12 Days China to Tibet by Train: Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an and Lhasa, No Flights
- Duration
- 12 Days / 11 Nights
- Pace
- Easy
- Group size
- Private, on your dates
- Best season
- All year
The trip at a glance
Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Lhasa, with no flights at all. High-speed trains join the three great cities of inland China in a few hours each, and then the Xi'an–Lhasa train carries you 31 hours up onto the Tibetan plateau. Twelve days, as a private tour for your own party.
Fast trains, then a slow one. Beijing to Shanghai is about four and a half hours, Shanghai to Xi’an about six, both at 300 km/h from city centre to city centre. The last leg is the opposite: the long plateau train that leaves Xi’an early in the morning, crosses Qinghai, climbs the Kunlun Mountains and the Tanggula Pass, and reaches Lhasa the next afternoon. Most guests say it is the day they remember best.
Read the full overview
Old and new China side by side. Imperial Beijing, then the towers of Pudong across the river from the Bund, then the army of clay soldiers buried with China’s first emperor, and finally the Potala Palace. Four cities, four different centuries.
We run Tibet with our own team. In Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an we work with local partners we have known for years, and we stay with you the whole way as your one point of contact.
Short of a day? The same route with a flight from Xi’an to Lhasa takes 11 days.
Photo credits: Shanghai skyline, Ernest Jourdier, CC BY 4.0; Forbidden City, Gisling, CC BY 3.0; Yu Garden, Chainwit., CC BY 4.0; Xi’an City Wall, xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0; all via Wikimedia Commons. Tibet photos are our own.
- Beijing
- high-speed train
- Shanghai
- high-speed train
- Xi'an
- Xi'an–Lhasa train (31 h)
- Lhasa
Where you go, and how high you sleep
The route, stop by stop
Beijing → high-speed train → Shanghai → high-speed train → Xi'an → Xi'an–Lhasa train (31 h) → Lhasa
- Arrive in BeijingDay 1
- Juyongguan Great Wall and Yonghegong Lama TempleDay 2
- Tian'anmen, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, high-speed train to ShanghaiDay 3
- Yu Garden, the old city, Zhujiajiao and the BundDay 4
- Nanjing Road, then high-speed train to Xi'anDay 5
- Terra-Cotta Warriors, Qin Mausoleum and Huaqing Hot SpringDay 6
- Wild Goose Pagoda, the City Wall and the Muslim QuarterDay 7
- Early train from Xi'an towards LhasaDay 8
- Over the Tanggula Pass, arrive in LhasaDay 9
- Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor StreetDay 10
- Tibet Museum, Norbulingka and the Sera Monastery debateDay 11
- Depart from LhasaDay 12
Day by day
Days 1–2 · Beijing hotel
Arrive in Beijing
Our guide meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel. In the evening, a Peking duck dinner at a well-known restaurant.
Juyongguan Great Wall and Yonghegong Lama Temple
Walk on the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, built through a mountain pass north of the city. In the afternoon visit the Yonghegong Lama Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist temple in the heart of Beijing.
Tian'anmen, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, high-speed train to Shanghai
Cross Tian'anmen Square and walk through the Forbidden City. In the afternoon see the Summer Palace with its lake and gardens. In the evening take the high-speed train to Shanghai, about four and a half hours.
Yu Garden, the old city, Zhujiajiao and the Bund
Visit the Yu Garden and the old city in the morning. In the afternoon drive out to Zhujiajiao, an old water town of canals and stone bridges. In the evening walk along the Bund and see the Pudong skyline across the river.
Nanjing Road, then high-speed train to Xi'an
A free morning, with time to walk on Nanjing Road, Shanghai's main shopping street. At midday board the high-speed train to Xi'an, about six hours.
Terra-Cotta Warriors, Qin Mausoleum and Huaqing Hot Spring
Visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors, the army buried with China's first emperor more than 2,200 years ago, then the Qin Mausoleum and the Huaqing Hot Spring at the foot of Mount Li.
Wild Goose Pagoda, the City Wall and the Muslim Quarter
Visit the Wild Goose Pagoda, walk or cycle on top of the Ancient City Wall, and end the day in the food streets of the Muslim Quarter. Pack a small bag for the train.
Early train from Xi'an towards Lhasa
An early start: our guide takes you to the station for the morning train to Lhasa. The day passes through Gansu and Qinghai, past Xining and along the shore of Qinghai Lake towards Golmud. Night on the train in a sleeper berth.
Over the Tanggula Pass, arrive in Lhasa
In the morning the train climbs the Kunlun Mountains and crosses the Tanggula Pass at 5,072 m, then runs across the Changtang grassland, with oxygen piped through the carriages. You reach Lhasa in the afternoon, about 31 hours after leaving Xi'an. Our Tibetan guide meets you at the station; the evening is free to rest.
Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street
Visit the Potala Palace, the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas, then the Jokhang Temple, the holiest temple in Tibet, and walk around Barkhor Street with the pilgrims.
Tibet Museum, Norbulingka and the Sera Monastery debate
Start with the Tibet Museum and the Norbulingka summer palace, opposite each other across the road. After lunch, watch the monks debate in the courtyard of Sera Monastery.
Depart from Lhasa
Our guide takes you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport or the railway station for your onward journey.
What is included
Included
- Airport and station pick-ups and transfers
- Private vehicle and English-speaking guide in each city
- Hotels as listed in the itinerary, with daily breakfast
- Entrance tickets for the sights listed in the itinerary
- High-speed trains Beijing–Shanghai and Shanghai–Xi'an, and the Xi'an–Lhasa train (sleeper berth)
- Tibet Travel Permit
- Tibetan guide and city transport in Lhasa
Not included
- International flights
- China visa
- Lunches and dinners not listed, including meals on the train
- Personal expenses and tips
- Single room supplement
Photos from this route
Want another 12-day choice?
See all 4 tours of 12 days →
Questions travellers ask
How long is the train from Xi'an to Lhasa?
About 31 hours. It leaves Xi'an early in the morning, you spend one night on the train in a sleeper berth, and you arrive in Lhasa the next afternoon.
Why does this tour take 12 days when the flying version takes 11?
The train from Xi'an to Lhasa takes a day and a half where the flight takes three hours. The extra day is the train day itself, which many guests count as the highlight.
What is the Xi'an–Lhasa train like?
Sleeper carriages with four-berth soft-sleeper or six-berth hard-sleeper compartments, a dining car, and oxygen piped through the carriages on the high plateau. We book soft sleeper when it is available.
Do I need a permit to board the train to Lhasa?
Yes. Every foreign visitor needs a Tibet Travel Permit, and the original is checked at the station. We arrange it once your tour is confirmed and hand it to you in Xi'an.
Can I start in Shanghai instead of Beijing?
Yes. This is a private tour, so the order and the start city can change. Tell us your dates and we will suggest a route.
What does it cost?
Please send us your dates and the number of travellers, and we will reply with the price within 24 hours.
