The Lhasa Express

You will stay at the Qianmen Hotel or similar in Beijing, the Jardin Secret or similar in Lhasa and the King Dynasty or similar in Xian. Hotels will be confirmed in your final documents.

Accommodation on the train is in shared 4-berth cabins which convert into your sleeping quarters.

Please note: During this tour you will travel to altitudes of almost 17,000ft which should not cause a problem. During the train journey you will travel in pressurised compartments and oxygen is available if necessary. If you suffer from heart or respiratory conditions or have any other concerns please consult your doctor.

In China, breakfast is western continental style, except on the train. Chinese lunches and dinners consist of a variety of chinese dishes.

Please note: Due to restricted luggage compartment space on the train, one soft bag per person is suggested.

Customers should be aware that heavy or large suitcases are not advised. There are occasions where cases need to be pulled or lifted for some distance to your coach, which in Xining and Xian cannot get close to the railway station.

Day 1: UK/Beijing

Depart on your scheduled flight to Beijing.

Day 2: Beijing

On arrival in Beijing, transfer to your hotel for a two night stay.

Meals: Dinner

Day 3: Beijing

Today we include an introductory city tour, visiting the heart of Beijing - Tiananmen Square. It is the largest public square in the world, bordered by the Qianmen Gate, the Great Hall of the People and the Gate of Heavenly Peace. You will go through the gate, which forms the entrance to the incredible Forbidden City, to marvel at the magnificent buildings that house the Imperial Palace from which China was ruled by the imperial dynasties for hundreds of years. During your guided tour you will see magnificent collections of Chinese bronzes, porcelain, paintings, jade and other treasures. You will also see the Bird’s Nest stadium, built for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 4: Lhasa

Following breakfast, transfer to the airport for our flight to Lhasa in Tibet, where we will stay for the next four nights. You are at leisure for the rest of the day, before an included dinner.

Meals: Breakfast / dinner

Day 5: Lhasa

In the old quarter of Lhasa, people go about their business as they have done for centuries. Farmers bring in produce for the market by donkey, vendors set up stalls, potters spread their wares in the dust and the crowds press into the small market place. Outside the temples, the devout mumble prayers, whilst those inside light yak butter, then prostrate themselves before a statue of Buddha. Scriptures are chanted and pilgrims spin their prayer wheels.

The capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, Lhasa boasts a skyline dominated by the immense Potala Palace. The birthplace of Tibetan Buddhism, Lhasa is a fascinating cultural hybrid of modern China and traditional Tibet. Its bustling backstreets are well worth exploring - this is classic Tibet at its best.

Today we include a visit to Tibet’s most holy shrine, the 13th century Jokhang Temple. As you wander around this highly venerated site, lit by butter lamps, you’ll be impressed with the devotion of the many visiting pilgrims. This afternoon, you’ll visit the bustling Barkhor Market, a fascinating maze of streets lined with stalls selling everything from Chinese army surplus to religious icons.

Meals: Breakfast / dinner

Day 6: Lhasa

Join our included excursion to Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama’s summer palace, which was built in the 1740s, and Sera Monastery to the north of Lhasa, built in 1419. Many of the monks who lived at the Sera Monastery made the perilous journey across the Himalayas with the current Dalai Lama and now reside with him in Mysore, India at the new Sera Monastery there.

Meals: Breakfast / dinner

Day 7: Lhasa

The Potala Palace, our destination this morning, is the former seat of Tibet’s government and was the winter residence of the Dalai Lama before his exile to India. It boasts a commanding presence over the city and is still used for worship, as well as containing priceless paintings, shrines and treasures.

Meals: Breakfast / dinner

Day 8: Rooftop of the World train

Board the high-altitude Rooftop of the World train in Lhasa for your spectacular journey to Xining. You will travel about 750 miles, reaching an altitude of almost 17,000 feet as you cross the Tangula Pass. This recently completed railway line is the first to link Tibet with the rest of China and is a magnificent feat of engineering. The high-tech trains all have specialist carriages with their own oxygen supplies, and in places the track is cooled so that the permafrost it’s laid over does not melt. Magnificent vistas and incredible open spaces are spanned by long bridges and interspersed with modern stations - this is one rail journey that you’ll never forget.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 9: Xining

Arrive in Xining and enjoy lunch in a local restaurant, then visit the Kumbum Monastery, a highly revered holy site. This evening, join the overnight train for the journey to Xian.

Meals: Breakfast / lunch / dinner

Day 10: Xian

Enjoy breakfast, before your mid-morning arrival in Xian, where you will stay overnight.

Xian, the ‘City of Eternal Peace’, was once the flourishing capital of China and the most important city in Asia. The recent archaeological discoveries near the city have staggered the imagination, for it is here that the first Qin emperor was interred in 200 BC with at least 6,000 life-size terracotta figures representing the individuals of the Imperial Guard. They are grouped in battle order, rank by rank, some mounted on horse-drawn chariots, others armed with spears, swords and crossbows.

This afternoon we include a visit to the incredible Terracotta Army of the first Qin emperor at Li Shan Mountain. This evening, enjoy an included Tang Dynasty show and dinner in a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast / dinner

Day 11: Xian & Beijing

This morning, we discover the sights of Xian, including the old city walls, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Bell Tower. This afternoon, return to Beijing by air for an overnight stay.

Meals: Breakfast / dinner

Day 12: Beijing/UK

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK, arriving later the same day.

Meals: Breakfast