37 Days Bangkok Lanzhou Chengdu Lhasa Kailash Dunhuang Beijing Tour

Taking international flight from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport. Upon your arrival in the Lanzhou Airport, your local tour guide will escort you to your reserved hotel in Lanzhou. The rest of the day is at leisure. (The direct international flight from Bangkok to Lanzhou suggests to be booked by yourself.)

Stay overnight in Lanzhou.

Drive about 6 hours from Lanzhou to Xiahe, with a stop in Linxia for lunch. Along the route, the landscape changes dramatically from the desert, dry mountains around Lanzhou to the green mountains of Xiahe.

Stay overnight in Xiahe.

Visit the Labrang Monastery, the largest Tibetan Monastery outside of Tibet housing about 2000 monks from the Yellow Hat tradition. It is a center of Tibetan learning in Eastern Tibet. There are 6 schools of Buddhist teachings. You will see many monks, often in prayer or busily debating each other on religious issues. All the year around you’ll meet many pilgrims in town wearing their splendid traditional clothing and jewelry.

Stay overnight in Xiahe.

Drive from Xiahe to Hezuo to visit Hezuo Milariba Temple built in 1777. The monastery is one of the most lamaseries in Amdo Tibetan area and houses 1720 Figures of Buddha, including Jin Gang and four secret Cheng as Bodhisattva.

Then keep forward to Langmusi, a small town in Gansu. We will arrive there in late afternoon.

Stay overnight in Langmusi.

Get up early to visit the sky burial site. You might get a chance to see a sky burial ceremony. In Langmusi, the ancient Tibetan custom of sky burials is still practiced. Sky burials are now limited only to a very small area in Tibet and is a rare sight nowadays. The town of Langmusi is situated partly in Gansu Province, and partly in Sichuan Province, divided only by a small river. Therefore this small town has two monasteries, and one in each province.

We will first visit the sky burial site and go to the Daceng Lhamo Monastery on the Gansu side of the town. In the afternoon, we go hiking through a beautiful gorge where you can see many eagles and vultures soaring above your head.

Stay overnight in Langmusi.

Take a full day travel by car (330km) to Jiuzhaigou via Ruoergai. On the way you will stop several times for some short hiking trips and other scenic stops. We will arrive in Jiuzhaigou in late afternoon.

Stay overnight in Jiuzhaigou.

Enjoy a full day sightseeing in Jiuzhaigou Valley. After breakfast, head to the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area where you will board on environmentally friendly bus to sightsee of the park.

Jiuzhaigou has three gullies (Shuzhen Gully, Rize Gully, Zezhawa Gully), 118 lakes, 5 beaches, 12 waterfalls, 10 rapids, and decades of springs as well as 12 peaks.

At night, watch a Tibetan folk customs show, consisting of singing, dancing and other programs.

Stay overnight in Jiuzhaigou.

The whole day is to drive from Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu via Songpan.

Visit Dujiangyan Irrigation System en route, one of the world first irrigation systems and ratified into the World Cultural Heritage List. It’s located on the upper reaches of the Minjiang River. It was built between 306-251 BC by the local people under the guidance of Li Bing and his son. Fortunately the Dujiangyan Irrigation System brings the vast Chengdu Plain under irrigation and has protected it against droughts and floods for over 2,300 years.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

Optional:
If there is enough time, you can enjoy a short walk at the ancient Jinli Street. Later, drive to Wenshu Monastery to have wonderful taste of the vegetarian food for dinner. Another alternative is to enjoy the cultural show - Sichuan Opera in the evening. (the cost is on you, based on your personal preference.)

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 for you to explore around.

In the evening, you will be transferred to Chengdu Train Station for the overnight train to Lhasa. The train departs from Chengdu North Railway Station. It takes about 1 hour to check in as the train takes about 1000 passengers. Please be sure to arrive at the train station for 1 hour or a half before the train departure. Train Z322 from Chengdu to Lhasa departs at 21:37, and your Tibet Permit will need to be checked when you check in.

Stay overnight in the train.

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 36:18 hours 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, and grand ice mountains, beautiful lakes that will continually appear and strongly attract your heart. You will arrive in Lhasa at 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.

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. 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. Besides, we can taste Tibetan tea with locals in tea house.

Optional:
With time permitting, you may go with tour guide to visit Tibetan handicraft art or Tibetan Traditional Medicine center. You can upgrade your service to enjoy Tibetan Culture Show in the evening (fr. 60USD).

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. You can visit the biggest monastery kitchen inside the monastery and enjoy Buddhist Sculpture Carving workshop near Drepung.

In the afternoon, you will visit Sera Monastery which is another one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. The hot attraction is the monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon. In addition, you can tour the Tibetan religious scripture printing house. Inside the monastery, you can see three sand Mandalas and colorful Rock Painting of Buddha.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

In the morning, drive from Lhasa to Shigatse. On the way, drive over the Gampala Pass(4790m), 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 Panchen Lama - Tashilhunpo 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 Gawu La Pass (5198m). Then we drive along the new zigzag road to Everest Base Camp (5200m). You can get closer to gaze at the Mt. Everest peak. The sunset of golden Everest peak if time and weather permits at the lodging area.

Stay overnight at tent or Rongbuk monastery guest house.

In the morning, we can enjoy the sunrise of Everest Peak at lodging area if weather permits. Then as we head to Saga, you can view the worlds’14th highest peak Mt.Shishapangma(8012m), and turquoise Lake Peiku tso(4590m). If you are lucky enough, you are very likely to see wild animals like wild donkey, wild antelope, etc.

Stay overnight in Saga.

On the way to Darchen, you will have a chance to appreciate the stunning view of the Saga valley between Gangdise Range and Himayala Range. Meanwhile, the beautiful grassland and local's villages can also be seen. As we cross the Mayomla Pass(5112m), you can enjoy the spectacular vista of Mt. Naimonanyi(7694m). Then we are supposed to pass by the holy Lake Manasarover and finally arrive at the southern foot of Mt.Kailash, the most holy mountain in Tibet.

Stay overnight in Darchen.

In the morning, we are supposed to take eco-bus from Darchen to Sarshung valley. Then we will meet Yaks and porters at Sarshung village. (the cost of hiring yaks, horses, and porters are not included in the package) After that, we can begin the trek (around 13km) from Sarshung to Drirapuk Monastery along the Lachu valley and rivers. You can enjoy the both west and north face of Mountain Kailash today. Finally, we will visit Drirapuk Monastery.

Stay overnight in guest house.

Today, we will trek over Dromala Pass(5630m), the highest pass of the Kora. On the way you can have a rest in a teahouse. All the way, you can see locals Tibetans prostrating in the Kora path and beautiful Kadoe Lake when walk downhill. We may also visit Zutulpuk Monastery.

Stay overnight in guest house.

On the day three of the kora. you will trek 7km to Zongto where you can take bus to Darchen. Along the Kora, you can see piles of Mani Stones. We will end the Trek around noon, rest in the lodging place.

(Optional): Taking bath in Lake Manasarovar and enjoy hot spring.

Stay overnight in Tarchen.

It is about an eight-hour drive from Darchen to Zanda, though the distance is only about 243km from Darchen. After several hours of zigzagging down and up fantastically eroded gorges and gullies, we enter wider Sutlej Valley and after crossing a bridge, finally reaches Zanda. Tsamda County is the current name for the region and is known for Guge Kingdom. And the county capital is located at Toling. Toling Monastery, founded by Richen Zangpo in the 10th century, was once Ngari's most important monastic complex. It was due to the influence of Richen Zangpo that Toling became the main religious centre of Guge Kingdom after inviting the great Indian master ATISHA. The kings of Guge replaced the city as a political centre of power by establishing capital slightly closer to the Indo-Tibetan trade routes. But the monastery is still the important cultural heritage of Ngari.

Stay overnight in Zanda.

Experience various landscapes on the way to Shiquanhe, the capital of Ngari Prefecture which provides an excellent place for meditation. Indus river drives from mount Kailash and flows through this region and finally towards into Pakistan. It is a modern city with central administration, business and shopping district. Then we continue to Pangongtso Lake where you can visit the mysterious Lake Pangongtso of which the one part of lake is inside Tibetan area and other part is situated inside Indian Territory.

Camp by the lake shore.

The road condition is very bad as we move far towards north and on the way to Dolma, the road condition becomes more difficult after leaving Dolma. Soon we will reach a pass called Tialongtan-la Pass with more than 5000m above the sea level. After than its still 7-8 hours way to reach Dahongliutan.

Stay overnight in guest house.

You need to drive 499km to reach Yechen from Dahongliutan, but the journey duration depends upon the climate and road condition. Then you will enjoy beautiful Kunlun Mountain Ranges on the right side, and the Karakorum Mountain Ranges on the left side. The trip soon begins as we pass by Mazar across the Kunlun Mountain Range. The Chiragsaldi is the last pass that you need to cross and steep down towards the Yecheng ravine to Xingjiang. Yecheng is situated at the edge of the Taklamakan, a city with a pretty Bazaar inhabited by Uigur and Han Chinese.

Stay overnight in hotel.

Kashgar is about 250km from the Yecheng and is the largest oasis in the whole China. The road condition is very smooth with black tar road that runs through the edge of Taklamakan Desert. The scenery is very excellent with grey-black rocks and sand dunes composing the major features of the landscape of Taklamakan. The most interesting thing is that you should not miss the Sunday Market, one of the largest weekly markets of Asia, as you reach there on Sunday. Especially in the morning you can see the highway, crowded with full-load donkey trucks carrying vegetable, fruits vendors, children and women.

Stay overnight at Kashgar.

Explore the scenery of the Pamirs. Driving along Karakoram Highway, you can visit Comer Lake, Sand Mountain, Mt. Muztagh Ata, and Lake Karakul.

Stay overnight in Kashgar..

The highlights of today include the Id Kah Mosque, the Old Town and the Abakh Khoja Tomb.

Afterwards, take a flight from Kashgar to Urumqi. Upon arrival at Urumqi, you’ll be picked up by our tour guide, and then transfer to your hotel in Urumqi.

Stay overnight in Urumqi.

In the morning, you’ll visit the holy Heavenly Lake, one of the most famous alpine lakes in the world. Located in the middle of the Bogda Peak, the crescent-shaped lake is about 2,000 meters (6562 feet) above the sea level.

After the tour, you will transfer from Urumqi to Turpan.

Stay overnight in Turpan.

Today you will visit Suleiman Minaret, the Karez Wells, the Ruins of the Ancient City of Jiaohe, and local vineyard.

Afterwards, you will take an overnight train from Turpan to Liuyan (about 9 hours).

Stay overnight in the train.

When arriving at Liuyuan, you’ll be picked up by our tour guide, and then transfer to your hotel in Dunhuang City. (2 hours’ driving)

After a short rest, you’ll go out of Dunhuang to see Yumenguan Pass, The Great Wall of the Han Dynasty, and Desert Discovery at Yadan Landform Park.

Stay overnight in Dunhuang.

Transfer to visit Mogao Grottoes, which is considered as the great treasure house of Buddhist arts in existence. Afterwards, visit Crescent Spring and Singing Sand Dune, where you can see the desert scenery and ride the camel in the desert.

Then we will take a flight from Dunhuang to Xian. Upon arrival in Xian, you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Stay overnight in Xian.

The day tour in Xian is impressive too. The Emperor’s Terracotta Army is also one of the eight wonders in the world. These terracotta warriors and horses are the size of a real army, and were buried alongside the Emperor in a vast underground palace.

In the archeological site of Banpo Village, built more than 6,000 year ago, you will see how the resident matriarchal tribe used to survive in the Neolithic age.

Stay overnight in Xian.

In the morning, we will first pay a visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Shaanxi History Museum. As a landmark of Xi’an, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built for storing Buddhist sutras in AD 652, and is seven-layered with a height of 64.5 meters.

Located to the northwest of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi History Museum is China’s first large-scale national museum. There are more than 370,000 pieces of cultural relics collected in the museum, ranging from simple stone tools of ancient humans to various kinds of objects in social life before 1840.

After the tour, you will be transferred to the station to take the high speed train to Beijing. Upon arrival, your guide will meet you and take you to your hotel in downtown area.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Today is guided tour to Forbidden City and Summer Palace which are the traditional must-see places in Beijing. The Forbidden City is the best preserved imperial palace in China and the largest ancient palatial structure in the world. The splendid architecture of the Forbidden City represents the essence and culmination of traditional Chinese architectural accomplishment.

The Summer Palace is the largest royal garden in the world built in Qing Dynasty. The grandeur and beauty of the Palace is overwhelming and is sure to impress anyone.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

The Great Wall tour proves that China was one of the strongest countries in its history. Stretching thousands of kilometers, the Great Wall protected the ancient Chinese against the invasion of the enemy from its north side for more than 1000 years; the Great Wall was listed as one of the world's eight wonders. Mutianyu Great Wall, featured “graceful”, enjoy the best quality among all Wall sections, 80km north-east of Beijing with 22 ancient watchtowers, about one every kilometer. (Cable car is optional if you do not want to walk)

Then you will visit the Ming Tombs, the burial site of the emperor Zhuli, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty who ruled for 22 years until his death in 1424.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

In the morning, you will first visit the historic Temple of Heavens, which is the largest city square in the world and the spiritual heart of China, and then move on to the famous Hutongs, the traditional courtyard residence in narrows alleys in Beijing. It is a great place to know the folk culture and old quarters of Beijing city.

After that, the guide will transfer you to the airport and help you get on board. There are seven direct flights leaving daily from Beijing to Bangkok and the overall travel time is around 7 hours. Hope you have a nice trip home and look forward to traveling with you again! (The direct international flight from Beijing to Bangkok suggests to be booked by yourself.)