[Shanghai to Tibet by Train] 11-Day Train Tour from Shanghai to Lhasa, Everest Base Camp and Namtso in Tibet

Today our guide will take you to Shanghai Railway Station at the agreed time to board train Z164 to Lhasa, Tibet. The train departs from Shanghai Station at 20:02 in the evening, passes through 15 cities, takes about 46 hours and 44 minutes, and will arrive at Lhasa Railway Station at 18:46 on the third day. Tonight, rest well on the train and do not stay up late.

Wake up in the morning; after traveling through the night, the train has entered Shaanxi's Xi'an territory. Today the train will mainly run along the Xi'an to Xining section. Through the train window, you can see the scenery outside gradually transition from the pastoral fields of the plains to the vastness of the Loess Plateau, and then into the expanse of the Qinghai Plateau. Around evening, the train will arrive at Xining Station, the starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, where we will transfer to an oxygenated train (it is recommended to wipe the train windows for better sightseeing and photography). Tonight the train will travel through the plateau region, so you need to rest well.

This morning, the train continues to travel across the vast and boundless Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Compared with yesterday, the scenery outside the window is even more breathtaking and spectacular. You will have the chance to see the azure Cuona Lake, the vast Northern Tibetan grasslands, the year-round snow-capped Nyainqentanglha Mountains, and plateau-specific animals such as wild yaks and Tibetan antelopes, before finally arriving in Lhasa, the City of Sunlight. Tashi Delek! Welcome to Lhasa. Our driver will meet you at the railway station exit and transfer you to your hotel in downtown Lhasa for check-in and rest. For the remaining time, you can rest well at the hotel and let your body gradually adapt to the high-altitude environment. Warm Tips 1. On the day of arrival in Lhasa, do not engage in strenuous exercise, and do not take a shower or drink alcohol. Rest more, drink water, eat fruit, and avoid overeating. You may bring American ginseng lozenges or health supplements such as Rhodiola and Gao Yuan An to relieve altitude sickness. 2. Follow the guide's arrangements, try not to go out for activities, and maintaining a calm mindset and adequate rest is the best way to prevent altitude sickness. 3. If you feel unwell, please promptly seek help from your guide or hotel staff and go to the hospital for treatment.

After breakfast, head to visit the Jokhang Temple, the holy site in the hearts of Tibetan Buddhist devotees. The Jokhang Temple was first built in 647 AD and has a history of 1,350 years. It is the most magnificent surviving building from the Tubo period in Tibet, with a total of 5 golden roofs and 108 Buddhist halls. Here, you can see the world's rare life-size statue of Shakyamuni at the age of 12 and devout pilgrims worshipping in front of the Jokhang Temple. In the afternoon, drive about 30 kilometers (50 minutes) to visit Sera Monastery, one of the three great monasteries of Lhasa. Sera Monastery is also one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery is solemn and sacred. At Sera Monastery, you can watch the famous monk debates, which usually begin at 15:00 (except on Sundays). During the debates, the lamas in the courtyard engage in fierce discussion, and you can truly feel the faith and power of Tibetan Buddhism. Finally, return to downtown Lhasa and visit Barkhor Street. This is not only the route for the local kora ritual, but also a very lively ancient commercial street. Here, you may encounter locals wearing Tibetan robes and devout pilgrims, stroll through the alleys to browse handicraft shops, or find a sweet tea house and learn from Tibetan friends their tranquility and sense of ease.

After breakfast, head to visit the Potala Palace, the highest ancient palace-castle complex in the world. The Potala Palace is located on Maburi Mountain in the northwest of Lhasa's urban area. It is a magnificent structure combining a palace, castle, and monastery, and is also the largest and most complete ancient palace-castle complex in Tibet. Built against the mountain, the palace has 13 stories, stands 117.19 meters tall, and stretches over 400 meters from east to west. You will climb up along the palace's long staircases, overlooking Lhasa as you go, taking in the grandeur of the city. Pause for photos and rest along the way, then enter the Potala Palace to explore this mysterious ancient palace that is rarely shown in pictures online. Afterward, drive about 12 kilometers (35 minutes) to visit Drepung Monastery, one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery is built layer by layer along the mountain, grand in scale, with white walls and red eaves forming a complex that looks especially peaceful and serene in the sunlight. Inside, you can visit important buildings such as the Tsokchen Assembly Hall, Ganden Podrang, and the four major colleges, learn about Tibetan Buddhist culture, watch monks debate Buddhist doctrine at the debate courtyard (around 14:00), or stroll through the monastery in search of inner peace. In addition, around August each year, a grand Buddha-unveiling ceremony is held here, known as the famous Shoton Festival.

After breakfast, you will depart from Lhasa and drive about 8-9 hours (about 270 km) to Shigatse, the center of Tsang. On the way, you will first cross the 4,900-meter-high 【Gampala Snow Mountain】. From the Gampala Pass, you can take in a panoramic view of Yamdrok Lake drifting among the mountains like a blue ribbon and the majestic Noijin Kangsang Snow Mountain in the distance. Then continue toward Yamdrok Lake, the highest freshwater lake in the world, and appreciate its beauty from multiple angles, including the mountainside and the lakeshore. 【Yamdrok Lake】 is one of the three great sacred lakes of Tibet and is also praised as the most beautiful water in the world. The lake water is clear as a mirror, stretching into the distance and merging with the distant snow mountains, while the rolling mountains on both sides make the scenery absolutely stunning. Local Tibetans praise Yamdrok Lake in folk songs: "A fairyland in the sky, Yamdrok on earth. Stars in the sky, cattle and sheep by the lake." Afterward, the car will continue along the shore of Yamdrok Lake for a while, allowing you to see the beautiful lake again. Then head to visit 【Karo-la Glacier】, the most accessible glacier in Tibet. The glacier lies right beside the highway, like a giant thangka hanging on the mountain wall, crystal clear and pure white, so close it seems you could touch it. You can admire the towering glacier from the roadside or walk to its foot to appreciate its grandeur up close. Visiting tips 1. The Karo-la Glacier scenic area is at a high altitude, over 5,000 meters. When walking along the boardwalk, please slow down, and you may also carry a small oxygen bottle to inhale oxygen if you feel unwell. 2. Please beware of photo traps. If a stranger offers to take photos for you, ask in advance whether there is a charge. Afterward, continue to Shigatse and stay overnight in a star-rated hotel in Shigatse.

After breakfast, set off for the world's highest peak - Mount Everest. The drive takes about 6-7 hours (about 330 kilometers). Along the way, you will pass the [Gyatso La Pass] at an altitude of 5,252 meters, the highest point on the China-Nepal Highway. On a clear day, standing at the pass, you can see Mount Everest in the distance. Afterwards, you will arrive at [Everest Base Camp], which is not only the best viewing point for Mount Everest but also the best place to stay when visiting Everest. Here, you can enjoy the stunning sunrise and sunset over Everest and the starry night sky. Upon first arrival, you can rest and acclimatize, then walk to visit [Rongbuk Monastery], the highest monastery in the world and the best viewpoint for the north face of Mount Everest, only 20 kilometers from the peak. Here, you can enter the monastery and see this ancient temple standing beneath the snowy sky, where time seems to stand still. You can also look out at Mount Everest from the white stupa outside the monastery, which is the most common scene in many Everest postcards and posters. If you have good stamina, you can continue along the road to the Everest altitude marker for a commemorative photo. In the evening, stay in a tent at Base Camp (tents are multi-person rooms with limited conditions and are closed in winter, in which case you will stay in a guesthouse in a village near Everest instead).

This morning, you might try your luck by getting up early, hoping to catch the most magnificent sunrise over Mount Everest and once again admire the majestic figure of the world's highest peak from different angles. Then, after breakfast, return to Shigatse. Along the way, you will stop again at Gyawu La Pass and Gyatso La Pass to look back at Mount Everest, and finally arrive at your hotel in Shigatse for rest.

After breakfast, head to visit Tashilhunpo Monastery. This is the largest monastery in Shigatse and the seat of successive Panchen Lamas, and was once the political center of the rear Tibet region. The monastery enshrines the world's largest seated bronze Buddha statue, the 28-meter-tall Maitreya Buddha. Here, you can visit the Panchen Lama's residence, the sutra college, the stupa halls, and the Buddha-unveiling platform, learn about the long cultural history of Tibetan Buddhism and its development in the rear Tibet region, and see exquisite murals, carvings, and other cultural relics. If interested, you can also climb to a high point to overlook the entire monastery and the distant view of Shigatse's urban area. Afterward, drive to Damxung (325 kilometers, about 5.5 hours) or Lhasa (340 kilometers, about 8 hours) for hotel check-in. Warm reminder: Accommodation conditions in Damxung are somewhat poorer than in Lhasa, with only two-star/three-star hotels, but it saves more time than staying in Lhasa. If you mind the accommodation conditions, staying in Lhasa is still recommended, as there are more choices and better facilities.

After breakfast, depart from Damxung (70 km, about 1.5 h) or Lhasa (250 km, about 4 h) to visit Namtso, one of the three great sacred lakes of Tibet. The drive is about 280 km and takes about 4-5 hours. Along the way, you can enjoy the broad Lhasa River Valley, the majestic Nyainqentanglha Mountains, and yaks grazing leisurely on the grasslands of northern Tibet. Then, as you approach Namtso, you will reach 【Lakenla Pass】 at an altitude of 5,190 meters. The mani piles at Lakenla Pass are covered with prayer flags, which in the hearts of Tibetans represent reverence for the gods. Standing at the pass and looking north, you can gaze at the beautiful Namtso. Then arrive at Namtso for sightseeing. 【Namtso】 means "Heavenly Lake" in Tibetan and is the second-largest lake in Tibet. The lake is vast, and its water is deep blue and clear. Broad lakeside grasslands surround the lake, with lush water and grass. Bears, wild yaks, wild donkeys, rock sheep, and many wild birds often inhabit the lakeshore. Standing on the shore and looking into the distance, you can see the majestic main peak of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains, like a mighty guardian, always protecting Namtso. (Namtso is divided into two scenic areas: Tashi Peninsula and Sacred Elephant Heavenly Gate. Today you will visit Tashi Peninsula.) Tip: The drive today is relatively long and tiring, so you need to get up early. The northern Tibet region is at a relatively high altitude, so please bring a thick coat, apply sunscreen, and bring sunglasses and a hat. After visiting Namtso, return to your hotel in downtown Lhasa.

Today, this wonderful 11-day train journey from Shanghai to Lhasa, Tibet, comes to an end. Our driver will transfer you to Lhasa Airport or Railway Station ahead of the agreed time for your next destination. If you would like to extend this trip and explore more destinations in Tibet, such as Nyingchi, Ali Mount Kailash, and other places, you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you. We look forward to welcoming you again someday in the future.