8 Days Xining and Lhasa Tour by Train

Upon arrival in Xining, you will be greeted by your local guide at the airport or railway station and then escorted to your hotel in Xining.

The rest time is at leisure. You can have a good rest or walk around in the city.

Stay overnight in Xining.

In the morning, drive about 2.5 hours from Xining to Qinghai Lake, China's largest inland salt water lake. The ellipse-shaped lake looks like a huge poplar leaf sitting on the alpine prairie.

Scenery in Qinghai Lake varies according to seasons. Summer and autumn are the most comfortable weather conditions and the lake's scenery is most beautiful during these seasons. The most charming and attractive place in Qinghai Lake is the Bird Island. It situated on the western shore of the Lake. In the noisiest months of April and May, ten thousands of birds stop on the Haixi Shan of Qinghai Lake and lay eggs there. A cruising for about 30 minutes is a popular way to appreciate the lake. On the way to this charming lake, you can get a view of Riyue Mountain.

In late afternoon, drive back to Xining.

Stay overnight in Xining.

First visit Ta'er Monastery (Kumbum Monastery) in the town of Huangzhong, 26km south of Xining. It is the birthplace of the founder of the Gelugpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism - Tsongkhapa. The temple was later built in 1577. Then move on a 15-minute trip to the North Hill Temple to have a bird's-view of the city. Finally visit Qinghai Provincial Museum with a few Silk Road exhibitions and some amazing Stone Age artifacts.

Then transferred to train station for your overnight train to Lhasa.

Stay overnight on the train.

You will spend a whole day on the train to Lhasa and enjoy fabulous scenery along the world famous Qinghai-Tibet railway, the highest railway in the world. Spectacular land of snows, boundless desert, vast grassland, grand ice mountains, and beautiful lakes will continually appear and strongly attract your heart.

You will arrive in Lhasa in late afternoon or evening. Your Tibetan guide will meet you at the railway station and take you to your hotel.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

In the morning, go to visit the famous Potala palace and explore the grandest of this myriad chapels, you will experience its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens (stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, thangkas, combinations of mandala, etc.

In the afternoon, pay a visit to the holist temple in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, built during Songtsen Gonpo's reign by princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty, 647 A.D, and its famous Barkhor Kora.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, you will visit two important monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera, and the summer palace of Dalai Lama - Norbulingka where you can visit the residences of different lineages of the Dalai Lama. The park is crowded with picnickers and traditional activities during the Shoton (Yogurt festival) in August.

Drepung monastery is situated at the foothill of a mountain and was founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416. It was once home of 10000 monks and Ganden podrang in Drepung is famous for it was the government centre during the fifth Dalai Lama and later moved to the famous Potala Palace during the fifth Dalai Lama.

After having lunch, continue to visit the Sera Monastery, which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa's disciple Jamchen Choeje. The most attractive is its Buddhist Scriptures debating held in the courtyard mostly around 3-5 in the afternoon.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, we will drive to Yangpachen, 110 km away from Lhasa, and then continue driving to the holy Namsto Lake, the second-largest saltwater lake in China. It is over 70km long and reaches a width of 30km. In clear weather the water is a miraculous shade of turquoise and there are magnificent views of the nearby mountains. The wide open spaces, dotted with tents of local nomads, are intoxicating.

After enjoy the fabulous scenery, we will drive back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

You will be transferred to Lhasa airport for your flight to next destination.