China holiday and rail journey across Tibet
| country: | China, Tibet |
| departures: | 2010: 21 May, 2 Jul, 20 Aug, 10 Sep 2011: 20 May, 1 Jul |
| price: | From £2457 - £2559 (18 days) including flights from the UK, from £1986 - £2059 excluding flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
We travel along the newly opened Qinghai to Lhasa railway; a spectacular feat of modern engineering. Although primarily a cultural tour with no particular level of fitness required, the very high altitudes to which we travel can have a debilitating effect. It is not suitable for those with heart or respiratory conditions.
Along the Silk Road
In Beijing, we discover the impressive grandeur of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall before an overnight train takes us to Xian, home to the amazing life-size Terracotta Warriors, unearthed after 2000 years. From Lanzhou, on the old Silk Road, we journey by boat on the Yellow River to marvel at the exquisitely carved Buddhas at Bingling Si. Dangling precariously from ropes, sculptors carved hundreds of niches and statues from the porous sandstone of the canyon walls, including an immense 27m seated Buddha.
Treasures of Sino-Tibet
We venture into the Sino-Tibetan heartlands to colourful Xiahe; set in a beautiful mountain valley where we wander yak-grazing grasslands and explore the warren-like alleyways of Labrang monastery. The artists of Tongren are famed for their Buddhist Thanka paintings and are a mixture of ethnic Tibetans and Tu, closely related to the Mongols. From Xining we visit the Taer Yellow Hat monastery before boarding our final train for the unforgettable journey to Lhasa.
Tracks to Lhasa
For almost 2000 kilometres we cross the Roof of the World to Lhasa, traversing a vast wilderness, where herds of yak and antelope graze and nomads wander. We cross snowbound passes, including Tanggula Pass (5072m), the highest rail track in the world, through numerous tunnels and across bridges, travelling for much of the journey on elevated tracks, specially constructed to avoid melting the permafrost beneath us. Arriving in Lhasa, we discover the awe-inspiring 1000-roomed Potala Palace, Jokhang temple, the holiest place in the Tibetan-Buddhist world, and the pilgrim-filled winding streets of the old quarter.
Along the Silk Road
In Beijing, we discover the impressive grandeur of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall before an overnight train takes us to Xian, home to the amazing life-size Terracotta Warriors, unearthed after 2000 years. From Lanzhou, on the old Silk Road, we journey by boat on the Yellow River to marvel at the exquisitely carved Buddhas at Bingling Si. Dangling precariously from ropes, sculptors carved hundreds of niches and statues from the porous sandstone of the canyon walls, including an immense 27m seated Buddha.
Treasures of Sino-Tibet
We venture into the Sino-Tibetan heartlands to colourful Xiahe; set in a beautiful mountain valley where we wander yak-grazing grasslands and explore the warren-like alleyways of Labrang monastery. The artists of Tongren are famed for their Buddhist Thanka paintings and are a mixture of ethnic Tibetans and Tu, closely related to the Mongols. From Xining we visit the Taer Yellow Hat monastery before boarding our final train for the unforgettable journey to Lhasa.
Tracks to Lhasa
For almost 2000 kilometres we cross the Roof of the World to Lhasa, traversing a vast wilderness, where herds of yak and antelope graze and nomads wander. We cross snowbound passes, including Tanggula Pass (5072m), the highest rail track in the world, through numerous tunnels and across bridges, travelling for much of the journey on elevated tracks, specially constructed to avoid melting the permafrost beneath us. Arriving in Lhasa, we discover the awe-inspiring 1000-roomed Potala Palace, Jokhang temple, the holiest place in the Tibetan-Buddhist world, and the pilgrim-filled winding streets of the old quarter.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Beijing. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Beijing. |
| Day 3: | Visit Great Wall at Mutianyu. |
| Day 4: | Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square; overnight train Xian. |
| Day 5: | Arrive Xian; city tour. |
| Day 6: | Visit Terracotta Warriors; overnight train Lanzhou. |
| Day 7: | Arrive Lanzhou; by boat on Yellow River to Bingling Si grottoes. |
| Day 8: | Drive Xiahe. |
| Day 9: | Visit Labrang monastery, Sangke village and grasslands. |
| Day 10: | Drive Tongren; visit Long Wu monastery. |
| Day 11: | Drive Xining via Wutun Si monastery. |
| Day 12: | Visit Taer monastery; Qinghai-Tibet railway to Lhasa. |
| Day 13: | By train across Tibet to Lhasa. |
| Day 14: | Visit Jokhang, Ani Tsangkang nunnery and Sera monastery. |
| Day 15: | Visit Potala Palace. |
| Day 16: | Excursion to Ganden monastery (optional); PM visit Norbulingka. |
| Day 17: | Fly Beijing. |
| Day 18: | Fly London. |
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
|
Environment
Through all the debate over the relative environmental merits of different forms of transport, it is generally accepted that rail travel is a lower carbon option than flying. Conscious of our impact on the environment, this rail tour only uses one internal flight on its extensive journey. Furthermore, by opting to travel on public trains we are drastically reducing the reliance on privately chartered transport within our tour. All travel has impacts. We are confident this tour keeps those to a minimum. Rail travel is also a great way to mix with local people and get up close with the local way of life. You could even try a few words of the local lingo! Community By using local guides at most locations we get a great insight into local history, customs and culture; anything from learning about the education system, to making sure we don’t fall foul of any taboos! Employing local people is consistent with our policy of generating economic benefits in the areas we travel to. This we also do by shopping in local markets, not just the government emporia, and using a variety of local restaurants, and it is a pleasure to support these small businesses. Throughout the tour we try to get a feel for traditional life in the region in we are travelling in. In Beijing we catch a glimpse of life in the old city on a tour of the ‘hutongs’ by rickshaw, whilst in Xian we can explore the quaint Muslim Quarter on foot. In Xiahe we make an excursion to the village of Sangke to experience village life and explore the fabulous Labrang Monastery where we can learn about the Buddhist traditions which colour all of life in this area. We always aim to foster positive interaction with local people and our tour leaders and local guides are great facilitators in this regard. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |