[Depart from Beijing - Qinghai-Tibet Train] 9-Day 8-Night Train Journey from Beijing to Lhasa, Tibet

Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China. Our guide will meet you at the exit of the airport/train station and transfer you to a hotel in downtown Beijing for check-in and rest. After that, you are free to arrange your time—you may rest at the hotel to recover from jet lag or explore the surrounding area. Suggested ways to arrive 1. By plane: Beijing has two airports, Beijing Daxing International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport. Both airports have numerous international and domestic routes. You can fly to Beijing from countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Cambodia, as well as from most cities in China, such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, and Wuhan. 2. By train: Beijing has an extremely developed rail transit system. You can take a high-speed train to Beijing from cities such as Xi'an, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, and Harbin.

After breakfast, you will visit the world-famous Tian'anmen Square. 【Tian'anmen Square】is located on Beijing's central axis and is the largest city-center square in the world. It holds an important place in Chinese history and has witnessed countless major historical events. Here you can view the majestic Tian'anmen Gate Tower and learn about China's long-standing culture. Afterward, cross the square to visit the Palace Museum. 【The Forbidden City】, also known as the Purple Forbidden City, is located at the center of Beijing's central axis. It was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties and is the world's largest and best-preserved complex of wooden palace architecture. Here you can visit the important halls along the central axis in sequence, admiring the splendid and exquisite ancient palace architecture while following the guide's explanations to learn more about the historical stories of the Forbidden City. Afterward, you can also go to nearby Jingshan Park (about a 15-minute walk) to overlook the panoramic view of the Forbidden City and the magnificent scenery of Beijing. In the afternoon, you will take a car to visit the famous royal garden, the Summer Palace. 【The Summer Palace】is the largest and best-preserved existing imperial garden in China and one of China's four great gardens. It is known as the Museum of Royal Gardens, with beautiful scenery, and its pavilions, towers, lakes, bridges, and other views are breathtaking.

After breakfast, you will take a car 73 kilometers (about 1.5–2 hours) to visit the Mutianyu Great Wall, part of the Great Wall of China, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. 【Mutianyu Great Wall】is the longest and best-restored section of the Great Wall in China and enjoys the reputation of being "the most outstanding section of the Great Wall." You can first take the cable car to Watchtower No. 14, then hike westward while enjoying the magnificent surrounding mountains and the winding, majestic Great Wall scenery, and finally reach the highest point at Watchtower No. 20 to complete your Great Wall journey. After visiting the Great Wall, return to downtown Beijing. On the way, view the exterior of the Bird's Nest (Beijing National Stadium) and the Water Cube (Beijing National Aquatics Center) and take photos with them. Then return to the hotel and have a good rest.

This morning, you will visit the Temple of Heaven. 【The Temple of Heaven】, originally named the Temple of Heaven and Earth, was the place where ancient emperors worshipped heaven, prayed for good harvests, and prayed for rain. It is also the largest existing ancient sacrificial architectural complex in China, famous for its unique and magnificent architecture and long, fascinating culture. Here you can learn about ancient sacrificial rituals and visit buildings such as the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Echo Wall, and the Three Echo Stones. Afterward, if time permits, you can also walk into Beijing's hutongs to experience the local lifestyle, and take a rickshaw through the narrow alleys to experience the old Beijing way of life. In the late afternoon, our guide will take you to Beijing West Railway Station to board the Z21 Qinghai-Tibet train departing Beijing at 19:55 for Lhasa, Tibet. The train passes through 8 provinces and takes about 40 hours, arriving at Lhasa Railway Station at 12:29 on the third day.

When the first rays of morning sunlight fall through the train's spacious, bright windows onto the white beds inside, the train arrives in Zhongwei City on the Loess Plateau. You can enjoy the views of the Gobi, deserts, the Yellow River, and canyons passing by outside the window. Around the afternoon, the train reaches Xining, and the scenery outside the window changes to vast grasslands, lakes, wetlands, and snow-capped mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Xining Station is the starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. All trains heading to Tibet will switch here to oxygen-equipped trains. The train stops at this station for 25 minutes. You can get off to breathe some fresh air or clean the stains on the windows to make later sightseeing more convenient. Shortly after departing from Xining Station, the train will pass the beautiful Qinghai Lake. Especially from mid-June to the end of August each year, rapeseed flowers bloom along the lakeshore, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful scene of golden flower fields interwoven with the deep blue lake. (PS: The lake is on the left side of the train; it is recommended to pay attention to the left window.) After that, you can fully enjoy the magnificent and vast plateau scenery, and you may also have friendly exchanges with fellow travelers or local Tibetans on the train. Tonight, you will continue to stay on the train.

After traveling overnight, today the train will cross the Tanggula Pass at an altitude of 5,072 meters, the highest point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Although the train will provide diffuse oxygen supply, some passengers may still experience mild discomfort. You can use the individual oxygen outlets on the train to inhale oxygen for relief. Although the high altitude is challenging, the scenery along the way is magnificent. Through the window, you can see the spectacular Tanggula Mountains, broad deep-blue plateau lakes, and cattle and sheep grazing leisurely on the grasslands. Near noon, the train arrives at Lhasa Railway Station. Our driver will meet you at the exit of the train station and transfer you to a hotel in Lhasa for check-in and rest. For the remaining time, you can rest well at the hotel and let your body gradually adapt to the plateau environment. Warm tips 1. On the day of arrival in Lhasa, do not do strenuous exercise, do not take a shower, and do not drink alcohol. Rest more, drink water, eat fruit, and avoid overeating. You may bring American ginseng lozenges or health supplements such as rhodiola and Gao Yuan An to relieve altitude sickness. 2. Follow the guide's arrangements and try not to go out for activities. Maintaining a calm mindset and getting sufficient rest is the best way to prevent altitude sickness. 3. If you feel unwell, promptly seek help from the guide or hotel staff and go to the hospital for treatment.

After breakfast, go to visit the Jokhang Temple, the holy site in the hearts of Tibetan Buddhist believers. 【Jokhang Temple】was first built in 647 AD and has a history of 1,350 years. It is the most splendid surviving Tubo-period building in Tibet, with 5 golden roofs and 108 Buddhist halls. Here you can see the world's rare life-size statue of Shakyamuni at age 12 and devout pilgrims worshipping in front of the Jokhang Temple. In the afternoon, take a car about 30 kilometers (50 minutes' drive) to visit Sera Monastery, one of the three great monasteries of Lhasa. 【Sera Monastery】is also one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery is solemn and sacred. At Sera Monastery, you can watch the famous Buddhist debate activity. The debate usually starts at 15:00 (except Sundays). During the debate, the monks in the courtyard engage in intense discussions, and you can truly feel the faith and power of Tibetan Buddhism. Finally, return to downtown Lhasa and visit 【Barkhor Street】. This is not only the route for local kora rituals but also a very lively ancient commercial street. Here you can unexpectedly encounter locals wearing Tibetan robes and devout pilgrims, stroll through the alleys to browse handicraft shops, or find a sweet tea house and learn from Tibetan friends their tranquility and contentment.

After breakfast, head to visit the world's highest ancient palace-castle complex — the Potala Palace. [Potala Palace] is located on Maburi Hill in the northwest of Lhasa's urban area. It is a magnificent structure combining palace, castle, and monastery, and is also the largest and most complete ancient palace-castle complex in Tibet. Built against the mountain, the palace has 13 stories, stands 117.19 meters tall, and stretches over 400 meters from east to west. You will climb up the long staircase step by step, overlooking Lhasa as you go, taking in the full grandeur of the city. Pause for photos and rest along the way, then step inside the Potala Palace to explore this mysterious ancient palace that is rarely shown in images online. Afterwards, drive about 12 kilometers (35 minutes) to visit [Drepung Monastery], one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery is built layer by layer against the mountain, grand in scale, its white walls and red eaves appearing especially serene and peaceful under the sunlight. Inside, you can visit the Tsokchen Assembly Hall, Ganden Podrang, the four great dratsangs, and other important buildings to learn about Tibetan Buddhist culture. You can also head to the debate courtyard to watch monks debating Buddhist doctrine (around 14:00), or stroll through the monastery in search of inner peace. In addition, around August each year, a grand thangka-unveiling ceremony is held here — the famous Shoton Festival.

Today marks the end of this 9-day train journey from Beijing to Lhasa, Tibet. Our driver will take you to Lhasa Airport or the train station ahead of the agreed time for your onward destination. If you wish to extend this trip and explore more destinations in Tibet, such as Nyingchi or Mount Kailash in Ngari, you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you. We look forward to welcoming you again someday in the future.