13 Days Qinghai and Tibet Train Tour from Beijing

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Taking the train from Xining to Tibet is the best way to view the spectacular sceneries along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. During this tour, we will take a flight from Beijing to Xining and enjoy the breathtaking views of Qinghai Lake, then take the train to Lhasa and visit the highlights of Lhasa city. Afterwards move on to admire the beautiful views of Mount Everest.

Highlights:

Vitness the capital city of China – Beijing.
Gazed on the breathtaking views of Qinghai Lake.
View the spectacular sceneries along the way from Xining to Lhasa.
Visit the three biggest old cities in Tebit: Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse.
Admire the beautiful views of Mount Everest.

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Beijing Arrival
Day 2: Beijing
Day 3: Beijing
Day 4: Beijing – Xining
Day 5: Xining – Lhasa
Day 6: Lhasa Arrival
Day 7: Lhasa
Day 8: Lhasa
Day 9: Lhasa – Shigatse
Day 10: Shigatse – Everest Base Camp
Day 11: Everest Base Camp – Shigatse
Day 12: Shigatse – Lhasa
Day 13: Lhasa Departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Beijing Arrival

Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: Beijing
Meals:

Welcome to the capital of China – Beijing! Upon arrival, met by tour guide and transferred to you hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.

Day 2 Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities: Badaling Great Wall, Ming Tomb
Accommodation: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Get up early to visit Badaling Great Wall. Great Wall is one of the greatest architecture projects in human history. Then visit Ming Tomb, where 13 emperors and their wives of the Ming Dynasty were buried.

Day 3 Beijing

Sightseeing and Activities: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven
Accommodation: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast at hotel, start today’s tour with Tiananmen Square. Go north through the square and you will reach the Forbidden City. As the largest and best-preserved ancient wooden structure in the world, it has more than 8,000 pavilions and thousands of historic treasures. Then enjoy the lunch.

In the afternoon, head to visit the Summer Palace , which used to be the summer resort for royal families and emperors. The last stop is the royal altar of the Ming and Qing dynasties – the Temple of Heaven.

Day 4 Beijing – Xining

Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: Xining
Meals: Breakfast

Today take a flight to Xining. Upon your arrival, the tour guide will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel. Explore this city at leisure.

Day 5 Xining – Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities: Qinghai Lake
Accommodation: on the train
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, drive about 2.5 hours to Qinghai Lake, the largest inland and salt-water lake in China and is fed by 23 rivers. We will stop at the Erlang Jian Scenic Area to enjoy the beauty of Qinghai Lake.

After the visit, back to Xining and escorted to board the overnight train to Lhasa.

Day 6 Lhasa Arrival

Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: Lhasa
Meals:

Enjoy the spectacular sceneries along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Welcome to the roof of the world – Lhasa! Upon arrival, met by tour guide and transferred to your hotel. Have a good rest and get acclimatized to the high altitude in Tibet.

Day 7 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities: Potala Palace, Johkang Temple, Barkhor Street
Accommodation: Lhasa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast at hotel, the Lhasa tour begins with the must-see attraction – Potala Palace, the largest monastery of its type in the world and official home to Dalai Lama.

In the afternoon, move on to Jokhang Monastery and walk along the Barkhor Street nearby. Enjoy the local Tibetan culture here.

Day 8 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities: Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery
Accommodation: Lhasa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast at hotel, drive to visit Drepung Monastery – one of the three great monasteries in Tibet. Visit the biggest monastery kitchen inside the monastery and enjoy Buddhist Sculpture Carving workshop near Drepung.

In the afternoon, move on to another one of the “great three” Gelug university monasteries of Tibet – Sera Monastery. Visit Monks debate, Tibetan religious scripture printing house, three sand Mandalas and colorful Rock Painting of Buddha.

Day 9 Lhasa – Shigatse

Sightseeing and Activities: Yamdrok-tso Lake, Pelkor Monastery, Gyantse Kumbum, Tashilunpo Monastery
Accommodation: Shigatse
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, we will drive over the Gampala pass to Shigatse. On the way, have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso Lake – one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet, which is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams. Also have spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance, the highest mountain near Lhasa.

Then pass the Korola Glacier and enjoy it on the roadside. After Gyantse arrival – Tibet’s third largest city, visit the Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum.

Continue the drive to Shigatse – the second largest city in Tibet. Then visit the home of Panchan Lama – Tashilunpo Monastery and see the well preserved largest statue of Jampa (future god) in the world. Founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama, it is a historic and culturally important monastery.

Day 10 Shigatse – Everest Base Camp

Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: tent or guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we will continue driving to Lhatse and have lunch here. Then move on to Shegar and on the way we can view the Mt. Everest in the distance in a clear day.

At last arrive at Rongbuk Monastery – the highest monastery in the world. On the way, view the whole five highest peaks in the world on Pang La Pass – one of the highest passes in Tibet.