Small group or private
9 Days Train Tour from Xining to Lhasa
9 Days $900 per person Overview Itinerary Tips & FAQ Xining Riyue Mountain Qinghai Lake Ta’er Monastery Qinghai-Tibet Railway Lhasa Yamdrok Lake Gyantse Everest Base Camp Taking the train from Xining to Lhasa via the famous…
- 9 Days / 8 Nights
- Xining → Riyue Mountain → Qinghai Lake → Ta'er Monastery → Qinghai-Tibet Railway → Lhasa → Yamdrok Lake → Gyantse → Everest Base Camp
- Moderate pace
- Best: April to June and September to October
- No Deposit — Ever
- Cancel Free Before Permit Issued
- Full Refund except $100 Permit Fee
- Bring 7, Your Spot Is Free
- Our Own Office in Lhasa, Since 1999
The trip at a glance
- Xining → Riyue Mountain → Qinghai Lake → Gold & Silver Grassland
- Xining → Ta’er Monastery → Board Train to Lhasa
- Lhasa → Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
- Lhasa → Yamdrok Lake → Karola Glacier → Gyantse
- Shigatse → Tingri → Everest Base Camp (5,200m)
- EBC Sunrise → Tashilunpo Monastery
Day by day
Xining → Riyue Mountain → Qinghai Lake → Ta'er Monastery → Qinghai-Tibet Railway → Lhasa → Yamdrok Lake → Gyantse → Everest Base Camp
Day1
Xining — Riyue Mountain — Qinghai Lake — Gold & Silver Grassland
Arrive in Xining and head out for sightseeing. Visit Riyue Mountain (Sun Moon Mountain, 3,520m) — the historic gateway to Tibet. Continue to the vast Qinghai Lake (3,200m) — China’s largest inland saltwater lake — and the sweeping Gold and Silver Grasslands.
Day2
Xining — Ta'er Monastery — Board Train to Lhasa
Morning visit to the magnificent Ta’er Monastery (Kumbum), one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Famous for its unique yak-butter sculptures. In the evening, board the overnight train to Lhasa on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
Day3
On the Train — Qinghai-Tibet Railway Scenery
Travel through some of the world’s most extraordinary scenery on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Pass through the Kunlun Mountains, the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve (watch for Tibetan antelopes), the Tanggula Pass (5,072m — the world’s highest railway pass) and across the vast Tibetan plateau. Oxygen is provided on the train.
Day4
Arrive Lhasa — Rest and Acclimatize
Arrive in Lhasa in the morning. Your guide will meet you at the station and transfer you to your hotel. Spend the day resting and acclimatizing to the altitude.
Day5
Lhasa — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Visit the iconic Potala Palace with its panoramic views of Lhasa. Continue to the sacred Jokhang Temple and explore the vibrant Barkhor Street pilgrim market.
Day6
Lhasa — Yamdrok Lake — Karola Glacier — Gyantse — Shigatse
Drive west over Kampala Pass for views of Yamdrok Lake, then past the Karola Glacier. Visit Gyantse Kumbum and Tashilunpo Monastery in Shigatse.
Day7
Shigatse — Tingri — Everest Base Camp (5,200m)
Drive south-west via Lhatse and Tingri to Rongbuk Monastery and Everest Base Camp. Spend the night under the north face of the world’s highest mountain.
Day8
EBC Sunrise — Return to Shigatse — Tashilunpo Monastery
Sunrise over Everest. Return to Shigatse and visit Tashilunpo Monastery — the seat of the Panchen Lama — before returning to Lhasa.
Day9
Lhasa Departure
Transfer to Lhasa airport or train station for your departure.
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.
What is included
Included
- Tibet Entry Permit and Alien’s Travel Permit
- Train ticket on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway as listed
- All entrance fees for tourist sites in Tibet listed in the itinerary
- Professional English-speaking local tour guide
- Private vehicle with driver for all ground transport in Tibet
- All accommodation listed in the itinerary
- Shared oxygen tank in the vehicle
- Tourist accident/casualty insurance
Not included
- Single room supplement — free of charge for any group booking 5 rooms or travelling with 10 or more.
- International flights or non-Tibet domestic transportation
- Meals not specified in the itinerary (approximately USD 3–15 per meal)
- Tips for tour guide and driver
- Personal expenses (laundry, snacks, optional activities)
Photos from this route
Questions travellers ask
How large will my group be?
Join-in departures run with a minimum of 3 travellers — usually 3–8 pax, and never more than 16. You choose the departure date, the starting point and the itinerary length that suits you; guests on different day counts travel together on the shared legs, and each group leaves when their own itinerary ends. If you prefer, this route can also run as a private tour for your own party only. A 3–8 group costs a little more per person and is quieter, with more freedom to change the day on the road; a 3–16 group costs less per person and gives you more people to travel with.
Which permits does this tour need?
We arrange all required Tibet permits for you as part of the booking — you only need a valid passport. Depending on the areas visited this can include the Tibet Travel Permit (TTB), the Aliens’ Travel Permit (PSB), the Frontier Pass and, for sensitive areas, a Military Permit.
How do I get to the starting point of the tour?
The tour starts in Xining. You can reach it by flight or by the Qinghai–Tibet railway — either way we meet you on arrival. Many travellers fly in and take the train out (or the other way round) to see both faces of the plateau. We are happy to advise on flights and train tickets as part of your booking.
Can this tour be customized?
Yes — every tour on this site can also run as a private departure with your own dates and pace, arranged by our own office in Lhasa. Send us your dates, group size and interests and we will adapt the itinerary around you.
Before you send your inquiry
- No deposit — ever. Your dates are held with a free inquiry, and nothing is due until we confirm. On fixed group departures, book early to secure your seats.
- Cancel free before your Tibet Travel Permit is issued — full refund, every dollar.
- After the permit is issued: the USD $100 permit fee is non-refundable, everything else is refunded. Refunds within 7 business days.
- Bring a group of 7 and your spot is free (7+1).
- Single room supplement — free of charge for any group booking 5 rooms or travelling with 10 or more.
- Tell us your dates and route on the form below — you will have a written itinerary and an item-by-item quote within 12 hours, with no obligation to book.
- Prices depend on group size, hotel standard, season and how you travel into Tibet, so we quote each trip individually rather than from a price list.
- Hotel details — the exact hotels we use — come with your quote. Ask below for the standard you would like and we will match it.
- A Lhasa-based Tibet tour operator since 1999 — our own guides, vehicles and office in Lhasa, 7,200+ travellers from 40+ countries, 4.9★ on TripAdvisor.
