13 Days Beijing Xining Tibet Everest Tour with Qinghai-Tibet Train

Welcome to Beijing! Upon your arrival in Beijing, your driver will pick you up and take you to your hotel in Beijing in a private car. Then you could have a rest in your hotel or walk around on your own.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Today, you will be taken on a group tour to the Badaling Great Wall, the total length of this section is 12 kilometers with 43 watchtowers. Then you will visit the Ming Tombs which is composed of thirteen tombs of Ming Dynasty about 50km away from Tiananmen Square. Among all the Ming tombs, Changling Tomb is the largest and best-preserved one with longest history.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

At first, you will go to Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world. Then, you will visit the famous Forbidden City, which used to be the imperial palace from around 1420 to 1912 and now houses the Palace Museum.

In the afternoon, visit the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven.  Summer Palace is the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China, and is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens, and palaces. These beautiful attractions show visitors what life was like for the royal household in ancient China, and how the Chinese emperors managed their empire. Originally built in 1420, the Temple of Heaven was a sacrificial temple used by emperors during Ming and Qing dynasties to appease the heavens to bring prosperity and ensure good crops for the coming year

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Today, you will be transferred to airport to take the flight from Beijing to Xining, and the flight takes about 3 hours. Upon your arrival in Xining, you will be transferred to your hotel and have a good rest.

Stay overnight in Xining.

In the morning, you will take a car ride for about 2.5 hours to Qinghai Lake, the largest inland salt water lake in China. On the way to this charming lake, you can get a view of the famous Riyue Mountain. The most attractive place in Qinghai Lake is the Bird Island situated on the western shore. In April and May, tens of thousands of birds nestle and lay eggs here, making it a great place to watch various kinds of birds. You can also take a cruise for about 30 minutes to appreciate the lake. In the afternoon, you will come back to Xining and board Tibet train at Xining Railway Station.

Stay overnight on the train.

Upon your arrival in Lhasa, your tour guide will hold a board with your name on it at the exit. A private car will take you to the reserved hotel, and the guide will give a brief introduction of the itinerary as well as dos and don'ts in Tibet. Then, you can take a good rest at hotel to acclimatize to Tibetan plateau environment.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, you’ll pay a visit to the famous Potala Palace, the world culture heritage and the winter palace of Dalai Lama. You can explore its audience halls, the jeweled and golden burial chortens (stupa tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, meditation cave of the 33rd Great King of Tibet, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, thangkas, combinations of mandala, etc.

Then you will head to the holiest temple in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, built during Songtsen Ganpo's reign by Princess Wencheng of Tang dynasty, 647 A.D. Here you can observe sincere pilgrims making prostration in front of Jokhang Temple. While entering inside the temple, you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve. On the top of Jokhang Temple, you can enjoy the panorama of old Lhasa City and great vista of Potala Palace.

Then you can do the kora with pilgrims and locals by circling the Barkhor Street around the temple, buy some souvenirs, and taste sweet tea and local snacks in local tea house. Later, you can explore farm products like yak butter in Tromzikhang, the famous farm produce market.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, you will visit two important monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera. Drepung Monastery, the largest monastery in Tibet, was founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416 and used to be home to more than 10,000 monks. Hiking along the mountain steps, you can see Buddhist painting on the rock face. During Shoton Festival, locals and pilgrims swarm to Drepung Monastery to celebrate the gigantic Thangka Buddha unveiling ceremony on the Gambo Utse Mountain. Then you will stop by the nearby carpet factory to appreciate the Tibetan artisans make traditional carpets with great skills.

After having lunch, you will visit Sera Monastery, which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa's disciple Jamchen Choeje. The most interesting thing is to see monks debating in the courtyard at around 3-5 in the afternoon. By yelling at each other, slapping hands and rolling mala, two monks make a pair to debate on philosophical issues. You can also appreciate the delicately-made Mandala, sanding paintings, and massive Buddhist scriptures inside Sera Monastery.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, you will set off from Lhasa to Shigatse via Gyantse. On the way, when passing over the Gampala Pass (4,790m), you can have a far view of Yamdrok Lake and the snow-capped mountains around it. You can also get spectacular views of Mt. Nyenchen Khangsar (7191m), the highest mountain around Lhasa. After visiting the turquoise Yamdrok Lake, you can admire the Korola Glacier on the roadside and hang prayer flags at Simila Mountain Pass around Manak Dam Lake before arriving at Gyantse.

Gyantse was historically known as the Tibet's third largest city after Lhasa and Shigatse. In Gyantse, you will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and the Nepali-style Kumbum Stupa. After one and a half hour's car ride, you will arrive in Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. You may also visit traditional Barley Mill and view the landscape of Barley Field (in summer).

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

In the morning, you will visit the home of Panchen Lama - Tashilunpo Monastery. It is the largest monastery of the Gelug Sect in Rear Tibet and the main stage where generations of Panchen Lamas carried out religious and political activities. After getting your Alien’s Travel Permit, you will head for Lhatse and have lunch there.

Afterwards, you will pass Tsola Pass (4,600m) and Gyatsola Pass (5,248m). Shortly after entering Mt. Everest National Nature Reserve, you can appreciate the panoramic view of Himalaya at Gawula Pass (5,180m). Keep marching along the new zigzag road to Everest Base Camp, you can get closer view of Mt. Everest peak. You can also enjoy the sunset of golden Everest peak at the lodging area if time and weather permits.

Stay overnight at tent or Rongbuk Monastery guesthouse.

In the morning, you can admire the stunning sunrise of Everest peak if weather permits. After having a full view of the magnificent Mt. Everest, you will visit Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world as well as the unique Nyingma Sect monastery where nuns and monks live together. And then, take the car ride back to Shigatse.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

Today, you will set off from Shigatse to Lhasa along the Friendship Highway, the whole ride is 280km and takes about 6 hours. You can admire the Yarlung Tsangpo River/Bhamaputra River (the longest and largest river in Tibet) along the way to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

The driver will pick you up from your hotel, and drop you off at Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Railway Station, and assist you to get on board.