Cycling from Xining to Lhasa for 18 Days

Tibet Cycling Tour18 Days Cycling Tour from Golmud to Lhasa

TT: 18 Days Cycling Tour from Golmud to Lhasa

Strictly speaking, this is the most difficult bike route among a number of riding routes available. You can see snow-capped mountains, vast grassland, holy lakes, herds of cattle and sheep, passing Qinghai-Tibet train, wild ass, wild yaks, Tibetan antelop

Highlights:

Golmud, Wudaoliang, Tanggula Mountain Pass, Amdo, Nagqu, Namtso Lake, Yangpachen, Lhasa

From $1998 p/p Free Inquiry

Suggested Itinerary

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DAY 1 Golmud - Kunlun Mountains Pass (160 kilometers)

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We will begin our biking journey as we cycle from Golmud to our first high pass, the Kunlun Mountain Pass (elevation 4767 meters). This 160-kilometer part of your tour will take around 3 to 5 days, as the road conditions are tough with many uphill slopes.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 2 Golmud - Kunlun Mountains Pass (160 kilometers)

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Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 3 Golmud - Kunlun Mountains Pass (160 kilometers)

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Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 4 Kunlun Mountains Pass - Wudaoliang (109 kilometers)

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This part of our biking tour covers around 109 kilometers and 1 to 2 days should be enough as the road conditions are much better in this area. You won’t wan to miss the roadside hot springs when riding through the Nachitai Area. The pure, unspoiled water of the hot springs there is really well worth trying. There are comfortable hotels In Wudaoliang, providing us with a good chance to rest and relax here on the 5th night of our journey.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 5 Kunlun Mountains Pass - Wudaoliang (109 kilometers)

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Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 6 Wudaoliang - Tuotuo River (150 kilometers)

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With an average altitude of around 5000 meters, this part of our biking journey will also be an arduous one. A rough highland climate dominates this area with bitter cold at night and often-strong winds during the daytime due to the topography of the area.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 7 Tuotuo River – Yanshiping (91 kilometers)

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Arise early this morning to nourish your aching body with the breath-taking sunrise, which will inspire you to continue on through the spectacular scenery as we head towards today’s destination, Yanshiping, where we will spend the night.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 8 Yanshiping - Tanggula Mountain Pass (100 kilometers)

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Today’s journey takes us once again through beautiful mountain scenery as we head from Yanshiping through the Tangula Mountain Pass and stay overnight in Toudaoban.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 9 Toudaoban - Amdo (70 kilometers)

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This section of our biking trip is mainly off-road, but the good news is that the scenery just gets progressively more beautiful as we continue on.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 10 Amdo - Nagqu (138 kilometers)

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Continue your journey on to Nagqu, an important town that serves as a hub of Northern Tibet. On this two-day section of your trip, you will cross the Qiangtang prairie, where you will enjoy a magnificent pastoral view with herds of sheep and Tibetan yaks grazing against the backdrop of seemingly endless green grassland.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 11 Amdo - Nagqu (138 kilometers)

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Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 12 Namtso Lake

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Scenery along this section is fantastic with snow-capped mountains, vast green grasslands, and flocks of sheep. You can either cycle into Namtso Lake, which will take 2 days, or you take the jeep if you just want to make a day trip. Either way, we will need to travel through the Lichen Pass at an elevation of 5190 meters, which will give us a breathtaking view over Namtso Lake. Namtso Lake is one of the three holy lakes of Tibet, and it is also the world’s highest altitude salt lake. We can spend the night along the lakeshore to completely immerse ourselves in our beautiful surroundings.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Nagqu - Namtso Lake (146 kilometers)

DAY 13 Namtso Lake

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Meals: None

Accommodation: Nagqu - Namtso Lake (146 kilometers)

DAY 14 Namtso - Yangpachen (123 kilometers)

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While enjoying the beautifully clear morning at the lakeshore, you can trek along the shoreline to Tashi Dor Island to explore the meditation caves. After a morning of exploration, we’ll begin the journey back to Lhasa with a bike ride over the Lagangla Pass to Yangpachen. Along the way we’ll have a view of the Nyenchen Thanglha mountain range, reaching Yangpachen around 4 or 5 p.m. Yangpachen is famous for its geothermal power station and the nearby hot spring, where we can relax in the natural hot spring before retiring for the night.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Camping or Guesthouse

DAY 15 Yangpachen - Lhasa (75 kilometers)

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This is the final leg of your cycling trip as we roll through beautiful scenery towards the holy city of Lhasa on the roof of the world. The route from Yangpachen to Lhasa is mostly downhill and it has been recently repaired, so we’ll have a smooth and easy ride today. Still we will need to make sure that the bike’s brakes are working properly and that we control our speed, as there are many twists and turns on this route. As we enter Lhasa, we will encounter a sign reading “Welcome to Lhasa!” It’s a fitting end to a rewarding cycling journey that very few people will ever accomplish.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Overnight at Lhasa 3-Star hotel

DAY 16 Lhasa sightseeing - Potola Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor

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Today we will start off with the fantastic Potala Palace, which historically served as the winter home of the Dalai Lama. It was first used in the 7th century by the 33rd king of Tibet. The most valuable collections in the Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of the former Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet. After lunch, we will move on to the Jokhang Temple, which was also founded in 647 A.D. by the 33rd great king of Tibet to promote the Buddhist religion. Inside you can see the statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni as he was at the age of twelve – this is perhaps the most venerated object in Tibetan Buddhism. Around the temple is Barkhor Street where you can perform the “Kora” (a religious circuit around a sacred building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals. The Barkhor market is also a great place to pick up locally made handicrafts and souvenirs.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Overnight at Lhasa 3-Star hotel

DAY 17 Lhasa sightseeing - Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery and Norbulingka Park

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This morning we will visit the Drepung Monastery – one of the great three Gelug monasteries of Tibet. Founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choge, on Tosngkhapa’s main disciples, the Drepung Monastery is home of Ganden Palace, which formerly served as the Dalai Lama’s palace before later moving on to the Potala Palace. In the afternoon we will move on to see another of the great three of the Gelug monasteries in Tibet – the Sera Monastery. Founded in 1419 by another main disciple of Tsongkhapa, Jamchen Chojey, the main attraction of this monastery is the lively scene of the monks debating Buddhist scriptures in the courtyard behind the monastery in the afternoon. You will finish today’s activity after we visit Norbulingka Park, which served as the summer palace of the Dalai Lama and later became a governmental administration center. Here you will have the opportunity to see how the Dalai Lama studied Buddhist scriptures and touched the lives of the local Tibetan people.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Overnight at Lhasa 3-Star hotel

DAY 18 Transfer to Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Train Station - Depart from Lhasa

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Your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel to escort you back to Lhasa Gonggar Airport for your departing flight or to the Lhasa train station for your departing train as you finish your Tibetan adventure.

Meals: None

Accommodation:

Price Includes.

√Tibet Entry Permit and Alien's travel Permit
√Transport
√Environment friendly local bus between Rongpuk and EBC
√Hot water bottle and sleeping bag provided in Winter while traveling to EBC.
√Oxygen provided while traveling to EBC.
√Professional Tibetan English speaking tour guide
√Travel Agency Service Charge
√Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
√One welcome dinner in Lhasa

Price Excludes.

√Single room supplement.
√China visa, all air tickets and train tickets to and from Tibet.
√Sightseeing not listed in the itinerary.
√Meals not listed in the itinerary (all lunches and dinners).
√Admission fee of All tourist sites listed in Itinerary
√Personal expenses such as laundry, drink, fax, telephone call, optional activities, etc. √Gratuities, tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc.
√Excess Baggage Charges.

Our Service

We will send you our quotation after we confirm the itinerary with you. The quotation will include experienced English-speaking (or your preferred languages) tour guides, entrance fee to the tourist attractions, accommodation, city transfers with private car and driver, domestic flights or trains, and insurance. The quotation varies in different tourist seasons.

Cancellation Policy

Once the deposit is paid, your trip is confirmed. If you need to change or cancel your itinerary, please contact your travel consultant by email, phone, instant messenger, etc. There will be a charge for Cancellation or modification. The policy is as follows：

1. Notice of trip cancellation due to personal reasons before the trip starts
Cancellation 30 days or more before the trip starts, 10% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation 29-15 days before the trip starts, 20% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation 14-7 days before the trip starts, 30% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation 6-2 days before the trip starts, 50% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation within 48 hours prior to the trip starts, no refund of your deposit.

2. Trip cancellation due to irresistible factors before the trip starts

If you have to cancel the itinerary due to irresistible reasons such as traffic, weather, politics, etc., the deposit will be fully refunded by the company (for loss related to air ticket/train ticket, please take reference of the first item).

Early Birds Discount

Our incredible discounts will help you save more on your next trip. Not only will you enjoy early bird discount. What’s more, if more than 16 people(including 16pax) sign up at the same time, there is no charge for one person. These two promotions can be used in combination to help you save much more on your next adventure.

Our primary concern is always customer satisfaction. Despite our discounts are quite incredible, our service remains at its usual high standard.

We are pleased to offer these three kinds of promotions after receiving your reservation deposit:
Enjoy 10% discount - sign up above 180 days before departure date;
Enjoy 5% discount - sign up 90~180 days before departure date.

Reviews

 EBC- India-0002

Hi Amy,

Amy I just got back home yesterday as after Nepal I went to India :)

The tour was great. I loved every minute of it, was the adventure I was hoping for. I would like to thank you also once again for your never ending patience with me and dedicated help regarding everything and anything that I needed help with or information about.

Keep up the good spirit Amy :) I will definitively will be recommending the tour to people :) Our guide was very kind although I guess some of us really put his patience to the test by making changes and making variation all the time : ) ha ha ha but he was dealing with it with great attitude :) So big Thank you Amy!!l!!!!!! Wish you all the best of luck for the future ;)

With love, Monika

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 Lhasa-Germany-0017

Wenn Sie Reisennachtibet.de Reiseleiter Pincuo mit mit, da man hier so viel Geschichte und lernen Sie abdecken kann besuchen, die Sie nicht alleine unterwegs zu erkunden. Der Palast wurde zuerst in 641 erbaut und umgebaut von Fifth Dalai Lama im 17. Jahrhundert, ist ein wahres Modell der tibetanischen Architektur mit 13 Etagen über 1.000 Zimmer. Sie sehen einige der Gräber der vergangenen Dalai Lama und viele Kammern. Der Aufstieg zum Palace ist unglaublich und landschaftlich schön, aber etwas anstrengend wegen der hohen Höhenlage. Es werden ca. 2-3 Stunden zum erkunden der gesamten Palace Complex. Verpassen Sie nicht das dies eine einmalige Gelegenheit, Potala Palast wenn Sie je Lhasa besuchen!

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 EBC-British-0011

Thank you Shirley,My brother in law has traveled with your agency about two years ago, so you come highly recommended : )

The tour you suggested sounds perfect. Could you give us some other dates too please for a week. earlier than the 26th in June and a week later please and the cost. I have to share the information with my friends and then we will decide accordingly. Two of us will be travelling from Hong Kong. I have a British passport, my husband has a diplomatic passport (he is from Pakistan, posted as Counsel General in Hong Kong). Two or three people will be travelling from Pakistan to Hong Kong and from there to China and Tibet.

Two more questions please: 1. can you offer a discount if we have a larger group? 2. Can you also help us with travel options from Hong Kong? Thank you in advance for your help!

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 EBC-Brizil-0009

Hi Kay.

I'm in China yet, but I'm going back to Brazil the day after tomorrow. The Tibet's tour was AWESOME ... Everything was perfect! The guide was very smart with very good English, take care with everyone, the best guide in Tibet(he is a small Tenzin)

Enviado do meu iPhone

 Kailash&EBC-England-0008

Dear Nancy,

How nice to hear from you! Thanks for your email and yes, I have been back to England since last Thursday after the wonderful trip to Tibet you helped organizing. I hope all is well with you and you have had a “Golden Week” holiday.

Overall the trip was excellent, the tour showed different part of Tibet and had the right balance of supervision and free time in Lhasa especially. Good points were your email contact which was always prompt and informative, helpful and friendly. This helped build trust and confidence in the journey. I also thought highly of the tour guide who showed us around, he was very patient and kind to us, most of all I was impressed by his deep knowledge and genuine belief in Tibetan Buddhism.

That’s all that I can think of at the moment, but I really did want to thank you for a fantastic trip to Tibet, I’m left with wanting to return and see more. It was very thought provoking and I loved it all!

Many thanks again and best wishes! Kathy

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 EBC-Germany-0018

Zuerst dankte ich an unseren Reiseleiter Lobsang. Er führt uns einen der höchsten WC in Tibet besuchen, bevor wir die Wallfahrt nach diesem heiligen Schrein am Dala Lama gebaut. Er verwendeten Materialien aus der Fuß des Berges und es entstand ein See gibt es in Ordnung für eine ausgewogene Landschaft. Blick auf den größten Platz in Lhasa können gesehen vom Palast. Als wir an dem Tag und zwar fast jeden Tag kamen, kann man hunderte und Tausende von Menschen singen und heftig auf dem Platz. Viele religiöse Trefferstelle waren in das Palace gespeichert. Viele Gläubige waren immer noch durch Türen in der Palast betete. Es gab viele Buddha Satzung in den verschiedenen Zimmern mit verzierten Perlen schmücken. Wer kann von der spirituellen Kraft, berührt die Amv (Lehrer Sinn) repräsentiert werden.

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18 Days Cycling Tour from Golmud to Lhasa FAQ

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