7 Days Xining and Lhasa Train tour
per person
In the 7 days Xining to Lhasa train tour, after visiting main attractions in Xining, you will take a train to Lhasa from Xining, then start a Lhasa tour. You could visit the world-famous monasteries in Lhasa and explore the deep Tibetan Buddhist culture in Lhasa.
Overview:
This 7-day tour will take you to appreciate the breathtaking beauty and ethnic culture of Xining by exploring the Sun & Moon Mountain and the sacred Qinghai Lake. Then, you will take the Qinghai-Tibet train to Lhasa from Xining. Taking a train to Lhasa is usually a common choice for international travelers as it helps to defend the suffering from the high-altitude sickness. After your arrival in Lhasa the next day, you will have a classic sightseeing tour first. Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region, as well as the famous “City of Sunshine”. During the two days, you will explore deep Tibetan Buddhist culture through visiting those famous attractions, such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, and so on.
Brief Itinerary:
Day | Daily Outline | Attractions |
Day 1 | Arrival in Xining | Pick up and transfer to the hotel |
Day 2 | Xining Sightseeing | Sun and Moon Mountain, Qinghai Lake |
Day 3 | Board the Train to Lhasa from Xining | Ta’er Monastery, the Scenery along Qinghai-Tibet Railway |
Day 4 | Arrival in Lhasa (3680m) | Pick up and transfer to the hotel. |
Day 5 | Lhasa Sightseeing | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street |
Day 6 | Lhasa Sightseeing | Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery |
Day 7 | Lhasa Departure | Send off to airport/railway station |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Xining
Welcome to Xining, the capital city of Qinghai Province. Once you arrive, our local tour guide and driver will greet you at Xining Airport or Railway Station! Then you will be transferred to our designated hotel in Xining. Free for the rest of the day.
Stay overnight in Xining
Day 2 Xining Sightseeing
Attractions: Sun and Moon Mountain, Qinghai Lake
After breakfast, you will visit Qinghai Lake, which is the largest inland and saltwater lake in China. The color of the lake changes with time and varies in different depth of the lake. So, it’s also considered as “Seven Color Lake”. Due to the rich environment and abundant fishes in the lake, many birds are also attracted by this Qinghai lake, making this place a kingdom of birds as well as the wonderland for bird-watchers. Qinghai Lake is surrounded by the rolling mountains, of which the shadow falls on the surface. Under the water, you can see the vast grasslands at the bottom of the lake. There are many small islands decorated with green water. All these natural attractions are perfectly combined to form a paradise that has won the favor of many tourists.
Besides, on the way to Qinghai Lake, you’ll have a stop by the Mt. Sun and Moon. It’s said that the Princess Wencheng in the Tang Dynasty entered Tibet through here and finally married the Tibetan King Songtsan Gambo.
Stay overnight in Xining
Day 3 Take a Train to Lhasa
Attractions: Ta’er Monastery, the Scenery along Qinghai-Tibet Railway
In the morning, you will visit Ta’er Monastery, which is located in Xining City. Ta’er Monastery, the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, one of the famous Tibetan Buddhist Masters, is one of the main Gelugpa monasteries.
After lunch, you’ll be transferred to Xining railway station and start your wonderful train tour to Lhasa.
Xining is the exact start of the Qinghai-Tibet train. There are several trains every day from Xining to Lhasa. Our staff will send you off to the railway station according to your train schedule. The train from here to Lhasa will be changed to the Plateau model with oxygen offered in the carriage. Thus, you don’t need to worry about the high altitude sickness. Besides, the scenery along the railway from Xining to Lhasa is pretty good.
All the trains will take around 20-22 hours to arrive in Lhasa from Xining, which means you will stay for one night on the train. So, you are suggested to bring along with some food and snacks, such as bread, instant noodles, milk, etc. The hot food on the train is available, however, the cost is higher than the restaurant. Due to the long-time train trip, we advise you to book the soft sleeper tickets.
Stay overnight on the train
Day 4 Arrival in Lhasa (3680m)
Welcome to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet! Your Tibetan guide and driver will wait for you at Lhasa Airport or the train station and then take you to the hotel. When driving on the road, you could enjoy the Tibetan pure blue sky and white clouds. It takes 1.5 hours from the airport to the center of Lhasa and about 20 minutes from the train station. After arriving at the hotel, you must be very excited and can’t wait to visit Lhasa city. But you are suggested to take a good rest in order to adapt to high altitudes. If you feel good, you could stroll through the city of Lhasa like Potala Square, where you can enjoy the beautiful night view of the Potala Palace.
Good to know:
*For travelers who are the first time to visit high altitude land, you are suggested to have a good rest in your hotel on the first day.
*If you would like to stay in a hotel with oxygen supply, you are suggested to stay at hotels such as Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa (with a luxury oxygen spa) or Shambhala hotel (oxygen is supplied).
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3/4-star
Day 5 Lhasa Sightseeing- Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple
Attractions: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, is well-known as an international tourism city with mystic Tibetan Buddhist culture and natural plateau scenery. Today, we will arrange you to explore this old and holy city which is already over 1300 years.
In the morning, you will head to visit world-known Potala Palace, which has the highest architecture in the world. It was built by Srongtsen Gampo in the 7th.century and used to be the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. Except for the art of buildings, you could also visit the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.
After lunch, you are going to visit another symbolic scenic spot of Tibet-Jokhang Temple. It is considered to be the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism. In the temple, there is a golden life-sized statue of 12-year-old Sakyamuni, which was brought by Princess Wencheng from the Tang Dynasty. So, you could see many devout Tibetans do a pilgrimage in front of Jokhang temple. Afterward, you could stroll around the famous Barkhor Street, where you can enjoy a sweet tea, and buy some Tibetan souvenirs.
With the attractions, we will arrange a welcome dinner for you tonight. Hope you can enjoy the relaxing night with your friends and guide.
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3/4-star
Day 6 Lhasa Sightseeing- Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery
Attractions: Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery
Today, you will also discover two other highlights of Lhasa – Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery. In the morning, you are going to visit Drepung Monastery, the largest monastery in Tibet. Before the liberation of Tibet, more than 10,000 monks lived and studied. Therefore, Drepung Monastery is also well-known as the “Mother School of Dalai Lamas”
In the afternoon, you will visit the Sera Monastery. You can enjoy a wonderful Buddhist debate in the monastery, open daily from 3 pm to 5 pm, except on Sundays. You can participate in the daily debate of 80 monks in a closed courtyard. This is more like a question and answers session on Tibetan Buddhism. Through this debate, you can learn more about Tibetan Buddhism culture.
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3/4-star
Day 7 Depart from Lhasa
Your Tibet tour ends today. After breakfasts, you will be free for the morning. Our staff will pick you up at your hotel and send you off to Lhasa Airport/Railway Station.
Cost and Inquiry
Since it’s a customized Tibet tour of which the price is different depends on the travel season, hotel class, and the number of travelers, etc. Please let us know your tour plan by filling in the following form. Your trip advisor will contact you within 24 hours for a private Tibet tour designed only for you.
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