Tibet: Beijing to Kathmandu Overland

Huanying! Welcome to China. Touch down in the capital, Beijing, ready for a high-altitude adventure. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm, where you’ll meet your trip leader and travel companions. After this important meeting, why not get together with your group for an optional dinner – maybe seek out one of the best Peking duck restaurants in the city. Your group leader will be able to recommend some great spots where you can eat this delicious speciality.

Today, you’ll take an early morning drive to visit one of the most well-preserved areas of the Great Wall – the Mutianyu section. An incredible piece of engineering, the wall stretches 6000 km westwards from the mountain ridges north of Beijing. It's a 30-minute climb up some steep steps to reach it, but you’ll be rewarded with a panoramic view of the Great Wall winding along the mountains. Travel back to the city and then in the late afternoon, transfer to Beijing West Railway Station – one of the biggest and busiest in the world – to start your epic train journey to Lhasa.

Today, all you can do is sit back, relax and take in the mountainous ridges and remote terrain along the highest railway in the world. This journey takes you through the major cities of Xi'an, Lanzhou and Xining, and across the wide-open highlands of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Keep an eye out for grazing yaks, sheep and a glistening lake along the way. On this second night, you’ll climb in altitude as you gaze out at the changing landscapes through the windows – snow-dusted black cliffs and mountain peaks pass by, illuminated by moonlight.

After lunch, you’ll say goodbye to your local train pals and your home for the last two nights and be greeted by Lhasa's crisp mountain air. This colourful and historic holy city of is situated in a small valley, and for hundreds of years it was kept secluded from the outside world. Lhasa remains an intriguing and spiritually significant city with deeply fascinating cultures, sights and stories. Check into your hotel later this afternoon and begin to get acclimatised to both the city and the altitude.

Start your first full day in Lhasa with a walking tour of the Old Town. Walk among pilgrims on Barkhor Street, otherwise known as Holy Road. Encircling the Jokhang Temple, this incense-scented street is where Tibetan Buddhists perform meditative koras, following the loop in a clockwise direction. Around noon, visit a local family to learn how tsampa (ground barley, a Tibetan staple), yak butter tea and momos (moreish Tibetan dumplings) are made. After lunch, visit the Sera Monastery and witness the resident monks taking part in heated debates in the courtyards – their exaggerated gestures and the passion they display make this one of the most exciting people-watching spots in Lhasa.

This morning, visit Potala Palace, the incredible former winter home of the Dalai Lamas, perched 130 m above the city. The palace is divided into two parts – the White Palace (secular and used as offices) and the Red Palace (home to chapels, shrines and tombs of Dalai Lamas). Learn about this architectural wonder with a local guide. After, visit Jokhang Temple – considered the spiritual heart and most sacred temple of Tibet, it attracts steady waves of pilgrims. Explore this World Heritage-listed site and learn a thing or two about its history. According to legend, multiple attempts to build the temple at other sites failed, until it was built atop an ancient, sacred lake. Then, enjoy some free time and maybe find a Tibetan tea house where you can try some milky Tibetan sweet tea or savoury yak butter tea and mingle with the hospitable locals.

Traverse a scenic section of the Tibetan Plateau on a long drive heading towards Gyantse, crossing over mountain passes as you twist through dramatic valleys and peaks. Travel past the shimmering Yamdrok Lake and up the Khama La Pass, spot sheep herder villages scattered along the banks and marvel at the towering Noijin Kangsang – the peak of the Lhagoi Kangri Mountain Range. You’ll stop by the roadside town of Nangartse for lunch before driving the Karo La Pass, then descending to your destination for tonight – Gyantse. This small rural town is the perfect place to simply wander around and watch contemporary Tibetan life play out in front of you – here, pilgrims mix with pop music, cows stroll past cowboys on motorbikes and monks go about their daily business.