Holy City and Lake Charm | Tibet Holy City Lhasa + Holy Lake Namtso 6-Day Tour

Tashi Delek! Welcome to the City of Sunlight - Lhasa. Upon arrival, our driver will meet you at the airport or train station exit and transfer you to your hotel in Lhasa for check-in and rest. In the remaining time, you can rest well at the hotel and let your body slowly adapt to the high-altitude environment. Arrival Suggestions By plane: Lhasa Gonggar Airport is the main gateway airport of Tibet, with direct flights to and from Chengdu (most popular), Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xining, Kunming, Shangri-La, and other cities. In addition, it has the only international direct flight to Kathmandu, Nepal. By train: Taking the Qinghai-Tibet train to Tibet is also a very popular choice. You can take the train to Tibet from Xining (the starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet train, 21h), Chengdu (36.5h), Chongqing (35.5h), Beijing (40.5h), Shanghai (47h), Guangzhou (52.5h), Xi'an (31h), Lanzhou (24.5h), and other cities. Warm tips: Do not do strenuous exercise on the day of arrival in Lhasa, and do not take a shower that night to prevent catching a cold. Do not drink alcohol. Drink more water and eat fruit, and do not overeat. Rest more. You may bring American ginseng lozenges or health supplements such as Rhodiola and Gao Yuan An to relieve altitude sickness. Follow the guide's arrangements, try not to go out for activities, and maintaining a calm mindset and sufficient rest is the best way to prevent altitude sickness. If you feel unwell, seek treatment at the hospital promptly.

After breakfast, head to visit the world's highest ancient palace-fortress complex—the Potala Palace. [Potala Palace] stands on Maburi Hill in the northwest of Lhasa's urban area. It is a magnificent structure combining palace, fortress, and monastery, and is also Tibet's largest and most complete ancient palace-fortress complex. Built against the mountain, the Potala has 13 stories, stands 117.19 meters high, and stretches over 400 meters from east to west. You will climb up along its long staircases, overlooking Lhasa as you go and taking in the grandeur of the city. Pause for photos and rest along the way, then step inside the Potala Palace to explore this mysterious ancient palace for which very few images can be found online. Afterward, visit the holy site in the hearts of Tibetan Buddhist believers—Jokhang Temple. [Jokhang Temple] was first built in 647 AD and has a history of 1,350 years. It is the most splendid surviving Tubo-period building in Tibet, with five golden roofs and 108 Buddha halls. Here you can see the world-rare life-size statue of Shakyamuni at age 12 and devout pilgrims worshipping in front of the Jokhang Temple. Finally, you can stroll through [Barkhor Street]. This is not only the route for local kora rituals but also a very lively old commercial street. You may encounter locals in Tibetan robes and devout pilgrims, wander the alleys to browse handicraft shops, or find a sweet tea house and learn from Tibetan friends their tranquility and contentment. Enjoy a delicious Tibetan dinner in the evening.

After breakfast, drive about 12 km (35 minutes) to visit [Drepung Monastery], one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery is built layer by layer along the mountain terrain, grand in scale, and its white-walled, red-eaved buildings look especially peaceful and serene under the sunlight. Stepping inside, you can visit important structures such as the Tsokchen Assembly Hall, Ganden Podrang, and the four major Dratsangs in turn to learn about Tibetan Buddhist culture. You can also go to the debate courtyard to watch monks debate Buddhist teachings (around 14:00), or stroll within the monastery and seek inner peace. In addition, around August each year, a grand Buddha-unveiling ceremony is held here, which is the famous Shoton Festival. In the afternoon, drive about 30 km (50 minutes) to visit [Sera Monastery], one of the six main monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery is solemn and sacred. Here you can watch Tibet's famous monk debates, which generally start at 15:00 (except Sundays). During the debates, the lamas in the courtyard engage in intense debate, and you can truly feel the faith and power of Tibetan Buddhism.

After breakfast, depart from Lhasa to visit Namtso, one of Tibet's three great sacred lakes. The drive is about 280 kilometers and takes about 4 to 5 hours. Along the way, you can enjoy Tibetan scenery such as the broad Lhasa River Valley, the majestic Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains, and yaks grazing leisurely on the grasslands of northern Tibet. Then, as you approach Namtso, you will arrive at the 【Lakenla Pass】 at an altitude of 5,190 meters. The mani piles at Lakenla Pass are covered with prayer flags, which in the hearts of Tibetans represent reverence for the gods. Standing at the pass and looking north, you can gaze at the beautiful Namtso. Then arrive at and visit Namtso. 【Namtso】, meaning "Heavenly Lake" in Tibetan, is the second-largest lake in Tibet. The lake surface is vast, and the water is deep blue and crystal clear. Broad lakeside grasslands surround the lake, with lush water and grass. Wild animals such as bears, wild yaks, wild donkeys, and rock sheep, as well as many wild birds, often inhabit the lakeshore. Standing on the shore and looking into the distance, you can see the majestic main peak of the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains in the distance, like a mighty guardian always protecting Namtso. (Namtso is divided into two scenic areas: Tashi Peninsula and Sacred Elephant Heavenly Gate. Today you will visit Tashi Peninsula.) Tip: The drive today is relatively long and tiring, so you need to get up early. The northern Tibet region is at a relatively high altitude, so please bring a thick coat, apply sunscreen, and bring sunglasses and a hat. After visiting Namtso, head to Damxung for hotel check-in.

After breakfast, drive to visit [Chime Long Nunnery], a Gelugpa nunnery of Tibetan Buddhism. It mainly enshrines Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara, Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara, Green Tara, and the three masters of Tsongkhapa and his disciples. It is an important local place of practice for women. Strolling through the peaceful monastery, you can learn about different Buddhist cultures in Tibet, and also look out at the nearby sky burial site from afar (sky burial is a traditional Tibetan funeral custom in which the deceased's body is placed at a designated sky burial site and pecked by vultures, thereby giving alms to all beings and liberating the soul). Then continue to visit Tsurphu Monastery, located on the north bank of the Tsurphu River valley. [Tsurphu Monastery] is the main monastery of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and the birthplace of the reincarnation system of living Buddhas. Here, you can enter the monastery to visit the assembly hall, shrines, monks' quarters, and other buildings, and under the guide's explanation, gain an in-depth understanding of the mysteries of Buddhist culture. In addition, the "Jiangpu Monastery Founding Stele" in the square in front of the monastery and the monastery's treasure, the "silver statue made by the 8th Karmapa in memory of his guru," are highlights of the visit. After the visit, return to your hotel in Lhasa for rest.

Today brings this wonderful 6-day Lhasa and Namtso tour in Tibet to an end. Our driver will, according to the agreed time, transfer you in advance to Lhasa Airport or Railway Station for your next destination. If you wish to extend this trip and explore more destinations in Tibet, such as Shigatse and Mount Everest, Nyingchi, or Mount Kailash in Ngari, you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you. We look forward to welcoming you again someday in the future.