Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, covers an area of 544 square kilometers and is "The Land of Gods" in Tibetan, sits on the north bank of River Lhasa, a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangbo River, at an altitude of 3,700 meters. It has a history of over 13 centuries. With more than 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, Lhasa is famed as "the City of Sunshine". It is the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region and the center of Tibet's political, economic, cultural and religious activities. There are many historic sites and famous relics in the city proper and its suburbs, among which the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery and Ganden Monastery are world famous.

This route is quite fit for those people:

1)who always live in the comparatively low altitude and come to Tibet for the first time
2)who will bring children to Tibet
3)elder travelers
4)The people who don't have limited time of traveling.

Interested in this tour?
Contact us for a quotation.

Itinerary day by day:

Day 01 Arrive in Lhasa

Potala Palace Jokhang Temple Barkhor Street Drepung Monastery Sera Monastery

Our tour guide and driver will meet you at Lhasa airport, greet and offer you a white scarf (called Kada) in a Tibet traditional way which brings you good luck.and then transfer to Lhasa city.

Day 02 Sightseeing in Lhasa: Potala, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Bazaar

Potala palace, the highest palace in the world! At the top the palace called golden roof, you can have a bird¡¯s-eye view of the whole of Lhasa. In the distance are undulating mountain ranges, the beautiful Lhasa River, tracts of fields, tree-shaded villages and the glistening of Jokhang Temple.
Jokhang Temple is the first built during the period of Sontsan Gambo in the 7th century. You¡¯ll find that many Pilgrims pray before the monastery. Then sightseeing or shopping at Bakhor Bazaar near Jokhang Temple.


Day 03 Sightseeing in Lhasa: Drepang monastery and Norbulingka Sera Monastery

Drepung monastery is the biggest monastery in Tibet and Norbulingka is the summer palace of Dalai Lama. Sera Monastery, there you can enjoy the exciting lection debating of Lama.

Day 04 Lhasa¡ªGyantse: Yamdrok lake, Palkhor monastery and Kumbu pagoda

Yamdrok lake is one of the three most sacred lakes in Tibet and Pakhor monastery is famous for its mixture religions with several Tibetan Buddhism sects together.

Day 05 Gyantse¡ªShigatse: Shalu monastery and Tashilumpo monastery

Shalu monastery is the mixture architecture of Han style and Tibetan style.
Tashilumpo monastery is one of 6 biggest monasteries in Tibet and it is the residence of Panchen Lhasa. There you can enjoy the highest bronze Buddha statue, called future Buddha.

Day 06 Shigatse¡ªSaga: sightsee along the road.

Day 07 Saga¡ªPayang

Day 08 Payang¡ªMonasorivor lake

Day 09 Monasorivor lake---Darchen

Monasorivor lake is one of three most famous sacred lakes in Tibet. Most of people who pilgrimage Mountain Kailash will firstly come here and clean his own body, it is said that, in this way he will be favoured by God.

Day 10---12 trekking around the Kailash

Mountain Kailash, also called Holy mountain in Tibet. It is the most sacred mountain in Tibetan. The top of the mountain was covered by snow all through the year, ¡°Snow mountain¡± is pronounced ¡°Dishi¡± in Sanskri, so people believe the ¡°big snowed mountain¡± mentioned in the Buddhist bible is this ¡°Gangdishi Mountain¡±. It has been a holy land of Buddhism for over one thousand years, which is attracting large numbers of pilgrims from domestic and overseas.

Day 13 Drive to Paryang

Day 14 Paryang---Saga

Day 15 Saga---Lhatse

Day 16 Lhatse---Tingri

Do preparation for walking to Everest Base Camp, hire yakman and yaks there today.

Day 17Trek to Lunja Village

Day 18Trek to Drokpa before Lama La Pass

Day 19Cross Lama La and trek to Drakchu river

Day 20 Trek to Everest Base Camp via Rongbuk monastery

Day 21Rongbuk---Tingri

Day 22 Tingri---Shigatse

Day 23 Shigatse ---Lhasa: Yangpachen

Drive 350km from Shigatse to Lhasa via Yangpachen, there you can enjoy the natural hotspring one you own expense.

Day 24 Lhasa¡ªDrigung monastery

Drigung Monastery is famous for its Sky-burial. Tibetans believe that, more important than the body, is the spirit of the deceased. Following death, the body should not be touched for three days, except possibly at the crown of the head, through which the consciousness, or namshe, exits. Lamas guide the spirit in a series of prayers that last for seven weeks, as the person makes their way through the bardo--intermediate states that precede rebirth.

Sky-burial is practiced all over the plateau, but Drigung is one of the three most famous and auspicious sites of Tibet and one of the two most famous of the world, another is in India.

[Note: at the request of the people participating in the funeral, no photos were taken]

Day25 Drigung monastery--- Reting monastery: Tidrum hotspring

Tidrum hotspring is on the way from Reting Monastery to Drigung Monastery, its good quality attracts many people, although the condition there is not so good.
Reting Monastery is not only famous for the Reting living Buddha but also famous for the Protection area around the monastery, especial the huge cypress forest around the monastery, the cypresses are more than 500 years old and they strangely just exist around the monastery

Day 26 Reting monastery---Dangxung

Day 27 Dangxung---Lhasa: Namtso lake

Namtso Lake is also one of the three most sacred lakes in Tibet, after you enjoy the Namtso lake, drive to Lhasa.

Day 28 Lhasa free day for your exploring Lhasa city

Day 29: Exit Tibet and proceed to your next destination

If you have one or two more days, the tour can be extended like this:

Extension optional tours

A. one more day to Yamdrok Lake or Yampacheng for the grassland

Yamdrok Lake

Yamdrok Lake: On the old road between Gyanste and Lhasa, dazzling Yamdrok lake can be seen from the summit of the Kamba-la (4794m). The lake lies several hundred metres below the road, and in clear weather is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. Far in the distance is the huge massif of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang (7191m).

B. one more day to Namsto Lake

Namtso Lake

Namsto Lake: Namsto, approximately 190km north-west of Lhasa, is the second-largest saltwater lake in China. It is over 70km long and reaches a width of 30km. They Nyenchen Tangula range, with peaks of more than 7000m, towers over the lake to the south. Namtso is a tidal lake and the ring marks of earlier lake levels are clearly visible by the shoreline. In clear weather the water is a miraculous shade of turquoise and there are magnificent views of the nearby mountains. The wide open spaces, dotted with tents of local nomads, are intoxicating.

C. one more day to Gandan Monastery or Tsurphu Monastery

Gandan Monastery

Gandan Monastery: Gandan, just 40km north-east of Lhasa, was the first Gelugpa monastery. If you only have time for one monastery excursion outside Lhasa, Ganden would probably be the best choice. With its stupendous views of the surrounding Kyi-chu Valley and fascinating kora, Ganden is an experience unlike the other major Gelugpa monasteries in the Lhasa area.

Tsurphu Monastery: Tsurphu Monastery around 70km west of Lhasa, is the seat of the Karmapa branch of the Kagyupa order of Tibetan Buddhism. The Karmapa are also known as the Black Hats, a title that dates back to 1256.

Interested in this tour?
Contact us for a quotation.