D1

Lhasa Arrival

D2

Rural Lhasa

D3

Urban Lhasa

D4

Lhasa → Holy Lake Yamdrotso → Karola Glacier → Lhasa

D5

Lhasa Departure

     D1

Arrival in Lhasa

- / - / D

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

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

This is going to be a tour to remember. The vibes will be at all-time high focusing on Lhasa city itself, literally means ‘the land of Gods’. Your journey kicks off upon your landing in Lhasa Airport/Railway. Our experienced Tibetan guide will greet you outside 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. Afterwards transfer to hotel in downtown Lhasa by a comfortable private vehicle and enjoy your first glimpse Tibet along the way. 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 → Holy Lake Yamdrotso → Karola Glacier → Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Holy Lake Yamdrotso ✔Karola Glacier

DIST. 260km/6hrs

Drive along Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River by Southern Friendship Hwy via Kamba-la Pass (4794m)

Holy Lake Yamdrotso lies to the south of Yarlong Tsangpo River in Shannan Region of Tibet. The lake is one of three holy lakes in Tibet with the easiest access of them all. It is the largest freshwater lake at the south foot of the Himalayas with an area of about 638 square kilometers (about 246 square miles). The lake is in a length of 130 kilometers (about 81 miles) and a width of 70 kilometers (about 43 miles).The surface of the lake is about 4,441 meters (about 14,570 feet) above the sea level. Far in the distance is the huge massif of Mt Nojin Kangtsang (7191m). We will go all the way down to the lake shore

Karola Glacier is a beautiful glacier perched between Nangartse County of Shannan and Gyantse County of Shigatse. Backing to the south face of Mt Noijin Kangtsang, Karola Glacier is made of an ice cap with slow slope and two hanging-glacier typed glacier tongues. Mt Noijin Kangtsang is one of the four greatest snow-capped mountains in Tibet. Among its glaciers, Karola Glacier is the biggest one occupying 9.4 square kilometers and reaching to 5,560 meters high. Contrasted with the blue sky, soft clouds and colorful prayer flags, the scenery of Korala Glacier is magnificent. Many Tibetan films had been shot here, the most famous one called Red River Valley.

    D5

Lhasa Departure

B / - / -

Highlights: ✔Homeward Bound

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Well, wasn't it the most wildly wonderful 5 days of your life? Exotic culture meets marvelous natural sights among real Tibetan people at the top of the world. All of the marvels rolled into one. Time to pack the bags and get ready for your departure from Tibet. Guide and driver will see you off at Lhasa Airport/Railway. Sad goodbyes and hug it out until we meet again.