12 Days Yunnan Xining and Lhasa EBC Tour

Upon arrival in Kunming, you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the time is free for you to have a good rest and prepare for your trip.

Stay overnight in Kunming

In the morning, drive 86 km to the Stone Forest. There is a local saying: 'It is a waste of time not to visit the Stone Forest while visiting Kunming'. The quintessential karst landscape makes every tourist lost in wonder. After lunch, drive back to Kunming and visit the Golden Temple. And then, take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of teahouses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. After, visit the Flower and Bird Market in the downtown.

Stay overnight in Kunming

• Golden Temple
• Stone Forest

Take the morning flight from Kunming to Xining. Upon your arrival in Xining, the guide will transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the time is at leisure. You can have a good rest or walk around in the city.

Stay overnight in Xining

In the early morning, drive about 2.5 hours from Xining to Qinghai Lake, China's largest inland salt water lake. The ellipse-shaped lake looks like a huge poplar leaf sitting on the alpine prairie. Scenery in Qinghai lake varies according to seasons. Summer and autumn have the most comfortable weather conditions and the lake's scenery is most beautiful during these seasons. The most charming and attractive place in Qinghai Lake is the Bird Island. It situates on the western shore of the Lake. Cruising for about 30 minutes is a popular way to appreciate the lake. On the way to this charming lake, you can get a view of Riyue mountain.

In the afternoon, drive back to Xining. Then, transfer to railway station for your overnight train to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in the train

• Qinghai Lake
• The most charming and attractive place in Qinghai Lake is the Bird Island

Today, you will enjoy the most beautiful scenery of Qinghai-Tibet Railway, spectacular land of snows, boundless desert, vast grassland, and grand snow-capped mountains, beautiful lakes that will continually appear and strongly attract your heart. You will arrive in Lhasa at about 12:00. Your tour guide will hold a welcome sign with your name on it to greet you at the exit of the train station and escort you from the train station to your reserved hotel in Lhasa. The rest of the day is for you to get acclimatized to the altitude of Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Qinghai-Tibet Railway
• Qinghai-Tibet Railway

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, in order to promote the Buddhist religion. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve, perhaps the only most venerated object in Tibetan Buddhism. Around the temple is Barkhor street where you can do kora (a religious circle of a building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals, in the meantime you can buy souvenirs.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Amazing Potala Palace at twilight
• Holy Jokhang Temple

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. Ganden palace used to be Dalai lama’s palace in the Drepung before he moved to the Potala palace.

In the Afternoon, Tourists will visit Sera Monastery which is another one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. The hot attraction is the Monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Monks chat happily before the assembly hall of Drepung monastery.
• Dramatic monk debate in Sera Monastery

Today, we have to drive from Lhasa to Gyantse. On the way, the group will pass over the Gampala pass (4790 m),and tourists will have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso (4400m) .The Lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountain and in the distance you have spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar, (7191m) the highest mountain near Lhasa .

We head westward along the lake and drive towards Gyantse. Gyantse was historically Tibet's third largest city (after Lhasa and Shigatse). In Gyantse, we will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum.

After one and a half hour's driving, we arrive in Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, we’ll visit Tashilunpo Monastery, the seat of Tibet's second highest incarnation, the Panchen Lama. (notice: Lhasa to shigatse drive: 8-9 hours via Gyantse city; or 6 hours via 318 National Highway Lhasa to Shigate train: Z8801, 02:55 duration )

Stay Overnight in Shigatse

• The view of Shigatse city with Tashilhunpo Monastery at the background.
• Enjoy the stunning view of turquoise Yamdrok Lake

We’ll leave Shigatse after getting your Alien’s travel permit, and then drive to Lhatse. It is a small town where you can take lunch.

After that, you will drive to Shegar and if the weather is clear enough then on the way down to shegar you will view the Mt, Everest in the distance.

After 4 to 6 hours then you will arrive at Rongbuk monastery but on the way, you will pass one of the highest passes in Tibet (pang la pass height 5050m) from that’s pass you will view the whole five highest peaks in the world.

Stay overnight at tent or Rongbuk monastery guest house.

• Rongphu monastery
• Scene of Everest Base Camp

In the morning, you can see the sunrise appearing on the top of Mt Everest, and have a full view the magnificent Mt. Everest standing like a snow-capped pyramid in front of you at Rongpuk, which is the vantage point for watching Mt. Everest. After that, tourists can tour Rongphu Monastery which is the highest monastery in the world (5000m) and belongs to Nyingma sect.

After that drive back to Shigatse stay overnight in Shigatse.

• A lovely snapshot with Everest North Face on Tibetan side
• If the weather is good, you can shoot the magnificent Mt. Everest.

Today, we will drive back to Lhasa on the friendship Highway. The whole distance is almost 280km and it takes 6 hours along the Yarlung Tsangpo River / Bhamaputra River (the Longest and largest river in Tibet).

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Travel overland to Kathmandu via Friendship Highway
• Appreciate the stunning scenery of Yarlung Tsangpo River en route

The guide will transfer you to the airport or train station and help you get on board.