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Great Tibet Tour · Private Tour

13 Days Beijing Chengdu Tibet Train Tour

Beijing to Lhasa via Chengdu on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, 13 days

Illustration of 13 Days Beijing Chengdu Tibet Train Tour

Great Tibet Tour's 13-day private journey connects three of China's historic cities across rail, air, and coach. You begin in Beijing with visits to the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and the Great Wall at Mutianyu. Day 4 flies you to Chengdu, where you meet the giant pandas at the Breeding Research Base, see the immense Leshan Giant Buddha, and take a shuttle and cable car up Mount Emei to its 3,077-meter Golden Summit. The tour's centerpiece comes on Day 7: you board the evening Chengdu-Lhasa train at Chengdu West Railway Station and spend two full nights aboard the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, watching the landscape transform through Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghai provinces. You arrive in Lhasa on Day 9 at 3,650 meters, greeted with a white Hada scarf. Three days explore Lhasa's temples and monasteries, including Potala Palace and Drepung Monastery, plus an excursion to the sacred Namtso Lake. An English-speaking local guide leads the entire tour, and you select your accommodation class from guesthouses to five-star hotels.

What to know before you look closer

  • The tour includes a choice of accommodation class (five-star, four-star, three-star, or guesthouse); your final hotel will depend on which tier you select.
  • Meals are not included except breakfast and a welcome dinner; the operator estimates USD 5-15 per meal for other meals.
  • Gratuity for guide and driver is not mandatory but expected at approximately USD 8-15 per person per day.
  • Domestic flights or trains to and from Lhasa are not included and must be booked separately; the operator can arrange these at request.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Beijing

    Arrival in Beijing

    Pick up at Beijing Airport and transfer to the hotel in downtown Beijing. Rest of the day free.

  2. Day 2overnight: Beijing

    Beijing Sightseeing

    Visit the Forbidden City, then Tian'anmen Square, and take a rickshaw through the Hutongs of old Beijing.

  3. Day 3overnight: Beijing

    Beijing Sightseeing

    Morning exercises at the Temple of Heaven, then drive to the less-crowded Mutianyu section of the Great Wall.

  4. Day 4overnight: Chengdu

    Flight: Beijing - Chengdu

    Fly to Chengdu and transfer to the hotel. Evening culture show at a teahouse theatre (bowled tea, Sichuan opera, face changing, acrobatics).

  5. Day 5overnight: Emei

    Chengdu - Panda Base - Leshan - Emei, 205km, Approx. 3hrs

    Visit the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, then Leshan Giant Buddha (optional ferry ride ~USD 10/person), then continue to the foot of Mt. Emei.

  6. Day 6overnight: Chengdu

    Emei - Chengdu, 165km, Approx. 2.5hrs

    Shuttle bus and cable car to the Golden Summit of Mt. Emei (3,077m), then sightseeing bus down via Wannian Temple back to Chengdu.

  7. Day 7railovernight: on the train

    Chengdu Sightseeing

    Visit Wenshu Monastery and Kuan Zhai Lane, then board the evening Chengdu-Lhasa train at Chengdu West Railway Station.

  8. Day 8railovernight: on the train

    On the Train

    Full day aboard the train enjoying the Qinghai-Tibet Railway scenery through Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai and Tibet.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Lhasa

    Arrival in Lhasa by Train

    Met at Lhasa railway station with a Tashi Delek greeting and white Hada scarf, transfer to the hotel; rest to acclimatize to altitude (3,650m).

  10. Day 10overnight: Lhasa

    Lhasa Sightseeing

    Visit Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's summer palace, then Drepung Monastery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery.

  11. Day 11overnight: Lhasa

    Lhasa Sightseeing

    Visit Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and walk Barkhor Street.

  12. Day 12overnight: Lhasa

    Lhasa - Namtso - Lhasa, 440km, Approx. 6hrs

    Excursion to Namtso Lake, one of Tibet's three holiest lakes, passing Yampachen and Tsuphu Monastery.

  13. Day 13rail

    Departure from Lhasa

    Transfer to Lhasa Airport/Railway Station for onward travel.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 5Visit the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base and explore the 71-metre Leshan Giant Buddha.
  • Day 7Board the evening Chengdu-Lhasa train at Chengdu West Railway Station for a two-night journey on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
  • Day 9Arrive in Lhasa by train at 3,650m altitude; welcomed with a Tashi Delek greeting and white Hada scarf.
  • Day 12Day excursion to Namtso Lake, one of Tibet's three holiest lakes, passing Yampachen and Tsuphu Monastery.

Included

  • Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit and all other necessary permits to Tibet
  • All entrance ticket fees for tourist attractions listed in the itinerary
  • Experienced local English-speaking tour guide
  • Travel-licensed vehicle according to group size & season as needed by the itinerary including gas and parking fees
  • All lodging listed in the itinerary; it's your decision to choose the accommodation class: luxury 5-star international hotel, comfortable 4-star hotel, economical 3-star hotel, or guesthouse
  • Breakfasts provided by hotels & a welcome dinner
  • Pick-up & Drop-off service from the airport/railway station
  • Travel Agency Liability Insurance
  • Government tax
  • Express delivery fee of the Permit (eg. SF Express)
  • Food & lodging for guide & driver
  • Oxygen tank for emergency use
  • Two bottles of mineral water per person per day

Not included

  • International flights to and from China
  • Chinese Visa/China Group Visa (the operator can provide hotel/flight reservation copies or an invitation letter to support the visa application)
  • Domestic flights/trains to and from Lhasa (the operator can book these at the best price on request)
  • Meals (not included; typically USD 5-15/person per meal, operator can recommend options)
  • Gratuity for guide and driver (not mandatory but expected; suggested USD 8-15/person/day, given on the last day)
  • Commissions and taxes charged by PayPal or Bank, and government, when making a payment (e.g. PayPal 4.4%, wire transfer 2%)
  • Personal expenses, like laundry, phone calls, snacks, soft drinks, optional tour activities, etc. Anything not mentioned in the Inclusions

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included in the price?
The Chengdu-Lhasa train fare is included. However, domestic flights or trains to and from Lhasa must be booked separately.
Is this tour guided or independent?
This is a private guided tour with an experienced local English-speaking guide accompanying you throughout the 13 days.
Which train do we take?
The Chengdu-Lhasa Train, also known as the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, travels from Chengdu to Lhasa over two nights (Days 7-9).
What is included in the price?
The package includes Tibet permits, all attraction entrance fees, accommodation (you choose the class), breakfast and a welcome dinner, guide and driver, airport transfers, insurance, and emergency oxygen. Meals other than breakfast and welcome dinner, gratuity, visas, and domestic flights to Lhasa are not included.
What permits or visas do I need?
Great Tibet Tour includes the Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit. You must obtain a Chinese visa separately; the operator can provide documents to support your visa application.
How much walking is involved?
Days include city walking tours, cable car and shuttle bus rides on Mount Emei, and walking in Lhasa neighborhoods. The Namtso Lake excursion is a 440km round trip by coach from Lhasa.

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