11 Days Hong Kong Chengdu Lhasa Namtso Train Tour with Panda Visit

Repulse Bay

Victoria Peak

The first part of the day will be spent at the Aberdeen Harbor floating community. This floating village is well known around the world, and is famed for its seafood restaurants. You can hire a sampan to explore the harbor area and take a stroll along the popular Aberdeen Promenade, which is like a little slice of seaside England in Asia.

After lunch you will be taken to Repulse Bay, where you can spend time on a beautiful tropical beach, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is also the site of one of the most expensive residential areas in Hong Kong, although it is not clear why the name changed from Chonghom Bay, which was the name originally given to the area in 1841.

Later, as the sun sets, you will visit Victoria Peak, the highest point of the island of Hong Kong. The tram can take you all the way to the top, but for the adventurous, you can take the hiking trail up. The views for the peak across Hong Kong harbor are absolutely stunning, especially at sunset.

Stay overnight in Hong Kong.

In the morning you will take the flight to Chengdu, and on arrival you will be escorted to your hotel. After a nice local lunch, you will get to visit the Wide and Narrow Alley, where you can see the older houses of Chengdu’s downtown area. The alley is excellent for picking up locally made souvenirs, and has small tea shops where you can relax and taste the local snacks.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

Chengdu Giant Panda

Jinli Ancient Street

Your second day in Chengdu will start with a visit to the unique Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center. Catch the pandas at feeding time, when they are very active, and you may even get to see baby pandas, if there has been a recent litter of cubs. The center is the main hub of panda breeding and research in the world.

In the afternoon you will head back to downtown Chengdu, and will first visit Jin Li Street, a perfect replica of an old commercial center, in the style of the Qin, Han, and Three Kingdom dynasties. After a leisurely stroll along Jin Li Street, you can take in the famous Wuhou Shrine. The shrine tells the history of the renowned warriors of the Three Kingdoms, and is full of Chinese calligraphy and poetry.

In the evening, you will be transferred to Chengdu train station for the Train Z322 to Lhasa. The train departs from Chengdu North Railway Station at 21:37. It takes about 1 hour to check in as the train takes about 1000 passengers. Please be sure to arrive in train station 1 hour or a half before the train departure.

Stay overnight on the Train.

Note: Your Tibet Permit will need to be checked when you check in.

Xining City

Qinghai-Tibet Railway

It is quite a long journey that will take about 36 hours, two days and two nights on the Train. On the first day you will pass through two important provincial capital cities in northwest China, Lanzhou and Xining. Xining is known as the beginning of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Travelling along the rail line, you could see the scenery of countryside and city in northwest China.

Stay overnight on the Train.

Kekexili Grand Prairie

Lhasa Train Station

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. Remember to choose a good angle to take beautiful pictures of Kekexili Grand Prairie and the continuous snow-capped mountains.

You will arrive in Lhasa at about 9:55. Your tour guide will hold a board with your name on it at the exit of the train station to welcome you. A private car will take you from the train station to the reserved hotel.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Potala Palace

Johkang Temple

The following day your first stop will be the world famous Potala Palace, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. Sitting atop Moburi (Red Hill), the palace looks down on the town of Lhasa from its 3,750-meter vantage point. The temple dates back to the 7th century, and houses artifacts and works of art from throughout Tibetan History. The palace also has the gilded burial stupas of the past Dalai Lamas, and below ground lies the ancient meditation cave of the 33rd King of Tibet.

After some lunch, you will head downtown to Jokhang Temple, the primary seat of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was built by the 33rd King of Tibet in 647AD, and is the spiritual center of Tibet and the holiest temple in Tibetan Buddhism. Inside sits the most precious object in the temple, a life-sized statue of Buddha Sakyamuni when he was just 12 years old. Adorned with many precious gems, this gilded statue is the most sacred object in Tibet.

Running around the temple is the famed Barkhor Street. As well as the route of the holy kora, or religious circumambulation, it is also the site of many sellers where you can buy authentic souvenirs from across the region. You can join the pilgrims on their clockwise walk around the temple.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Drepung Monastery

Scriptures Debating in Sera Monastery

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.

Lake Namtso

Lake Namtso

In the morning you will be driven to the holy Lake Namtso, 250km north of Lhasa. En route you will pass the famous Nyenchen Tanggula Mountains, and you will get to see a lot of open landscape along the way. The foot of the mountains is a good place to see nomadic herdsmen grazing sheep and yaks on the grassy slopes.

Lake Namtso is one of the four Holy Lakes of Tibet, and is known as the “Heavenly Lake”. It is the largest lake in Tibet, and the second largest saltwater lake in China. At an elevation of 4,470 meters, it is the highest lake in the world, and is supplied by the Nyenchen Tanggula Mountains. Surrounded by lush grasslands and the best pasture land in Northern Tibet, the lake is also home to five small, uninhabited islands, and five peninsulas reach out into its turquoise waters.

You can enjoy a leisurely trek around Tashi Dor Island to take a look at the famous “meditation caves”, which still host many meditators and yogis from across the Tibetan Plateau. Then you’ll drive back to Dumxung or Yampachen. (For environment protection, the Lakeshore guesthouses were close by the government.)

Stay overnight in Dumxung or Yampanchen Town.

Yangpachen Hot Spring

drive back to Lhasa

Today, our guide will drive you to Yampachen, and you will have the chance to enjoy the Yampachen hot spring, which has both indoor and outdoor pools filled with relaxing hot spring water. (Please prepare your own swimming suit.) After having thoroughly relaxed in the spa, we head back to Lhasa. On the way, we will visit Chimelong Nunnery (Phyirmil Lung Nunnery) and have a far view of a sky burial site nearby.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Cultural Tips: Sky burial is a funeral practice commonly seen in Tibet. The corpse will be disposed of and later devoured by vultures. In Tibetan Buddhism, sky burial is believed to represent their wishes to go to heaven. Only family members of the dead can attend the funeral.

On the last day of your tour, our guide will take you to the airport or train station, and help you with checking in and boarding.