8 Days Xining Lhasa Train Tour with Lake Namtso

Overview
Itinerary
Service Inclusion
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Trip Overview

With this classic 8-day Xining Lhasa train tour, you will get the chance to see the most highlighted attractions across Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and to explore the mysterious and legendary snow land of Tibet. The tour will first take you to have a sightseeing around Xining city, where you will enjoy a full-day Qinghai Lake tour and visit the landmark site, Taer Monastery. Then you will take the Tibet train to Lhasa and enjoy fabulous scenery along the well-known Qinghai-Tibet Railway. In Lhasa, through visiting the famous Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and other important monasteries and cultural sites, you will get to understand the unique culture of Tibetan Buddhism. Ultimately, the intoxicating view of the holy Namsto Lake will add a perfect end to this meaningful Tibet tour.

Best Time to Visit

All year round
Physical Demands

Very leisure tour; light physical demand for the high altitude

Day by Day Itinerary

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Day 1 Arrive in Xining

Upon arrival in Xining, you will be greeted by your local guide at the airport or railway station and then escorted to your hotel in Xining. The rest time is at leisure. You can have a good rest or walk around in the city.

Stay overnight in Xining.

Day 2 Qinghai Lake Day Tour

Qinghai Lake in Rape Flower Season

The Yacht on the Qinghai Lake

In the 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 are 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 situated on the western shore of the Lake. In the noisiest months of April and May, ten thousands of birds stop on the Haixi Shan of Qinghai Lake and lay eggs there. A 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 late afternoon, drive back to Xining.

Stay overnight in Xining.

Day3 Visit Taer Monastery, Overnight Train to Lhasa (B)

Taer Monastery in Xining

Qinghai Provincial Museum

First visit Ta'er Monastery (Kumbum Monastery) in the town of Huangzhong, 26km south of Xining. It is the birthplace of the founder of the Gelugpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism - Tsongkhapa. The temple was later built in 1577. Then move on a 15-minute trip to the North Hill Temple to have a bird's-view of the city. Finally visit Qinghai Provincial Museum with a few Silk Road exhibitions and some amazing Stone Age artifacts.

Then transferred to train station for your overnight train to Lhasa.

Stay overnight on the train.

Day 4 Qinghai-Tibet Railway Sightseeing and Arrival in Lhasa

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 in late afternoon or evening. Your Tibetan guide will meet you at the railway station and take you to your hotel.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 5 Lhasa Tour: Potola Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor (B)

Potala Palace

Johkang Temple

In the morning, go to visit the famous Potala palace and explore the grandest of this myriad 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, pay a visit to the holist temple in Tibet, the Johkang Temple, built during Songtsen Gonpo's reign by princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty, 647 A.D, and its famous Barkor Kora.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 6 Lhasa Tour : Drepung Monastery, Norbulingka and Sera Monastery (B)

Drepung Monastery

Scriptures Debating in Sera Monastery

Today, you will visit two important monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera, and the summer palace of Dalai Lama - Norbulingka where you can visit the residences of different lineages of the Dalai Lama. The park is crowded with picnickers and traditional activities during the Shoton (Yogurt festival) in August.

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 for it was the government centre during the fifth Dalai Lama and later moved to the famous Potala Palace during the 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 its Buddhist Scriptures debating held in the courtyard mostly around 3-5 in the afternoon.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 7 Lhasa - Yangpachen - Namtso - Lhasa (B)

Lake Namtso

Today, we will drive to Yangpachen, 110 km away from Lhasa, and then continue driving to the holy Namsto Lake, the second-largest saltwater lake in China. It is over 70km long and reaches a width of 30km. In clear weather the water is a miraculous shade of turquoise and there are magnificent views of the nearby mountains. The wide open spaces, dotted with tents of local nomads, are intoxicating.

After enjoy the fabulous scenery, we will drive back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Day 8 Depart from Lhasa (B)

You will be transferred to Lhasa airport for your flight to next destination.

Service Guide

Price Inclusions

Tibet Travel Permit and all other necessary permit to Tibet;
Domestic train/flight tickets as indicated in the itinerary, including the hard sleeper ticket of Xining-Lhasa train;
All lodging listed in the itinerary. If you travel individually, you will need to share one room with another tourist. If you prefer to stay in one room by yourself, you will have to pay the single room supplement;
Private transportation to the destinations and sites listed in the itinerary; ranging from 4WD land cruiser to bus depending on the group size and trip route; car gasoline, road toll and in-transport refreshments (free bottles of water, air pillow and headscarf) are included;
Meals listed in the itinerary;
Experienced English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide;
Entrance ticket fees for all the sight spots listed in the itinerary;
First aid kit;

Price Exclusions

Chinese visa;
International flight to and out of China;
Tips and gratuities for the trip leader and driver;
Meals not specified the itinerary (Averagely a meal in the 3rdpole region cost 3~15USD per person in Tibet Autonomous Region);
The expense of a personal nature like alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone call, etc;
Optional activities and excursions not specified in the itinerary;

Itinerary Alteration

Once we receive your tour deposit, which is followed by signing the contract, your reservation is secured with legitimacy. Our staff will reserve the accommodation, vehicle, site tickets, meals and more, and pay the deposit for our suppliers. So if you want to alter to another itinerary, you need to cover the deposit we've paid, while no service charge is needed if you make some changes on the itinerary you booked.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you cancel the tour beacuse of your personal issues, you will be liable to pay cancellation charges that are bounded by 3rdpoletour.com cancellation policy as follows:

1.) If you cancel the tour more than 30 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 10% of the total land cost per person;
2.) If you cancel the tour 15-30 days prior to your trip start date, 20% of your total land tour cost will be forfeited as a cancellation fee.
3.) If you cancel the tour 7-15 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 30% of land cost.
4.) If you cancel the tour 7 days prior to your tour start date, you will forfeit 50% of land cost.
5.) If you fail to show up or cancel at your scheduled arrival time without prior notice or later than that, you will forfeit 100% of the land cost.

If the tour has to be cancelled because of the natural disaster or the government restrictions that is beyond both parties control, we will charge only USD50 per person, this is just the service fee and larbor fee during the preparation. This is a rare occurrence!

The cancellation fee charged by 3rdpoletour.com will be kept under your name (person who contacted us) for a usable period of 2 years. Within the applicable period you can use it for next time or you can kindly pass your authority to any of your family, friends or colleagues to use by booking a tour with 3rdpoletour.com. A certifying email from you is necessary to pass the cancellation fee to others, but it is only applicable for private group.

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