10 Days Beijing Xian Lhasa Kathmandu Tour with Xian-Tibet Train

Today, you will board the overnight train to Xian.

Stay overnight on the train.

Your tour guide will pick you up at Xi'an Railway Station upon your arrival in the morning. Today, you will visit Banpo Museum, the archeological site of Banpo Village, which was built more than 6,000 year ago, will allow you to see how the resident matriarchic tribe used to survive in the Neolithic age. You will also visit the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum. As one of the world’s eight wonders, the terracotta warriors and horses are the size of a real army, and were buried alongside Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, in a vast underground palace.

Stay overnight in Xi’an.

Today, you will board the Tibet train at Xian Railway Station to experience the highest train ride in the world. The train journey will take you about 32 hours.

Stay overnight on the train.

Today is a full day window sightseeing along Qinghai-Tibet Railway. You can experience the famous sky train and appreciate land of snows, desert, immense grassland, snow-capped mountains, and beautiful lakes along the way.

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.

At first, you will pass over the Gampala Pass (4790m) and have a far view of Yamdrok-tso (4400m) at the viewing platform there. Then at the lake, you can see many snow-capped mountains surrounding it and and have spectacular far view of the holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar (7191m), the highest mountain near Lhasa. Later, you will stop by the Karola Glacier on the roadside. When arriving at Simila Mountain Pass, you can hang auspicious prayer flags on the mountain pass and view Manak Dam Lake.

Then you’ll go to the heritage Gyantse, Tibet's third largest city after Lhasa and Shigatse. In Gyantse, you can visit Pelkor Monastery and Nepali-style Kumbum Stupa, with nine floors and unique chapels in each tier, this stupa is considered the largest one in Tibet. After about 1.5 hours’ car ride, you will arrive in Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet after Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

In the morning, you will go to the home of Panchen Lama - Tashilunpo Monastery, and visit the golden statue of Future Buddha and assembly hall there. 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. Then, take a car ride to Old Tingri where you can enjoy the beauty of whole Himalaya range.

Stay overnight in Old Tingri.

In the morning, you will take car ride to Gyirong Port. Your guide will drop you off at China Customs at the port and assist you to exit China.