【Spiritual Ngari】Lhasa Yamdrok Lake Shigatse Sacred Mountain Sacred Lake Guge Kingdom Sakya 16-Day Tour

After you get off the plane, our staff will welcome you with the warmest smile on the plateau and that touch of plateau red. Having just arrived on the plateau, what you need most is to slow down your pace and relax your mind. We will take you to the hotel for a full rest, letting your body gradually adapt to the plateau atmosphere. Tashi Delek!! Lhasa means 'holy land' or 'land of Buddha' in Tibetan. It is the sacred city in the hearts of Tibetans and a paradise in the hearts of travelers. With the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, Lhasa is no longer out of reach. Bustle and crowds are not Lhasa's true face; let us explore its mysterious charm together. [Warm Tips] 1) Transfers: Since train/airport transfers in Tibet are arranged by a local professional transfer center, the staff will contact you in advance, so please keep your phone reachable. Visitors from outside the mainland require a guide for pickup, while Chinese nationals will be taken directly to the hotel for check-in by the pickup driver. The travel agency will inform you in advance of the hotel room collection method, and you can collect the room and check in directly to rest. If you do not receive notice, please contact the travel agency staff promptly (see the tour departure notice) so they can provide timely assistance. The guide will notify you of the next day's meeting time by phone or text message before 22:00. 2) Altitude sickness: Do not do strenuous exercise on the day you arrive 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 Gaoyuan'an to relieve altitude sickness. Follow the arrangements of the travel agency staff and guide, 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, go to the hospital promptly for treatment.

[Tibetan Culture Experience] Now that you are in Lhasa, you can still experience traditional Tibetan handicrafts. The guide will lead visitors to a Tibetan culture experience center, where you can learn how refreshing Tibetan incense is made and also take part in making it yourself - completely different in meaning from simply buying Tibetan incense. A dedicated teacher will also teach you how to write your own name in Tibetan script and do woodblock printing. The incense you make yourself and the printed text can be taken home as souvenirs of the Tibetan culture experience. [Sera Monastery] As one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, it is also known, together with Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery, as one of the three great monasteries of Lhasa. The monastery preserves tens of thousands of Vajra Buddha statues, the most famous of which, the "Hayagriva" Vajra statue, is located in the protector deity hall of the Jizha Dratsang. Locals put their heads into a small shrine and touch their heads to the base of the statue. Besides the solemnity of the monastery, Sera Monastery has another major feature: the monks' debate sessions. In the center of the debate courtyard, monks debate knowledge; some urge answers with forceful clapping, while others pull their prayer beads to draw on their power to overcome their opponents. Standing in the debate courtyard, you are immersed in the lively sounds. Although visitors cannot understand their Zen meaning, they can truly feel the faith and power of Tibetan Buddhism. The debates usually begin at 15:00. If the monastery temporarily holds Dharma assemblies or other events, or receives special guests, the debate sessions may be canceled. Thank you for your understanding!!!

[Potala Palace] (visit limited to 1 hour) Songtsen Gampo spent half his life conquering the Tubo tribes and the other half building magnificent palaces and temples. Wander among the golden Buddhist halls, stupas, living quarters, and corridors, where the lighting is dim, curtains hang low, and the scent of butter tea fills the air, as if you have fallen into an ancient dream, involuntarily losing yourself among scriptures, Buddha statues, murals, and distant legends. [Potala Palace Ticket Booking Information] Potala Palace tickets use a real-name reservation system. A valid ID (ID card, household registration booklet, or passport) is required for the reservation. After a successful reservation, no second reservation can be made within 7 days from the date of visit. If a visitor is unable to enter the Potala Palace due to incorrect information provided by the visitor, the travel agency bears no responsibility or consequences. Before the visit, visitors must carry the original valid ID. If the name or ID number does not match the actual document used, entry will be denied, and the ticket purchase fee, having already been incurred, cannot be refunded. Your understanding is appreciated! The visit time for the Potala Palace is randomly assigned by the Potala Palace Management Office's unified computer system and cannot be specified. Your understanding is appreciated. Also, the actual tour route order may differ from the reference itinerary provided. During peak season, the Potala Palace restricts visits, and each travel agency in Tibet has only a limited number of group reservation slots per day. To ensure visitors' smooth entry, travel agencies use different channels to solve the problem. Due to the special ticket purchase requirements of different channels, please follow the guide's arrangements. The following situations are normal arrangements: 1) Each group may be split into multiple smaller groups (the group or visitors who booked together may need to be separated, and there may be situations where you join unfamiliar group members to enter together). 2) Each smaller group visits at a different time/date. 3) Each smaller group enters with a different guide. [Jokhang Temple] (visit about 1 hour) Jokhang Temple blends Tibetan, Tang, Nepalese, and Indian architectural styles, becoming an enduring classic of Tibetan religious architecture. Incense smoke surrounds the temple all day, and devout worshippers' prostrations have left deep imprints of full-body prostrations on the bluestone floor before the entrance. Ten thousand butter lamps burn continuously, leaving traces of time and pilgrims. Here, worship of the gods continues day and night. [Jokhang Temple Ticket Booking Information] Jokhang Temple tickets require a real-name reservation. Next-day visit tickets are released daily from 7:00 to 23:59 on the mini-program "Jokhang Temple Reservation," available until full. Therefore, tickets must be reserved one day in advance. Please make the reservation under the guide's instruction. Jokhang Temple is a religious temple rather than a purely tourist attraction. If it cannot be opened for visiting due to important religious activities or other special circumstances, your understanding is appreciated. A special meal is included today: a Lhasa-style welcome meal (Tibetan or Nepalese cuisine).

After departure, the route follows the Yarlung Tsangpo River valley, offering bird's-eye views of the Yarlung Tsangpo. The stretch of the Yarlung Tsangpo along Provincial Road 101 is the widest river surface near Lhasa. Following the Yarlung Tsangpo valley onto Provincial Road 307 and driving to the mountainside, you can look down on the Yarlung Tsangpo with a vast, magnificent view. Gampala Pass — the best vantage point for Yamdrok Lake At Gampala Pass, you can see Yamdrok Lake at its most beautiful — the bluest sky and the bluest lake are both here. Here, you will understand the meaning of "angels' tears in heaven, Yamdrok's blue on earth." But many photographers also say, "No matter how many times you photograph Yamdrok Lake, you can never capture her beauty..." In addition, many Tibetans at Gampala Pass offer yak photos; please agree on the price first to avoid unnecessary trouble. Yamdrok Lake Yamdrok Lake is a freshwater lake and one of Tibet's three great sacred lakes. Its water is as clear as mutton fat and sweet enough to drink. The deep blue lake merges with the distant snow mountains, together with the varied mountain ranges on both banks, distinctive Tibetan villages, and livestock everywhere — the whole journey is refreshing and uplifting. Yamdrok Lake covers an area of 638 square kilometers, with a surface elevation of 4,441 meters and a shoreline 250 kilometers long. The lake is also regarded as a turquoise ear string dropped to the mortal world by a goddess. Standing at the 4,950-meter Gampala Pass and gazing south, Yamdrok Lake looks like a sapphire set among the peaks, its blue waters smooth as a mirror, bright blue against the sky. At noon, you will rest at the viewing restaurant of the Yamdrok Lake View Hotel by the lakeshore and enjoy a rich and delicious Yamdrok Lake-view hot pot specially arranged by us. Karo La Glacier, a glacier gradually disappearing (about 20 minutes of sightseeing) One of Tibet's three major continental glaciers, Karo La Glacier is backed by Mount Noijin Kangsang, one of Tibet's four highest peaks. The enormous glacier extends from the misty, cloudy summit all the way down to the roadside, just a few hundred meters from the highway. Although years of exposure to highway dust have given the glacier an overall black-and-white layered appearance, the upper half of the glacier shines brilliantly in the sunlight, like a giant thangka hanging on the mountain wall. It gained fame after serving as a filming location for the movies Red River Valley, The Battle of Gyantse, and The Knot. Warm Tips In addition to the Tibet Travel Permit, foreign tourists traveling to Mount Everest in the same vehicle must have their travel permit processed together in Shigatse. The guide will reasonably adjust the itinerary based on the permit processing situation; please follow the guide's arrangements and cooperate actively. If occasional system failures or long queues due to a surge of tourists in peak season cause the permit processing to take too long, please understand.

Drive along the most beautiful border highway and view the magnificent snow mountains. Along the way, you can gaze into the distance at the world's third-highest peak, Kangchenjunga, the world's fourth-highest peak, Lhotse, and Rima Na Snow Mountain. [Mount Everest] Mount Everest, at an altitude of 8,848 meters, is the world's highest peak, located on the border between China and Nepal in the middle section of the Himalayas. The summit is covered with snow year-round, and from afar glaciers hang and silver peaks tower, creating an incomparably strange and spectacular scene. [Tingri Everest Viewing Platform] The Mount Everest viewing platform is located 22 kilometers along the Everest Road in Tingri County, Shigatse. This is the necessary route to Everest Base Camp. The viewing platform reaches an altitude of 5,200 meters. Looking south from here, you can see Mount Everest and other snow mountains over 8,000 meters high. [Rongbuk Monastery] Rongbuk Monastery is at an altitude of about 5,100 meters. The terrain is high, steep and cold, and the scenery is superb. The new Everest Base Camp is nearby. If you are lucky, you may also see the Everest flag cloud drifting like a fire of life. [Warm Tips] 1. Accommodation is in tents at Everest Base Camp (8-15 people per tent, multi-person dormitory beds, limited conditions): generally still clean and tidy, but quite different from city hotels. Please understand. From October to April of the following year, due to cold weather, the tents will be withdrawn from Everest Base Camp, and accommodation will instead be at guesthouses in villages near Everest. 2. Food and lodging are poor on this day, the altitude is high, and the temperature is low. Please keep warm. Pay attention to safety and prevent altitude sickness. In summer, the nighttime temperature is about 0-8 degrees Celsius. Please bring warm clothing. You can also rent a down jacket at Base Camp for warmth. The rental fee is about 100 yuan per piece per night (price for reference only; actual local charges prevail).

The night before, whether you slept well or tossed and turned, you must get up early to greet the dawn of Mount Everest. While the peaks still slumber in the darkness, Everest has already donned a brilliant morning glow like a goddess's splendid robes. Accompanied by the first rays of light rising over Mount Everest, you travel through the majestic, imposing, and endlessly winding Himalayas, crossing the 5,200 m Gyawu La Pass amid desolation and silence. Beyond the leading Mount Everest (elevation 8,848 m), the surrounding ranges include such snow-capped world-class peaks as Labuche Kang (7,367 m), Cho Oyu (8,201 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), and Makalu (8,463 m). Gaze at the majestic and solemn Shishapangma (8,012 m), the only world-class peak above 8,000 m located entirely within China. Carrying your lingering feelings for Everest, continue onward and enjoy the scenery surrounded by mountains, passing a beautiful plateau lake, [Peiku Tso].

After breakfast, follow National Highway 219, passing through Parang Township under Zhongba County. This is a town with a strong western frontier flavor and one of the highest towns in the world, at an elevation of about 4,600 meters. Enjoy the vast plateau scenery along the way. Then arrive at Lake Manasarovar, gradually entering the embrace of the sacred Mount Kailash. [Mount Kailash] Mount Kailash is located in Burang County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet. It is the main peak of the Gangdise Range, with an elevation of 6,638 meters. Mount Kailash is a globally recognized sacred mountain and is regarded as the center of the world by Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, the indigenous Tibetan religion Bon, and ancient Jainism. Mount Kailash is not the highest peak in the region, but only its summit is covered in snow year-round, shining with an extraordinary radiance under the sunlight. Combined with its distinctive shape, it stands completely apart from the surrounding peaks, inspiring religious devotion and awe. Mount Kailash and Mount Naimona'nyi are 100 kilometers apart, gazing at each other from afar, with the sacred Lake Manasarovar and the ghost lake Rakshastal between them.

Starting point: Tarchen (elevation 4,675 m) End point: Drirapuk Monastery/Gangga (elevation 5,100 m) Distance: about 20 km; about 6 km by eco-bus to the Prayer Flag Square (Darboche), then about 14 km on foot Hiking duration: about 7-8 hours Hiking difficulty: ** In the early morning, board the eco-bus and set off from Tarchen for the Prayer Flag Square, ready to trek around the sacred mountain. In the valley, yaks and horses are available for visitors to experience, and there are also luggage porters to assist guests carrying large bags. Adjust your breathing, get ready, and measure this pure land with your own two feet. Heading up the valley, blue skies and snow mountains accompany you all the way, with an occasional river winding past, letting you experience nature's master craftsmanship with the most authentic senses. Along the way, you will also see the west and north faces of Mount Kailash — one side towering into the clouds, the other layered and endless. Amid the winding trek, you will have a wondrous encounter with a mountain peak, sampling a unique multi-faceted perspective and experiencing it deeply. After about 14 kilometers of kora, you will arrive at Drirapuk Monastery, where amid the fluttering colorful prayer flags, you will sleep with devotion to faith and reverence for nature. Warm Tips The tour fee does not include horse riding, yak riding, or the cost of hiring yaks or porters. If needed, guests must pay separately. Accommodation and meals during the trek are relatively basic. During the kora, the two nights' accommodation will be arranged at local guesthouses (multi-person rooms, shared bathrooms, one bed per person).

Starting point: Zhire Monastery/Gangga (altitude 5,100 meters) Pass over the pass: Drolma La (altitude 5,650 meters) End point: Zunchu Monastery (Zurichu Monastery) (altitude 4,880 meters) Distance: about 20 km on foot Hiking duration: 10-11 hours Hiking difficulty: *** Get a good night's rest and build up your energy for the next day's hike. Today you will cross the highest point of this kora, Drolma La Pass (5,650 meters). At [Drolma La Pass] in the breeze, colorful prayer flags flutter, and below the valley lies a beautiful small lake, [Compassion Lake], like a piece of transparent white jade inlaid among the towering mountains. After passing Drolma La Pass, the descent begins, and physical exertion will be much less. That night you will go to a guesthouse at [Zunchu Monastery] for the night. Along the way, you will inevitably meet many devout Tibetans bowing in prostration. The falling gravel in the valley clatters, making the walk somewhat difficult. The so-called kora path is actually the traces leading to holiness that Tibetans have worn out with their bodies and feet among ice, snow and gravel. With the accumulation of time, walking the path to the sacred is slightly difficult, so you may rest appropriately at a family tea house to adjust your strength.

Starting point: Zunzhu Monastery (elevation 4,880 m) Trekking end point: Zongdui (elevation 4,680 m) End point: Tarchen (elevation 4,675 m) Distance: 10.6 km, about 6.6 km on foot + 4 km by eco-bus Trekking duration: 2-3 hours Trekking difficulty: * On the third day of the kora, as the altitude drops, the surrounding colors gradually change from snowy white to emerald green, and small animals begin to stir among the shrubs, bringing an ever stronger sense of life. Besides the small animals, there are piles of mani stones, stacked in brilliant colors between the snow mountains and grasslands, like monks deep in prayer. After completing the final 6.6 km on foot, it will be around noon. If you already feel exhausted and hungry, you can take the eco-bus back. After finding a place for lunch, continue on to Zhada.

[Tholing Monastery] With a history of over 900 years, Tholing Monastery was the first Buddhist temple built by the Guge Kingdom in the Ngari region. [Tholing Monastery] The temple blends Indian Kashmir, Ladakh, and Nepalese styles in its architecture and Buddha statues. Around the monastery, ruins of over 100 stupas can be seen, and ancient murals are preserved inside, allowing one to imagine the glory the temple once possessed. [Guge Kingdom] Its predecessor can be traced back to the Zhangzhung Kingdom. The dynasty was established around the 9th century, after the collapse of the Tubo Dynasty that unified the Tibetan Plateau, and ended in the 17th century, passing through 16 kings in succession. It was a local regime established by descendants of the Tubo royal family in the Ngari region of western Tubo, and at its height its rule extended across all of Ngari. [Zanda Earth Forest] The earth forest landform is a great wonder of Ngari. The earth forest was formed by ancient orogenic movements, when lakebed sedimentary strata were cut by flowing water over long periods and gradually weathered and eroded, creating this special landform. The "trees" of the earth forest rise and fall in staggered heights of dozens of meters, in myriad forms full of unique charm. Driving through it is like circling around the feet of numerous giants.

Saga is located in the northwest of Shigatse Prefecture. The county's border line is 105 kilometers long, and National Highway 219 runs through the entire county. From here, routes lead east to Shigatse and Lhasa, and west to Ngari and Purang, while to the south it borders Gyirong County and the Kingdom of Nepal. Saga lies on the northern slope of the Himalayas and the southwestern edge south of the Gangdise Range, in the upper reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Within its territory are sacred mountains, holy lakes, vast grasslands, yak herds, and other plateau scenery. The county's average elevation is above 4,600 meters, with a typical continental plateau climate — cold and harsh, long winters and short summers, thin air, abundant sunshine, and large temperature differences between day and night.

Drive back from Saga to Sakya and enjoy the scenery along the way. Overnight in Sakya. There are no special scenic spots today; all the beauty is on the road. On both sides of the speeding road, heavenly scenery can be seen everywhere. Open your eyes, open your heart, and embrace the gifts nature gives us.

[Sakya Monastery] Sakya Monastery is a monastery of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism and the main monastery of the Sakya school. In 1961 it was listed by the State Council as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level. Sakya is divided into the Northern Monastery and the Southern Monastery. The scripture wall behind the main hall holds a staggering number of volumes, and these are very well preserved at Sakya Monastery. The monastery also has more than 3,000 exquisite murals, covering a wide range of subjects including religion, history, culture, and social life.

[Tashilhunpo Monastery] (visit about 1 hour) Tashilhunpo Monastery, also known as "the Monastery of Auspicious Sumeru," is the largest monastery in the Shigatse region. Along with Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, and Ganden Monastery in Lhasa, as well as Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai and Labrang Monastery in Gansu, it is listed as one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school. It was founded in 1447 by Gendun Drup, a disciple of Tsongkhapa and the First Dalai Lama. At its height, Tashilhunpo Monastery had over 3,000 rooms, over 5,000 monks, more than 50 subordinate monasteries, and over 30 estates and pastures. From the Fourth Panchen Lama onward, successive Panchen Lamas have made this monastery their seat. Today, Tashilhunpo Monastery has 4 colleges, 56 assembly halls, over 3,600 rooms, over 800 monks, and a total area of 300,000 square meters. Highlights 1. Known as the pride of Tsang, it is the seat of successive Panchen Lamas and the largest monastery in the Tsang region, known together with Lhasa's three great monasteries as the four great monasteries of Tibet. 2. The Maitreya Buddha Hall enshrines a bronze statue, using 231,400 jin of brass and 6,700 taels of gold; merely inlaying the Buddha's eyebrows used over 1,400 diamonds, pearls, and other gems of various sizes. 3. The monastery enshrines exquisitely crafted Panchen Lama stupas, using countless materials including gold, silver, copper, silk, coral, pearls, agate, and turquoise. [Warm Tips] On that day, the return from Shigatse to Lhasa will be by tour bus or train, depending on the travel agency's specific arrangements. Specific requests cannot be accepted. Your understanding is appreciated.

After breakfast, arrange airport or train station drop-off according to your flight time, bringing the pleasant journey to an end. The city center is about a 1-hour drive from the airport, so it is advisable to book a flight departing after 10 a.m.