9 Days Xining Tibet Overland Tour

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Highlights

Visit:

Kumbum Monastery

Qinghai Lake

Golmud

Chaka Salt Lake

Gobi Desert

Potala Palace

Jokhang Temple

Barkhor Street

Visit:

Nagqu

Geladangdong Mountain

Namtso Lake

Yangbajing

Tsupu Monastery

Norbulingka Park

Drepung Monastery

Sera Monastery

Experience:

Witness the picturesque views of Qinghai Lake;

Enjoy the magnificent view of Gobi Desert;

Picnic by the beautiful holy Namtso Lake;

Visit the world famous Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street;

Observe real Tibetan monks’ life.

Sampling Itinerary Day by Day

Day 1 Xining Arrival

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Upon arrival in Xining, your local guide will meet you in the airport and transfer you to the hotel in Xining. The rest of today is free to rest and prepare for the overland tour.

Day 2 Xining – Qinghai Lake ( B, L, D )

Altitude: 3260m; Drive: 136km;

Start your overland trip from Xining to Lhasa. Your first stop is the Kumbum Monastery, one of the six great Gelukpa sect monasteries in Tibet. (The others: Ganden, Sera, Drepung, Tashilhunpo and Labrang.) It has been a very important monastery in Tibetan history.

Then drive to the Qinghai Lake, also called the Koko Nor Lake, one of top five most beautiful Lakes in China, and the largest inland/saltwater lake in China.

Overnight at the shore of Qinghai lake.

Day 3 Xining – Chaka – Golmud ( B, L, D )

Drive: 360km

Enjoy the sunrise of the Qinghai Lake in the early morning. Then depart to Golmud, the starting point of the Qinghai and Tibetan Railway. En route, visit the Chaka Salt Lake, not only famous for producing Qinghai salt, but also for the unique landscapes in the area.

Day 4 Golmud – Tuotuohe River ( B, L, D )

Drive: 420km

Today drive through the Gobi Desert and enjoy the magnificent view. Surpass the Tongtian River, the tribute of the Yangtze River.

Overnight at Tuotuohe River.

Day 5 Tuotuohe River – Nagqu ( B, L, D )

Altitude: 4500m; Drive: 430km

Get up early and catch the amazing sunrise view of Tuotuohe River. Then depart for Nagqu. En route, visit the Geladangdong Mountain where the Yangtze River originates. Continue to drive through the Tanggula Pass and arrive in Amdo and Nagqu.

Overnight in Nagqu.

Day 6Nagqu – Lhasa ( B, L, D )

Drive: 610km

Today’s first stop is the holy lake in Tibet: Namtso Lake, the bright pearl of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is known as one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. Endowed with pure water and stunning landscapes, it has been the holy land of Tibetan Buddhists and Mecca of the hiking enthusiasts from all over the world.

Picnic by the lake, then drive to Yangbajing and Tsupu Monastery for a visit.

Your overland tour ends in Lhasa.

Day 7 Lhasa ( B )

The overwhelming Potala Palace is your first stop. As the symbol of Tibet, it was built in 641 AD and was the winter palace of Dalai Lama who is Tibet’s pope. Impressive Tibetan architecture, huge golden Buddha statues, red-robed lamas and devoted pilgrims all make it a must-visit.

In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet. Every day, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek here from long distances to worship. Finally, walk the special circular pilgrimage route as local followers always do at Barkhor Street.

Day 8 Lhasa ( B )

After breakfast, you are driven to visit the Norbulingka Park, the former summer palace of Dalai Lama, and then come to Drepung Monastery, once the largest Monastery housing 10,000 monks in its heyday.

Your tour ends at Sera Monastery, and the “Buddhism Scriptures Debating” in Sera is very famous. Enjoy the debate!

Day 9 Lhasa Departure ( B )

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Today is free for you until to be transferred to the airport in time for your flight.

Recommended Add-on Options

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Read what other travelers think about this Tibet trip. We only accept reviews from actual, confirmed travelers who purchased the tour / activity from us, so you can be sure the reviews are unbiased and authentic.

 

AMAZING! The tour was incredible, fitted so much into a short space of time and was all organised and timed so well .

USA, 2011

Elizabeth F‚ 

 

The best tour I ever had. It was really fun, very nice people in the tour, excellent tour leader. Very nice evenings. It was hard to say goodbye at the end of the tour.

Canada, 2011

Anibal Jose M‚ 

 

Lived up to all my expectations, made seeing that part of the world much easier than doing it all by myself. Met great people, good food, and saw the marvels of the west of China.

USA, 2011

Katie G ‚ 

 

This tour was amazing - The group we had was such a diverse, but at the same time fantastic mix of people that was made even better by Jessica, the tour leader who did an absolutely AMAZING job throughout the trip.

USA, 2011

Adam W‚ 

Here are recent candid photos of this Tibet trip. If you want to share your own tour photos, simply email your photos to info@tibetdiscovery.com with your Booking ID Number. Thanks in advance for sharing!

Norbulingka Park in Lhasa - the Summer Palace of Dalai Lama

Namtso Lake - The Clear Holy Lake in Tibet

Prayers at Jokhang Temple

Kumbum Monastery: one of the six great Gelukpa sect monasteries in Tibet

Chaka Salt Lake and the Salt Bridge in Qinghai Province

The Upstream of Tongtian River with Sand Dunes

Geladandong Mountain: the Source of Yangtze River