10 Days Chongqing Xining Tibet Train Tour

Upon your arrival in the Chongqing airport or railway station, your local tour guide will escort you to your reserved hotel in Chongqing. The rest of the day is at leisure.

In the morning, we will visit Three Gorge Museum, where tourists can learn the historical facts of Chongqing before Three Gorge Dam is built. You can also enjoy the statues, ceramics, Buddhist art and bronze relics rescued from the rising waters of the dammed Yangtze River. Besides, you can see many historical photographs which give you an interesting insight into the small minorities inhabited in and around Chongqing in the past, etc.

After Lunch, the whole tour group is about to tour one of the must-see attractions in Chongqing, i.e. Ciqi Kou. The ancient town gives you a glimpse of the traditional cobbled streets and the distinct courtyard and lifestyle in hilly Chongqing. Some of the well-preserved shrines and temples are worth a visit. Though being a bit touristy, Ciqi Kou is packed with intriguing souvenir shops and tasty food stalls and home-run hostels. Do walk to the end and enjoy the river bank and ferry boats there.

In the evening, we will stop by Hongya Cave. With gorgeous neon lights sparkling around the Hongya Cave and Qiansimen Jialing River Bridge, you can taste hot pot and local snacks while enjoy the stunning night view of Jialing River Bridge and the commercial boats below, which is why Chongqing is named as “Small Hongkong”. You may also join the crowds to watch the live performance of street artists.

After the tour, you will be transferred to the railway station to board the overnight train to Lhasa.

Today, you will take the flight from Chongqing to Xining, in Qinghai province of China. On arrival in Xining, our guide will transfer you to your reserved hotel. The rest of the day is for you to explore the surroundings or take a rest in the hotel.

In the early morning, drive about 2.5 hours from Xining to Qinghai Lake, China's largest inland salt water lake. The ellipse-shaped lake looks like a huge poplar leaf sitting on the alpine prairie. Scenery in Qinghai Lake varies according to seasons. Summer and autumn have the most comfortable weather conditions and the lake's scenery is most beautiful during these seasons. The most charming and attractive place in Qinghai Lake is the Bird Island. It situates on the western shore of the Lake. Cruising for about 30 minutes is a popular way to appreciate the lake. On the way to this charming lake, you can get a view of Riyue Mountain.

In the afternoon, drive back to Xining. Then, transfer to railway station for your overnight train to Lhasa.

Today, you will enjoy the most beautiful scenery of Qinghai-Tibet Railway, spectacular land of snows, boundless desert, vast grassland, and grand snow-capped mountains, beautiful lakes that will continually appear and bly attract your heart. You will arrive in Lhasa at about 12:00. Your tour guide will hold a welcome sign with your name on it to greet you at the exit of the train station and escort you from the train station to your reserved hotel in Lhasa. The rest of the day is for you to get acclimatized to the altitude of Lhasa.

Today we will start off with the fantastic Potala Palace, which historically served as the winter home of the Dalai Lama. It was first used in the 7th century by the 33rd king of Tibet. The most valuable collections in the Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of the former Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

After lunch, we will move on to the Jokhang Temple, which was also founded in the 7th century by the 33rd great king of Tibet to promote the Buddhist religion. Inside you can see the statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni as he was at the age of twelve – this is perhaps the most venerated object in Tibetan Buddhism. Around the temple is Barkhor Street where you can perform the “Kora” (a religious circuit around a sacred building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals. The Barkhor market is also a great place to pick up locally made handicrafts and souvenirs.

Tips for Visiting Potala Palace
1. The number of visitors to the palace is strictly limited to 2,300 per day. Visitors can only visit during the time specified on the admission ticket.
2. Admission tickets to visit the Potala Palace are sold out almost every day, so it is strongly recommended to book your tickets several days in advance.
3. There are many steps at the Potala Palace, so it’s best to take it slowly to avoid possible altitude discomfort.
4. Visitors should respect the rules while visiting. Do not wear hats, wear revealing clothes or step on thresholds as these actions violate local customs.
5. Photography and the taking of videos are forbidden inside the Potala Palace.
6. A security search will take place at the entrance to the palace. Explosives, flammables, knives, lighters and

This morning we will visit the Drepung Monastery – one of the great three Gelug monasteries of Tibet. Founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choge, on Tosngkhapa’s main disciples, the Drepung Monastery is home of Ganden Palace, which formerly served as the Dalai Lama’s palace before later moving on to the Potala Palace.

In the afternoon we will move on to see another of the great three of the Gelug monasteries in Tibet – the Sera Monastery. Founded in 1419 by another main disciple of Tsongkhapa, Jamchen Chojey, the main attraction of this monastery is the lively scene of the monks debating Buddhist scriptures in the courtyard behind the monastery in the afternoon.

Want to explore some other features of Tibet instead of the monasteries? Let's take an exciting trip to the holy lake Namtso which is about 5 hours driving from Lhasa City. You will arrive at Namtso Lake around the early afternoon. Take some rest and throw yourself into the incredible landscape of holy lake.

Namtso Lake is the highest saltwater lake in the world with an altitude of 4718 meters, also the second largest saltwater lake in China (after the Qinghai Lake). It’s quite common for tourists who are awestruck at the Namtso at the first sight. With the snowy mountains in the background, the crystal-clear dazzling blue water, Namtso is stretching to the horizon. In clear days, the lake looks like a beautiful turquoise surrounded by magnificent snow-capped Tanggula Mountains, and the lakeshore is green, wide and open, dotted with tents, yaks and sheep of local nomads. For travelers, Namtso is the ideal place for photography, while for Tibetans, it is a scared and magical lake for pilgrimage.

Lastly, drive back to Lhasa for accommodation.

Tips of today:
1 the altitudes of Namtso Lake region is about 5, 000 meters, so you should be fully prepared for high altitude sickness. Do remember to keep warm all the time and avoid strenuous activity;
2 if you want to spend longer time and watch sunset and sunrise, you can also accommodate at Namtso for a night, but the accommodation condition is very basic, so is the food supply.

After breakfast, drive about 100km from Lhasa, via Nyangchu Valley to visit the famous holy lake - Yamdrok Lake. It is known as one of "Three Holy Lakes" but featured in most clearest lake views. The water is as clean as crystal, and the glimmering water will shock you in sunshine. With it being branded as the crystal holy lake, one will always carry a sense of worship when standing beside the lake.

Looking Yamdrok from the top of nearby mountains, you will find Yamdrok is shaped like a beautiful fan - actually a fan spreading more than 638 km² in area from south to north. Yamdrok Lake is surrounded by a large numbers of snow mountains which are the major source of water. The lakeshores near to feets of mountains are quiet flat and fertile. You can see yaks and sheeps grazing leisurely along the lake. There are also some small Tibetan villages inhabiting in the valleys close to Yamdrok Lake. As one of three holy lakes in Tibet, Yamdrok is a popular place for pilgrimage yatra for Buddhists.

Then we will drive downhill to the lake and enjoy the free walk at the lake shore before heading back to Lhasa.

Tips of today: Wear warm clothes to prevent from cold and wild.

Today is free for you until your tour guide transfer you to the airport in time for your flight or drop you off at Lhasa train station.

Tips of Today:
1. please pack your luggage carefully, especially for small things like camera charger, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet and towel;
2. If your flight is arranged in the afternoon, please make sure you check out the hotel before 12pm.