Essential Shanghai Tibet Train Tour

When you arrive at the airport in Shanghai, your tour guide and driver will greet you by holding your name sign at the exit, then drive you to the hotel. The rest of the day is yours to recover from the jet lag.

Stay overnight in Shanghai

Today, you are going to Tongli Water Town. We will set out from Shanghai to Tongli Town in the early morning, which takes about 1.5hrs. We will visit the Tuisi Garden first. Although the scale of Tuisi Garden is not large, it is extremely exquisite with an elegant main hall, winding corridors, chic gardens, and poetic architecture. Then Take a Wu Peng boat to glide in the river and cross ancient bridges. The ancient town seen in that way will have a different perspective and make the trip easy.

In the afternoon, you are driving 1hr to Suzhou to visit Humble Administrator Garden, also known as Zhuozheng Garden, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the Ming dynasty, the Humble Administrator Garden is the largest and most renowned classical landscape garden in Suzhou which contains lots of pools, meandering rock paths, little hills, old trees, and flowers. Such a beautiful place can make you feel away from the busy world. Taking a rickshaw ride in Suzhou is regarded as the best activity for tourists, Therefore, you can take a half-hour rickshaw ride in Suzhou. Finally, you will drive back to Shanghai.

Stay overnight in Shanghai

After having breakfast, you will start the tour in Shanghai. First of all, you will visit the Yu Garden -- It is a typical private garden in China with nearly 500 years of history, located in Shanghai's old town. Then you will continue to the Bund, which is a Chinese historical and cultural block, also one of the landmarks of Shanghai. Most of the buildings here were erected before 1937. It used to be a British concession. Now it is called an exhibition of international architecture. At noon, you will have lunch at the local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you can wander around Nanjing Road, a must-see metropolitan destination that attracts thousands of fashion-seeking shoppers from all over the world. Finally, you will seeJade Buddha Temple, of which the highlights are two precious jade statues of Sakyamuni.

In the evening, you will go to the Shanghai Railway Station to take the overnight train to Lhasa.

Stay overnight on the train

It's quite a long journey. You will move westwards and see the majestic mountains, the barren land, and the Yellow River. In the evening, you will arrive in Xining - the start point of the Qinghai-Tibet railway. You will see massive deserts, the immense grasslands, vast valleys, snow-capped Mountains, picturesque lakes, and flocks of yaks and sheep.

Stay overnight in the train

Your guide and driver will greet you at Lhasa Railway to transfer you to the hotel. From Lhasa Railway Station, it usually takes about 20 mins. After being transferred to the hotel, you will be free for the rest of the day to wander around the city on your own but try not to overtax yourself. The first day's well-rest is crucial to acclimatize to the high altitude. Remember to drink lots of water and eat light. Not to have a shower if you can help it.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

After a night of rest, you will begin your Lhasa city tour. As the heart of Tibet for over 1,300 years, Lhasa is home to Tibet’s most important cultural and religious landmarks.

Your first stop is the Potala Palace, the former winter palace of the Dalai Lama. Built in the 7th century by King Songtsen Gampo, it is famous for its gilded stupas and historic chapels.

In the afternoon, you will visit Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism, where pilgrims gather for worship throughout the day.

Later, you will stroll along Barkhor Street, a traditional street around Jokhang Temple known for its Tibetan handicrafts and lively local atmosphere.

Optional:

You can go to visit the Tibetan handicraft art or the Tibetan Traditional Medicine center if time is enough. You can also watch the Tibetan Culture Show in the evening for USD60 per person at your own expense.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

In the morning, you are heading to Drak Yerpa, the most famous meditation retreat near Lhasa. It's a monastery embedded in the cliff wall. Drak Yerpa is described as the "life tree" or spiritual axis of Lhasa. The site had strong spiritual power, having been visited by almost all great Tibetan masters. You can feel the power of the meditation caves here.

In the afternoon, you will pay a visit to Sera Monastery, which is one of the "great three" Gelug monasteries of Tibet. Monks debate from 3 pm to 5 pm. If the debate is not your type, you can also enjoy the three sand Mandalas and colorful rock paintings of Buddha. The sight here is splendid because you can see wild roses around. That's why people also call it "the Court of Wild Rose."

Stay overnight in Lhasa