18 Days Tour to Mt. Everest by Qinghai-Tibet Train

Meals: No meal
Recommended Hotel: In Beijing

Arrive in Beijing, the capital city of China, you will be met at the airport (Beijing Capital International Airport) by tour guide and transferred to your comfortable hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.

Tiananmen Square

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Beijing

Depart from your hotel in the morning to visit Tiananmen Square (40min) – the World's largest urban square, and the Forbidden City (2.5 – 3 hours) – the largest and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world. Then visit the Temple of Heaven (1 hour) in the afternoon. After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Forbidden City

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Beijing

In the morning, you will be transferred to the famous Great Wall part – Mutianyu Great Wall (including round cable car and scenic shuttle bus), the most popular part among foreign visitors. And then, drive back to the downtown for a short visit to see the exterior Bird Nest and Water Cube (about 1 hour) – the amazing architectures that built for Beijing Olympic Games. After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Mutianyu Great Wall

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Xian

After breakfast, taking a relaxing Hutong Tour by rickshaw (Short route) – the way to know the Beijing local lifestyle. And then, visit Summer Palace – the most famous imperial palace as Emperor's summer resort in China. After the tour, be transferred to the railway station to take a high speed train for Xian.

Summer Palace

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Xian

Ample time will be provided for visits to Terracotta Warriors (2.5 – 3 hours) – one of the world's most important archaeological finds, with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation. After lunch near the Terracotta Warriors area, drive back to the downtown for a visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda from the outside – the site of the old Han and Tang capital Chang'an. After that, continue to visit the Xian City Wall (1 hour) – represents one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. After that, You could choose to walk around Muslim street on your own. Then drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Qin Terracotta Warriors

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Xining

Finish up your Xian tour by visiting the famous Shaanxi History Museum (2 hours) – one of the first huge state museums with modern facilities in China. After lunch, you will be transferred to the airport for a 1.5 hours flight to Xining (2261m), one of the major gateways to the Tibetan Plateau. Your Xining tour guide will wait for you at the airport and help you to check in the hotel. After that, have a rest of this day.

Shaanxi History Museum

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Xining

After breakfast, you will start your tour to Qinghai Lake (including scenic shuttle bus and lake cruising, average 3,200m /10,500ft above sea level). After 2.5 hours driving, you will reach this largest inland and salty lake of China. During the way, you can have a short stop at the Sun & Moon Mountain (ticket excluded) site – a natural boundary of the Loess Plateau and Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. In the late afternoon, be transferred back to Xining.

Qinghai Lake

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: On the train

Today, you will first take a 0.5 hour driving to Ta'er Monastery (2 hours) – one of the six grandest monasteries of Tibetan Dge Lugs School, for your half day religious tour there. After lunch and free at the leisure till be transferred to Xining train station for your overnight train to Lhasa.

Tips:
1) Duration of Xining – Lhasa overnight train: around 24 hrs both K train and T train
2) Click Train to Tibet for further information about that

Ta'er Monastery

Meals: No meal
Recommended Hotel: In Lhasa

It will be a tired day because you need to stay on the train for more than half of this day. After arrival Lhasa (altitude: 3600m) in the afternoon or evening, your Lhasa tour guide will wait for you at the train station. Be transferred to the hotel and have a rest of this day.

Tips: How to prepare for the high altitude sickness can be found in High Altitude Sickness Tips

Train to Lhasa

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Lhasa

Taking a visit to Lhasa, a trip to Potala Palace (1 hours) – largest monastery of its type in the world and official home to Dalai Lama. When finished lunch, move to Jokhang Monastery (1 hour) – where monks receive their official training and education. The surrounding Jokang Monastery of is Barkhor Street (1 hour) – afford us a window into Tibetan culture and an opportunity to buy colorful ethnic handicrafts rarely seen outside of Tibet. After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Potala Palace

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Lhasa

After breakfast, enjoy your one day city tour today that starts with a visit to Tibet Museum (1 hours) – the first modern museum in Tibet. Drive back to the downtown and have the lunch, then continue your tour to Norbulingka Park (1 hour) – a traditional summer palace and residence starting with the 7th Dalai Lama. After that, pay a visit to Sera Monastery (1.5 hours) – to see a monks debating inside the shady courtyard behind the main temple. After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Sera Monastery Monks Debating

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Shigatse

Today, you will drive to Shigatse in the morning. On the way, you can take a short stop at the pure blue Yamdrok Lake (30 min) – one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. And continue to drive to Gyangtse Pelkor Chode Monastery (4000m)- with its unique structure at the foot of Dzong Hill. Then continue your driving to Shigatse. When arrival Shigatse downtown(3836m), have rest of this day in your hotel.

Yamdrok Lake

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Tingri

In the morning, you will enjoy a visiting to famous Tashilumpu Monastery – one of the six big monasteries in Tibet which is the seat of the Panchen Lama. After that, drive to visit Sakya Monastery – the principal monastery of the Sakyapa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. And then, continue your driving to Tingri (4300m). You will arrival Tingri around the evening. Stay overnight at Tingri. Even though the hotel is simple, the people are very friendly.

Tips: The accommodation in Tingri is simple and crude equipment, may be in a guesthouse standard. No enough warm water to supply when accommodation.

Tashilumpu Monastery

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Shigatse

Today, you will need to get up early, generally between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. for catching a picture of the sunrise of Mt. Everest. After a bout 3.5 hours driving on the bumpy road, you will arrival the Base Camp of Mt. Everest (5200m) in the morning. Stay for a while to appreciating this holy mountain. And then, drive back to Shigatse. It will be a driving day with about 8.5 hours on the road. Stay overnight at Shigatse.

Tips:
1) Tingri – Mt. Everest Base Camp: 115km, 3.5 hours driving
2) Mt. Everest Base Camp – Shigatse downtown: 340km, 8.5 hours driving

Base Camp of Mt. Everest

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Lhasa

After one night rest, be transferred back to Lhasa in the morning. But this time, you will go another way that drive along Yurlong Tsangpu River. So you will have the chance to enjoy the different view out of the window. Lunch will be served on the way.

Tips: Shigatse downtown – Lhasa downtown: 265km, 5 hours driving

Shigatse City View

Meals: Breakfast
Recommended Hotel: In Shanghai

Feel free in this day till be transferred to the airport for a 3-hour flight to Shanghai. Upon the arrival, your Shanghai tour guide will wait for you at the airport and help you to check in the hotel.

Shanghai City View

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: In Shanghai

Today, enjoy your full day city tour that start with the visit to the Jade Buddha Temple (1 hour) – famous for the seated Buddha, encrusted with jewels, which is said to weigh 1,000 kg. And then, go to Yuyuan Garden (1 hour) – a Chinese classic garden in city downtown. Then visit the nearby Chenghuangmiao Old Street (1 hour). After lunch time, continue to have a bird-eye view of the city after ascending Shanghai's new landmark- Shanghai World Financial Center (1 hour, 94th – 100th floors). After that, have a nice walk along the Bund (30 min) – famous as a group of building known as “a Gallery of world architecture”. After that, drive back to your hotel and free of the rest time.

Chenghuangmiao (Old Street)

Meals: Breakfast

Feel free at leisure till be transferred to the airport.

Service Ends