8 Days Shanghai Lhasa Tour by Train

Your tour guide and professional driver will await your arrival at the Shanghai Port, airport or train station to escort you by private car to your Shanghai hotel. You will have the rest of this day to rest and relax from your trip, or you can begin to explore the local area on your own.

Accommodation: Overnight in Shanghai

Today we will start your exploration of this amazing city with a full day sightseeing tour. We will pick you up from the lobby of your hotel and take you to visit the world-class Shanghai Museum. Rated as one of the “Best Four Museums” of China, the Shanghai Museum has more than 120,000 pieces in its collections, including ancient bronzes, paintings, calligraphy, sculptures, ceramics, jade and much more that trace more than 5,000 years of China’s phenomenal history.

Next up is a visit to Yuyuan Garden, an ancient masterpiece of classical Chinese gardens. First constructed in 1559, Yuyuan consists of beautiful traditional architecture, water features, verdant green plants and rockeries that create an oasis of peaceful calm in the midst of modern Shanghai. Nearby is the Yuyuan Bazaar where you can try some traditional Shanghai snacks and shop for souvenirs and traditional Chinese handicrafts and works of art.

From the ancient to the new, we will move on to another of Shanghai’s popular attractions at Nanjing Road, a shopper’s paradise as well as a great place for a walk to experience the modern and vibrant atmosphere of the city. From Nanjing Road we will travel on to The Bund, which started off as a simple towpath for transporting goods from the river but eventually transformed into a world-class trading district. The Bund is a special area that fully reflects the fusion of Chinese and Western culture and architecture with the stunningly modern buildings of the new Shanghai skyline just across the river.

In the evening, we will take you to visit one of the most iconic buildings in all of Shanghai – the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. At 468 meters (1,535 feet) tall, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower was the tallest structure in China from 1994 to 2007. It features 15 different observatory levels, a small hotel, exhibition areas and an upper observatory level with a glass floor. The tower itself is lit up at night with everchanging LED lighting schemes, and it makes for an ideal place to to view the boats passing along the Huangpu River and the other amazingly-lit buildings of the Pudong area.

After your visit to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, we will take you back to your hotel for the night.

Accommodation: Overnight in Shanghai

This morning we will pick you up from your hotel to take you to visit the ancient and picturesque Zhujiajiao Water Village, sometimes referred to as the “Venice of China”. About a 1-hour drive from downtown Shanghai, Zhujiajiao is criss-crossed with numerous canals lined with old Ming and Qing dynasty architecture that make it an ideal place for photography and a relaxing day. You can enjoy a boat ride on the canals, traveling under the ancient stone bridges, and visit small shops selling traditional Chinese handicrafts and souvenirs along the old streets of the village.

After a full day exploring Zhujiajiao, we will take you on to the Shanghai train station to begin your trans-China train adventure. The Z164 train departs from Shanghai at 20:10 (8:10 p.m.) and arrives in Lhasa at 19:44 (7:44 p.m.) on the 3rd day, taking 47 hours and 34 minutes for the 4,373 kilometer (2,717 mile) trip so you will be spending two nights on board the train.

Accommodation: Overnight on the train

Witness the scenery en route

Accommodation: Overnight on the train

Day 5 will feature the amazing landscape along the Qinghai – Tibet Railway, the world’s highest altitude train ride. You will pass through deserts, vast grasslands, beautiful lakes and the stunning, snow-capped mountains of the Himalayan mountain range as you approach Lhasa.

Upon your arrival at the Lhasa train station, your local tour guide will greet you and escort you to your private vehicle to take you on to your Lhasa hotel. You will have the rest of the evening to rest and relax from your long train journey, and to become acclimatized to the higher altitude.

Overnight in Lhasa.

Tips for High Altitude Acclimatization:

1) Go for a leisurely walk in the fresh high altitude air, but avoid any strenuous activity after your arrival.

2) It's better to avoid taking a bath to avoid catching a cold.

3) Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and eat some fresh fruit.4) Get plenty of rest.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Start your exploration of Lhasa today with a visit to a world-famous landmark - the Potala Palace, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of architecture in the world. Climb up to the palace along zig-zagging stone paths alongside the white and red walls to the top of the palace where you can gain a greater appreciation of the exotic Tibetan-style buildings as well as for a great view of Lhasa's entire urban area. After admiring the sweeping outside views, explore the inner spaces of the Potala Palace to find the stately chapels and learn more about the fascinating history of this special place.

From one historic landmark to another, your next stop will be at the Jokhang Temple, considered as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Every day thousands of pilgrims come from all over Tibet and other places to the temple to worship the Buddha. The Jokhang Temple is also known as the "House of Buddha" because it houses the precious Jowo Rinpoche, a life-sized (1.5 meter/5 feet) image of the Sakyamuni at the age of 12.

The last stop for today's Lhasa exploration is Barkhor Street, the wide, circular street that surrounds the Jokhang Temple. Local residents enjoy walking on the street, completing several circuits around the temple as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. The street also has many small shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handicrafts.

After your visit to the Jokhang Temple, we will take you back to your hotel for the evening.

Tips for Visiting the Potala Palace
1. The number of visitors to the palace is strictly limited to 2,300 per day. Visitors can only visit during the time specified on the admission ticket.
2. Admission tickets to visit the Potala Palace are sold out almost every day, so it is strongly recommended to book your tickets several days in advance.
3. There are many steps at the Potala Palace, so it’s best to take it slowly to avoid possible altitude discomfort.
4. Visitors should respect the rules while visiting. Do not wear hats, wear revealing clothes or step on thresholds as these actions violate local customs.
5. Photography and the taking of videos are forbidden inside the Potala Palace.
6. A security search will take place at the entrance to the palace. Explosives, flammables, knives, lighters and even water bottles are not allowed inside the Potala Palace.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

After breakfast at your hotel, we will visit the beautiful Norbulingka Palace and Park, the location of the former summer palace of the Dalai Lamas from the 1780s up until 1959. It features the famous Potrang, the private palaces of former Dalai Lamas built in the grandiose style of traditional Tibetan architecture.

After visiting the palaces and park at Norbulingka, we will travel around 5 kilometers to the western outskirts of Lhasa to visit the Drepung Monastery. The word "drepung" in Tibetan language means "prosperity". Since its establishment in 1416, Drepung Monastery has served as one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. During its prime, more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery. Throughout its history, many important and famous Tibetan leaders studied at this monastery, including the Dalai Lamas. Accordingly, Drepung Monastery is also respectfully known as the “Mother School of Dalai Lamas”.

In the afternoon, we will escort you on to another famous monastery in Lhasa - the Sera Monastery. Sera Monastery is famous for its spectacular “Buddhist Debates”. As a daily routine, the monks gather in a courtyard, and debate on the various Buddhist doctrines with exaggerated gestures, which is thought to be helpful in facilitating a better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. After enjoying the "Buddhist Debates", we will take you back to your hotel with the rest of the day and evening to relax or explore on your own.

Tips for Proper Etiquette While Visiting Monasteries
1) For clothing, shorts and/or bare shoulders are not allowed.
2) Hats and sunglasses should be removed before entering the chapels.
3) Taking photos is usually not allowed inside the chapels.

Accommodation: Overnight in Lhasa

Today you will have free time until we meet you in the lobby of your hotel to transfer you to the Lhasa airport or train station for your departing flight or train.

Today's Tips:
1) Please take care to pack all of your belongings, particularly the small things that are easy to forget about, such as phone and camera chargers, power adapters, mobile phones, wallets, etc.
2) If your flight or train is in the afternoon, please be sure to check out of your hotel room by 12 p.m.

Accommodation: None