Experience one of the marvelous engineering feats of our age taking the train across the Tibetan plateau, through some of the highest and most forbidding real estate on the planet.
If you feel adventurous and want to experience a comfortable train ride on the high altitude, this is right trip for you.
Starting from Xining, located in the eastern part of Qinghai province China, you'll take a high altitude train to Lhasa. In Lhasa, you will spend 4 days with the sightseeing in and around some of the world famaous monuments before you return home or extend your trip to Nepal or other neghbouring countries.
Upon arrival in Xining, you will be met and transferred to hotel.
Xining which is located in the eastern part of Qinghai province and lies on the Huangshui River. Xining has a history of over 2100 years and part of a larger trade corridor along the Northern Silk Road in the ancient time.
Xining is also called the Summer Resort Capital of China for its cool summer. The region also provides a number of attractions making one of the important places to visit in China.
Overnight Xining.
Breakfast at the hotel. Today visit Ta'er Monastery The monastery is considered one of the finest merges of Han and Tibetan architectural styles.
Evening transfer to train station and board a train to Lhasa.
Overnight on Soft Sleeper in train. (Soft sleeper consists of spacious carpeted & lockable 4-berth compartments with oxygen pipes on each berth and toilets & washrooms at the end of the corridor. Some trains even have personal TV screens for each berth).
Overnight Train.
There are 45 stations along the 1225 miles (1972 km )long Qinghai-Tibet railway from Xining to Lhasa and every station has unique scenery. To provide travelers better opportunity to enjoy the stunningly beautiful scenery on that way, nine scenery viewing platforms have been set up at nine stations. These include: Yuzhu Peak Station, Chumaer River. Tuotuo river, Buqiangge, Tanggula Mountain, Lake Namtso, Nagqu, Damshung, Yambajan. The platform is around 500-meter long and 1.25 meters high. On the platform, you can enjoy the views around that area and take photos.
Arrive in Lhasa in the evening. Upon arrival at the train station, you will be met & transferred to your hotel.
Overnight Lhasa.
Today will be spent exploring palaces.
First on the list will be the Potala Palace. The palace of the Dalai Lama, a treasure of Tibetan culture, was until 1965, the seat of both religion and politics in Tibet and quite possibly, the singularly most important building in all of Tibet. It was built in the seventh century by Tsongtsen Gampo as a fort and later renovated by the fifth Dalai Lama in the seventeenth century to its present specifications.
The next stop will be Norbulingkha, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama which was built in the eighteenth century.
Overnight Lhasa.
Today we visit the Drepung monastery. This is the largest monastery in the world and once housed 10,000 monks and nuns. It was built in 1419, and the second, third and fourth Dalai Lamas lived and were entombed here. If we are lucky, we may have a chance to see the monks mixing the butter tea in a washing machine. This happens when there is a special ceremony and large numbers of monks are present.
Our next stop will be the Jokhang Temple. This is the holiest shrine in Tibet and houses a golden statue of the Buddha which was brought to Tibet by the Chinese princess “Wen Chen”. Then we stop off at Barkhor Bazaar outside the Jokhang monastery. This is a bustling flea market and is, generally, the place to buy souvenirs.
Today you will take a day trip to Ganden monastery . This compact monastery was once gutted by fire but the restoration is now complete. Drive back to Lhasa in the afternoon.
Trasfner to airport and fly back home or extend your trip to Nepal or other neighbouring countires.
Land Cost: US$ |
Single Supplement: US$ 398 |
Hotel Grand | |
Hotel DhooGu |