Excursion of Eastern Tibet
Overview
On 7-day Tibet trip, make an excursion to the Eastern Tibet, or otherwise known as Kham, is an area of great natural beauty and cultural significance. We’ll enjoy the beautiful landscape of snow mountains and grasslands, discover some ancient monasteries, hike around to explore many mystic hermitage caves. And you will visit the popular scenic spots including Potala Palace, Sera Monastery, Drak Yerpa, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Yamdrok Lake, Ganden Monastery, Samye Monastery, Yumbulagang...
Duration: 7 days & 6 nights
Destinations: Lhasa - Tsedang - Samye Monastery - Tsedang - Lhasa
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Welcome to Lhasa! It is one of the most incredible and mysterious places on Earth. Meet your exclusive guide who will hold a sign with your name on it, followed with a private transfer to your hotel. Rest up at hotel for acclimatization. Alternatively walk leisurely around to explore Lhasa on your own. It is not suggested to any strenuous exercise. Your fantastic travel of Tibet begins.
You May Want to Know
- To better adapt the altitude, it is better for travelers, especially those from low altitude regions, to take a morning flight into Lhasa.
- If you prefer accommodation in Lhasa with special oxygen supplies, please don’t hesitate to let your trip advisor at ETC know.
Meet your guide and driver and embark for UNESCO inscribed Potala Palace – world’s high elevation palace and ancient castle. In the 7th century, the Tibetan King Songtsen Gambo moved the capital to Lhasa and built Potala Palace. Also at Potala Palace he married Princess Wencheng from the Tang Dynasty, which strengthen the economic and cultural exchanges between Tibet and surrounding ethnic groups and promote the prosperity of Tibet Tubo society. Later Potala Palace became the place where Dalai lamas lived, conducted important religious activities and handled administrative affairs.
After lunch, drive to the north suburb of Lhasa for Sera Monastery. One of the six monasteries of the Tibetan Buddhism Gelug Sect and one of the “Great Three Monastery of Lhasa”, Sera Monastery is a trove of Tibetan Buddhist relics. More importantly, there is a 600-year-old tradition – lama debating. A group of lamas get together, some sitting, some standing. Occasionally they look at each other angrily, as if they are in a fierce quarrel or struggle.
Meal: B, L
This morning explore a majestic cliff-side monastery in the suburb of Lhasa - Drak Yerpa, with a history of 1500 years. What’s particularly curious about Drak Yerpa is that it is one of the great four ancient hermitages in Tibet. Different from the surrounding wildness, Drak Yerpa is embraced by vegetation, trees, flowers and even with streams flowing through. There are dozens of ancient meditation caves hidden in the cliff, with mysterious Buddhist glamour.
In the afternoon, visit Jokhang Temple, a sanctuary for all Tibetan Buddhist that makes Lhasa the holy city. Here you’ll meet the a life-like Shakyamuni statue aged 12 and may feel deeply moved when seeing devoted pilgrims on all fours praying in front of Jokhang Temple. Later today on the scared road of Barkhor Street, you may join the locals’ kora (walk around in circle for religion). The street, which connects the old town of Lhasa, is also a perfect place to get introduced to daily Tibetan life.
Meal: B, L
Drive for about 2.5 hours, through primitive Tibetan villages, to culturally rich county of Tsedang in Shannan City, surrounded by soaring holy mountain ranges such as Gongburi Mountain and Kailas Range (Kailash Range). Visit Yumbulagang (Yumbu Lhakhang), standing majestically and lonely on the top of Zhaxiciri Mountain. Built in 2the BC, it is believed to be the first building in Tibet and the palace of the first Tibetan king. In the 7th-centure, Yumbulagang became Songtsan Gambo and Princess Wencheng’s summer palace in Shannan. Later the fifth Dalai Lama converted it into a Gelug Sect temple. Then visit Trundruk Monastery, one of the earliest Buddhist temples built in Tibet, renovated and expanded by the 5th and 7th Dalai lamas. The Buddhist treasures including a pearl thangka are kept in Trundruk Monastery.
Meal: B, L
Today admire the famous Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery built in Tibet. The buildings in the temple are arranged according to the cosmology of Buddhism. The central Buddhist hall mixes the Tibetan, traditional Chinese and Indian architectural style. Today, there are more than 50 monks living in Samye Monastery. Thereafter start hiking along a rugged and steep 8-km-trail to Chim-puk Hermitage, another famous mediation center in Tibet, situated halfway of Narui Mountain, in the northeast of Samye Monastery, with an elevation of about 4300 meters. Legend has it that there were 108 hermitage caves, 108 celestial burial platforms and 108 holy springs. Along the hike, you can find numerous sacred sites and take in stunning scenery of verdant trees, valleys, streams. Then drive back to Tsedang for overnight stay.
Meal: B, L
After breakfast, depart from Tsedang and drive back to Lhasa. Enjoy the unique Tibet plateau landscape all along. And visit Ganden Monastery, a magnificent group of Buddhist architecture complex crawling on the Mt Wangbur. It is the ancestral temple of Tibetan Buddhism Gelug Sect and homes more than 90 pagodas to hold the spirited bodies of successors of Tsongkhapa. If you’re interested, join the local Tibetans, do the Kora, hiking in circle around Ganden Monastery. And you will have a deeper and better understanding of Tibetan Buddhism.
Meal: B, L
This morning depart from Lhasa and head for Yamdrok Lake, a beautiful and serene holy lake in Tibet. This jewel-like lake is in a shape of coral branch with 21 islands and homes to a variety of migratory birds, such as yellow duck, swan, heron, sand gulls. It is the largest water bird habitat and a paradise for wild birds in Tibet. Take a brisk walk by the Yamdrok Lake and have picnic lunch.
Thereafter, transfer to Lhasa airport to catch your flight to next destination. Your 7 days Tibet adventure ends.
Meal: B
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