How to Plan a Beijing Tibet Tour?
To visit Tibet and Beijing in a trip is a wonderful lifetime journey in which you can see the incredible contrast of culture, history, sightseeing, landscape, food, etc. There are several travel details you should consider when planning a Beijing Tibet tour, such as when is the best time to visit Beijing and Tibet, how long the tour takes, how to transfer, where to visit, etc.
Choose a Best Time to Go
Beijing is in the northern China, while Tibet is in the far southwestern China. The different location and geographical environment result in two different weathers. Generally speaking, both Beijing and Tibet are suitable for travel all year around. And you can get different kinds of experience in different season. But among all season and months, autumn (September to November) is the best season to visit both Beijing and Tibet.
Beijing features in a rather dry, monsoon-influenced humid continental climate with four distinct seasons. Summer is hot and humid with highest average temperature of 26 °C in July. Winter is usually cold, windy and dry. The lowest average temperature is -3.6°C in January. Autumn is the best time to visit Beijing for it is the most beautiful and pleasant season, especially from the mid-September to mid-November, when there is plenty of sunshine and cooler temperatures. Spring is a windy and dry season often hit by sandstorms.
As a vast land, Tibet has diverse climates in different regions. But most places have a plateau climate - thin air, strong sunlight, hug temperature gap between daytime and night, less rain. Summer and winter are two distinct seasons. While spring and autumn are short. Summer is long, warm with plenty of sunlight and less snow, which is a good time to visit Everest, Nyingchi. Winter is relatively cold. It snows much in most areas. Many places are not available for visiting in winter, such as Namtso Lake, EBC, Mount Kailash. But you can discover Lhasa, Nyingchi, Gyantse, etc. Recommended time to visit Tibet is from April to October.
Useful Links:
Autumn of Great Wall in Beijing
Spring Peach Flower Blossom in Nyingchi Tibet
Decide your Travel Length
To get the best highlights of both Beijing and Tibet, you need about 7~12 days depending on the transfer methods, destinations to visit.
Apart from the time spent at arrival and departure, you need 2 or 3 full day to finish the TO-DO-LISTS. One day to explore the central area of Beijing, including Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven. Another full day to hike the world famous heritage sites Mutianyu Great Wall, then follows a trip to the imperial tombs of Ming Dynasty. Also take a short visit to the Olympic village on the way back to central Beijing. If time allows, spend one more days to experience the traditional Beijing Hutong culture, also go to the summer palace. Then you can take the night train Z21 to Lhasa. If you prefer an air travel, you can take a flight flexibly based on your time.
After arrival at Lhasa, you usually start with 2 or 3 days city travel in Lhasa and nearby, then extend your trip to take the classic tourist route from Lhasa to Mount Everest. En route, you will also visit historical destinations Gyantse and Shigatse, which takes about 3 or 4 days.
Useful Links:
Mount Everest in Tibet
How to Travel: Beijing to Tibet or Tibet to Beijing?
Travel from Beijing to Tibet or from Tibet to Beijing? Both are practicable. It mostly depends on your plan. Since there is only one international flight connecting Tibet (Kathmandu - Lhasa), travelers usually need firstly get to a gateway city in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu. So you can get to Beijing first, and then take a train or a flight to Lhasa. If you get to Tibet from other Chinese cities, such as Chengdu, Shanghai, Kathmandu, so traveling from Tibet to Beijing is a great suggestion.
Useful Links:
★ How to Travel from Beijing to Tibet | ★ How to Travel from Tibet to Beijing
Lhasa Gonggar International Airport
Choices of transportation
The straight distance from Beijing to Lhasa is about 3,216 km. Since Lhasa is the transportation center of Tibet, tourists often choose to transfer between Beijing and Lhasa by flight or train. Taking flight is mostly chosen due to the short hours needed. There are more than 10 non-stop flights from Beijing to Lhasa every day. You can also choose to take a long but scenic train ride, with a distance of 3,753 km costing about 41 hours. But the train journey makes you experience the highest railway in the World – Qinghai Tibet Railway as well as the stunning plateau landscape.
Most Popular Beijing Tibet Tours:
Qinghai Tibet Railway
Choose Accommodations in Beijing and Tibet
Accommodation is a very important part of travel. Beijing has top class hotels ranging from Chinese brand to international brand, from 3 star to super 5 star hotels, from traditional hotels to luxury resorts, etc. While the accommodation in Tibet is not as good as in Beijing. The capital city Lhasa offers some great hotels with good amenities and service. But in other remote regions, such as Everest, Ngari, most hotels are with basic facilities.
Useful Links:
★ Recommended Hotels in Beijing | ★ Recommended Accommodation in Tibet
St. Regis Lhasa Resort
Explore Highlights in Beijing and Tibet
Beijing is the No.1 travel destinations in China with too many things to do. It is famous as one of “Eight Greatest Ancient Capitals”, also a historical city whose age can be dated back to 3,600 years ago. Beijing is also the city having maximum numbers of World Herigate sites – seven. Visiting Beijing is like having a Chinese history class. Many great historical sites are for you to go, such as Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Summer Palaces, Ming Tombs, Temple of Heaven. Som local tradition you can’t miss, such as Hutongs, acrobats show, etc. Learn more about Beijing attractions.
Tibet consists of seven prefectures. Lhasa and Shigatse are two most visited ones. These two prefectures gather some many of most important attractions and sites in Tibet, including some influential monasteries and palaces – Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, Tashilhunpo Monastery, etc, also some stunning plateau lakes – Yamdrok Lake, Namtso Lake, etc, and some wonderful high mountains – Mount Everest, etc. From Lhasa, you can travel to other regions, such as Nyingchi, Ngari, Shannan, etc. More about Tibet things to do.
Useful Links:
★ Top Tourist Attractions in Beijing | ★ Top Tourist Attractions in Shanghai
Forbidden City in Beijing
Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet
Extend Beijing Tibet Tour with More China's Destinations
Want to travel an in-depth China discovery tour beyond Beijing and Tibet? There are many places as great extensions. Since Xian is located in the middle of Beijing and Tibet, many China tour packages usually take tourists to visit Beijing first, then go to Xian by a fast high speed train, and spend about two days there, and then transfer to Tibet. Chengdu ("Home of the Giant Panda in China") is another perfect connecting city which can link Yangtze River, Guilin, Shanghai with Lhasa and Beijing. Even, China Discovery can customize a Nepal tour with Tibet for you!
Longer Beijing Tibet Tour Packages:
✔ 14 Days China Treasure Tour with Tibet Dream
Terracotta Warriors in Xian
Keep Reading
Recommended Beijing Tibet Tours
Top 3 Beijing Tibet tours chosen by most customers to explore Beijing Tibet in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.
7 Days Classic Beijing Lhasa Tour by Flight
Beijing / Lhasa
8 Days Tibet Train Tour from Beijing
Beijing / Lhasa
11 Days Beijing & Soul of Tibet Tour
Beijing / Lhasa / Gyantse / Shigatse / Everest
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