10 Days Panda & Qinghai Tibet Railway Tour

This tour will bring you to the lovely panda in Chengdu firstly and then fly to Xining by flight from Chengdu where you can explore the fascinating scenery in Xining. After that, take the train all the way to Lhasa and continue with your Tibet tour.

Day 1.
Chengdu Arrival

Accommodation: Overnight in Chengdu

Meals: None

Welcome to the hometown of Giant Panda! Upon arriving at the airport/train station, you will be met by your local tour guide, and then drive to your downtown hotel in Chengdu City. After the hotel check-in, you are free to take a rest or explore around on your own.
Optional Activity: go to enjoy an authentic Sichuan Cuisine dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2.
Chengdu

Accommodation: Overnight in Chengdu

Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Chengdu has three famous features – Giant Panda, History and Leisure Living Pace. Today, you will go to explore these tree features one by one. First is to visit the lovely Giant Pandas in Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which is the No. 1 thing to do in Chengdu. You will leave your hotel early and drive about 30 minutes to the panda base so that you can catch up on the great moments of pandas, such as feeding, playing, climbing the tree, etc. There are different enclosures for pages of different ages, such as all around to see baby pandas, 1-year-old pandas, teenage pandas, and older pandas. Beautiful walking paths will lead you to visit the enclosures from one to next. Enjoy the happy time with pandas.
The second place to visit is the sacred Wenshu Temple which is hidden peacefully among the modern mansions. This temple is the most popular Buddhist temple in Chengdu region. It has beautiful traditional ancient architecture. The atmosphere is calm and quiet, some people are praying. There is a little garden and the monastery is very colorful and decorated.
Lastly, you are going to explore the leisure living peace of locals at Renmin Park and Jinli Street. Renmin Park or People’s Park is the place for locals to go for a relaxing walk, meet friends, or have a cup of tea. While Jinli is the “street of tourists”. You can wander on the traditional old street to absorb the special atmosphere of Chengdu, taste local snacks, watching a performance, etc.

Optional Recommended Night Activity: watch a fascinating show of traditional Sichuan Opera & Face Changing Performance in a local theatre.

Day 3.
Flight to Xining from Chengdu

Accommodation: Overnight in Xining

Meals: Breakfast None

Today, you will visit the Dufu Thatched Cottage which is a museum in honor of Dufu (712 -770 AD), who was the greatest realist poet and has been famed as the Sage of Poetry. After lunch, your tour guide will escort you to the airport for your flight to Xining.

Day 4.
Xining

Accommodation: Overnight in Xining

Meals: Breakfast None

After breakfast, drive around 2.5 hours to the Qinghai Lake which is the best highlights of your Qinghai tour.Qinghai Lake is surrounded by high mountains from outside. And on the foot of mountains, it is endless beautiful grasslands. So you can enjoy the great views by walking, riding or biking. Qinghai Lake is the paradise for birds, which can amount to more than 10 thousand in the summer.
Cruise on the lake and visit the Bird Island in the lake. On route, you will also visit the Riyue Mountains (Sun and Moon Mountains) and the Ri Pagoda and Yue Pagoda which were built in Tang Dynasty to commemorate the intermarriage of marrying Princess Wencheng of Tang to Tubo. In nearby, you will also be amazed by the Daotang River which flows oppositely.

Day 5.
Train to Lhasa from Xining

Accommodation: On the train

Meals: Breakfast None

After breakfast, drive about 26km to visit the famous Taer Monastery. Taer Monastery is the birthplace of the Tibetan Buddhism master – Tsongkhapa who was the founder of Gelug(a sect of Buddhism). It is also famous as one of “Six Gelug Monasteries”. You must not miss the “three bests” of Taer Monastery – murals, barbola, and butter sculptures. Taer Monastery is also a very important institute to learn Buddhism, Astronomy, and Medicine. There are many Buddhist ceremonies organized here each year. Get back to Xining city for the train to Tibet. Enjoy the fantastic plateau views along this highest railway in the world.

Day 6.
Lhasa Arrival

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Meals: None

Witness the beautiful Tibetan Plateau with groups of nomads. See the Kekexili Nature Reserve which protects wild plants and animals as well as their natural habitat.
Once arrival at Lhasa, you will be picked up by the local tour guide at the train station, then be escorted to your hotel in Lhasa city in a private vehicle. After arrival at your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the local areas and acclimatize yourself to the air, temperature and high altitude of Lhasa.

Day 7.
Lhasa City Sightseeing – Potala Palace – Jokhang Temple – Barkhor Street

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Meals: Breakfast None

After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the incredible Potala Palace – the highest palace in the world. As we climb to the entrance gate, you will have a spectacular view over all of Lhasa. After exploring the numerous interesting chapels and learning about the traditional culture and history of the palace and the city, we will move on to the spiritually significant Jokhang Temple, one of the most important temples in Tibetan Buddhism. To see the “real” Lhasa, we’ll stroll through Barkhor Street with its thriving local market where you can pick up some local Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian handicrafts and souvenirs.
Tips for Visiting Potala Palace
1. The number of visitors to the palace is strictly limited to 2,300 per day. Visitors can only visit during the time specified on the admission ticket.
2. Admission tickets to visit the Potala Palace are sold out almost every day, so it is strongly recommended to book your tickets several days in advance.
3. There are many steps at the Potala Palace, so it’s best to take it slowly to avoid possible altitude discomfort.
4. Visitors should respect the rules while visiting. Do not wear hats, wear revealing clothes or step on thresholds as these actions violate local customs.
5. Photography and the taking of videos are forbidden inside the Potala Palace.
6. A security search will take place at the entrance to the palace. Explosives, flammables, knives, lighters and even water bottles are not allowed inside the Potala Palace.

Day 8.
Lhasa -Norbulingka Palace, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Meals: Breakfast None

After breakfast, you will firstly go to visit the beautiful Norbulingka which used to be the former summer palace of Dalai Lamas in the ancient time and now is a public park. It is famous for its Potrang, the private palaces of former Dalai lamas with grandiose Tibetan architecture style. Next, drive several kilometers to the western outskirts of Lhasa to visit Drepung Monastery. Drepung, in Tibetan, means “prosperity”. Since its establishment, Drepung Monastery has always been one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. In its heyday, there were more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery. Throughout its history, many important and famous Tibetan leaders used to study here, especially the Dalai Lamas. So Drepung Monastery is also respectfully known as the “Mother School of Dalai Lamas”.
In the afternoon, you will be taken to another famous monastery in Lhasa – Sera Monastery. It is famous for the spectacular “Buddhism Debating”. As a daily routine, the monks gather in a courtyard and debate on the Buddhist doctrines with supplemented gestures, which is thought to be helpful to facilitate better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. After enjoying the “Buddhism Debating”, you will be transferred back to the city. The rest time is your own free time to rest.

Day 9.
Lhasa – Namtso – Lhasa

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Meals: Breakfast None

Want to explore some other features of Tibet instead of the monasteries? Let’s take an exciting trip to the holy lake Namtso which is about 5 hours driving from Lhasa City. You will arrive at Namtso Lake around the early afternoon. Take some rest and throw yourself into the incredible landscape of the holy lake.
Namtso Lake is the highest saltwater lake in the world with an altitude of 4718 meters, also the second largest saltwater lake in China (after the Qinghai Lake). It’s quite common for tourists who are awestruck at the Namtso at first sight. With the snowy mountains in the background, the crystal-clear dazzling blue water, Namtso is stretching to the horizon. In clear days, the lake looks like a beautiful turquoise surrounded by magnificent snow-capped Tanggula Mountains, and the lakeshore is green, wide and open, dotted with tents, yaks, and sheep of local nomads. For travelers, Namtso is the ideal place for photography, while for Tibetans, it is a scared and magical lake for pilgrimage.

Day 10.
Lhasa Departure

Accommodation: None

Meals: Breakfast None

Today is free for you until your tour guide transfers you to the airport in time for your flight or drop you off at Lhasa train station.

Price Guide

Price Exclude:

All necessary Tibet Travel Permit. (Including Tibet Entry Permit, Alien Travel Permit, Boarder Pass)
Private professional English-Speaking local tour guide
Licensed Vehicle with an experienced driver
Airport (or train）pick up and drop off
Accommodation listed in the itinerary
Breakfast provided by the hotel
Tourists Accident/Casualty Insurance
A container of Oxygen for emergency use
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Lodging and meal allowance to the guide & driver
Reservation fee for visiting Potala Palace
2 bottles of drinking water per person per day
One Welcome dinner in Lhasa

Price Exclude:

Meals not specified in the itinerary (All lunches & dinners)
All Entrance tickets to the sightseeing places
Flight/Trian tickets in and out of Tibet
Personal expenses such as laundry, drink, fax, telephone call, optional tour activities, etc.
Any losses incurred from the force majeure factor like government control, natural disaster etc.
Tips to the guide & driver ( Tips is not required but expected)
Single room supplement

Booking Instructions

1.Reservations

1) Send your request through our website form or send us an email at inquiry@tibettravel.com. With each inquiry, please include the following information:

a. Your desired destinations;

b. Departure date

c. Length of your trip

d. Your name, email address and country of citizenship.

We will confirm your inquiry with a reply within 24 hours.

2) You can call us directly at our service center at +86-28-85012991 (landline) or +86-18889089998 (mobile)

3) You can come to our office in Chengdu in person to make a reservation

We highly recommend that you reserve your tour at least 30-50 days before the actual travel date. We will send you a letter of confirmation

via email once you have confirmed your booking with us, informing you of your proposed flights, hotels and your trip details.

2. Payment Methods

We can confirm your tour reservation with a payment of 30% of the total tour cost plus 100% of the cost of any flights or train tickets required for your tour. You can then pay the balance due for your tour to our local staff after your arrival in Lhasa.

3. Luggage Allowances

The regulations of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China states that the free baggage allowance within China is 20kg (44 pounds) for economy class flights, 30kg (66 pounds) for business class flights, and 40kg (88 pounds) for first-class flights, plus limited carry-on luggage. Excess baggage charges are the sole responsibility of the traveler. Regulations within China specify that all suitcases must have a locking device attached. Failure to follow this regulation may result in refusal by airport staff to load suitcases onto the aircraft.

4. Itinerary changes and cancellations

We make every effort to operate tours as listed on our website, however, we reserve the right to modify the itinerary or substitute the activities, hotels, meals or transportation as we deem necessary. We also have the right to cancel a trip at any time prior to its commencement for every reason, like unforeseen circumstances, or circumstances beyond our control. In these cases, we will re-book you on a different day. However, if we are unable to rebook you, we will issue a full field claim.

5. Meals

All of our tours include a daily breakfast. Lunch and dinner is not included as we prefer to give the freedom to our clients to try the local food by themselves. Meals are usually served at the hotel. Dinner may also be served at a local restaurant. Although we cannot guarantee special meal requests, we will do our best to provide you with specialized dietary needs for meals as well as your special needs for hotel rooms such as adjacent or connecting rooms, bed sizes, etc.

CONTACT

Adds: Global Center W1-1234, #1700 North Tianfu Avenue, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Tel:+00-86-136-884-676-80
Email: service@challengers.vip
Skype: stevenshi