Travel into Tibet through the World's Highest Railway

You can get to Xining either by high-speed train or by plane.
High-speed trains from Lanzhou, Xi’an, Jiayuguan, Zhangye, Kumul, Turpan, and Urumqi give access to Xining.
The direct flights to Xining are available from Beijing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Kunming and Xi'an.

On arrival, the guide will meet you at the airport / train station. You will get on an overnight train to Lhasa with an around 21 hour journey. If time permits, your guide will show you around Xining city. You can click “What is a Chinese Overnight Train Like?” to learn more about the facility.
(Note: meals are served on the train at your own expense.)

Ta'er Monastery in Xining

Wake up on the train and enjoy the magnificent view of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. You will pass by snowcapped Yuzhu Peak and Kunlun Mountains. The legend of Kekexili nature reserve, the scenery of salt lake and the Tuotuo River attract every passenger.

Kekexili

You will arrive at Lhasa train station in the late afternoon. Your guide will be waiting for you at the exit. After checking in your hotel, you can refresh yourself and recover slowly from high altitude sickness.

A Train Runs on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

As a sacred place of Tibetan Buddhism, the Potala Palace is a must-visit place to countless pilgrims and tourists every year. After more than 1300 years of history, the palace houses 8 golden pagodas of the Dalai Lama, 5 exquisite Mandalas, over 70,000 pieces of cultural relics, and more than 60,000 volumes (parts) of ancient records. You will have a chance to learn about Thang-ga, which is a unique painting art form in Tibetan culture.

The Potala Palace

After lunch, you will continue by visiting Jokhang Monastery. Different from other monasteries in Tibet, Jokhang is a sacred monastery revered by many religious sects instead of just by a certain Tibetan Buddhist sect. You can see Tibetans spinning the prayer wheels and circumambulating the central Shakyamuni Temple and the outer wall of the monastery. Barkhor Street outside of the monastery is the most important place for circumambulation. Along with the development of Jokhang Monastery, the resting places, monk dormitories, religious schools, small temples, and other service facilities were all built correspondingly. The whole old neighborhood has a strong flavor of Tibetan life.

Worship at Jokhang Monastery

A Tibetan Woman of Faith in Barkhor Street

Today your guide will take you to Shigatse, meaning “a manor with the best soil” in Tibetan. Drive all the way to the southwest; you will have a stopover at Yamdrok Lake that is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. The beauty of the lake and surrounding mountains is considered to be the crown of South Tibet. The unique natural scenic spot integrates plateau lakes, snow-capped mountains, islands, pastures, hot springs, wild animals and plants, and temples. We will prepare a lunch box for you.

Yamdrok Lake

You will arrive in Shigatse before dinner. Hotel check in and restore your energy after the long-distance drive.

You will visit one of the six great Gelugpa monasteries – Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, which is comparable to the Dalai Lama's Potala Palace. It houses the successive Panchen Lama's Stupas and the flesh of Tibetan sarira. The most prominent chapels are the Chapel of Jampa, Victory Chapel, the Tomb of the 10th Panchen Lama, the Tomb of the Fourth Panchen Lama, Kelsang Temple, the Main Assembly Hall, and the Tomb stupa of Panchen Lamas: from Fifth to the Ninth. Do not skip the Tomb of the 10th Panchen Lama, who was the only person to enjoy the reputation of a golden pagoda burial.

A Corner of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery

After that, you will admire the splendid scene of Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon and Brahmaputra River on the way back to Lhasa.

Today say goodbye to your guide and depart for your next destination. Hopefully, the profound Tibetan Buddhism culture and magnificent natural scenery in the mysterious Tibet will enlighten your work and life in the future.