractions, where endangered adorable creatures are protected, bred, and scientifically studied. It offers the opportunity to closely observe giant pandas, panda cubs, and red pandas in vast natural habitats resembling lush bamboo forests, with modern care centers, a panda museum, and special observation areas. Afterwards, we will have free time in Chunxi for shopping until our transfer time for the high-speed train to Zhangjiajie. At the end of our free time, we head to the train station and transfer to Zhangjiajie. Upon arrival in Zhangjiajie, a city in China’s Hunan Province that is home to one of the world’s most extraordinary natural landscapes, with thousands of quartz-sandstone pillars rising through the mist, deep valleys, lush forests, and breathtaking mountain scenery stretching above the clouds, we will transfer to our hotel and have free time. Overnight at our hotel.
Zhangjiajie – Avatar Mountains – Zhangjiajie
After breakfast at our hotel in Sabah, we depart for the Lunch Included Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Avatar Mountains Tour. First, we will ascend to the Yuanjiajie area by the Bailong Elevator, one of the world’s highest outdoor elevators. Here, among the places we will see are the Back Garden, which stands out with its natural rock formations surrounded by lush vegetation; the Mihun Terrace, offering panoramic views of cliffs and misty valleys; the First Bridge Under Heaven, considered one of the world’s highest natural stone bridges connecting two giant rock pillars; and the Hallelujah Mountains, believed to have inspired the floating mountains in the Avatar film. Next, we continue by shuttle vehicles to the Tianzi Mountain scenic area. Important points we will see here include He Long Park, built in memory of the Chinese military and statesman He Long; the panoramic views created by hundreds of stone pillars rising through the mist; and the Fairy Maiden Offering Flowers rock formation, a remarkable formation shaped masterfully by nature. After our visit, we will descend the mountain slopes by cable car. Then we will tour the Ten-Mile Gallery by mini train, one of Zhangjiajie’s most impressive areas, with its valley stretching for approximately five kilometers, steep rock pillars, and lush nature. Along the way, among the natural formations we will see are the Old Man Gathering Herbs, resembling an elderly man carrying a basket of herbs on his back, and the Three Sisters Peaks, consisting of three elegant rock pillars standing side by side. After the tour, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. At the end of our tour, we return to our hotel and have free time. Overnight at our hotel.
Zhangjiajie - Grand Canyon - Baofeng Lake - Shanghai
After breakfast at our hotel in the morning, we will depart for the Lunch Included Grand Canyon and Baofeng Lake Tour. Following our visit to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, one of the region’s most impressive natural areas with its lush forests, deep valleys, waterfalls, and steep rock formations, we will proceed to Baofeng Lake, known for its peaceful atmosphere surrounded by mountains and its crystal-clear waters. During the boat tour we will take there, we will have the opportunity to see the steep cliffs surrounding the lake, the dense vegetation, and Zhangjiajie’s enchanting natural scenery from a different perspective. After our visit, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. Following the meal, we will transfer to the airport and fly to Shanghai on a scheduled flight operated by local airlines. Upon arrival in Shanghai, we will meet our private vehicle waiting for us and transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
Shanghai - Jade Buddha Temple - Yu Garden - Shanghai
After breakfast at the hotel in the morning, free time. Guests who wish may join the optional lunch-inclusive Jade Buddha Temple & Yu Garden Tour (Including Tea Ceremony) (100 USD), organized by our guide. Our first stop will be Yu Garden. A traditional Chinese garden dating back to the Ming Dynasty, Yu Garden reflects traditional Chinese architecture with its ponds, stone bridges, and pavilions. After visiting Yu Garden, we will have the opportunity to attend a Tea Ceremony, where we will delve deeper into Chinese culture in another setting. Then, we will visit the Jade Buddha Temple, located in the heart of Shanghai and considered one of the holiest Buddhist sites in China. Built in 1882 to house two magnificent Buddhist statues brought from Myanmar, this temple carries the most elegant details of classical Song Dynasty architecture. During our visit, we will have the chance to see the world-famous Sitting Buddha and Reclining Buddha statues, carved from a single piece of white jade and adorned with precious stones, symbolizing inner peace. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant during the tour. After the tour, transfer to the hotel and free time. Overnight at our hotel.
Shanghai
After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for the Shanghai tour. Our first stop will be the French Concession area, known for its narrow streets lined with plane trees and European-style villas. Here, we will explore this district that reflects the city’s Western influences. Next, we will visit Xintiandi, one of Shanghai’s chicest attractions, where traditional Shikumen architecture comes to life with modern restaurants and galleries. We continue our tour to the Tianzifang district, with its maze-like side streets hiding art studios, boutiques, and secret cafés. Afterwards, there will be free time on Nanjing Road, one of the world’s most famous shopping streets. After the tour, transfer to the hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
Shanghai – Istanbul
After breakfast in the hotel, we transfer to Shanghai Airport for our flight to Istanbul. After baggage, ticket, and customs procedures, we take our scheduled Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, and our services come to an end.