8 Days Lhasa Shigatse and Namtso Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Lhasa.

After arriving in Lhasa, local tour guide will welcome you at the airport/train station, then transfer the guests to the hotel. Acclimatize the high altitude in the hotel.

Overnight in Lhasa

Day 2: Lhasa City, Potala Place and Barkhor Street (B,D).

The tour will begin from UNESCO World Heritage site - Potala Palace, which is also the winter palace of Dalai Lama. It's situated at 12,139 feet above sea level. It's a 13-story high building that contains over 1,000 rooms, various statues, stupas, murals and artifacts.

Then continue to Jokhang Temple, another UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a spiritual center for Buddhists in Tibet. Next to the temple there is Bakhor Street, filled with pilgrims and street vendors, selling traditional Tibetan items such as prayer wheels and jewelry.

Day 3: Monasteries in Lhasa, Drepung and Sera (B).

In the morning, tourists are going to visit Drepung monastery which was one of the “three greet” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1416. Ganden palace is used as Dalai Lama’s palace in the Drepung before moving to the Potala palace.

Afternoon, Sera Monastery---It was one of the “three great” Gelug monasteries of Tibet and was founded in 1419. The highlight is the Monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon.

Day 4: Lhasa – Gyantse - Shigatse (B)

Drive from Lhasa to Gyantse. Admire the Gampala pass (4790 m) on the way, and get a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso (4400m), which is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains. Then continue to drive west towards Gyantse. In Gyantse, tourists will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum. After one and a half hour's drive, clients will arrive in Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet.

Day 5: Shigatse - Lhasa (B)

Today, explore Tashilunpo monastery of Gelug Sect, the seat of the Panchen Lama, built in 1447. The monastery houses a giant statue of the Maitreya Buddha - the biggest gilded statue of Maitreya (Buddha of the future) in the world and a tomb of all the Panchen Lama, containing jewels and gold. In the afternoon, you will drive back to Lhasa, which will take around 6 hours.（Shigatse to Lhasa’s transfer perhaps by train）

Day 6: Lhasa to Namtso Lake (240km, 5 hours ) (B)

In the morning, drive from Lhasa to Lake Namtso. On the way, clients can see Nyenchen Thanglha( snow mountain ranges )and lots of nomads tent with grazing yak and sheep densely-populated around the mountain side. Namtso Lake is the Heavenly Lake which is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and also the highest salt lake. You can do a very relaxing trekking around the lake side and Tashi Island.

To spend a night at lake shore is fantastic to see the stars.

Day 7: Namtso Lake to Lhasa (240km, 5 hours)

Enjoy the clear morning at the lake shore; you can trek along the lake shore to Tashi Dor Island to explore the meditation caves. Drive to Dumxung to have lunch.

In the afternoon, tourists may enjoy Yangpachen hot spring (Optional) and have both indoor and outdoor swimming pool filled with hot springs water. Finally, head back to Lhasa.

Day 8: Depart from Lhasa (B).

Transfer clients to the airport or train station.