10 Days Beijing to Tibet Train Tour via Inner Mongolia

Beijing → Great Wall of China → Forbidden City → Inner Mongolia Steppe → Qinghai-Tibet Railway → Lhasa → Potala Palace → Yamdrok Lake → Tashilunpo Monastery

1. Day1

   Beijing — Great Wall (Badaling), Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace

   Meals NoneOvernight Beijing hotel

   Arrive in Beijing and head immediately to the legendary Badaling Great Wall — the most celebrated section, with extraordinary views of the wall’s undulating course across the ridgelines. Continue to Tiananmen Square, the vast ceremonial heart of the Chinese capital, and then to the Summer Palace — the imperial lakeside retreat of Qing Dynasty emperors, with its Long Corridor, Marble Boat, and elegant willow-lined promenades.

2. Day2

   Beijing — Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven; Board Train to Xining

   Meals Breakfast

   The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex in the world — 9,999 rooms within towering red walls, built for 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Walk through its great gates and courtyards from Tiananmen to the imperial garden at the far end. The Temple of Heaven to the south is the circular ceremonial altar where emperors once made offerings to heaven for good harvests — an architectural masterpiece of extraordinary elegance.

   In the afternoon, board the high-speed bullet train to Xining. The train crosses the North China Plain and then climbs into the high terrain of Gansu and Qinghai provinces. Arrive in Xining in the evening and connect to the Tibet train departing later that night.

3. Day3

   On the Qinghai-Tibet Railway — Tanggula Pass — Arrive Lhasa

   Meals NoneOvernight Lhasa hotel

   The great crossing of the Tibetan Plateau unfolds through the train windows across the day. Tibetan antelopes move across the grasslands in small herds; yaks graze near glacial streams; nomad encampments dot the distant hills. The Tanggula Pass at 5,072 metres is crossed — the world’s highest railway pass. The train descends toward Lhasa through the afternoon and arrives at the station in the evening.

4. Day4

   Lhasa — Rest and Acclimatize

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa hotel

   A full day of rest at 3,600 metres. Drink more water than you think you need, eat lightly, and move slowly. A short walk through the old quarter in the late afternoon is the most that is recommended on day one in Lhasa.

5. Day5

   Lhasa — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa hotel

   The iconic Potala Palace, the sacred Jokhang Temple, and the living pilgrim circuit of Barkhor Street — the three essential sights of Lhasa. The Potala’s gilded chapels and the Jokhang’s ancient Jowo Buddha image between them represent a thousand years of Tibetan history. Barkhor Street is the living heart of the old city, where the sacred and the everyday coexist unchanged.

6. Day6

   Lhasa — Sera Monastery, Tibet Museum

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa hotel

   Sera Monastery’s afternoon monk debates (15:00–17:00, except Sundays) and the Tibet Museum’s curated exhibits on Tibetan history and art. Two completely different ways to understand Tibet’s culture — one living and theatrical, one quiet and scholarly.

7. Day7

   Lhasa — Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Gyantse, Shigatse

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Shigatse hotel

   The classic westward drive from Lhasa: Kampala Pass and Yamdrok Lake’s vivid turquoise waters, Karola Glacier descending to the roadside, the Kumbum Pagoda in Gyantse, and arrival in Shigatse — Tibet’s second city and home of the magnificent Tashilunpo Monastery.

8. Day8

   Shigatse — Tashilunpo Monastery — Return to Lhasa

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa hotel

   Tashilunpo Monastery — the seat of the Panchen Lama since 1447 — is one of the largest functioning monastic complexes in Tibet. Its scale, the gilded rooftops, the 26-metre Maitreya statue, and the atmosphere of genuine daily devotion make it one of the most rewarding visits on the entire tour. Return to Lhasa by road.

9. Day9

   Lhasa — Free Day for Personal Exploration

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa hotel

   A free day in Lhasa. Return to any site that moved you most, browse Barkhor Street for Tibetan handicrafts and thangka paintings, visit a rooftop café in the old quarter, or simply allow the altitude and the memories to settle in peace.

10. Day10

    Lhasa Departure

    Meals Breakfast

    Transfer to Lhasa Gonggar Airport or train station for departure. The Tibet portion shown above is an example — it can be shortened, extended, or changed to include Everest Base Camp or any other destination.

    Meals: Breakfast Tibet Permit — Required for All Visitors Every visitor to Tibet must hold a Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit. It is mandatory, cannot be obtained on arrival, and differs by nationality. We handle the full application once you book — please allow at least 15 days before your departure date.