D1

Arrival in Lhasa

D2

Rural Lhasa

D3

Urban Lhasa

D4

Lhasa → Ganden Monastery → Tidrum Nunnery with Hot Springs

D5

Tidrum Nunnery → Drigung Til Monastery near Sky Burial Sites → Drak Yerpa with Meditation Caves → Lhasa

D6

Lhasa → Samye Monastery → Tibetan Family Home Visit → Lhasa

D7

Lhasa Departure

    D1

Arrival in Lhasa

- / - / D

Highlights: ✔Acclimation of Tibetan Plateau ✔Explore and get the vibe of Lhasa

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Your heart-pounding Tibet adventure kicks off today. Upon landing at Lhasa Airport/Railway, our friendly Tibetan guide and driver will wait you at the exit holding your name sign. A white Khata (scarf) presenting ceremony will be performed according to Tibetan tradition to bless you with a safe and happy journey ahead. Transfer to hotel in downtown Lhasa, after check in you will have the rest of the day free for a sneak peek at what’s to come by yourself. No arranged sightseeing is crammed in for the first day to allow you time to acclimatize the high altitude in Tibet.

    D2

Rural Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Drepung Monastery ✔Summer Palace Norbulingka ✔Sera Monastery with Lama Debating Ceremony

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Potala Palace involves climbing many flights of stairs to a hilltop, thus we arrange the second day for sights in Lhasa suburban, which are less physically demanding. Guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel, and deliver you back afterwards.

Drepung Monastery, located at the foot of Mt Gephel, is one of the "great three" Gelug university gompas of Tibet. Covering an area of 250,000 square meters, Drepung houses many exquisite statues and murals.

Summer Palace Norbulingka is a palace with surrounding park, served as the traditional summer residence of the successive Dalai Lamas. Covering an area of around 89 acres, it is considered to be the largest man made garden in Tibet.

Sera Monastery with Lama Debating Ceremony: Located at the foot of Tatipu Hill, worshipped not only as one of the six main Gelugpa monasteries of Tibet Buddhism, Sera Monastery has assumed another responsibility of cultivating eminent monks by serving as a religious educational institution. It is famous for the Buddhism activities of Monks Debating, which takes place in the afternoons from Monday to Saturday.

    D3

Urban Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Potala Palace ✔Chakpori Hill with Rock Paintings & Carvings ✔Jokhang Temple ✔Barkhor Bazaar

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Potala Palace, the winter palace of Dalai Lamas since the 7th century, symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. The complex, comprising the White and Red Palaces with their ancillary buildings, is built on Red Mountain in the centre of Lhasa Valley, at an altitude of 3,700m.

Chakpori Hill with Rock Paintings & Carvings: Rising up beside the Potala Palace, the Chakpori Hill (Yao Wang Shan, or literally the Hill of Medicine King) is 3,725 meters above sea level. Ascending the winding path to the top, one can get a panoramic view of the ancient city with its surrounding landscapes, also an ideal location to take photographs of Potala Palace in full view, as on the￥50 Chinese yuan note. On its southern cliff is a large cluster of rock carvings, approximately over 5,000 cliff-side carvings, which is the largest in number and most diversified in contents and style in Tibet.

Jokhang Temple has been listed in the UNESCO's World Heritage since 2000. It is the spiritual center of Tibet and the holiest destination for all Tibetan pilgrims. Situated at the heart of Lhasa Old Town and surrounded by Barkhor Bazaar, this 4 storied building, built in the 7th century by Songtsan Gambo, with roofs covered with gilded bronze tiles, demonstrates a combination of the architectural style of Han, Tibetan, India and Nepal, as well as a Mandala world outlook of Buddhism. Devoted Tibetan pilgrims perform body length prostration in its courtyard all year long.

Barkhor Bazaar is located in Lhasa Old Town, surrounding Jokhang Temple. It is the best place to shop for authentic Tibetan souvenirs where are full of shops and stands at its every corners. It is also of extraordinary historical and cultural significance. Barkhor was developed along with Jokhang Temple in the early 7th century.

    D4

Lhasa → Yamdrotso Lake → Karola Glacier → Gyantse → Shigatse

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Ganden Monastery ✔Tidrum Nunnery with Hot Springs

DIST. 200km/6hrs

Ganden Monastery is located about 50km northeast of Lhasa, in the southern bank of Lhasa River. It was the first Gelugpa monastery and has been the main seat of this major Buddhist order ever since. With its stupendous views of the surrounding Kyi-chu Valley, Ganden is one of the earliest and largest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet.

Tidrum Nunnery with Hot Springs has a great location in a narrow gorge at the confluence of two steams. The entire valley is festooned with prayer flags. The small Tidrum Nunnery has strong connections to Yeshe Tsogyal, the wife of King Trisong Detsen and consort of Guru Rinpoche. Its delightful hot springs are surrounded by wooden canopies and there are separate men’s and women’s pools.

    D5

Tidrum Nunnery → Drigung Til Monastery  → Dark Yerpa  → Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Drigung Til Monastery near Sky Burial Sites ✔Drak Yerpa with Meditation Caves

DIST. 250km/7hrs

Drigung Til Monastery, first established in 1167, is the head monastery of the Drigungpa school of the Kagyupa order. Drigung Til sprouts from a high, steep ridge overlooking the Zhorong-chu Valley. The 180-degree views from its main courtyard are impressive and serene stillness pervades the site. Drigung Til is also the most famous sky burial site in central Tibet, although according to local tradition such sacred ceremony is NOT open for travellers. 

Drak Yerpa consists of a monastery and many ancient meditation caves in the spectacular limestone cliffs of Yerpa Valley. Among the many ascetics who have sojourned here are Guru Rinpoche and Atisha (Jowo-je), as well as Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo and his Tibetan wife.

    D6

Lhasa → Samye Monastery → Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Samye Monastery on the north bank of Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra River) ✔Tibetan Family Home Visit

DIST. 280km/7hrs

Samye Monastery is on the north bank of Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River, surrounded by barren mountains and dramatic sand dunes. It is Tibet’s first monastery and the place where Buddhism was established. Founded in 775 by King Trisong Detsen, Samye is famed not just for its pivotal history but also for its unique mandala design.

Tibetan Family Home Visit to experience Tibetan life first-handedly and our legendary hospitality. It is the best way to learn about the culture and way of life of today’s Tibetan families in Tibet. It’s an interactive activities of experiencing the original, unique and colorful Tibetan customs.

    D7

Lhasa Departure

B / - / -

Highlights: ✔Homeward Bound

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Soak up your last dose of Tibet this morning over a yak butter tea and momos while marvel at how much you've seen. Later, hop back on your private vehicle for the transfer to Lhasa Airport/Railway. What a journey! Say a fond farewell to your Tibetan guide and driver as you wrap up the trip until we meet again.