Tibet Train Tour

Day 01 Arrive Beijing 

Arrive in Beijing. Upon your arrival, you will be met by your English speaking guide displaying your name. Transfer with guide to your first-class Beijing Holiday Inn Downtown Hotel. in Beijing where you will stay for 4 nights.

Day 02 Beijing (B, L)

Morning program takes you to Tian An Men Square and the Forbidden City, the residence of emperors for more than 500 years. Enjoy the famous cuisine at carefully-selected restaurant. Afternoon sightseeing features the Temple of Heaven, where emperors once prayed for good harvests.

Day 03 Beijing (B, L)

After breakfast, your full day tour to the Great Wall, undoubtedly one of the greatest wonders in the world, and the Ming Tombs, the resting place for 13 of the 16 Ming Emperors. You will have Sichuan food at a local popular restaurant.

Day 04 Beijing (B, L)

After breakfast, drive to visit the Summer Palace, a summer resort for Empress Dowager Ci Xi. Then you will visit the Gongwangfu Garden, the largest private mansion house in the Qing Dynasty. After that, you will explore the 'Hutong'(residential area) in a pedicab or rickshaw and have a glimpse of traditional Beijing life. Today you will enjoy one of the famous cuisines in China, Huaiyang cuisine for lunch.

Day 05 Beijing / Xian  (B, L)

Fly to Xian in the morning. Check into the first-class Aurum International Hotel. After a typical Chinese cuisine lunch, you will visit the majestic Wild Goose Pagoda and the Ancient City Wall. Then visit the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, a massive modern museum up to the national standard, which is located in the south outskirt of Xi'an city.

Day 06 Xian (B, L)

Full day tour to the Terracotta Warriors Museum and the Banpo Neolithic Village, an archaeological museum preserved on site. Lunch is arranged local popular restaurant.

Day 07 Xian / Xining  (B, L)

You are free in the morning. After enjoying the a la carte lunch at a local famous restaurant, then transfer to Xian airport in the afternoon for your flight to Xining. Meet and transfer to the four-star Qinghai Hotel.

Day 08 Xining / Lhasa (train) (B, L)

Today we have a full day tour to Kumbum Monastery (Ta'er Si) of Gelukpa-sect, which was built in 1560 in Huangzhong county and also one of the six grand monasteries in Tibet. Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Lamaistic "Yellow Hat Sect", was born here. In the afternoon drive back to Xining. After dinner, you will board the over night train for your journey to Lhasa. The Cabins are pressurized and double glazed for the comfort of the passengers as it ascends into the high altitude of Tibet.

Day 09 Lhasa 

Today you traverse the highest train pass in the world at over 5000m. Enjoy the scenery of jagged mountain peaks caped in ice and the permanently frozen Tibetan Plateau. Arriving late in Lhasa you are transported to your first-class Tibet Hotel.

Day 10 Lhasa (B, L)

After breakfast you will take a guided tour to the immense Potala Palace built in the 7th century by the famous Tibetan king-Songtzen Gampo. The present one was built by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. It became known as the "Winter Palace" by the 1750, when the 7th Dalai Lama built the Norbulingka Park as his summer residence. After having a western-style lunch, you will visit Jokhang Temple, situated in the old section of Lhasa. King Songtzen Gampo built this temple in the mid-7th century A.D. Now it is the most sacred place in Tibet. Pilgrims come here to pay homage from all over Tibet. In the late afternoon, you will have a chance to stroll on Barkhor Street to mingle in the crowds and enjoy the market activity.

Day 11 Lhasa (B, L)

Full day sightseeing takes you to Drepung Monastery. "Drepung" in Tibetan means "the hill of rice" because this white Monastery looks like a big hill of rice. This monastery occupies an area of 150,000 square meters with 7700 lamas and becomes the largest monastery in Asia. After enjoying a local Tibet-style lunch, you will visit Norbulingka Park. In 1752, the 7th Dalai Lama built the first palace here for successive Dalai Lamas to carry out their political and religious activities during the summer season. Today Norbulingka has become a public park for picnicking, relaxing and entertainment. Continue to visit Sera Monastery. Sera means 'Hailstone' in Tibetan, and legend tells that it hailed during the foundation of this famous monastery.

Day 12 Lhasa / Chengdu  (B, L)

After breakfast you are transferred to the airport for the flight to Chengdu -- Home of the Giant Panda. A sumptuous hot pot lunch will be served for you at the local popular restaurant. The rest of the day is yours to relax after your Tibetan experience. Check into the first-class Jinyu Sunshine Hotel.

Day 13 Chengdu / Shanghai (B, L)

Full day tour takes you to visit the Dufu Cottage, the former residence of the most famous poet in ancient China. A hot pot lunch will be served for you at the local restaurant. Then you will visit the Panda Center, one of the most important centers in China for the captive conservation of giant pandas. In the afternoon, you will fly to Shanghai - China's city for the future. Check into the first-class Shanghai Hotel.

Day 14 Shanghai  (B, L)

After Breakfast, start your full day tour of Shanghai. You will visit the Bund, Shanghai Museum, fabulous Yu Yuan Garden and the Bazaar. Lunch will be arranged for you at a local best Shanghai cuisine restaurant.

Day 15 Shanghai (B. L)

The whole day tour will bring you to visit the beautiful water town, Zhujiajiao village. Today you will enjoy the typical local food for lunch. Return back to Shanghai in the late afternoon.

Day 16 Depart Shanghai (B)

This morning is free to explore the streets of Shanghai as you wish. In the afternoon you are transferred to the airport for the overnight flight on Air China back to homeward where your wonderful tour comes to an end.