11 Days Chongqing Lhasa Yamdrok Tsedang Tour by Tibet Train

Welcome to Chongqing!

Upon your arrival at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport or the railway station, your local tour guide will escort you to your hotel in Chongqing.

The rest of the day is at leisure. You can explore surrounding areas at your own pace, or try out the spacy Chongqing Hot Pot in the local eateries.

Stay overnight in Chongqing.

In the morning, we will visit Three Gorge Museum, where tourists can learn the historical facts of Chongqing before Three Gorge Dam is built. You can also enjoy the statues, ceramics, Buddhist art and bronze relics rescued from the rising waters of the dammed Yangtze River. Besides, you can see many historical photographs which give you an interesting insight into the small minorities inhabited in and around Chongqing in the past, etc.

After Lunch, the whole tour group is about to tour one of the must-see attractions in Chongqing, i.e. Ciqi Kou. The ancient town gives you a glimpse of the traditional cobbled streets and the distinct courtyard and lifestyle in hilly Chongqing. Some of the well-preserved shrines and temples are worth a visit. Though being a bit touristy, Ciqi Kou is packed with intriguing souvenir shops and tasty food stalls and home-run hostels. Do walk to the end and enjoy the river bank and ferry boats there.

In the evening, we will stop by Hongya Cave. With gorgeous neon lights sparkling around the Hongya Cave and Qiansimen Jialing River Bridge, you can taste hot pot and local snacks while enjoy the stunning night view of Jialing River Bridge and the commercial boats below, which is why Chongqing is named as “Small Hongkong”. You may also join the crowds to watch the live performance of street artists.

Stay overnight in Chongqing

Have an early rise and after breakfast, we will head to Dazu Rock Carvings, which is around 1h18min from downtown Chongqing. Dazu Rock Carving is on the world heritage list as one of the eight most brilliant grottoes in the world. The massive and gigantic Buddhist sculptures date back to 7 AD and bear the influence of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. You can learn the story of Buddha and different schools of traditional Chinese philosophical thinking and closely explore the sleeping Buddha, etc.

Later, we will head to Chongqing West Railway Station and have dinner in the local restaurants there and go through the security check with your passport and the Tibet Travel Permit, and board the Tibet Train (Z223) that leaves from Chongqing to Lhasa at 21:53.

Stay overnight on the Tibet train

Today, you'll spend the whole day traveling to Lhasa on the train. Along the way, you'll pass through two important cities: Lanzhou and Xining. Xining is where the Qinghai-Tibet Railway begins. Enjoy the views of the countryside and cities in northwest China as you make your way to the Tibetan Plateau after passing through Xining.

Stay overnight on the train.

Today, you will enjoy the most beautiful scenery of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway through the Tibet Plateau. Endless land of snows, vast desert, boundless grassland, snow-capped mountains and stunning lakes will continually appear and strongly attract your heart.

After arriving in Lhasa, you will meet our friendly Tibetan guide at Lhasa Railway Station. The guide and the driver will take you to your hotel in downtown Lhasa. You may view the Yarlung Tsangpo River/Brahmaputra River (the Longest and largest river in Tibet) and Lhasa River.

After settling into your hotel, take some time to rest and adjust to the high altitude.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Awake to a day of brilliant sunshine. Let’s head to Drepung Monastery for a 3km leisurely hike/kora. The Drepung Monastery is one of the great three Geluga monasteries founded by a disciple of Tsongkhapa called Jamyang Chöje.

As you follow the pilgrim route towards Loseling College, you will see the iconic huge rock paintings depicting the Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Geluga Sect, and Buddhist mantras.

You can gather junipers and burn them as an offering to Buddha, drink refreshing mountain springs, or meditate alongside the local pilgrims beneath the rock face. At the mountaintop, the sweeping view of the enchanting Lhasa Valley will take your breath away.

In the afternoon, you will explore Sera Monastery, the second-largest Gelug monastery next to Drepung. You can appreciate the exquisitely made sand Mandala and admire Buddhist paintings.

The biggest highlight is to watch the dramatic monk debate (15:00 - 17:00, from Monday to Saturday). By clapping hands, jumping, yelling, and rolling Buddhist mala, the standing monk furiously debates with the other monk sitting on the ground about Buddhist philosophy.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Start your day with a visit to the fortress-like Potala Palace, an architectural marvel, and the winter palace of Dalai Lamas.

You can explore the Dalai Lama’s living quarters, and ceremonial hall, and marvel at gilded buddhas, intricate mandalas, and jewel-encrusted tombs of generations of Dalai Lamas, and enjoy the panoramic view of Lhasa city atop Red Palace.

Next, roam over the Zhongjiao Lukang Park nearby and view the Potala Palace from behind where you can take a glimpse of how locals spend their day lives, such as enjoying Guozhuang/circle dance, paddle boat in the pool, etc.

In the afternoon, immerse yourself in the sacred Jokhang Temple, the spiritual heart of Tibet. Follow a long line of pilgrims in the dimly lit chambers to worship the life-size statue of a 12-year-old Buddha Sakyamuni.

Then, walk clockwise with prostrating Tibetan pilgrims to experience the famous Barkhor circuit/kora and unwind in a local teahouse to savor local obsessions,i.g. sweet tea, Tibetan noodles, Tibetan momos, Sha Phaley, or roam over the backstreet of Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

In the morning, you will have a long ride (148km, 3hrs) from Lhasa City to the Lurila viewing platform where you can enjoy the stunning panorama of turquoise Yamdrok Lake and numerous small islands against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. The lonely Rutog monastery is also visible.

You can take selfies with the picturesque Yamdrok Lake or meditate and do Yoga there. For lunch, you will visit a local family restaurant and enjoy the local dishes by the lakeside. On the platform, you can also savor a cup of coffee and relish leisure time while indulging in the stunning view of Yamdrok Lake from the southeast corner.

Next, let’s drive down to the Rutog Monastery. You can hike to this photogenic monastery surrounded by Yamdrok Lake and enjoy the serene Yamdrok Lake close-up. Or take a moment to have a dialogue with yourself in a peaceful meditation.

Finally, drive to Tsedang where the Tibetan civilization originates from.

Stay overnight in Tsedang.

In the morning, around a 46-minute drive from Tsedang, you will be at the prestigious Samye Monastery, the first Tibetan monastery in Tibet. It’s said that this monastery was built by gods, demons, and humans.

Explore the Utse Chapel, the main hall of Smaye Monastery, featuring Tibetan, Chinese, and Indian architectural styles. It also represents the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. You can also roam over the Chok chapel, believed to be the last place the human soul will linger over before entering the afterlife.

In the afternoon, drive eastward (5.7km) from Samye Monastery, you will reach Chimpuk Hermitage, a renowned Buddhist meditation spot, even used by f Guru Rinpoche. You can follow the trails leading up to Lhakhang and see plenty of cave shrines and ascetics. Follow your guide for a serene meditation in this sacred and tranquil mountain sanctuary.

Stay overnight in Tsedang.

Having visited the first Tibetan monastery, in the morning, we will tour the Yumbulakang Palace, the first Tibetan palace in Tibet for King Nyentri Tsenpo but later used as the summer palace of Songtsen Gampo & Princess Wencheng. You can walk or enjoy the horseback ride to the Yumbulakang and enjoy the sweeping view of the first Tibetan fields from above.

Next, we will head to the Tradruk Temple, one of the earliest temples built at the same time as Jokhange Temple and Ramoche Temple in Lhasa. You can see the precious s 400-year-old thangka of Chenresig made up of 29,000 pearls, believed to have been presented by Princess Wencheng to Songtsen Gompa.

Finally, we say goodbye to culturally rich Tsedang and drive back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today marks the end of your Tibet tour.

Please make sure to verify your departure flight/train details with our guide in advance. And your guide will take you to the airport or train station.

Thank you for choosing Tibet Vista, and we extend a warm welcome for your return to Tibet in the future.