Tibet: Traversing the Roof of the World

Itinerary

1. Day One

   Arrival in Xining

   • Arrive in Xining, China (2,200m). This Muslim majority city is the bridge between Eastern and Western China. As such, it is a melting pot of cultures and where we will start our train journey into the Tibetan Plateau.

   • In the early evening, we will take a tour of Dongguan Mosque and Xiaguan’Nan Street Market.

   • Overnight in Xining.

2. Day Two

   Golmud

   • After breakfast, we will make our way to Xining Train Station and around noon, we will catch our high-speed train from Xining to Golmud.

   • Evening arrival into Golmud (2,800m), a rarely visited city in China. This city mixes Muslim and Mongolian cultures and used to be a closed-off military city.

   • Overnight in Golmud.

3. Day Three

   Kunlun Mountain UNESCO GeoPark

   • Today we will have a day tour of the Kunlun Mountain UNESCO GeoPark. This mountain range is not only important for geographical reasons, but it is also considered to be the cradle of the world and where all Han Chinese people were created in Taoist cosmogony.

   • We will visit the Holy Spring and Wuji Longfeng (Phoenix Dragon) Palace. This is the highest Taoist palace in the world, standing at 3,800m.

   • After, we will then return to Golmud for dinner before heading to the train station to board our overnight sleeper train along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway line.

4. Day Four

   Qinghai-Tibet Railway to Lhasa

   • Spend the morning aboard the Qinghai-Tibet Railway traversing across the Tibetan Plateau. The highest point is 5,100m, and we will enjoy views of secluded peaks and sacred lakes.

   • Upon arrival in Lhasa (3,650m), we will be transferred to our hotel.

   • Evening at leisure to acclimatise and rest after the train ride.

   • Overnight in Lhasa.

5. Day Five

   Lhasa

   • After breakfast, we will start our immersion into Tibetan Culture by visiting an artisan centre in Lhasa Old Town, where we will have demonstrations of incense making, Tibetan calligraphy and an introduction into the different aspects of life in Tibet.

   • Then we will visit Sera Monastery after lunch. This monastery is one of the 3 main “University Monasteries” in Tibet, where we will be able to see young monks in their formative years.

   • Overnight in Lhasa.

6. Day Six

   Lhasa

   • This morning, we will visit the iconic Potala Palace, one of the highlights of the tour and featured in most Tibetan postcards.

   • After lunch, we will continue to Jokhang Temple, which is one of the most sacred places in Tibetan Buddhism and central to the history of Lhasa.

   • Overnight in Lhasa.

7. Day Seven

   Hiking Day

   • Today, we will make good use of our last 7 days of acclimatisation by having our first day hike in the tour.

   • After breakfast, we will drive to Pabonka Monastery and then take on a trail for 10kms, passing by secluded monasteries and nunneries while having panoramic views of Lhasa. This can take between 5 and 7 hours, depending on the pace of the group.

   • The trail goes up to approximately 4,200m and sometimes it is possible to see monks on pilgrimages between the monasteries.

   • Finally, we will descend upon Sera Monastery and have the rest of the evening at leisure.

   • Overnight in Lhasa.

8. Day Eight

   Shigatse

   • We will start to make our way towards Everest Base Camp today.

   • It will be a long day of driving from Lhasa to Shigatse, where we will stop at Kambala Pass, Yamdrok Lake and Karola Glacier on the way to Shigatse.

   • Overnight in Shigatse.

9. Day Nine

   Hike to Xiqin Hot Springs

   • As we go further into the Himalayas, we will pass towering peaks and snowy tops.

   • Today we will stretch our legs with another day hike from Lhatse to Xiqin Hot Springs. This hike takes rural roads and it lasts approximately 3 to 4 hours.

   • Upon arrival at Xiqin Hot Springs, we will have the opportunity to relax in them for a while.

   • Return to Lhatse, where we will overnight.

10. Day Ten

    Everest Base Camp

    • After breakfast, we will continue to Everest Base Camp. On the way, we will pass the entrance to Qomolangma National Park and Zhaxizong town.

    • After boarding the mandatory public buses from Zhaxizong town, we will reach Everest Base Camp, where we will spend the whole day exploring Rongbuk Monastery and wait for a good viewing window of the highest mountain on Earth.

    • Overnight at Everest Base Camp.

11. Day Eleven

    Nyalam

    • After a slow morning and last glimpses of Everest, we will continue to Nyalam town.

    • On the way, we will be able to get views of another 8000m peak – Shishapangma from Tong La Pass.

    • Before arriving in Nyalam, we will stop at the rarely visited Milarepa Cave.

    • Overnight at the border town of Nyalam.

12. Day Twelve

    Kathmandu

    • Today, we will say goodbye to Tibet and have an early departure to the border crossing port of Zhangmu.

    • Afterwards, we will meet our Nepalese drivers and get transferred to Kathmandu, stopping for lunch on the way.

    • Upon arrival in Kathmandu, we will have the evening at leisure and a goodbye dinner.

    • Overnight in Kathmandu.

13. Day Thirteen

    Tour Ends

    • Today, the tour ends. Transfer to the airport for your onward destination.