8 Day Hong Kong Xining Tibet Tour via Qinghai-Tibet Railway

After taking a connecting flight from Hong Kong to Xining, your local tour guide will greet you at the airport and take you by private vehicle to your downtown Xining hotel. You will have the rest of the day free to relax from your trip or to explore the local area around your hotel on your own.

Accommodation: Overnight in Xining

We will get an early this starting this morning, picking you up from your hotel by private car to take you on the 2 ½ hour drive from Xining to Qinghai Lake, the largest lake in all of China. This massive saltwater lake is located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Xining at an elevation of 3205 meters (10515 feet) above sea level. Bird Island, located in the western part of the lake, is a popular stopover on the migratory routes of many species of birds in Asia. If the weather permits, we can take a boat cruise around the lake for some fantastic views around the lake area. Enroute to the lake we can see Riyue (Sun & Moon) Mountain.

After your visit to Qinghai Lake, that afternoon we will drive back to Xining and transfer you to the Xining train station to board your overnight train to Lhasa, Tibet.

Accommodation: Overnight on the train

Today will feature the most beautiful scenery along the Qinghai – Tibet Railway in the morning with vast grasslands and the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayan mountain range coming in to view. Upon your arrival at the Lhasa train station around noon, your local tour guide will meet you to take you by private car to your downtown Lhasa hotel and check in. You will have the rest of the day free to relax from your train journey and get used to the higher elevation of Lhasa.

Tips for High Altitude Acclimatization:

1) Go for a leisurely walk in the fresh high altitude air, but avoid any strenuous activity after your arrival.
2) It's better to avoid taking a bath to avoid catching a cold.
3) Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and eat some fresh fruit.
4) Get plenty of rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Start your exploration of Lhasa today with a visit to a world-famous landmark - the Potala Palace, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of architecture in the world. Climb up to the palace along zig-zagging stone paths alongside the white and red walls to the top of the palace where you can gain a greater appreciation of the exotic Tibetan-style buildings as well as for a great view of Lhasa's entire urban area. After admiring the sweeping outside views, explore the inner spaces of the Potala Palace to find the stately chapels and learn more about the fascinating history of this special place.

From one historic landmark to another, your next stop will be at the Jokhang Temple, considered as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Every day thousands of pilgrims come from all over Tibet and other places to the temple to worship the Buddha. The Jokhang Temple is also known as the "House of Buddha" because it houses the precious Jowo Rinpoche, a life-sized (1.5 meter/5 feet) image of the Sakyamuni at the age of 12.

The last stop for today's Lhasa exploration is Barkhor Street, the wide, circular street that surrounds the Jokhang Temple. Local residents enjoy walking on the street, completing several circuits known as “kora" around the temple as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. The street also has many small shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handicrafts.

Tips for today's tour:

1) There are 1,080 steps to the top of the Potala Palace, so it's best to take it slowly to avoid high altitude sickness.
2) Taking photos is not allowed inside the Potala Palace.
3) Most of today will be spent outside, so please bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and some water with you to protect yourself from the more intense sun at the higher altitude.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

After breakfast at your hotel, we will visit the beautiful Norbulingka Palace and Park, the location of the former summer palace of the Dalai Lamas from the 1780s up until 1959. It features the famous Potrang, the private palaces of former Dalai Lamas built in the grandiose style of traditional Tibetan architecture.

After visiting the palaces and park at Norbulingka, we will travel around 5 kilometers to the western outskirts of Lhasa to visit the Drepung Monastery. The word "drepung" in Tibetan language means "prosperity". Since its establishment in 1416, Drepung Monastery has served as one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. During its prime, more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery. Throughout its history, many important and famous Tibetan leaders studied at this monastery, including the Dalai Lamas. Accordingly, Drepung Monastery is also respectfully known as the “Mother School of Dalai Lamas”.

In the afternoon, we will escort you on to another famous monastery in Lhasa - the Sera Monastery. Sera Monastery is famous for its spectacular “Buddhist Debates”. As a daily routine, the monks gather in a courtyard, and debate on the various Buddhist doctrines with exaggerated gestures, which is thought to be helpful in facilitating a better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. After enjoying the "Buddhist Debates", we will take you back to your hotel with the rest of the day and evening to relax or explore on your own.

Tips for Proper Etiquette While Visiting Monasteries

1) For clothing, shorts and/or bare shoulders are not allowed.
2) Hats and sunglasses should be removed before entering the chapels.
3) Taking photos is usually not allowed inside the chapels.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

This morning we will take a drive to one of the holiest lakes in Tibetan Buddhism – Namtso Lake. As the largest saltwater lake in Tibet, Namtso Lake is renowned for its spectacular natural beauty. En route to the lake we will pass by the Nyenchen Tanggula Mountains through a vast grassland area where we will see nomadic herdsmen grazing sheep and yaks along the grassy slopes of the mountains At an elevation of 4718 meters (15479 feet) above sea level, this is the highest lake in the world as well as one of the “Four Holy Lakes” of Tibetan Buddhism. We will have the rest of the day free to explore around the lake area and watch the amazing sunset across the lake before checking in to the Namtso Guesthouse to stay overnight.

Accommodation: Overnight in Dangxiong

This morning we can wake up early to watch the sunrise across the beautiful lake and walk along the shoreline to the Tashi Dor Island to see the famous meditation caves, a destination for centuries of Tibetan pilgrims.

For lunch we will stop in Damxung, located about 160 kilometers from Lhasa in the middle of Tibet and considered the gateway to the Tibetan capital. After lunch we will journey on to the Yangpachen Hot Spring, where there are both indoor and outdoor swimming pools filled with geothermal hot spring water. We will then travel on back to Lhasa and check in to your hotel for the overnight stay.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Today you will have free time until we meet you in the lobby of your hotel to transfer you to the Lhasa airport or train station for your departing flight or train.

Today's Tips:

1) Please take care to pack all of your belongings, particularly the small things that are easy to forget about, such as phone and camera chargers, power adapters, mobile phones, wallets, etc.
2) If your flight or train is in the afternoon, please be sure to check out of your hotel room by 12 p.m.

Accommodation: None