Qing-Tibet Plateau, the world roof adventure trip Discover the unique mysterious beauty of Qing-Tibet plateau, the world's highest mountain range, the spectacular vast grassland, the picturesque lakes surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and the colorful fascinating cultures ... All make this Tibetan adventure a truly incredible experience.

Payment: $3500 USD for one person.
Transportation vehicle: in comfortable 4 wheel Land Cruisers all the way.
Total transport distance: 3500km.
A group is composed of 3 persons.

Day 1; Lanzhou/Taér Monastery/Xining.
Distance: Lanzhou-Taér Monastery 260km, Taér Monastery-Xining 25km, totally 285km.
Live: Xining.
Schedule: Visit Taér Monastery in the morning and arrive in Xining in the evening.
Notes: No photos in Taér Monastery.
Relevant info: Taér Monastery：Situated in Lusha'er Town, Huangzhong County, where the father of the Gelug Sect of Lamaism, Tsongkhapa, was born. The monastery was built in 1560, and its greater and lesser Golden-tiled Halls and Grand Summons Hall form a sumptuous architecture complex, which has been preserved in best condition for centuries. Yak Butter Sculpture, Frescoes and Embossed Embroidery, the typical Tibetan Supreme Arts developed by its lama artists, are the three treasures of the monastery.
 

Day 2: Xining/Qinghai Lake/Caka/Dulan.
Distance: Xining-Qinghai Hu Lake 152km, Qinghai Hu Lake-Caka 140km, Caka-Dulan 130km, Totally 423km.
Live: Dulan.
Schedule: Wander around lake-Qinghai Hu, the largest inland saltwater lake in China, covering 4,635-square-km, a photographer and artist's paradise. The 0.8-square-km Bird Islet here hosts more than 100,000 migratory birds, including bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls, swans, and wild ducks. Later to the Caka salt lake, which lies by the brim of the Tarim Basin, coving 100 square kilo meters, being capable of supporting the whole world for 100 years. Get to Dulan at night.

Relevant information: Xining is the capital city of Qinghai Province, where the Yangtze River, the Yellow River as well as the Mekong River take their source. Landscape here is superb and enticing, the gleaming mountains range with glacier-capped peaks over 6000 meters high, the gobi desert dunes of Qaidam, the vast lush ranchland, and the sapphire-like lakes, all create a land of marvel, mystery and diversity. Here is the home of  "Regong Art", originated in the southeast of Qinghai, mainly reflect Tibetan Buddhist culture. This unique Tibetan culture legacy include painting, frescoes, thangkas, sculpture and architecture. Handing down from generation to generation, almost every man here inherits the occupation as an artisan.

Day 3: Dulan/Golmud.
Live: Golmud.
Distance: Dulan-Golmud 353km.
Schedule: Get through the Qaidam Basin, entering the Yardang Landform, which is completely a marvelous masterpiece of the Nature ,carved by wind and rain into various special sculpts and strange shapes. Finally arrive in Golmud.

Day 4: Golmud/Kunlun Mountain/Tangula mountain/Amdo/Nagqu.
Live: Nagqu.
Distance: Golmud-Kunlun Mountain pass 158km, Kunlun Mountain pass - Tangula Mountain pass 446km, Tangula Mountain pass-Amdo 109km, Amdo-Naqu 140km. Totally 853km.
Schedule: Driving on the highest highway in the world, traversing the most magnificent mountain ranges on earth- the world roof. Looking downwards, the Qing-Tibet railway runs beneath the Kunlun Mountain, the lofty Pearl Peak stands ahead, till accorsing the first bridge over the Yangzi river. After a short break, begin to challenge the Tangula mountain. the 6,621-metre Mount Geladaindong glaciers north of Tanggula Mountain, is the fountainhead of the Yangtze and Yellow River, could be seen clearly not farway. Unexpected weather changes may be occoured here incidently, due to complicated geography conditions, while, it will be one of your best remembered adventure experience. At last arrive in Nagqu, an important North Tibet town in the Qiangtang grassland.
 

Day 5: Nagqu/Damxung/Namco/Lhasa.
Live: Lhasa.
Distance: Nagqu-Damxung 164km. Damxung-Namco 64km. Namco-Lahsa 217km. Totally 445km.
Schedule: Nagqu is a northern Tibetan prefecture at an elevation of above 4,500 metres. The exotic scenery of the holy lake of Namco combines with the unique lifestyle of the nomads to form an unusually idyllic landscape in this prefecture.
Relevant information: Namuco, 4,718 metres above sea level, the highest lake on earth, covers 1940 square kilo meters, expanding 70 km from the east to the west edge.

Day 6: Lhasa.
Live: Lhasa.
Schedule: Explore the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, Drepung Temple, and Barkhor Street  in Lhasa. The original look and old lifestyle could be touched at Barhkor Street in the old part of Lhasa, where all sorts of arts and crafts are on sale.
Relevant information: Lhasa (meaning "Holy Place"), lies 3700 metres above sea level, bathed in sunshine for more than 3,000 hours a year.

Day 7: Lhasa/Yamzho Yumco(Yamdrok Tso)/Qüxü/China-Nepal highway/Shigatse.
Distance: Lhasa-Yamzho Yumco approx. 98km. Lhasa-Shigatse 280km, (going further from Xigaze to Gyantse, totally 350km.)
Live: Xigaza.
Schedule: Leave Lhasa, go over the 4990m high Kambala snow mountain, to get to the highest fresh water lake on earth-Yanzho Yumco(4441m above sea level), which is ranked one of the top 3 holy lakes in Tibet, covers 638 square kms with 250km long bank. Next, return to Nagqu bridge, go on the China-Nepal highway, then follow the Yarlungzangbo River to reach Shigatse, the second most important city in Tibet.

Relavant information: Shigatse, a 500-year-old cultural city 3,800-metre above sea level, is the site of Benchen Lamas' residence . The world-famed Mount Qomolanma (8,848.13 metres) stands to the south of the city. The emblem of the city is the Tashilunpo Monastery, established in 1447, where the fourth Benchen Lama and his successors resided and conduct political activities. Covering a floorspace of 300,000 square metres, the monastery is enshrined with the world's largest gilded bronze Buddhist statue, the 22.4-metre-high statue of Champa.
Note: Vehicle runs on asphalt roads today, so it takes about 7 hours on the way.

 

Day 8: Shigatse-Tingri(Shegar).
Distance: 250km.
Live: Tingri.
Schedule: Visit Tashilunpo Monastery in the early day, next to pass over the 5200m high Jiacuola mountain in the afternoon to reach Tingri.

Day 9: Tingri-Everest Base Camp.
Distance: 150km.
Live: 250km.
Schedule: Pass the border check point in the morning. Visit Rombuk, the highest monastery on the earth, a superb panoramic view from here is fantastic and the Qomolangma is so close, just in front, almost touchable. Aferwards, drive thorugh Qomolangma Natural preserve to Qomolanma Feng(Everest) Base Camp(5200m above sea level). It's a little cold outside the tent, the night is absolutely quiet, stars light turn gleam, only the peak of Qomolanma is shining in  the limpid sky, look up for it, full of great reverence...
Note: Road here is completely gravel paved, it costs 6-7 hours to get to the Qomalangma, even it looks so near.

Day 10: Everest Base Camp-Zhangmu pass.
Live: Everest Base Camp.
Distance: 480km.
Schedule: Watch the sunrise in Qomolangma. Then clumb the 5200m high Nyalam mountain, get to the Zhangmu pass in the China-Nepal border. It's a striking experience when looking at the drastic changes of the geographic features and forest distribution vertically outsite the window as the vehicle descends from 5200m to suddenly 2000m to the border town of Zhangmu, leaving the Tibetan Plateau behind.

Day 11: Zhangmu town-Kathmandu. Departure.
Schedule: Get check in the border pass. Then take a taxi to get to Kathmandu.

Appendix: If your jounery begins from Beijing, then the following timebable is recommanded:

Day 1: Arrive in Beijing.

Day 2-3: visit Beijing, then leave for Xi'an on train at the second evening, and arrive in the next morning.(the train between Beijing and Xi'an runs for 12 hours.)

Day 4-5: Visit Xi'an and leave for Lanzhou on train at the fifth evening, and arriver in the next morning.(the train between Xi'an and Lanzhou runs for 8 hours.)

From Lanzhou on, all the journey is as described above. The overall time would be 18 days, and all the expense before Lanzhou is payed by yourself, you should only arrive in Lanzhou as previously agreed time.