9-Day Everest Base Camp Train Tour from Xining

Day 1: Arrive in Xining.

Take your flight from Beijing and arrive at Xining Airport. Overnight in Xining (2261m)

Day 2: Xining– Lhasa

After breakfast drive to Qinghai Lake. En route, you will pass Riyue Mountain, where the Boundary Monument stands between the Tang Empire and Tibet. As China's largest inland and saltwater lake, Qinghai Lake has become a popular tourist destination for biking, birdwatching and enjoying the spectacular mountain scenery, as well as for experiencing the cultural mix of Tibetan, Mongolian and Muslim people. Return to Xining and take the train to Lhasa. The entire journey takes 24 hours. Overnight on the train.

Day 3: Arrive in Lhasa

Take in the fascinating landscape of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. You will arrive in Lhasa this evening. Transfer to the hotel and acclimatize to the high altitude. Overnight in Lhasa (3650m)

Day 4: Lhasa Highlights

The first day of sightseeing starts with Lhasa’s most famous landmark, the Potala Palace. This towering structure is a national icon and takes hours to fully explore on foot. Some 2 km to the east of the Potala is Jokhang Monastery, the most revered religious structure in Tibet. Bustling with worshippers, a tour of the monastery is a truly memorable experience. The quadrangle of streets surrounding the monastery is known as the Barkhor, and is considered both the spiritual heart of Lhasa and the main commercial district for Tibetans. Overnight in Lhasa (3650m)

Day 5: Lhasa Park and Monastery

In the morning, we will visit Norbulingka Park which is the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas, is the largest man-made garden in Tibet with a combination of Tibetan and Han architectural styles. And in the afternoon, we will visit influential Gelugpa Monastery-Sera Monastery, where the largest scale of scripture debating among monks is famous all across Tibet. We will watch the debate session and you may join in too with the help of your guide. Overnight in Lhasa (3650m)

Day 6: Lhasa-Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Gyantse-

Shigatse. (380km, about 7hours’ driving) Yamdrok Tso (4441m), one of Tibet’s three holy lakes, is located 110km outside of Lhasa. In the fresh morning air, you set off on your journey to the lake. The road is mostly mountainous, winding and bumpy, and somewhat thrilling. After about 3 1/2 hours’ driving, climbing over the snow pass of Kambala(5030m). The dazzling turquoise waters of Yamdrok Lake appear hundreds of meters below the mountain pass, and in clear weather is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. Far in the distance is the huge massif of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang(7191m). After descending from the mountain, there’s about 30km road along lakeside, with barley fields on the other side of the road. A nice walk by the lakeside can be a great joy. Leaving Yamdroktso is as spectacular as arriving, since you’ll cross the 5045m Karola, with its awesome roadside views of the Nojin Kangtsang Glacier. With the Glacier scene still exciting you, after about 90km, you get to Gyantse Kumbum. There stands the 35m-high famous Kumbum, packed with exquisite Tibetan sculpture and paintings, a stunning architectural wonder in Tibet. Overnight in Shigatse (3847m)

Day 7: Shigatse – EBC

(340km, about 5.5hours' driving) In the early morning, you depart from Shigatse and drive west along the Everest Special Highway, passing through Tingri County and Gyirong Town, with the endless grasslands and snow-capped mountains of southern Tibet along the way. You will cross the Kala Pass (5248m), the best viewing point of Everest, where you can enjoy the panoramic view of four 8000-meter-class snow-capped mountains including Mount Everest, Lhotse and Makalu. After a simple lunch at the service station near the pass, you continue to the Everest Base Camp (EBC, 5200m), the closest point for tourists to approach Mount Everest. Arrive in the afternoon, you can take the scenic battery car to the Everest monument (8848.86m), take photos with the snow- capped peak of Mount Everest, and watch the spectacular sunset over the snow mountain if the weather is clear. Overnight in EBC (5200m)

Day 8: EBC –Shigatse

(340km, about 5.5hours’ driving) In the afternoon, you will be back in Shigatse then visit Tashilhunpo Monastery which is the seat of Panchen Lama, the equally important religious figure in Tibet as Dalai Lama. The monastery was built by the first Dalai Lama in 1447, and inside the Monastery placed the highest statue of Buddha in Tibet which is 26.8 meters high. Overnight in Lhasa (3650m)

Day 9: Departure

After breakfast, the guide will take you to the airport from Shigatse. Tour ends.