7 Days Xining-Tibet Adventure Tour by Overnight Train: Xining -Lhasa -Tsedang

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Xining - Lhasa by Overnight Train
   Ta’er Monastery (No meal)

   Welcome to Xining! When you arrive at Xining Airport, your local guide will greet you at the exit of arrival hall by holding a name sign and transfer you to visit Ta’er Monastery. The monastery was built in the Ming Dynasty to commemorate the founder of the Yellow Hat Sect, Tsong Khapa. You will follow your guide to explore the magnificent buildings combining Han and Tibetan styles, appreciate its unique “three wonders of art” — butter sculptures, murals and barbolas, and listen to its history and stories.

   After visiting the monastery, your guide and driver will escort you to the train station for your overnight train to Lhasa (Z265 / 19:31-16:45 +1 for reference). You will spend the night on the train.

   Accommodation: Overnight Train

   

2. Day 2: Lhasa Arrival

   Upon your arrival at Lhasa train station, your local guide will wait for you at the exit of the train station by holding a name sign and transfer you to your downtown hotel. Before getting off the train, please double check your belongings to ensure you have collet all your stuff. Please have a good rest at your hotel and get yourself relaxed to better get used to the high altitude.

   Accommodation: Lhasa local 4 stars hotel

3. Day 3: Lhasa
   Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street (B)

   AM: Meet your Lhasa tour guide at the hotel lobby around 9am and then start your exploration on this land from the world-famous Potala Palace. It is the shrine for all pilgrims as a great representation of Tibet. People who come here would be feasted from both sense organ and inner soul by its magnificent physical construction and collections as well as its significant religious, political and cultural sense to this vast highland.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   

   PM: Then come to visit Jokhang Temple, located in the center of the old Lhasa City and considered as a holy place not only from geographical location but also from the belief of the Tibet Buddhists. Both Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple were built by Songtsen Gampo; however, Potala Palace has born more politic meaning while Jokhang Temple more religious meaning.

   Next you will pay a visit to the Barkhor Street, also called Bajiao Street, which is a famous turning scripture path and business center in Lhasa, conserving well the traditional appearance and living custom of the ancient Lhasa. Enrolled on the list of “Ten National Historical and Cultural Street”, Barkhor Street is considered as one of the most charming and special street nationwide, miniaturizing the historical development of Tibet. Finally, you will be transferred back to your hotel for rest.

   Accommodation: Lhasa local 4 stars hotel

   

4. Day 4: Lhasa
   Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Norbulingka (B)

   AM: Today you will go to explore a more interesting place in Lhasa. After the same pick-up as yesterday, you will come to Drepung Monastery with a tour guide firstly. It is one of the Six Great Monasteries of Gulug (Yellow Hat) in Tibet, and shares the fame of the Three Great Monasteries in Lhasa with Sera Monastery and Ganden Monastery. It is located at south side of Gebeiwoze Mountain, 10km east of the west suburban of Lhasa city. The ordered architecture in white was built against the Gebeiwoze Mountain and fully occupied the hillside, seeming a huge rice dump, hence the name of “Drepung” which means collected rice in Tibetan language and represents the prosperity of Tibetan.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   

   PM: The second site today you will visit is the famous Sera Monastery which is the second largest monastery in Tibet. Sera Monastery was built in the Ming Dynasty by the famous Sagya Yeshes who was one of the eight disciples of Zongkapa and given the title of the Great Mercy Dharma by Emperor Xuanzong of Ming Dynasty after he had an audience with the Emperor in 1409 and 1414. The debate about Buddhism of Sera Monastery earns its fame in the Tibetan region, which is always taken a necessary activity to see for travelers from the whole world.

   Finally, you will go to Norbulingka which was firstly built in the 1740s, the time of the 7th Dalai Lama and experienced about 200 years’ construction until the time of the 14th Dalai Lama. On the list of National Relic Protection Units, the Norbulingka situated at the western suburbs of Lhasa for over 200 years. It is a typical Tibetan style garden occupied 360,000 square meters, used as the place for the Dalai Lamas to live and deal with the daily political affairs. After visiting the sites, you will go back to your hotel.

   Accommodation: Lhasa local 4 stars hotel

   

5. Day 5: Lhasa - Yamdroktso Lake - Zedang by Car
   Yamdroktso Lake (B)

   AM: Meet your guide and driver in the morning and then drive to the famous Yamdroktso Lake. It is famed as “the Most Beautiful Lake in the World” with the literal meaning as “the above coral twig” and the holy moral in Tibetan’s heart as “the Scattered Kallaite Earrings of Fairy” as it couldn’t be gotten its full perspective by visitors on the ground. There are three other lakes creeping on the earth with Yamdorktso Lake, connecting each other together and consisting of an endless holy lake beyond our horizon—the beautiful body of the lake on this land is more than 130km long. When looking at it from a map or sky, you will be surprised to see the lake embedded in this land, glittering like an earring under the sunshine at different times.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   PM: After having fun at the lake, you will pay a visit to a local Tibetan family to experience the local culture and customs closely. Tonight you will stay at Zedang.

   Accommodation: Zedang local 4 stars hotel

   

6. Day 6: Zedang
   Changzhu Monastery, Yongbulakang Monastery, Sangye Monastery (B)

   AM: After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel lobby. Today’s first stop is Changzhu Monastery, which is built during the reign of Songtsen Gampo in the 7^th century. You will have a chance to witness the treasure of this monastery, a 2-meter-long and 1.2-meter-wide Thangka made of 29026 pearls, 1 diamond, 2 rubies, 1 sapphire, 185 turquoise stones and other precious gems. Looking at the vivid Thangka, you may feel like the Guanyin Buddha is communicating with you.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   PM: Then move on to Yongbulakang Monastery. It’s the first palace in Tibetan history and was changed to a monastery later. You can wander around appreciating the murals which will tell you the stories of the first king of Tibet, the first building and the first farmland.

   Next visit Sangye Monastery. Sangye means “unimaginable” in Tibetan language. This over 1000-year-old monastery has a special architectural style with the bottom of Tibetan style, the middle of Han style and the top of Indian style. There are many well-preserved cultural relics from different periods of Tibet. After you explore the three monasteries, your guide and driver will take you back to your hotel.

   Accommodation: Zedang local 4 stars hotel

   

7. Day 7: Lhasa Departure

   Please prepare your belongings in advance. Your guide and driver will meet you at appointed time and transfer you to airport for your departure flight (usually 4 hours in advance for international flight and 3 hours for domestic flight). Our service will end here. Wish you a pleasant journey!