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Home/Sample Trips/The Tibetan Plateau — 10 Days
10 days · 4 stops

The Tibetan Plateau — 10 Days

Xining · Qinghai Lake · Golmud · Lhasa. The world's highest railway, turquoise salt lakes and monasteries at 3,600 metres.

Duration
10 days
Stops
4
Group
Just your party
Permits
We arrange them
From, per person
$799
The trip

The Tibetan Plateau — 10 Days

This is the highest trip we run, and the one that changes travelers most. It starts gently in Xining — already 2,200 metres up — to let your body adjust, crosses Qinghai Lake's turquoise water, and then rides the Qinghai–Tibet railway, the highest railway in the world, onto the plateau.

Lhasa sits at 3,650 metres. Everything here is slower, brighter and quieter. We keep the first day deliberately empty, bring oxygen in the car, and build the itinerary so altitude is an inconvenience rather than an event.

Foreign passport holders need a Tibet Travel Permit, and we handle the whole thing — the paperwork needs to be lodged before you arrive, which is exactly the kind of work a local agency should be doing for you.

Route at a glance

Day by day

Day 1–2Xining

Acclimatising at 2,200 metres

Arrive in Xining and take it easy. The Kumbum Monastery at its dawn butter-lamp hour, and the city's mosques and markets — this is the eastern gateway to the plateau.

Day 3Qinghai Lake

Turquoise water, prayer flags, snow peaks

Drive to Qinghai Lake, the largest lake in China and the reason the plateau is blue in every photograph. Prayer flags, yaks, and grassland running to the water's edge.

Day 4–5Golmud

The road into the emptiness

Follow the plateau road west to Golmud, passing the salt flats and the Qaidam Basin. Cha'erhan Salt Lake, and a first real sense of how large this country is.

Day 6–10Lhasa

The Potala, the Jokhang and the roof of the world

Board the Qinghai–Tibet train for its most spectacular section, climbing to the Tanggula Pass at over 5,000 metres. Four full days in Lhasa: the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple, the Barkhor kora, Sera and Drepung monasteries, and the Norbulingka. Then fly out to your next city.

Best time to travel: May–October. Winter is possible but cold; the plateau is sunniest and warmest from June to September.

Highlights

What makes this trip different

  • Qinghai Lake in daylight — turquoise water under snow peaks
  • The Qinghai–Tibet railway, the highest in the world
  • The Potala Palace, with the permit and tickets arranged by us
  • Sunset over the Barkhor, walking the kora with pilgrims
  • Sera Monastery's famous debating courtyard
  • An oxygen-equipped vehicle and a deliberately gentle first days
Good to know

Questions about this route

Do I need a permit to visit Tibet?
Yes. Foreign passport holders require a Tibet Travel Permit, and we arrange it for you — it must be lodged before you arrive in China, usually 20–30 days ahead. We also arrange the Aliens' Travel Permit for parts of the plateau when the itinerary requires it.
How do you handle altitude sickness?
By ascending gradually. We start at 2,200 m in Xining, spend days at intermediate altitude, and the train takes you up slowly. Vehicles carry oxygen, hotels have it on request, and your first day in Lhasa is deliberately light.
Can this route be shortened?
Yes. A 7-day version flies directly into Lhasa and skips Golmud, though we'd still recommend acclimatising in Xining first. Tell us your dates and we'll advise.
No small print

What's included — and what isn't

Included in this itinerary

  • All hotels, chosen with you and booked by us
  • Daily breakfast and the meals listed in your itinerary
  • A private licensed guide in every city, all day
  • A private vehicle and professional driver in every city
  • All airport, rail and hotel transfers, with meet-and-greet
  • All internal transport — high-speed rail, flights, private cars
  • Entrance tickets to every attraction listed
  • Permits and paperwork where required
  • Restaurant reservations, translation, SIM and payment app setup
  • 24/7 WhatsApp access to your trip designer while you travel

Not included

  • International flights to and from China
  • China visa fees, where a visa is required
  • Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
  • Meals you choose on your own, and drinks
  • Personal shopping and souvenirs
  • Optional extras you add later
  • Gratuities for guides and drivers, at your discretion

Every included item is itemized in your itinerary before you pay anything. No hidden fees on arrival.

Go further

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Pandas, Peaks & Rivers — 10 Days

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Classic China — 12 Days

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Lhasa

The roof of the world

Xi'an

Where China began

Chengdu

Pandas, teahouses and real heat

Beijing

Emperors, hutongs and the Great Wall

Shanghai

The future on the Huangpu

Customize this trip

Tell us what to change.
We'll redraw it — free.

Email us and a real trip designer in China replies within 24 hours with a revised day-by-day itinerary and a clear price. No deposit, no obligation.

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