11 Days Shanghai, Shaolin Temple & Tibet Train Tour

Shanghai Bund → French Concession → Shaolin Temple → Kung Fu Performance → Song Mountain → Qinghai-Tibet Railway → Lhasa → Potala Palace → Yamdrok Lake

1. Day1

   Arrive Shanghai — The Bund, Nanjing Road, Yuyuan Garden

   Meals NoneOvernight Shanghai hotel

   Arrive in Shanghai. An evening walk on the Bund — the famous waterfront promenade lined with art deco and neoclassical buildings from the 1920s and 30s, facing the illuminated Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River — is one of the great first impressions of any city in Asia. Continue through the lights and energy of Nanjing Road, and into the ancient Yuyuan Garden with its classical pavilions and ornamental rockeries.

2. Day2

   Shanghai — French Concession; Bullet Train to Zhengzhou

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Zhengzhou hotel

   A morning stroll through the French Concession — Shanghai’s most beautiful neighbourhood, with plane-tree-lined avenues, art deco apartment buildings, boutique coffee shops, and the lively Tianzifang lane complex of galleries and craft studios. After lunch, board the bullet train to Zhengzhou (approximately 3.5 hours) in Henan Province — the gateway to Shaolin Temple.

3. Day3

   Shaolin Temple, Kung Fu Performance, Song Mountain

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Dengfeng hotel

   Drive from Zhengzhou to Dengfeng (approximately 1 hour) at the foot of Song Mountain — one of China’s five sacred mountains. Shaolin Temple, founded in 495 AD, is the spiritual home of Kung Fu and one of China’s most revered Buddhist sites. Watch a morning Kung Fu training session in the temple courtyard, then a full performance by the Shaolin warrior monks — dramatic, precise, and unlike anything seen in a city. Explore the scenic Song Mountain trails in the afternoon.

4. Day4

   Bullet Train Zhengzhou → Xining (Connecting Point) — Board Tibet Train

   Meals Breakfast

   Return to Zhengzhou and board the bullet train to Xining (approximately 4 hours) — the mandatory gateway for all Tibet trains. Board the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in Xining in the evening. The train departs into the high plateau darkness.

5. Day5

   On the Qinghai-Tibet Railway — Arrive Lhasa

   Meals NoneOvernight Lhasa hotel

   A day of extraordinary scenery: the open Tibetan plateau, Tibetan antelope and yak herds, the Tanggula Pass at 5,072 metres. Arrive in Lhasa in the evening.

6. Day6

   Lhasa — Rest and Acclimatize

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa hotel

   Rest and hydrate. At 3,600 metres, your body needs a full day to adjust to the altitude before sightseeing begins.

7. Day7

   Lhasa — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa hotel

   The Potala Palace with its gilded chapels and centuries of Dalai Lama history, the sacred Jokhang Temple and its precious Jowo Rinpoche statue, and Barkhor Street’s vibrant pilgrim circuit — the three defining sights of Lhasa.

8. Day8

   Lhasa — Sera Monastery, Tibet Museum

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa hotel

   Sera Monastery’s afternoon monk debates (15:00–17:00, except Sundays) and the Tibet Museum. One experience is loud, theatrical, and alive; the other is quiet and scholarly. Together they cover Tibetan culture from two completely different angles.

9. Day9

   Lhasa — Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Gyantse (Day Trip)

   Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa hotel

   Drive west over Kampala Pass to Yamdrok Lake’s vivid turquoise panorama, past Karola Glacier, and on to Gyantse’s extraordinary Kumbum Pagoda. Return to Lhasa in the evening.

10. Day10

    Lhasa — Free Day

    Meals BreakfastOvernight Lhasa hotel

    A free day to revisit a favourite site, browse Barkhor Street’s handicraft stalls, or simply rest at altitude before departure.

11. Day11

    Lhasa Departure

    Meals Breakfast

    Transfer to Lhasa airport or train station. This 5-day Tibet example is fully adjustable — extend to Everest Base Camp or Kailash, or shorten if time is limited.

    Meals: Breakfast Tibet Permit — Required for All Visitors Every visitor to Tibet must hold a Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit. It is mandatory, cannot be obtained on arrival, and differs by nationality. We handle the full application once you book — please allow at least 15 days before your departure date.