8-Day Xian to Tibet Tour Via Qinghai Tibet Railway

Welcome to Xian, the ancient capital of China! Your local tour guide will greet you at the Xian Xianyang Airport or the Xian train station to take you to your private car and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day will be free for you to rest and relax from your trip to Xian, or you can begin to explore the ancient capital city on your own. (If you arrive early enough in the day, we can also schedule in some sightseeing for you today.)

How to Get to Xian:
Currently there are a few international flights that fly directy into Xian, and numerous domestic flights from most other major cities in China. By train, there are many high-speed (bullet) trains arriving from many major cities in China, including from Beijing (4.5-6 hours), Shanghai (6-7 hours), Guangzhou (8.5-9 hours), Hangzhou (6.5-7 hours), Pingyao (3 hours), Zhengzhou (2 hours), etc.

Accommodation：Overnight in Xian

This morning your local tour guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel to take you about 40 kilometers (25 miles) outside of the city to witness what is truly one of the greatest man-made wonders of the world – the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses were built around 2,200 years ago as part of a much larger complex known as the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang. In 221 B.C. Qin Shi Huang became the first emperor to conquer and unify the different warring states into the country of China. More than 8,000 life-sized warriors, horses and chariots made of terracotta and bronze were created and buried to protect the first emperor in the afterlife, standing in guard to the east of his actual burial tomb, facing those states that he conquered in unifying China. These life-sized figures are each unique, designed with different facial features, uniforms and body positions. It is truly awe-inspiring to visit this spectacular site and contemplate how they were so intricately designed thousands of years ago by such skilled Chinese artisans.

After a thorough look at the incredible Terracotta Warriors, we will take on to visit the Da Cien Temple and its Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The temple was first constructed in 648 A.D. with the famous monk Xuanzhuang in charge – his epic journeys to and from India were the inspiration for the novel Journey to the West. Xuanzhuang oversaw construction of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in 652 A.D. to store the precious Buddhist manuscripts that he brought back from India. 1,400 years later it is still possible to climb to the top of this pagoda for some great views over Xian.

After the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, we will take you back to your hotel for the night.

Accommodation：Overnight in Xian

Your tour guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel this morning to take you to another of Xian’s historic treasures, the Shaanxi History Museum. As Shaanxi was the home of 13 of China’s historic dynasties, including the Qin dynasty that gives China its name, it is rich in historic artifacts. The museum buildings were built in the Tang Dynasty style and house more than 370,000 objects. Please note that during overcrowding during the high season from July to early September and Chinese holidays, we may need to substitute another activity or attraction in place of the museum; our friendly travel consultants will advise you at the time of your booking.

After your visit to the musuem and a nice lunch, we will take you to another of Xian’s ancient wonders - the Xian City Wall. Construction began on the wall in 1370 on top of an earlier existing palace wall that was built during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 A.D.) Rectangular in shape, 12 meters high and 18 meters wide, the wall runs a total length of 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) around the inner city. Visitors can climb to the top of the wall for a walk with great views over the city, or bicycles are available for rent for biking along the top of the wall as well.

From the ancient city wall we will take you on to the lively Muslim Quarter, a historic section of the city that is great for walking around to see how the local people live while sampling the many traditional Xian snack foods. We can also walk around the nearby Drum and Bell Towers, which were constructed in 1380 A.D. and 1384 A.D. respectively, marking time in the ancient capital city with a bell being rung in the morning at sunrise and a drum struck in the evening to mark the sunset. These very well preserved towers have stood for centuries as reminders of Xian’s important place in world history.

Recommend evening activity:
Take in the Tang Dynasty Dinner Show, which combines a delicious traditional Chinese dumpling dinner with a spectacular show tracing the amazing history of Xian.

Accommodation：Overnight in Xian

This morning we will pick you up from your hotel to escort you to the Xian train station to catch the train on to Lhasa. Please note that as Xian is just a stopover city for the Guangzhou to Lhasa and Shanghai to Lhasa trains, it can be very difficult to get the train tickets so we recommend that you book with us as early as possible for the best chance at obtaining them. Currently there are 2 trains from Xian to Lhasa – one departs at 09:45 a.m., arriving in Lhasa at 16:19 the following day for a total trip time of 30 hours and 34 minutes. There is another train that departs at 11:24 a.m. and arrives in Lhasa at 19:30 for a total trip time of 32 hours and 6 minutes. You will need to be at the train station at least one hour before the train departs, and be sure to have your Tibet Travel Permit with you as you will need to show it to the train authorities before boarding the train.

Enjoy the sightseeing along the railway as the scenery changes while you travel across this vast country. The second day will feature the amazing landscape along the Qinghai – Tibet Railway, the world’s highest altitude train ride. You will pass through deserts, vast grasslands, beautiful lakes and the stunning, snow-capped mountains of the Himalayan mountain range as you approach Lhasa.

Accommodation：Overnight on the train

Upon your arrival at the Lhasa train station, your local tour guide will greet you and escort you to your private vehicle to take you on to your Lhasa hotel. You will have the rest of the evening to rest and relax from your long train journey, and to become acclimatized to the higher altitude.

Tips for High Altitude Acclimatization:
1) Go for a leisurely walk in the fresh high altitude air, but avoid any strenuous activity after your arrival.
2) It's better to avoid taking a bath to avoid catching a cold.
3) Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and eat some fresh fruit.
4) Get plenty of rest.

Accommodation：Overnight in Lhasa

Start your exploration of Lhasa today with a visit to a world-famous landmark - the Potala Palace, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of architecture in the world. Climb up to the palace along zig-zagging stone paths alongside the white and red walls to the top of the palace where you can gain a greater appreciation of the exotic Tibetan-style buildings as well as for a great view of Lhasa's entire urban area. After admiring the sweeping outside views, explore the inner spaces of the Potala Palace to find the stately chapels and learn more about the fascinating history of this special place.

From one historic landmark to another, your next stop will be at the Jokhang Temple, considered as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Every day thousands of pilgrims come from all over Tibet and other places to the temple to worship the Buddha. The Jokhang Temple is also known as the "House of Buddha" because it houses the precious Jowo Rinpoche, a life-sized (1.5 meter/5 feet) image of the Sakyamuni at the age of 12.

The last stop for today's Lhasa exploration is Barkhor Street, the wide, circular street that surrounds the Jokhang Temple. Local residents enjoy walking on the street, completing several circuits around the temple as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. The street also has many small shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handicrafts.

After your visit to the Jokhang Temple, we will take you back to your hotel for the evening.

Tips for Visiting the Potala Palace
1. The number of visitors to the palace is strictly limited to 2,300 per day. Visitors can only visit during the time specified on the admission ticket.
2. Admission tickets to visit the Potala Palace are sold out almost every day, so it is strongly recommended to book your tickets several days in advance. 
3. There are many steps at the Potala Palace, so it’s best to take it slowly to avoid possible altitude discomfort.
4. Visitors should respect the rules while visiting. Do not wear hats, wear revealing clothes or step on thresholds as these actions violate local customs.
5. Photography and the taking of videos are forbidden inside the Potala Palace.
6. A security search will take place at the entrance to the palace. Explosives, flammables, knives, lighters and even water bottles are not allowed inside the Potala Palace.

Accommodation：Overnight in Lhasa

This morning we will visit the beautiful Norbulingka Palace and Park, the location of the former summer palace of the Dalai Lamas from the 1780s up until 1959. It features the famous Potrang, the private palaces of former Dalai Lamas built in the grandiose style of traditional Tibetan architecture.

After visiting the palaces and park at Norbulingka, we will travel around 5 kilometers to the western outskirts of Lhasa to visit the Drepung Monastery. The word "drepung" in Tibetan language means "prosperity". Since its establishment in 1416, Drepung Monastery has served as one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. During its prime, more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery. Throughout its history, many important and famous Tibetan leaders studied at this monastery, including the Dalai Lamas. Accordingly, Drepung Monastery is also respectfully known as the “Mother School of Dalai Lamas”.

In the afternoon, we will escort you on to another famous monastery in Lhasa - the Sera Monastery. Sera Monastery is famous for its spectacular “Buddhist Debates”. As a daily routine, the monks gather in a courtyard, and debate on the various Buddhist doctrines with exaggerated gestures, which is thought to be helpful in facilitating a better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. After enjoying the "Buddhist Debates", we will take you back to your hotel with the rest of the day and evening to relax or explore on your own.

Tips for Proper Etiquette While Visiting Monasteries
1) For clothing, shorts and/or bare shoulders are not allowed. 
2) Hats and sunglasses should be removed before entering the chapels. 
3) Taking photos is usually not allowed inside the chapels.

Accommodation：Overnight in Lhasa

Today you will have free time until we meet you in the lobby of your hotel to transfer you to the Lhasa airport or train station for your departing flight or train.

Today's Tips:
1) Please take care to pack all of your belongings, particularly the small things that are easy to forget about, such as phone and camera chargers, power adapters, mobile phones, wallets, etc. 
2) If your flight or train is in the afternoon, please be sure to check out of your hotel room by 12 p.m.

Accommodation：None