13 Days Hong Kong Chengdu Lhasa Namtso Kathmandu Tour

Welcome to Hong Kong, Asia's vibrant and financial hub!

Upon arrival, our local guide will meet you at the Hong Kong International Airport and escort you to your hotel.

After you check in, the rest of the day is for you to have a good rest or explore the surroundings yourself.

Stay overnight in Hong Kong.

Today is free for you until you take the flight from Hong Kong to Chengdu, the Land of Abundance.

Upon arrival in Chengdu, our local guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your downtown hotels.

The rest of the day is free for you to explore on your own.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

Insider Tips:
Chengdu has two international airports: Chengdu Tianfu International Airport and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Please make sure to check which airport you're arriving at.

In the morning, drive for about half an hour to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center, 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, the whole afternoon can be free to explore.

In the evening, you will transferred to the railway station for the Chengdu to Lhasa train Z322. It is suggested to get to the railway station at least 1 hour before departure. You need to present your passport and the Tibet Travel Permit to board the train.

Stay overnight on the train.

Insider Tips:
1. Our local staff will deliver the Tibet Travel Permit to you before you board the train to Lhasa. Keep the permit safe as it is important for boarding the train and entering the Tibet Autonomous Region.
2. The Chengdu to Lhasa train departs every other day. Please confirm the train schedule with your travel consultant.

Spend the whole day on the train to Lhasa. It is quite a long journey of taking a train from Chengdu to Lhasa. It will take 41 hours and 31 minutes, two days and two nights in 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 cities in northwest China.

Stay overnight in the train.

Enjoy the most beautiful scenery of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Spectacular land of snows, boundless desert, vast grassland, grand ice mountains, beautiful lakes that will continually appear and strongly attract your heart. You will arrive in Lhasa at about 09:55. Your tour guide will hold a board with your name to welcome you at the exit of the train station and escort you to your reserved hotel in Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

In the morning, you’ll explore the largest monastery in Tibet - Drepung Monastery, which was once the home to over 10,000 monks. As you walk through the Coqen Hall, your guide will provide detailed explanations of the worldview of Tibetan Buddhism and introduce notable figures in Tibetan Buddhist history.

Next, you’ll visit the renowned Loseling College (or an equivalent), offering a glimpse into the study and life of Tibetan monks. Explore their dormitories to gain insights into the Tibetan monks' daily routines and living conditions.

In the afternoon, you’ll head to Sera Monastery, another of the ‘great three’ Gelug monasteries of Tibet, to witness the famous Tibetan Monks Debate (15:00 - 17:00, from Monday to Saturday). Your guide will intricately explain how Tibetan monks engage in these debates to acquire knowledge and advance in their academic degrees.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

After breakfast, your first stop is the Potala Palace, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Lhasa Old Town. Discover the lives and stories of the Dalai Lamas through history within the palace, and the extraordinary treasures it holds. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

After touring the Potala Palace, you will visit Longwangtan Park at the foot of the Potala Palace. Here, you can appreciate the majestic Potala Palace from a different perspective and engage in local Tibetan folk activities.

In the afternoon, you will head to the heart of Tibetan religion - the Jokhang Temple. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve. Outside, you can see pilgrims making prostrating in front of Jokhang Temple. Around the temple is Barkhor Street, where you can do kora (a religious circle of a building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals, and explore the old market.

Next, follow your guide to one of the liveliest indoor Tibetan tea houses in Lhasa. Sip traditional Tibetan sweet tea alongside local Tibetans as your guide shares insights into Tibetan social dynamics and daily life.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

This is the day of holy Lake Namtso!

In the morning, heading north from Lhasa, you’ll pass through the vast prairie in Damxung, where you can see the closest nomads area to Lhasa, with herds of yaks and sheep. Besides, you can also enjoy the view of the Qinghai-Tibet railway against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains.

While crossing the snow-capped Nyenchen Thanglha Mountain Rainges, pause at the renowned Lagenla Pass (5190m) to marvel at the stunning vista of holy Namtso Lake from a distance. Descend the road to reach today’s destination, Namtso Lake, one of the ‘Three Holy Lakes’ in Tibet.

Upon reaching the lake, you can enjoy your time doing a leisurely trek around Tashi Dor Island and along the lakeshore. For a panoramic view of Namtso Lake, climb to the top of the hill on Tashi Dor Island, where the circular lake resembles a boundless blue sea surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

Marvel at the magical stone pillars and peaks, and explore meditation caves and Buddhist holy sites on the island with your travel guide.

After visiting Namtso Lake, you will return to Damxung via the mountain pass.

Stay overnight in Damxung.

Insider Tips:
1. If you are interested in witnessing the beautiful sunset at Namtso Lake, you can stay longer for the sunset. Please tell your travel consultant or your travel guide before departure.
2. Due to the higher altitude of Lake Namtso, standing at 4718 meters above sea level, it tends to be colder than Lhasa. It is advisable to bring a warm jacket with you for today’s visit.

After breakfast, you will first visit Chimelong Nunnery (Phyirmil Lung Nunnery), the largest nunnery near Lhasa. Roam over the peaceful nunnery and get an idea of different Buddhist studies in Tibet, you may also spot a sky burial site (Tibet funeral site) in the distance.

Then, head to Tsurphu Monastery, the oldest monastery in Tibet. It is the seat of the Karmapa branch of the Kagyupa order of Tibetan Buddhism and is also the birthplace of the system of reincarnated living Buddhas in Tibet. Here, you can learn more about the ‘Black Hats', the Karma Kagyupa school of Tibetan Buddhism.

At the end of the day, return to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, you will take the flight from Lhasa to Nepal. When you arrive at Kathmandu, your guide will greet you and take you to your hotel.

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.

In the morning, we are about to tour 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.

Then you will explore the Bouddhanath, which is one of the largest stupas in South Asia, 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.

The third attraction we will cover is Bhaktapur Durbar Square. It 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.

You will be transferred to the International airport to connect onward flight.