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Tibet Travel (Tibet Vista) · Private escorted tour

12 Days Chengdu Lhasa Namtso Everest Base Camp Tour by Tibet Train

Chengdu to Lhasa via Qinghai-Tibet Railway, then Everest Base Camp

Illustration of 12 Days Chengdu Lhasa Namtso Everest Base Camp Tour by Tibet Train

Tibet Travel operates a 12-day private escorted tour from Chengdu to Lhasa and Everest Base Camp, running year-round. The journey begins with a visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding on Day 2, followed by a 36-hour sleeper journey on the Chengdu-Lhasa train (Z322) across the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, where the line climbs to over 5,000 metres and crosses the high Tibetan Plateau. Days 4 to 6 in Lhasa include Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery (once home to over 10,000 monks), and Sera Monastery, where you may watch Tibetan monks debate. Day 7 drives north to Namtso Lake, one of Tibet's three holy lakes, with a trek around Tashi Dor Island. The tour then heads south through Tsurphu Monastery to Everest Base Camp, where you overnight at 5,200 metres beneath Mount Everest. You return via Shigatse and its Tashilhunpo Monastery before flying or taking a train home from Lhasa. Tibet Travel supplies a personal English-speaking Tibetan guide, 4WD vehicle, all permits, meals listed in the itinerary, and accommodation in a choice of four classes from luxury to budget. The activity level is rated easy, though the high altitude requires acclimatization.

What to know before you look closer

  • The tour reaches 5,200 metres elevation at Everest Base Camp; the itinerary includes two nights in Lhasa (Days 4-6) for acclimatization, but altitude sickness is possible.
  • Accommodation class (luxury 5-star, standard 4-star, economic 3-star, or budget guesthouse) is your choice; final hotel depends on the tier selected.
  • Meals not listed in the itinerary are not included and cost approximately USD 3 to 15 per meal in Tibet.
  • The tour requires a Tibet travel permit; Tibet Travel provides the permit as part of the package.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Chengdu

    Arrive in Chengdu

    Airport transfer to the hotel in Chengdu (own arrangement if no pickup booked); free time.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Train

    Visit Chengdu Panda Base and board the Train to Tibet

    Visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, free afternoon, then board the Chengdu-Lhasa train (Z322) in the evening at Chengdu West Railway Station.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Train

    Enjoy the Qinghai Tibet Train Journey

    Train passes through Lanzhou and Xining, the start of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, en route across the Tibetan Plateau.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Lhasa

    Arrival in Lhasa

    Met at Lhasa Railway Station by the local guide and transferred to the hotel; rest to acclimatize to the altitude.

  5. Day 5overnight: Lhasa

    Lhasa Tour: Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery

    Drepung Monastery, once home to over 10,000 monks, in the morning; Sera Monastery and the Tibetan monk debate in the afternoon.

  6. Day 6overnight: Lhasa

    Lhasa Tour: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street

    Potala Palace and Longwangtan Park; Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street kora and a Tibetan tea house in the afternoon.

  7. Day 7overnight: Damxung

    Lhasa - Namtso Lake - Damxung

    Drive north through Damxung and over Lagenla Pass to Namtso Lake, one of Tibet's three holy lakes, with a trek around Tashi Dor Island before returning to Damxung.

  8. Day 8overnight: Shigatse

    Damxung to Shigatse via Chimelong Nunnery and Tsurphu Monastery

    Visit Chimelong Nunnery, then Tsurphu Monastery, the oldest monastery in Tibet and seat of the Karmapa, before continuing to Shigatse.

  9. Day 9overnight: Everest Base Camp (tent, or nearby village in winter)

    Shigatse to Everest Base Camp (5,200m)

    Drive via Gyatsola Pass and Gawula Pass to the Everest Base Camp zigzag road, with an overnight beneath Mount Everest.

  10. Day 10overnight: Shigatse

    EBC to Sakya via Dinggye and return to Shigatse

    Visit Rongbuk Monastery, return via the Dinggye Xilin Viewpoint and Sakya's Saga Ancient Town, with a Tibetan song-and-dance dinner in Shigatse.

  11. Day 11overnight: Lhasa

    Shigatse to Lhasa via Nyemo

    Visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, seat of the Panchen Lama, then drive back to Lhasa along the Yarlung Tsangpo River; free time on Barkhor Street.

  12. Day 12railovernight: Tour ends

    Depart from Lhasa

    Transfer to the airport or Lhasa Railway Station for departure.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, then board the Z322 Chengdu-Lhasa train at Chengdu West Railway Station in the evening.
  • Day 3The Qinghai-Tibet Railway passes through Lanzhou and Xining, crossing the high Tibetan Plateau.
  • Day 5Witness the Tibetan monk debate at Sera Monastery in the afternoon, after visiting Drepung Monastery in the morning.
  • Day 7Drive over Lagenla Pass to Namtso Lake, one of Tibet's three holy lakes, and trek around Tashi Dor Island.
  • Day 9Overnight at Everest Base Camp at 5,200 metres elevation beneath Mount Everest.

Included

  • Tibet travel permit and all other necessary permits to Tibet
  • All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary
  • Personal knowledgeable English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide
  • Personal comfortable, clean and safe vehicle with reliable Tibetan local driver (4WD land cruiser to minibus depending on group size)
  • All lodging listed in the itinerary (traveller chooses accommodation class: luxury 5-star, standard 4-star, economic 3-star, or budget guesthouse/tent)
  • Domestic flight/train tickets listed in the itinerary
  • All meals listed in the itinerary
  • Tourist accident/casualty insurance
  • First aid kit

Not included

  • International flight to and from China
  • Chinese visa (application support available on request)
  • Domestic flight/train not listed in the itinerary
  • Meals not specified in the itinerary (approx. USD 3-15 per meal in Tibet)
  • Tips and gratuities for guide and driver
  • Personal expenses (laundry, phone calls, snacks, drinks, optional activities, etc.)

Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel included?
Yes. Tibet Travel includes the Chengdu-Lhasa train ticket (Z322, soft or hard sleeper class) on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in the tour price.
Is this an escorted tour or independent?
It is a private escorted tour. Tibet Travel assigns a personal English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide and Tibetan driver with a 4WD vehicle throughout the 12 days.
What accommodation options are available?
You choose your accommodation class: luxury 5-star, standard 4-star, economic 3-star, or budget guesthouse or tent. Day 9 you overnight at Everest Base Camp in a tent or nearby village in winter.
What is included in the price?
Tibet Travel includes the Tibet travel permit and all necessary permits, all entrance fees, the English-speaking guide, 4WD vehicle, lodging in your chosen class, the train ticket, all meals listed in the itinerary, tourist accident and casualty insurance, and a first aid kit.
When does this tour run?
The tour departs 365 days a year; you can customize your departure date.
How much physical activity is involved?
The activity level is easy and suitable for all fitness levels, families with children, and senior groups. However, you will overnight at 5,200 metres elevation at Everest Base Camp, and the itinerary includes a trek around Tashi Dor Island at Namtso Lake.

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