16 Days Beijing, Xining, Lhasa, Shigatse, EBC, Kathmandu Tour

When international flight lands in Beijing, Please take a taxi by yourself to our reserved hotel or by agreement the transfer will be arranged for you. The rest of the day, you may have a good rest or explore around on your own.

Stay overnight in Beijing

Today is guided tour to Forbidden City and Summer Palace which are the traditionally must-see attractions in Beijing. These attractions present the visitors an image of how the ancient Chinese emperors manage the country, what their family life is, how they spent leisure time, how they sacrifice gods.

Stay overnight in Beijing

To avoid the huge crowds, we will rise early to visit the Temple of Heaven, one of the architectural wonders in ancient China. You will see grand Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, which was built without a single nail used. The vivid dragon design, majestic imperial vault of heaven, etc can also been seen. Do use sunscreen or sunhat to avoid the sunburn if you travel in summer.

After lunch, we will take a long walk on Mutianyu Great Wall, the best-preserved and most famous part of the Great Wall as well. It is located 80km north-east of Beijing with 22 ancient watchtowers, about one every kilometer. (Cable car is optional if you do not want to walk)

Stay overnight in Beijing

Take the morning flight from Beijing to Xining. The flight takes around 3 hours. After your arrival in Xining, you will get transferred to your hotel. After a good rest in the afternoon, at night we will head for the finger-licking local snacks in Mo Street, the well-known gourmet street in Xining. Local delicacies like boiled mutton, lamb soup, noodles with chicken shreds and sesame, Muslim Yogurt, etc.

Travel tips: For newcomers, please don’t eat too much to prevent diarrhea.

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 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. After the day tour, we will head back to city of Xining.

Stay overnight in Xining

In the morning, we are about to visit Ta’er Monastery, one of the must-see religious sites in Xining. Located 25km to the northeast of Xining City, Ta’er Monastery is also called “Kumbum Monastery”. It’s one of the major Gelugpa monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism and the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, well-known Tibetan Buddhist master. You can see many devoted Tibetan pilgrims doing full-body prostration to the Buddha, magnificent Buddhist hall and exquisite murals and Tibetan butter flowers, etc.

In the afternoon, tourists will be transferred to railway station for your overnight train to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in the train

You will spend a whole day on the train to Lhasa and enjoy fabulous scenery along the world famous Qinghai-Tibet railway, the highest railway in the world. Spectacular land of snows, boundless desert, vast grassland, grand ice mountains, and beautiful lakes will continually appear and strongly attract your heart. You will arrive in Lhasa in late afternoon or evening. Then transfer to your hotel.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Today's tour will first bring you to the Potala Palace which is the winter palace of the Dalai lama. It was put to use since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

Then after lunch, tourists head to Jokhang Temple which was founded by the 33rd great king of Tibet in the 7th century, in order to promote the Buddhist religion. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve, perhaps the only most venerated object in Tibetan Buddhism. Around the temple is Barkhor street where you can do kora (a religious circle of a building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals, in the meantime you can buy souvenirs.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

In the morning, you are going to visit Drepung Monastery which is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. Ganden palace used to be Dalai lama’s palace in the Drepung before he moved to the Potala palace.

In the Afternoon, Tourists will visit Sera Monastery which is another one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. The hot attraction is the Monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

In the morning, drive from Lhasa to Shigatse .On the way, drive over the Gampala pass (4790 m), and you will have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso (4400m) .The Lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and in the distance you can have spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar, (7191m) the highest mountain near Lhasa.

Later, we will pass and enjoy the Korola Glacier on the roadside; At Manak Dam Lake, you can hang pray flag at Simila Mountain Pass; Then, we will arrive in Gyantse, historically Tibet's third largest city (after Lhasa and Shigatse).In Gyantse, we will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum and enjoy the far view of Gyangtse Fortress.

After one and a half driving, we arrive in Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, we may visit traditional Barley Mill and view the landscape of Barley Field (in summer).

Stay overnight in Shigatse

In the morning, we will visit the home of Panchan Lama - Tashilunpo Monastery. Then, we’ll leave Shigatse after getting your Alien’s travel permit, and then drive to Lhatse, it is a small town where you can have lunch.

After that, we will pass Tsola Pass(4600M), and Gyatsola Pass(5248M). Shortly after we enter Mt. Everest National Nature Reserve, tourists can enjoy the panorama of Himalaya at Gawula Pass(5198m).Then we drive along the New zigzag road to Everest Base Camp(5200m). You can get closer to gazt at the Mt. Everest peak. The sunset of golden Everest peak if time and weather permits at the lodging area.

Stay overnight at Rongbuk monastery guest house.

In the morning, you can appreciate the sunrise of Everest Peak if weather permits at the lodging area and then visit the Rongbuk Monstery - the unique highest monastery with nuns and monks living together. Later, we can visit the Everest Base Camp and take pictures of Mt. Everest at the closes distance in EBC.

After that, we can drive from EBC to Gyirong border. On the way, tourists can enjoy breathtakign vista of Mt. Shishapangma and the Pekutso Lake. After passing the Ghungtang Lhamo(5236M), we will arrive in Gyirong in late afternoon.

Stay overnight in the guesthouse in Gyirong

Tour Guide will assist the clients to exit China. And see clients off at Gyirong border. After you enter the Nepal territory, our Nepali guide will be expecting you on the Nepali-side border and transfer you to the hotel in Kathmandu. The distance between Kathmandu and Sino-Nepal border is around 130km. And the entire ride takes around 7-8 hours. On the way, you will enjoy cliff-side Nepali villages and terraced farmland and vibrant vegetation, etc.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu

In the morning, we will the Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, which is one of three durbar (royal palace) squares in the Kathmandu Valley. It is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and when important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, still take place today.

Then, we will tour Swayambhunath. It is one of the most recognizable symbols in Nepal and the painted eyes of Buddha watch all who ascend the worn stone steps. It is a World Heritage Site and one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal, and is at the source of the Valley’s mythical beginning.

In the afternoon, the tour group will head to Patan City, which is 15 minutes driving from Kathmandu. Patan's central -Durbar Square, is absolutely packed with temples: It’s an architectural center point with a far greater concentration of temples per sq. meter than in Kathamandu or Bhaktapur. You may shop around and finally we will head back to Kathmandu.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu

Pashupatinath, the most important Hindu temple in Nepal, the old buildings on the site were destroyed by Moslem invaders in the 14th century, its stone linga smashed to dust, but it rose again behind their retreating backs. Succeeding monarchs reinstated the temple and the images. Bouddhanath is among the largest stupas in South Asia, and it has become the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The white mound looms thirty-six meters overhead. The stupa is located on the ancient trade route to Tibet, and Tibetan merchants rested and offered prayers here for many centuries. Bhaktapur  Durbar Square is a conglomeration of pagoda and shikhara style temples grouped around a fifty-five window palace of brick and wood. The square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces of the Valley as it highlights the ancient arts of Nepal.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu

For the last day, the tour guide will see you off at Kahtmandu airport. The entire tour ends.