18 Days Chengdu Tibet Nepal Panda Tour by Train

Chengdu Giant Panda

Jinli Ancient Street

In the morning, drive to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Breeding, the home to giant pandas, where you will catch pandas' feeding time. They are at their most active, both adults and babies. There's a wealth of information and a panda museum in this 230-hectare park 10 km (6 miles) north of Chengdu. It takes about 2.5 hours to visit this site.

Then, you will visit some other highlights of Chengdu, including the Wenshu Temple, Renmin Park and Jinli Street. As the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu, Wenshu Temple is famous for its exquisite gardens and halls. Renmin Park is a beautiful city park often filled with locals, and you can enjoy a cup of tea to experience the slow life of Chengdu there. In the end of today, you will walk along the Jinli Ancient Street to fully appreciate Sichuan’s customs and folk arts.

Stay overnight in Chengdu

The whole day is free for you to explore around the city. In the evening, you will be transferred to Chengdu Railway Station for the train to Lhasa. Your Tibet Permit will need to be checked before boarding.

Stay overnight on the train

Xining City

Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Today, you will spend the whole day on the train to Lhasa. It is quite a long journey from Chengdu to Lhasa, for about 36 hours in total. 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.

You will witness the most beautiful scenery along Qinghai-Tibet Railway. From the deserts to massive grassland, snowy mountains to turquoise lakes, all these landscapes will continually appear and strongly appeal to your eyes.

Stay overnight on the train

Lhasa Train Station

Yarlung Tsangpo River

The Chengdu-Lhasa train will arrive in Lhasa at about 09:55 in the morning. Upon your arrival, your tour guide will hold a board with your name on it at the exit to welcome you. A private car will take you to the reserved hotel. You may view the Yarlung Tsangpo River (the longest and largest river in Tibet) and Lhasa River on their way to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Tips: If this is your first visit to Tibet, you will need to acclimatize to the increased elevation, to prevent altitude sickness. This is best done by resting in the hotel and minimizing any physical exertion.

Potala Palace

Jokhang Temple

In the morning, you will visit the famous Potala Palace and explore the grandest 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.

In the afternoon, you will continue your visit to the holiest temple in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, built during Songtsen Ganpo's Reign by Princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty, 647 A.D, and its famous Barkhor Street, 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 a chance to get close to appreciate how the artists draw Thangkas at the Thangka workroom at Barkhor.

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 debating is held there in the courtyard at around 3-5 in the afternoon section most of the time.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Yamdrok Lake

Pelkor Monastery

Today, we will drive from Lhasa to Shigatse via Gyantse. On the way, we’ll drive over the Gangbala Pass (4790 m) to view Yamdrok Lake and Mt. Naiqinkangsang. Besides, you can also appreciate Korola Glacier on the roadside. At Manak Dam Lake, tourists can hang pray flag at Simila Mountain Pass.

Then we’ll go to the heritage town Gyantse and explore its old street, Perklor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa. Here you can far view Gyangtse Fortress.

Later, we’ll arrive at Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. And tourists can visit traditional Barley Mill and view the landscape of Barley Field (in summer).

Stay overnight in Shigatse

Mt. Everest in the distance

Everest Base Camp

In the morning, we will visit the home of Panchan Lama - Tashilunpo Monastery. It is largest monastery of the Gelug Sect in Rear Tibet, and the main stage where generations of Panchen Lamas carried out religious and political activities. After getting your Alien’s Travel Permit, we will leave Shigatse and then drive to Lhatse for lunch.

After that, we’ll drive over Tsola Pass (4600m), and Gyatsola Pass (5248m). At Kyawula Pass (5180m), tourists can view the panorama of Himalaya. Then we’ll drive along the new zigzag road to Everest Base Camp and get closer to Mt. Everest peak. You are lucky enough to catch the sunset of golden Everest peak if time and weather permits at the lodging area.

Stay overnight at local guest house or tent hotel

Sunrise over the Mt.Everest

Everest Base Camp

In the morning, you can catch the stunning sunrise of Everest Peak if weather permits at the lodging area and then pay a visit to Rongbuk Monastery - the unique highest monastery with nuns and monks living together.

Then we’ll drive from EBC to Kyirong Border. On the way, you can far view Mt. Shishapangma and the Pekutso Lake. After passing the Ghungtang Lhamo(5236m), we’ll arrive in Kyirong in late afternoon.

Stay overnight in the Kyirong guest house

In the morning, your guide will assist you to exit China, and will see you off at the border with Nepal. On the other side, our guide from Nepal will meet you and transfer you to Kathmandu, and your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to look around the area, or just rest in your hotel after the rigorous trip across Tibet.

Stay overnight at hotel in Kathmandu

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Swayambhunath Pagoda

Today, you'll visit the most famous attractions in Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu Durbar Square is the Royal Palace Square in the city, and is surrounded by ancient buildings from the early 16th century. The magnificent architecture, exquisite decorations, and the intensity of historical items gives a great insight into Nepali culture.

You then continue the tour with a visit to the Swayambhunath Pagoda, which is one of the oldest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Swayambhunath is a huge golden stupa festooned with prayer flags that flutter in the breeze, on a hill that overlooks the entire city. Then it is on to Boudhanath, located on the ancient trade route. It is a place of meditation and part of the spiritual journey around Kathmandu. With one of the largest stupas in the world, it has been the site of many Tibetan prayers over the centuries.

After Boudhanath, you will drive on to Nagarkot, a small town nearby that has great views of eight of the 13 Himalayan Ranges, including Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang, and Mahalangur, as well as stunning views over the Kathmandu Valley.

Stay overnight in Nagarkot

Bhaktapur City

Panoramic views of Himalayan peaks in Pokhara

Today, you will be driven to Pokhara early morning after breakfast. The whole journey takes about 5.5 hours. En route to Pokhara, you will stop off to visit the spectacular Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a Royal Palace square with pagodas and shikhara temples strewn around the ancient Royal Palace. The square really highlights the ancient building arts of Nepal.

Pokhara is a remarkable place of natural beauty. Situated at an altitude of 827m from the sea level and 200 km west of Kathmandu valley, the city is known as a center of adventure. The enchanting city with a population of around 95,000 has several beautiful lakes and offers stunning panoramic views of Himalayan peaks. The serenity of lakes and the magnificence of the Himalayas rising behind them create an ambience of peace and magic. So today the city has not only become the starting point for most popular trekking and rafting destinations but also a place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Stay overnight in Pokhara

Devi’s Falls

Temple of Bindhyabasini

With a full day for sightseeing around Pokhara, the day starts with a trip to the stunning Devi’s Falls, known locally as Patale Chhango. This beautiful waterfall drops 150 meters into a huge sinkhole at the bottom, which continues on dropping for another 100 meters into a cave system below. According to local legends, the falls were originally named David’s Fall in English, after a Swiss traveler who fell into the sinkhole in 1961, dragging his girlfriend with him, and which has been changed over the years to become Davi’s Falls.

After the falls, you will visit the sacred cave of Gupteswar Gupha, a limestone cave across from the falls. Almost 3 kilometers long, the cave has huge caverns as well as narrow passages, and is a sacred place for Hindus, as it contains the Phallic symbol of Lord Shiva, which has been preserved in the caves.

Nearby lies the related Temple of Bindhyabasini in Nepal, believed to be a replica of the famous Bindhyabasini Temple in Bindhyachal, Uttar Pradesh. Legend says that the deity, Bindhyabasini, was brought to Nepal before the unification of the country by the then king of the Kaski region, Siddhi Narayan Shah.

Finally, the last site of the day is the beautiful Barahi Temple, also known as the Lake Temple, located on a small island in the east of the Phewa Lake. Used for prayers by Hindus and Buddhists alike, this temple was originally dedicated to the Hindu Goddess, Durga (Barahi in Nepalese), who is known as the Protector of the Gods.

Stay overnight in Pokhara

In the morning, you will drive the 96 kilometers from Pokhara to Chitwan, on the southern border with India. The rest of the day in Chitwan is yours, and the views over the Narayani River at sunset are spectacular.

Stay overnight in Chitwan

Chitwan National Park

Chitwan National Park with Elephant

The following morning it is off to Chitwan National Park, one of the largest national parks in Nepal. Designated a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in 1984, the park is the home to hundreds of species of wild animals. Offering protection to 56 species of mammals, the park’s residents include sloth bears, wild elephants, striped hyenas, wild bison, leopards, and the Asian one-horned rhinoceros. The park is also home to more than a third of Nepal’s wild Bengal tigers, and there are good chances you will get to see one in its natural habitat.

The park also hosts numerous jungle activities, including elephant safaris, canoeing, and white-water rafting, and is a popular destination for both animal lovers and thrill seekers.

Stay overnight in Chitwan

A view of magnificent Patan Durbar Square

Patan Durbar Square

After breakfast, you will drive back to Kathmandu, where you can have a nice lunch before heading off to visit the third largest city in Nepal, Patan, located in the south of the Kathmandu Valley. There you can visit the Patan Durbar Square, another of the Royal Palace Squares of ancient Nepali culture, which remains as the finest collection of palaces and temples in Nepal.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu

In the morning, your guide will pick you up from your hotel in a private car, take you to the airport, and help you with your luggage and checking in for your flight home from Nepal.