10 Days Best of Tibet by Train from Beijing

The train departs from Beijing West Railway Station. Train Z21 from Beijing to Lhasa departs at 20:10. It takes about 1 hour to check in as the train takes about 1000 passengers. Please be sure to arrive in train station 1 hour and a half before the train departure. Your Tibet Permit will need to be checked when you check in.

Stay overnight on the Train

Note:
You can also choose to start this journey from Shanghai or Chengdu to take a Tibet train to Lhasa.
Shanghai-Lhasa Train departs at 19:16, every day.
Chengdu-Lhasa Train departs at 20:45, every other day.

It is quite a long journey that will take 44 hours, two days and two nights in the Train, at the first day you will pass through two important provincial capital cities in northwest China, Lanzhou and Xining. Xining is known as the beginning of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Travelling along the rail line, you could see the scenery of countryside and city in northwest China.

The last stop for today is Xining, where you will arrive at about 17:00.

Stay overnight on the Train.

Today, you will witness the most beautiful scenery of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. The land of snows, the desert, the grassland, Snow Mountains and the lakes will continually appear and strongly attract your heart.

You will arrive in Lhasa at about 13:03. Your tour guide will hold a board with your name on it at the exit of the train station to welcome you. A private car will take you from the train station to the reserved hotel.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Morning section to visit the famous Potala Palace and explore the grandest of this myriad chapels, you will experience its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens(stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, thangkas, combinations of mandala etc.

Afternoon section visiting to the holist temple in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, built during songtsen gonpo's reign by princess wencheng of tang dynasty, 647 A.D, and its famous Barkor Kora, where you can buy or appreciate traditional Tibetan artifacts, religious implements, antiques, books, Tibetan music instrument, Thangkas, and tradition tibetan clothes etc. you will have chance to get close to appreciate how the artists draw Thangkas at the Thakangka workroom at Barkhor.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, you will visit two important monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera. Drepung Monastery is situated at the foothill of a mountain and was founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416. It was once home of 10000 monks and Ganden podrang in Drepung is famous it was the government centre during fifth dalai lama and later moved to the famous potala palace during fifth dalai lama.

After having lunch, continue to visit the Sera Monastery, which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa's disciple Jamchen Choeje. The most attractive is that Monks debiting is held there in the courtyard at around 3-5 in the afternoon section most of the time.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Passing by the green farmland of Nyangchu Valley, Yamdro-tso lakes, karo-la glacier roadside at 4960m, We move westwards to the second biggest city Shigatse, the Area spiritually hosted by Pamchan Lama.

The most important attraction for today is Yamdro-tso Lake and Kubum monastery in Gyantse. Yamdro-tso Lake is shaped like coiling scorpion with deep blue in colour and Kubum monastery has a 35m-high chorten (stupa) with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and its crown-like golden dome.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

Visit Tashilunpo Monastery in the morning, while the tour guide take your passport to PSB to apply for your Alien’s travel permit.

Drive westwards the Friendship way to Tingri. There is about 90km bumpy road from Tingri to Rongpuk, road is under construction. From Tingri to E.B.C with the very rough road, pass the wild grassland, cross the rapids river and high mountains.

If it is in clear whether, you can have a glimpse of 4 mountains which is 8000m high or more, such as: Mt. Lhotse(8516m),Mt. Everes(8848m), Mt. Qowowuyag(8201m),Mt Mayalu(8463m).

Stay overnight at Rongphu Monastery Tent or Guest House.

Early in the morning to see the sunrise from Rongpuk, then to view Mt. Everest. It is fabulous and splendid.

After walking arrive the place get on the local bus then use half of an hour arrive at Everest Base Camp (Or you also can trekking to Base Camp around 1.5-2 hours one way. It's interesting and much warmer, but hard to breathe). Hiking up to the top of the photo point to take pictures of the splendid- Mt. Everest.

Then late in the afternoon around 13:00 go down from E.B.C back to Shigatse.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

Return to Lhasa from Shigatse, have a rest in Lhasa after such a long journey. In this afternoon, you could go to the Barkor or local handicraft Market to buy some souvenirs.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

You will be transferred to Lhasa airport for your flight to next destination.