7-Day Xining and Lhasa Tour by Qinghai Tibet Railway

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Xining

   Welcome to join our 7-day Qinghai Tibet Tour! Our local professional guide will wait for your arrival and then transfer you to the downtown hotel by a private car. He or she will also help you check in, just to ensure everything goes well.

   The rest of the day is free. You can explore this city on your own.

   Warm Tips:

   • Xining has an elevation of about 2,260 meters, and some first-time visitors may experience slight altitude sickness. Therefore, avoid vigorous exercise such as running on the day of arrival.
   • Wear a jacket or wind-proof coat in the morning and evening to cope with the big temperature difference between day and night, which can even reach 15℃.

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   4-Star Hotel in Xining
2. Day 2: Xining City Highlights
   A Taste of Xining - Monastery, Museum and Food

   The tour in Xining starts from the Kumbum Monastery. It is famous for the “Three Wonders of Art”, namely butter sculptures, murals, and embroidered thangkas.

   

   In front of the eight white stupas standing on the square, take photos for a lifetime memory. Appreciate the brightly colored, lifelike butter sculptures. Rotate the prayer wheel clockwise and make a good wish. Immerse yourself in the solemn atmosphere amid the devout believers.

   The next stop is Qinghai Tibetan Medicine Culture Museum, the only museum in the world dedicated to Tibetan medicine.

   Here, you can see a thangka painting longer than 600 meters. It has even won a Guinness record. Besides, the museum owns a rich collection of medicinal specimens to show the development of Tibetan medicine.

   

   When the night falls, hang out to have a dinner. The time-honored Mojia Street, where authentic local snacks gather, is a wonderful destination.

   What awaits you include the sour, spicy, and refreshing cold noodles, the set yogurt with a golden milk skin on the surface, the fresh and tender boiled lamb, and the sweet and slightly winey drink made from fermented oat.

   Experience the daily hustle and bustle of the locals while walking and eating in the bustling streets and alleys.

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   4-Star Hotel in Xining
3. Day 3: Xining to Qinghai Lake, Overnight Train to Lhasa
   A Full-day Tour Around the Qinghai Lake

   From Xining, drive 2.5 hours along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and then cross Riyue Mountain to reach Qinghai Lake. It’s the largest inland saltwater lake in China and often hailed as a “plateau sapphire”.

   Our tour guide will take you to visit the core scenic area - Erlang Sword, where the shoreline juts deep into the lake like a long sword. This advantageous location makes it a perfect place to view the lake scenery very closely.

   Sunny summer days are the best time for sightseeing. The vast blue lake surface and the lakeside golden rapeseed fields compose a pastoral oil painting. It’s quite a pleasure to stroll along the boardwalk by the lake, take a photo with the white yak or in the sea of rape flowers.

   

   The day ends with a train to Tibet. Suggested train number: Z165/19:28-15:36

   Optional Activities:

   • You can take a boat into the lake heart to admire the vast Qinghai Lake from a different angle.
   • It’s optional to take a photo with the white yak by the lake, and you need to pay for it on site.

   Travel Tips:

   • Take sunscreen items such as hats and sunglasses as the ultraviolet rays in Qinghai Lake are very intense.
   • You need to present the original passport and Tibet Entry Permit when boarding the train. Make sure to bring all of them. We’ll help you to obtain the Tibet Entry Permit and post it to you in advance.

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   Overnight on the Train
4. Day 4: Lhasa Arrival
   A 20-Hour Train Journey to Enjoy the Magnificent Plateau Scenery

   The train to Lhasa, with a duration of about 20 hours, is a real mobile sightseeing deck! When waking up in the morning, you’ll find yourself already on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

   The whole carriage will activate ambient oxygen supply system to alleviate passengers’ altitude sickness. In the next few hours, the train will climb all the way, crossing the snowline of Kunlun Mountains and entering the no man’s land of Hoh Xil. Look out of the window and you might discover Tibetan antelopes on the barren wild land.

   

   As the train continues climbing upward, you'll reach Tanggula Pass, the highest point on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway with an elevation of about 5,070m. The oxygen content here is only 60% of that on the plain, so you may suffer slight headache or shortness of breath. Don’t be nervous. Ask the train conductor for an oxygen tube.

   After descending the mountain, the train travels along a deep blue lake, followed by the yak herds roaming on the Qiangtang Grassland, Tanggula Snow Peak, and eventually stops at Lhasa River Valley.

   A Tibetan guide will pick you up and accompany you to the hotel in the city center. Have a good rest and adapt yourself to the plateau environment.

   Warm Tips:

   • The altitude of Lhasa is about 3,650m. Avoid vigorous exercise such as running and brisk walking to prevent or alleviate altitude sickness.
   • Don’t drink alcohol on the day of arrival as it may increase heart burden and even cause hypoxia.

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   4-Star Hotel in Lhasa
5. Day 5: Monastery Visit in Lhasa
   Get Touched by the Thick Religious Atmosphere at Monasteries

   The first destination to visit today is the Drepung Monastery. In Tibetan, the name translates to “rice heap”, a sign of prosperity. Seen from afar, the monastery looks like a huge pile of rice rising from the mountainside, perfectly echoing its name.

   Follow the tour guide into the main hall and worship the gilded bronze statue of Maitreya Buddha. Then head to the Loseling Buddhist Academy to get a glimpse of the daily study and life of the monks.

   

   Overlook the Lhasa Valley and waving colorful prayer flags from the Thangka Unfurling Platform. If it happens to be the Shoton Festival, you can see a colossal silk thangka here.

   After the tour, we’re off to Sera Monastery to experience the most pious religious atmosphere in Lhasa. The scene of red-robed monks engaging in Buddhist philosophy debate will leave you a deep impression.

   Don’t miss the Hayagriva Hall, a sacred place where locals often pray devoutly for peace and well-being.

   Warm Tips:

   • Dress modestly when visiting the monasteries. Avoid wearing overly revealing clothing such as shorts and camisoles.
   • Visitors are permitted to take photos in the debate hall of Sera Monastery, but please turn off the shutter sound and flash.

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   4-Star Hotel in Lhasa
6. Day 6: Lhasa's Highlights
   Visit the Spiritual Hearts of Lhasa and Kora as Most Pilgrims Do

   On the third day in Lhasa, I guess you have already got used to the altitude here. So let’s visit the Potala Palace, the highest palace in the world.

   The architectural complex mainly consists of the White Palace and the Red Palace. The former serves as the office building and dormitory, while the latter is used for religious practice and important ceremonies.

   The Stupa Hall is extremely luxurious. It was built with nearby 4 tons of gold and tens of thousands of jewels. The Dharma King's Cave is among the oldest ruins here, which is said to be the place for Songtsen Gampo to meditate.

   

   Next, head to the Longwangtan Park at the foot of the Potala Palace. It’s a wonderful spot to capture the reflection of the magnificent palace.

   The Jokhang Temple, where the life-sized statue of the 12-year-old Shakyamuni is enshrined, is a truly sacred site. It’s an ultimate destination for countless Buddhist disciples.

   On the third-floor platform, admire the gilded roof of the temple shining brightly against the blue sky .

   Join the pilgrims in circling around the surrounding Barkhor Street. You will pass by the Makye Ame Yellow House, a popular restaurant on the street. It’s an iconic landmark for checking in.

   

   End your day with a cup of traditional Tibetan butter tea at a tea house.

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   4-Star Hotel in Lhasa
7. Day 7: Lhasa Departure

   This 7-day Xining to Lhasa tour ends today. Our guide will see you off according to your flight schedule after breakfast.

   Ideas for Extending Your Trip:

   For a longer Tibet exploration, for example, sightseeing in the Yamdrok Lake or staying overnight in the Everest Base Camp, feel free to contact us for a customized itinerary.

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