11 Days Chengdu Tibet Train Tour via Xining

Welcome to Chengdu! Upon arrival in Chengdu airport / railway station, you will be transferred to your hotel in Chengdu. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

In the morning, drive about 2 hours from Chengdu to Leshan to have an overlook at the famous Giant Buddha by boat. The grand Buddha carved out of the cliffs at the confluence of the Dadu, Minjiang and Qingyi Rivers. You will take a sightseeing cruise to the center of the river and face the huge stone Buddha.

In the afternoon, drive from Leshan to Mt. Emei to visit Baoguo Temple, the largest temple on Mount Emei at the foot of Mt. Emei. Mount Emei is known as one of the four sacred Buddhism mountains in China and added to UNESCO's Natural and Cultural Heritage List in 1996.

Later, you can enjoy a hot spring bath at the foot of Mt. Emei. There are many hot springs near the Baoguo Temple, such as Hongzhu Hot spring Clubhouse, Lingxiu Hot Niton-spring, Yoga Hot Spring of Mt. Emei Hotel, etc.

Stay overnight at the foot of Mt. Emei.

After breakfast, move on to the entrance to Mt. Emei and take bus and cable car to the Golden Summit, which is a highlight of Mt. Emei integrating the temples and scenic sites together. Standing on the Golden Summit, you are truly among the clouds, as clouds can be seen above and below you. You might have the good fortune to see Cloud Sea even Buddha light if it is a nice day.

After having an eyeful of the spectacular view at the Golden Summit, you can take the cable car down and the bus back to Wannian parking lot which is located halfway of Mt. Emei. Take another cable car to visit Wannian temple where you can have a simple lunch. Then walk along the scenic mountain path for around two hours to another parking lot to take a bus out of the Mt. Emei Scenic Area.

Drive back to your hotel in Chengdu.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

Take a flight from Chengdu to Xining. You will be transferred to your hotel after arriving in Xining airport. The rest of the time is at leisure. You can have a good rest or walk around in the city.

Stay overnight in Xining.

In the morning, you will first visit Taer monastery, the most important monastery in Qinghai Tibetan Area. Then, in the afternoon,we willl get transferred to railway station for your overnight train to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in 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.

Upon arrive in Lhasa Railway Station, your tour guide will hold a board with your name on it at the exit 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.

Before spending about 4 hours driving back to Lhasa from Shigatse, we will visit the largest Monastery in west Tibet-the Tashilunpo monastery, as the last but famous historic sites for your Tibet tour. Tashilunpo monastery is one of the six great Gelukpa institutions and was founded in 1447 by a disciple of Tsongkapa, containing the world's largest gilded copper image (26m high) of future god Jampa.

Drive along the Friendship Highway back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

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