Tibet Highlights Tour
Overview
Dreaming about visiting Tibet and Potala Palace, monasteries, holy lakes, Himalaya mountains, experiencing timeless Tibetan culture, and meeting pilgrims and local Tibetans? This 7 days adventure from Lhasa to Shigatse is a comprehensive fast-paced tour featuring the highlights of Tibet in a brief visit. You will visit the must-visit sites and mysterious ancient shrines like Potala Palace, Sera Monastery, Drak Yerpa, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Palkor Monastery, Tashilumpo Monastery. And journey to the heaven-like Yamdrok Lake and Namtso Lake. This definitely will be an interesting and forgettable Tibet trip for you.
Duration: 7 days & 6 nights
Destinations: Lhasa - Shigatse - Lhasa - Namtso - Lhasa
Starting Point: Lhasa
Ending Point: Lhasa
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Itinerary Expand All
Fly over / cross snow-capped mountains, rivers, and prairie, arrive in Lhasa. Your private tour guide has been waiting for you and will meet your at the exit of airport/railway station. Transfer to settle into your hotel. The remainder of the day is for acclimatization. You may walk slowly around, but avoid any vigorous exercise.
You May Want to Know
- You’re suggested to take a morning flight to Lhasa, so as to better adapt the altitude.
- Please feel free to advise us if you prefer hotel with special oxygen supplies.
Wake up in fresh and a bit thin air. Escorted by your guide, visit Potala Palace. If you know something about Tibetan, you may have known that Potala means Buddhist shrine. Built in the 7th Century by Tibetan King Songtsen to marry Princess Wencheng from the Tang Dynasty, it is one of world’s most magnificent and legendary ancient castles. From the White Palace to Red Palace to admire Tibetan architecture, as well as numerous incredible Buddhist relics, antiques, jewels, pearls and Dalai Lamas' holy stupas.
After lunch at a local restaurant, head for Sera Monastery, where an intense debate is gonging on. Of course, the monk debating is something you may have never seen before. They debate over classics, with “odd” body language, like dancing.
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 streams. There are dozens of ancient meditation caves hidden in the cliff, with mysterious Buddhist glamour. In the afternoon, through the old town of Lhasa, visit Jokhang Temple, the true sanctuary of Tibetan Buddhism. It is because of Jokhang Temple, Lhasa has been honored as the holy city. You can always see numerous devoted Buddhist, from other parts of Tibet and even Yunnan, Qinghai and Gansu, who make their pilgrimage to Jokhang Temple. Meet 12-year-old-like Shakyamuni statue here. Then walk briskly around Barkhor Street, a scared road and commercial street, where you can witness traditional Tibetan dwelling and way of living.
Meal: B, L
Bating in the warm sunlight, all the way to the west, drive for 2 hours through villages and wilderness along 150km road, getting to Yamdrok Lake. One of the four holy lakes in Tibet, Yamdrok features a purified blue color and dotted with lovely islands. Here you may also encounter yak. How about enjoy a picnic lunch beside this peaceful, gorgeous lake? Don’t hesitate tell us if you wish to do that. Continue driving, your will pass the Simila Pass at 4352m and view Kharola Glacier before arriving at Gyantse town to explore the majestic Gyantse Dzong or named Gyantse Fortress on a mountaintop. This well-preserved ancient Tibetan fortress used to be the local government office and a temple simultaneously. Nearby is the famous Palkor Monastery (Baiju Temple), where Tibetan Buddhism sakya school, xialu school, gelug school co-exist. Arrive in Shigatse later today.
Meal: B, L
Visit the famous Tashilumpo Monastery, the seat of successive Panchen Lamas. It is one of Tibet’s great four temples of Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism, with enormous scale, elegant layout and beautiful architecture. Like Potala Palace, Tashilumpo Monastery also has palace wall, winding uphill, as long as 3000m. There are 57 prayer halls, and 3,600 houses, with a plethora of valuable Buddhist relics. Then drive back to Lhasa, taking in the stunning landscape along Yarlung Tsangpo River (Yalu Zangbu River), one of highest elevation rivers on earth, rising from the north of Himalaya. That is why it is called Tsangpo – water flowing from the highest peak.
Meal: B, L
Get up early this morning and drive to Namtso (240km), another well-known holy lake in Tibet. Namtso in Tibetan means “Heaven Lake”, partly because of its high altitude. Embraced by snow-capped Nyenchen Tanglha mountains, rolling hills and endless plateau meadows, Namtso looks like a huge mirror embedded in the North Tibet grasslands. Every summer and important Tibetan festival, you may see lamas go on pilgrimage to Namtso and walk the lake in circle. Today it is a long ride en route (about 7 hrs), but you will never get tired of the breath-taking highland scenery. And please feel free to ask the driver to stop at any beautiful place for photography. Drive back to Lhasa in the afternoon.
Meal: B, L
After breakfast, you will be escorted to the airport, to catch the flights your next destination. End of your 7 Days highlights of Tibet tour.
Meal: B
