Your browser does not support the running script, you cannot get a perfect browsing
  • Home
  • Tibet Tour Package
  • Tibet Train
  • Travel Guide infos
  • Tibet Nepal Bhutan
Tibet Tour Package
  • Join in Tibet Group Tours
  • Private Tour Packages
  • China Tibet Tour
Tibet Travel Guide
  • Tibet Travel Permits
  • Tibet weather
  • Flights to Tibet
  • Get to Tibet from Countries

8-Day Shanghai Lhasa Tour by Train

Make Inquiry Now
We have helped thousands of travelers obtain their Tibet permits since 2003. Tell us your ideas and get a quick response within 0.5-12 hours.
  • loadingData in submission...

Overview

Tour Type: Private Tour: Flexible Travel Date & Travel Routes
Guide & Driver: Chinese-English-speaking guide & air-conditioned
  • Explore the best of what Shanghai has to offer at the Shanghai Museum, Yuyuan Garden, The Bund, and much more;
  • Visit an ancient water village just outside of Shanghai, with its winding canals, ancient Ming & Qing dynasty architecture, and a peaceful atmosphere;
  • Immerse yourself in Tibetan Buddhism as some of its holiest sites in Tibet, including the Potala Palace;

Itinerary Day by Day

Expand All
Collapse All
Day1  Arrival in Shanghai
Your tour guide and professional driver will await your arrival at the Shanghai Port, airport or train station to escort you by private car to your Shanghai hotel. You will have the rest of this day to rest and relax from your trip, or you can begin to explore the local area on your own.

Accommodation:Overnight in Shanghai

Day2  Shanghai: Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, Nanjing Road
Today we will start your exploration of this amazing city with a full day sightseeing tour. We will pick you up from the lobby of your hotel and take you to visit the world-class Shanghai Museum. Rated as one of the “Best Four Museums” of China, the Shanghai Museum has more than 120,000 pieces in its collections, including ancient bronzes, paintings, calligraphy, sculptures, ceramics, jade and much more that trace more than 5,000 years of China’s phenomenal history.

Next up is a visit to Yuyuan Garden, an ancient masterpiece of classical Chinese gardens. First constructed in 1559, Yuyuan consists of beautiful traditional architecture, water features, verdant green plants and rockeries that create an oasis of peaceful calm in the midst of modern Shanghai. Nearby is the Yuyuan Bazaar where you can try some traditional Shanghai snacks and shop for souvenirs and traditional Chinese handicrafts and works of art.

From the ancient to the new, we will move on to another of Shanghai’s popular attractions at Nanjing Road, a shopper’s paradise as well as a great place for a walk to experience the modern and vibrant atmosphere of the city. From Nanjing Road we will travel on to The Bund, which started off as a simple towpath for transporting goods from the river but eventually transformed into a world-class trading district. The Bund is a special area that fully reflects the fusion of Chinese and Western culture and architecture with the stunningly modern buildings of the new Shanghai skyline just across the river.

In the evening, we will take you to visit one of the most iconic buildings in all of Shanghai – the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. At 468 meters (1,535 feet) tall, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower was the tallest structure in China from 1994 to 2007. It features 15 different observatory levels, a small hotel, exhibition areas and an upper observatory level with a glass floor. The tower itself is lit up at night with everchanging LED lighting schemes, and it makes for an ideal place to to view the boats passing along the Huangpu River and the other amazingly-lit buildings of the Pudong area.

After your visit to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, we will take you back to your hotel for the night.

Accommodation:Overnight in Shanghai

Day3  Shanghai – Zhujiajiao Ancient Water Village – Train to Lhasa
This morning we will pick you up from your hotel to take you to visit the ancient and picturesque Zhujiajiao Water Village, sometimes referred to as the “Venice of China”. About a 1-hour drive from downtown Shanghai, Zhujiajiao is criss-crossed with numerous canals lined with old Ming and Qing dynasty architecture that make it an ideal place for photography and a relaxing day. You can enjoy a boat ride on the canals, traveling under the ancient stone bridges, and visit small shops selling traditional Chinese handicrafts and souvenirs along the old streets of the village.

After a full day exploring Zhujiajiao, we will take you on to the Shanghai train station to begin your trans-China train adventure. The Z164 train departs from Shanghai at 20:10 (8:10 p.m.) and arrives in Lhasa at 19:44 (7:44 p.m.) on the 3rd day, taking 47 hours and 34 minutes for the 4,373 kilometer (2,717 mile) trip so you will be spending two nights on board the train.

Accommodation:Overnight on the train

Day4  Onboard the Shanghai – Lhasa Train
Witness the scenery en route

Accommodation:Overnight on the train

Day5  Arrival in Lhasa
Day 5 will feature the amazing landscape along the Qinghai – Tibet Railway, the world’s highest altitude train ride. You will pass through deserts, vast grasslands, beautiful lakes and the stunning, snow-capped mountains of the Himalayan mountain range as you approach Lhasa.

Upon your arrival at the Lhasa train station, your local tour guide will greet you and escort you to your private vehicle to take you on to your Lhasa hotel. You will have the rest of the evening to rest and relax from your long train journey, and to become acclimatized to the higher altitude.

Overnight in Lhasa.

Tips for High Altitude Acclimatization:

1) Go for a leisurely walk in the fresh high altitude air, but avoid any strenuous activity after your arrival.

2) It's better to avoid taking a bath to avoid catching a cold.

3) Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and eat some fresh fruit.4) Get plenty of rest.

Accommodation:Overnight in Lhasa

Day6  Lhasa Tour - Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Street
Start your exploration of Lhasa today with a visit to a world-famous landmark - the Potala Palace, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of architecture in the world. Climb up to the palace along zig-zagging stone paths alongside the white and red walls to the top of the palace where you can gain a greater appreciation of the exotic Tibetan-style buildings as well as for a great view of Lhasa's entire urban area. After admiring the sweeping outside views, explore the inner spaces of the Potala Palace to find the stately chapels and learn more about the fascinating history of this special place.

From one historic landmark to another, your next stop will be at the Jokhang Temple, considered as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Every day thousands of pilgrims come from all over Tibet and other places to the temple to worship the Buddha. The Jokhang Temple is also known as the "House of Buddha" because it houses the precious Jowo Rinpoche, a life-sized (1.5 meter/5 feet) image of the Sakyamuni at the age of 12.

The last stop for today's Lhasa exploration is Barkhor Street, the wide, circular street that surrounds the Jokhang Temple. Local residents enjoy walking on the street, completing several circuits around the temple as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. The street also has many small shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handicrafts.

After your visit to the Jokhang Temple, we will take you back to your hotel for the evening.

Tips for Visiting the Potala Palace
1. The number of visitors to the palace is strictly limited to 2,300 per day. Visitors can only visit during the time specified on the admission ticket.
2. Admission tickets to visit the Potala Palace are sold out almost every day, so it is strongly recommended to book your tickets several days in advance. 
3. There are many steps at the Potala Palace, so it’s best to take it slowly to avoid possible altitude discomfort.
4. Visitors should respect the rules while visiting. Do not wear hats, wear revealing clothes or step on thresholds as these actions violate local customs.
5. Photography and the taking of videos are forbidden inside the Potala Palace.
6. A security search will take place at the entrance to the palace. Explosives, flammables, knives, lighters and even water bottles are not allowed inside the Potala Palace.

Accommodation:Overnight in Lhasa

Day7  Lhasa – Norbulingka, Drepung and Sera Monasteries
After breakfast at your hotel, we will visit the beautiful Norbulingka Palace and Park, the location of the former summer palace of the Dalai Lamas from the 1780s up until 1959. It features the famous Potrang, the private palaces of former Dalai Lamas built in the grandiose style of traditional Tibetan architecture.

After visiting the palaces and park at Norbulingka, we will travel around 5 kilometers to the western outskirts of Lhasa to visit the Drepung Monastery. The word "drepung" in Tibetan language means "prosperity". Since its establishment in 1416, Drepung Monastery has served as one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. During its prime, more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery. Throughout its history, many important and famous Tibetan leaders studied at this monastery, including the Dalai Lamas. Accordingly, Drepung Monastery is also respectfully known as the “Mother School of Dalai Lamas”.

In the afternoon, we will escort you on to another famous monastery in Lhasa - the Sera Monastery. Sera Monastery is famous for its spectacular “Buddhist Debates”. As a daily routine, the monks gather in a courtyard, and debate on the various Buddhist doctrines with exaggerated gestures, which is thought to be helpful in facilitating a better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. After enjoying the "Buddhist Debates", we will take you back to your hotel with the rest of the day and evening to relax or explore on your own.

Tips for Proper Etiquette While Visiting Monasteries 
1) For clothing, shorts and/or bare shoulders are not allowed.
2) Hats and sunglasses should be removed before entering the chapels. 
3) Taking photos is usually not allowed inside the chapels.

Accommodation:Overnight in Lhasa

Day8  Departure from Lhasa
Today you will have free time until we meet you in the lobby of your hotel to transfer you to the Lhasa airport or train station for your departing flight or train.

Today's Tips:
1) Please take care to pack all of your belongings, particularly the small things that are easy to forget about, such as phone and camera chargers, power adapters, mobile phones, wallets, etc. 
2) If your flight or train is in the afternoon, please be sure to check out of your hotel room by 12 p.m.

Accommodation:None

What's Included

Private professional English-Speaking local tour guide
Licensed Vehicle with experienced driver
All necessary Tibet travel permits.
All accommodations listed in the itinerary
Meals specified in the itinerary as "B, L, D".
Entrance tickets listed in the itinerary
Tourists Accident/Casualty Insurance
A container of Oxygen for emergency use in Tibet
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Lodging and meal allowance to the guide & driver
2 bottles of drinking water per person per day
International flight to and from China.
China visa.
Sightseeing not listed in the itinerary.
Meals not listed in the itinerary.
Personal expenses such as laundry, drink, fax, telephone call, optional tour activities, etc.
Tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc.
Entrance tickets not listed in the itinerary
Single room supplement.

Additional Info

Alterations of Itineraries

The travel date, service items, itinerary and number of visitors, visitors’ ID information, etc. can be modified free of charge 30 days or more before the trip. If the visitor needs to make a second modification, an additional service fee of 5% of the deposit will be charged. Every time the content of the travel contract is modified, the company reserves the right to re-quote.

Cancellation Policy

Once the deposit is paid, your trip is confirmed. If you need to change or cancel your itinerary, please contact your travel consultant by email, phone, instant messenger, etc. There will be a charge for Cancellation or modification. The policy is as follows:

1. Notice of trip cancellation due to personal reasons before the trip starts
Cancellation 30 days or more before the trip starts, 10% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation 29-15 days before the trip starts, 20% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation 14-7 days before the trip starts, 30% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation 6-2 days before the trip starts, 50% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation within 48 hours prior to the trip starts, no refund of your deposit.

2. Trip cancellation due to irresistible factors before the trip starts

If you have to cancel the itinerary due to irresistible reasons such as traffic, weather, politics, etc., the deposit will be fully refunded by the company (for loss related to air ticket/train ticket, please take reference of the first item).

Reviews

 philcori
Travel Date:May 29, 2019

Wonderful moments in Tibet thanks to Odyssey Travel. It was all so well organized thanks to Amy who had been so professional and supportive.

The beauty of landscapes and people in Tibet were simply mesmerizing. Our guide and driver were amazing companions for this travel. The Kora of Mount Khalash was the highlight of this wonderful journey. I learned a lot about the culture of Tibet.

Thank you Odissey!

Philippe cori

 bpagmbh
Travel Date:May 29, 2019

We were very impressed with the travel agency Aisa Odyssey Tour and our organizer Amy who arranged all details swiftly without any worries. We took the flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa and were told we need the group visas to board the flight to Lhasa from there, this agency helped us get both of our group visas and Tibet visas sucessfully before the tour began as we expected and smoothly arrived in Lhasa as planned, really apprecaited!

Tibet is great place we did not want to leave because it’s really fabulous, but of course the long drives across the Tibetan plains to Everest base camp and the fantastic blue skies everyday, we spent a wonderful 7 days trip in Tibet with help of Amy and saw some nice monasteries, lakes, mountains and friendly local Tibetans etc.

Overall, our tour guide is very knowledgeable with culture and history of Tibet and always satisfy us as best as she could, our driver is a good person too and was driving in a safe way everywhere. Tibet is such a beatiful place, hope me and my wife could have a chance to come back again someday to spend more time for visiting further place of Tibet like Kailash? I will contact this agency again then, thanks again for making my long-awaited dream came true!

 Fidschibitter
Travel Date:May 26, 2019

Wir reisten im April diesen Jahres (gute Reisezeit) nach Tibet, mit Tibet Odyssey Tours als Reiseveranstalter. Es hat uns sehr bewegt und wir träumen immer noch von unserer Reise nach Tibet, von der frischen Luft, den grünen Seen, den majestätischen Bergen und den vielen weiteren Sehenwürdigkeiten. Wir möchten unbedingt erneut nach Tibet. Die Einheimischen waren besonders freundlich zu den Touristen. Ein paar sprachen zwar kein Chinesisch, aber sie haben uns angelächelt und uns somit hallo gesagt. Wir haben uns einfach sehr Wilkommen gefühlt. Tibet Odyssey Tours ist eine perfekte Reiseagentur und wir hatten einen Tourguide mit viel Humor, Ortskenntnissen und Einfühlungsvermögen : ) Auf unserem Weg zum Everest Base Camp hat er uns stets gute Orte für Fotos empfohlen und er hat sich gut um uns gekümmert, z.B. wenn jemand an der Höhenkrankheit litt. Er war stets besorgt um unsere Gesundheit und hat uns jederzeit immer geholfen. Wir haben eine Nacht im Everest Base Camp geschlafen. Die Erfahrung war einmalig. Leider gab es nur eine öffentliche Toilette und es war sehr kalt, aber unser Guide hat uns mit den bescheidenen Mitteln, die vor Ort vorhanden waren, geholfen. Er hat sogar für Licht mit seinem Handy gesorgt. Diese Hilfsbereitschaft hat uns wirklich sehr bewegt. Die Reiseagentour können wir nur wärmstens empfehlen. Hier gilt unser spezieller Dank Amy, die sich sehr viel Mühe gegeben hat.

Unsere nächste Tour buchen wir wieder dort.

 Logen143
Travel Date:May 27, 2019

Amy local agent have done great job in arrange the 15days tour. She is always ready to answer any queries and keep checking on us during the trip. Our guide Ngawang local Tibet guy was excellent in guide and take care us individually to complete this tour without any problem.with his expertise manage guide us well and very accommodating for all our needs.

For first time traveler to TIbet, please clear all your doubts and explain well your expectations on food and accommodation so Amy will able arrange it accordingly. Overall it was pleasant trip.Thanks to Amy and Ngawang

 Dom B
Travel Date:January 5, 2019

My first and only group tour trip so far. What shall I say? Everything worked like a clockwork. My group mates where great and we had a lot of fun (and celebrated new year successfully). The travel agency (asia Odyssey travel) was definitely a good choice. The advises and caretaking I got from my agency (thanks amy, you are an angel ) was better then the one of my other group members (we talked about it openly). I'm lucky that I choose this trip, tour and agency. It was a good experience and I can definitely recommend it if you like a good and organized tour through tibet.

 Wiko22
Travel Date:August 17, 2019

Wir haben zuvor einige Touren und Agenturen verglichen. Natürlich ist es schwierig auf die Entfernung und mit den doch wenigen Rezessionen einen Überblick zu bekommen, sind aber sehr froh uns letztendlich für diese Agentur und Route entschieden zu haben.

Von Anfang hat uns unsere Ansprechpartnerin Claire bei allen Fragen geholfen - inkl. Visaantrag und Einreiseerlaubnis. Wir haben wirklich etliche Mails hin und her geschrieben und wurden immer fürsorglich behandelt.

Vor Ort wurden wir am Flughafen empfangen und unsere Guides waren alle sehr nett. Die Ausflüge super interessant und man hat einen tollen Einblick bekommen. Das Programm war nicht zu viel und nicht zu wenig, wirklich toll gemacht!! Die Hotels waren weit besser als wir erwartet haben. Wir haben oft Tips für Restaurants oder bestimmte Gerichte bekommen. Es gab überhaupt keine Probleme bei Ausflügen, Organisation oder den etlichen Kontrollen im Land. Wir wurden selbst noch bis hinter die Passkontrollen an der Grenze zu Nepal begleitet. Erst als unser Guide wirklich nicht weiter durfte, haben wir uns verabschiedet.

Die Gruppen waren nett gemischt und die Wagen alle europäischer Standard.

Wir würden die Agentur und die Route jedem empfehlen!

Liebe Grüße und vielen Dank für eine unvergessliche Reise!