Tibet: Beijing to Kathmandu Overland

What's Included

• Accommodation
  Hotel (11 nights), Overnight Hard Sleeper Train (2 nights), Permanent Tented Camp/Guesthouse (1 night)

• Beijing - Mutianyu Great Wall

• Lhasa - Sera Monastery & Monk Debating

• Lhasa - Tibetan cooking class

• Lhasa - Old town and Barkhor Street walking tour

• Lhasa - Potala Palace

• Lhasa - Jokhang Temple

• Gyantse - Yamdrok Lake

• Gyantse - Tibetan family visit & lunch

• Gyantse - Pelkor Chode Monastery

• Gyantse - Kumbum

• Shigatse - Tashilhunpo Monastery

• Sakya - Sakya Monastery

• Sakya - Nunery visit

• Everest National Park - Rongphu Monastery

• Everest National Park - Base Camp Monument (Chinese side)

• Rongbu Monastery - Meditation & Tea (at the highest monastery in the world)

• Kathmandu - Leader-led old city walking tour

• Meals

  2 lunches

What's Not Included

• Tipping and Gratuities

• International Travel

Transport

• CHINA TRAIN TRAVEL SECURITY
• When travelling by train in China you will need to pass through security checkpoints similar to those at airports. Please be aware that items that may be classified as ‘weapons’ might be confiscated (even from your suitcase), as all luggage travels in the compartment with you. We recommend leaving items that fall into this category (eg. pocket knives or scissors) at home. Aerosol spray bottles are not permitted on high-speed trains and can get confiscated at the station.
• ROAD TRAVEL:
• Roadworks and infrastructure projects can cause significant delays on major roads within cities and highways between destinations. Road travel can also be disrupted due to demonstrations and bandhs (strikes) without warning. Major roadworks are currently ongoing in and around Kathmandu and the roads to Chitwan National Park. Delays, heavy traffic, poor road conditions and dust are a reality of road travel in Nepal.
• MONSOON:
• The monsoon season is from June to September and weather conditions can disrupt travel during this time due to flooding and landslides. Disruption of air travel and airport closures are also possible. Be prepared that the itinerary may need to change at short notice.

Accommodation

• The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
• Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
• HOTEL ROOMS:
• Some travellers have reported that hotels/accommodation in this region tend to have harder bed mattresses than those they are used to at home. You may like to request an extra quilt or bedding from the hotels if you find this an issue.
• SMOKING ROOMS:
• Smoking is prevalent in China and hotels generally do not offer specific non-smoking rooms. Larger hotels with central air conditioning will sometimes transport the smell of smoke between rooms. While we ask our hotels to ensure our rooms are well cleaned and ventilated well before occupation in some cases this is not possible, and the smell of smoke may linger. Please speak to your leader about the possibility of changing rooms if you encounter this.
• WIFI:
• WiFi is often available in hotel reception areas and sometimes in rooms. Your leader will be able to advise on the best places to get connected.
• HARD SLEEPER TRAINS CHINA:
• We use hard sleeper class trains for most of our overnight train journeys in China unless otherwise specified. These are not as rough as they sound - compartments are open-plan, clean, with padded berths (6 to a compartment) and sheets, a blanket/quilt & pillow provided. We recommend bringing your own sleeping sheet if you are concerned about the quality/cleanliness of sheets being not what you are used to. Basic bathroom facilities with toilets and washbasins are situated at the end of each carriage. As toilet paper isn't always available, it's best to bring an emergency supply.Most trains have a dining carriage where meals or snacks are available and all have hot water in each carriage for tea and instant noodles.
• While we aim to have our groups staying together there may be times where due to ticket availability the group will be staying in different compartments and carriages. The compartments are not segregated by gender and you may share with locals or other travelers instead of your own group members. Your leader will help you settle in once on board and it’s a great opportunity to experience first-hand how Chinese travel in the country. While railway services are rapidly being modernised in China, some train journeys on less frequented routes may use older rolling stock and the carriages of a more basic standard.
• TIBET
• Please note, the standard of accommodation in Tibet varies considerably and can be basic at times, especially out of Lhasa. Hot water and power supply can be sporadic, and the facilities can be old due to the lack of development in the region as well. At the tent 'city' (our stay at the EBC section of the trip), we will be staying in a seasonal tented camp. The tents are spacious, well-equipped 8 person sized, which come with dormitory style single beds, solid flooring and a central heating stove. There are no showers here and the toilet facilities are a little primitive but the view of the north face of Everest should make up for the lack of creature comforts!

Included Activities

• Beijing - Mutianyu Great Wall (entransce fee, transfer included)
• Lhasa - Sera Monastery
• Lhasa - Momo cooking class
• Lhasa - Potala Palace
• Lhasa - Jokhang Temple
• Gyantse - Yamdrok Lake
• Gyantse - Tibetan family visit & lunch
• Gyantse - Pelkor Chode Monastery
• Gyantse - Kumbum
• Shigatse - Tashilhunpo Monastery
• Sakya - Sakya Monastery
• Everest National Park - Rongphu Monastery
• Everest National Park - Base Camp Monument (Chinese side)
• Thankot - Indradaha hike

Important Information

• 1. In order for us to apply for your Tibet entry permit and purchase your train ticket to Lhasa you must provide a scanned, colour copy of the personal details page of your passport and Chinese visa to your booking agent no later than 40 days prior to the start date of your trip. You will also need to advise us of your current profession at the same time. When applying for Chinese visa it is imperative not to mention travel to Tibet. You must first apply for your Chinese visa as instructed and Intrepid will then apply for the Tibet group permit on your behalf. Please check our Essential Trip Information for more details.
• 2. Please be aware that in recent years there have been times when restrictions on nationalities being able to travel on specific departures have been implemented or Tibet has been closed to foreign tourists without warning.
• 3. You must bring an emergency fund of 500 USD in cash with you on this trip, which you may need to use in case when foreign groups are denied of purchasing Beijing to Lhasa train tickets due to government decision and we'll need to make alternative plans depending on what's possible.
• 4. Due to the demands of travelling at high altitudes (above 3000 meters/ 9800 feet), a Passenger Self Assessment Form is required for this trip.
• 5. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 2 and Day 3 (Overnight sleeper train) and Day 11(Permanent Tent Camp or Guesthouse) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
• 6. It's a criminal offence for anyone to carry images of the Dalai Lama or the Tibetan flag - doing so may lead to confiscation of the items, detention, arrest or imprisonment by Chinese authorities.
• 7. Please note while traveling through China you will not be able to access some popular internet websites.

Mode of Transport

• CHINA TRAIN TRAVEL SECURITY
• When travelling by train in China you will need to pass through security checkpoints similar to those at airports. Please be aware that items that may be classified as ‘weapons’ might be confiscated (even from your suitcase), as all luggage travels in the compartment with you. We recommend leaving items that fall into this category (eg. pocket knives or scissors) at home. Aerosol spray bottles are not permitted on high-speed trains and can get confiscated at the station.
• ROAD TRAVEL:
• Roadworks and infrastructure projects can cause significant delays on major roads within cities and highways between destinations. Road travel can also be disrupted due to demonstrations and bandhs (strikes) without warning. Major roadworks are currently ongoing in and around Kathmandu and the roads to Chitwan National Park. Delays, heavy traffic, poor road conditions and dust are a reality of road travel in Nepal.
• MONSOON:
• The monsoon season is from June to September and weather conditions can disrupt travel during this time due to flooding and landslides. Disruption of air travel and airport closures are also possible. Be prepared that the itinerary may need to change at short notice.

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