D1

Chengdu Arrival

D2

Chengdu

D3

Chengdu → Leshan Giant Buddha → Chengdu

D4

Flight: Chengdu - Nyingtri (08:25-10:35, 2hrs)

Drive: Nyingtri Airport → Pomi

D5

Pomi → Rawok Lake → Pomi

D6

Pomi → Lunang Forest → Nyingtri

D7

Nyingtri → Kading Valley Scenic Area → Draksum-tso Lake

D8

Draksum-tso → Mila Pass → Ganden Monastery → Lhasa

D9

Lhasa

D10

Lhasa

D11

Lhasa → Yamdrotso Lake → Karola Glacier → Gyantse

D12

Gyantse → Shigatse

D13

Shigatse → Lhasa

D14

Lhasa Departure

    D1

Chengdu Arrival

- / - / D

Highlights: ✔Recover from jetlag ✔Wide & Narrow Alleys

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Welcome to Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province. Chengdu's history dates back to at least the 4th century B.C., when it served as capital for the Shu Kingdom. Private guide and driver will collect you at Chengdu Airport holding your name sign at the exit. Escort you to your accommodation in Chengdu city. Check in to hotel and freshen up. Later, in the later afternoon, guide & driver will come and pick you up for dinner at Wide & Narrow Alleys, dating back to Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

    D2

Chengdu

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Chengdu Panda Base ✔Tianfu Square with Chairman Mao’s Statue ✔Wuhou Temple ✔Jinli Ancient Street

DIST. 65km/1.5hrs

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (incl. shuttle bus): This morning we head to the outskirts of the city to meet Chengdu's most famous residents, the giant pandas at Chengdu Panda Base. The pandas are said to be China's spoilt children and they spend their days relaxing in large enclosures while the staff bring them bamboo by the bucket load. The base works hard to breed the pandas with the ultimate aim of releasing them back in to the wild.

Tianfu Square with Chairman Mao’s Statue: First built in 1951, Tianfu Square covers a wide rectangle area of 88,000 square meters. It has long been the center of economy, culture and business due to the best location in Chengdu. Almost every day, you can see groups of people come here to take photos, chat with friends, exercise, have a rest, shopping, or transfer to other buses or subways. And the 30-meter high statue of chairman Mao Zedong is standing at the center of Tianfu Square, facing south with his right hand waving to Chengdu citizens.

Wuhou Temple: Surrounded by mossy cypresses, Wuhou Temple (rebuilt in 1672) honours several figures from the Three Kingdom period, namely legendary military strategist Zhu Geliang and Emperor Liu Bei. Both are immortalized in the Chinese literature classic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Jinli Ancient Street: Take a stroll along the old cobbled streets of Jinli Ancient Street, located just east of Wuhou Temple, one of Chengdu’s restored ancient alleyways, crammed with souvenir stalls and eateries.

    D3

Chengdu → Leshan Giant Buddha → Chengdu

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Leshan Giant Buddha by tourist boat along Dadu River, Min River and Qingyi River

DIST. 300km/4hrs

Leshan Giant Buddha: A relaxing 2-hour drive takes you from Chengdu to the riverside Leshan town. Leshan Giant Buddha, carved from a cliff face overlooking the confluence of three busy rivers: Dadu River, Min River and Qingyi River. With fingernails larger than the average human, the world’s largest ancient Buddha, the 1200-year-old Leshan Giant Buddha, is a Unesco World Heritage site. The Buddhist monk Haitong conceived the project in AD 713, hoping that Buddha would protect the boats and calm the lethal currents. Follow your guide down a twisting trail towards the left side of the mammoth monument when you reach the bottom. Gasp at the 233 feet height of the largest carved Buddha in the entire world and capture fantastic photographs of the sacred site. Later in the late afternoon, we roam along the riverside and enjoy the 360-degree of unobstructed views of the Sleeping Buddha laying on the rivers.

    D4

Flight: Chengdu - Nyingtri (08:25-10:35, 2hrs)

Drive: Nyingtri Airport → Pomi

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Passby Mt Bonri & Serkhym-la Pass ✔Far view of Namche Barwa & Gyala Pelri

DIST. 260km/5hrs

Morning, transfer to Chengdu Airport to catch the early morning flight to Nyingtri. While it is a bummer to get up so early, you don’t have to worry about altitude sickness when enter Tibet at Nyingtri (2990m) rather than Lhasa (3650m). After land in Nyingtri Airport, your Tibetan guide & driver will be there to welcome you. Followed by a very sublime stretch of drive and many photo breaks en route will be arranged. To start, the road winds around the back of the forested holy Mt Bonri (4500m), then slow crawl up to Serkhym-la Pass (4582m). As you head down from the pass, you will see dramatic views of shark-toothed Namche Barwa (7756m) and Gyala Pelri (7151m). At the 4036km mark look for a small bridge over to Bakha Island. Stay the night at the bustling county capital Pomi (2740m).

    D5

Pomi → Rawok Lake → Pomi

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Rawok Lake

DIST. 280km/6.5hrs

Today, visit Rawok Lake (3880m), about 3hrs’ drive from Pomi. The Lhegu Glacier is standing to the north of Rawok Lake. People say Rawok Lake together with Lhegu Glacier is a perfect combination of Alps of Swiss and Jiuzhaigou of Sichuan. After the visit, return to Pomi (2740m) for the night where the altitude is lower.

    D6

Pomi → Lunang Forest → Nyingtri

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Lunang Forest

DIST. 231km/5hrs

On the way back from Pomi to Nyingtri, visit the Lunang Forest (3700m). Known as a fairyland where gods live, it is breathtakingly beautiful with different scenery in every season. Local nomads scatter on the meadow together with the wild animals form a dreamy paradise.

    D7

Nyingtri → Kading Valley Scenic Area → Draksum-tso Lake

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Kading Valley Scenic Area ✔Draksum-tso Lake

DIST. 123km/2.5hrs

About 27km west of Nyingtri, is the forested Kading Valley Scenic Area dominated by a thundering 200m-high waterfall. Then drive to one of the most beautiful lakes in eastern Tibet, Draksum-tso Lake (3470m). Stay the night at the lakeshore hotel with views of Draksum-tso from your hotel room.

    D8

Draksum-tso → Mila Pass → Ganden Monastery → Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Cross Mila Pass ✔Ganden Monastery

DIST. 360km/7hrs

Get up early to watch sunrise at Draksum-tso Lake. After breakfast, drive to Lhasa and cross Mila Pass (5013m) en route. About 50km before Lhasa, you will visit Ganden Monastery. Afternoon, arrive in Lhasa (3650m), literally the「Palace of the Gods」, is the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region.

    D9

Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Norbulingka Park ✔Sera Monastery ✔Farmer’s Market

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Morning, visit Norbulingka Park, the summer palace of the successive Dalai Lamas. Afternoon, visit Sera Monastery, and watch monk debating ceremony at its courtyard from 3-5pm, Mon to Fri. Afterwards, visit a local Farmer’s Market.

   D10

Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Potala Palace ✔Jokhang Temple ✔Barkhor Street ✔Thangka Workshop

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Today visit Potala Palace, the winter palace of Dalai Lamas. Next visit Jokhang Temple in Lhasa Old Town, the most sacred and important temple in Tibet. Surrounding Jokhang, it is Barkhor Street, where shops and stands are on every corner, as well as Tibetans Buddhist pilgrims & tourists. Visit a Thangka Workshop.

   D11

Lhasa → Yamdrotso Lake → Karola Glacier → Gyantse

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Yamdrotso Lake ✔Karola Glacier

DIST. 260km/6hrs

Today, you will depart Lhasa city and travel further into central Tibet. Drive along along the Southern Friendship Hwy via Khamba-la Pass (4700m), where you will have your first glimpse of Yamdrotso Lake (4400m). It is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and there are spectacular views of the huge massif of Mt Nojin Kangtsang (7191m) in the distance. Shortly, the drive leads you to Karola Glacier, about 300 yard of walk from the highway. Arrive in Gyantse (3980m) in the afternoon, the third largest city in Tibet.

   D12

Gyantse → Shigatse

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Pelkor Chode Monastery with Gyantse Kumbum ✔Gyantse Dzong Castle ✔Pala Manor

DIST. 95km/2hrs

Today, visit the most prominent sites in Gyantse. First, visit its Pelkor Chode Monastery with Gyantse Kumbum, a 32m- high chorten. Next, visit Gyantse Dzong, one of the best preserved dzongs (fortresses) in Tibet. Then visit Pala Manor, a well-preserved serf manor. Afterwards, drive to Shigatse (3480m), the second largest city in Tibet.

   D13

Shigatse → Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Tashihunpo Monastery ✔Local Tibetan Family Visit

DIST. 280km/6hrs

Morning, visit Tashihunpo Monastery in Shigatse. Afterwards, drive by the Northern Friendship Hwy along Yarlung Zangbo River back to Lhasa. En route, visit a local Tibetan Family.

   D14

Lhasa Departure

B / - / -

Highlights: ✔Homeward Bound

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Time to say adios to the Roof of the World. Thumbs up to yourself for making it happened. Humbled by the marvel and beauty of nature, it’s nature’s way of keeping us in check. Hop on your private vehicle for the transfer to Lhasa Airport/Railway. Say a fond farewell to your Tibetan guide and driver and take home with you the best memories of Tibet.