If you want to explore beyond the palaces and temples in Lhasa, this is the tour for you. It covers the most highlighted attractions of Lhasa city as well as the breathtaking Yamdrok Lake scenery. You will spend two days visiting the landmarks of Lhasa first, then drive cross valleys and mountains to see Yamdrok Lake which is one of the most beautiful lakes on Tibetan Plateau. Among the three sacred lakes of Tibet, Yamdrok Lake is much easier to get. Looking from the summit of Kamlala Pass (4,990 m), you will get a stunning lake view of Yamdrok Lake which shapes like a coiling scorpion. You will also go to explore a rural Tibetan village near the lake shore to experience authentic Tibetan living. Just come to discover this pearl inset in the high plateau.
Highlights of this tour:
- Be awed by the magnificent architecture, Buddhist statues, delicate murals and other precious collections cherished in Potala Palace;
- Visit the famous monasteries and watch the monks debating scriptures with intense words and exaggerated gestures in Sera Monastery;
- Discover the superb scenery of one of the sacred lakes – Yamdrok Lake.
Tour Brief Information
- Tour price: from $829
- Tour code: TD-LYT-05
- Tour Type: Private escorted tour with Tibetan tour guide and private vehicle with experienced driver
- Destination: Lhasa / Yamdrok Lake / Lhasa
- Duration: 5 days and 4 nights
- Departure: Flexible
- Travel Theme:
- Best Time:
- Physical Level
- Tour Pace
Tight
- Max Altitude
5,030m
- Itinerary Details
- Price Guide & Booking
- Trip FAQs
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Your tour - at a glance
Day 1 Lhasa Arrival
Day 2~3 Lhasa City Tour
Day 4 Lhasa - Yamdrok Lake - Lhasa
Day 5 Lhasa Departure
Itinerary Details - Day by Day
Day 1 Lhasa Arrival
Welcome to the roof of the world! You will be picked up by local tour guide at Lhasa airport hall or train station, and then be escorted to check in your hotel in Lhasa city (3,650 m) in a private vehicle. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the local areas and acclimatize yourself to the air, temperature and high altitude of Lhasa.
High Altitude Acclimation Tips: 1) go for some leisure walking to acclimate the high altitude but avoid strenuous activity after arrival; 2) you'd better not have bath, in case of catching a cold; 3) drink more water, and have some fruit; 4) have a good rest...
How to Get to Lhasa: take a domestic flight from other cities like Chengdu, Beijing, Xian, Xining, Kunming, etc. or an international flight from Kathmandu, or take a train from China's other cities, like Chengdu, Xian, Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xining, Lanzhou, etc.
- Lhasa Gonggar International Airport
Day 2 Lhasa City Tour (B)
Today you will visit popular attractions in Lhasa city and suburb to explore Tibetan culture. You will firstly go to visit the beautiful Norbulingka which used to be the former summer palace of Dalai Lamas in the ancient time, and now is a public park. Dotted with various kinds of precious flowers and plants, it is the genuine "Plateau Oxygen Bar". In addition to its magnificent buildings and colorful flowers, Norbulingka also features some big Tibet event activities during big festivals, like Tibetan shows in annual Shoton Festival. Next, drive several kilometers to the western outskirts of Lhasa to visit Drepung Monastery. Drepung, in Tibetan, means "prosperity". Since its establishment, Drepung Monastery has always been one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. In its heyday, there were more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery. Throughout its history, many important and famous Tibetan leaders used to study here, especially the Dalai Lamas. So Drepung Monastery is also respectfully known as the "Mother School of Dalai Lamas". You can also enjoy a panoramic view of Lhasa from Drepung Monastery.
In the afternoon, you will be taken to another famous monastery in Lhasa - Sera Monastery. It is famous for the spectacular "Buddhism Debating". As a daily routine, the monks gather in a courtyard, and debate on the Buddhist doctrines with supplemented gestures, which is thought to be helpful to facilitates better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. After enjoying the "Buddhism Debating", you will be transferred back to the city. The rest time is your own free time to rest.
The Etiquette of Visiting Monastery: 1) you shouldn't wear short and uncover shoulders; 2) taking off your sunglasses and hat before entering the chapels; 3) taking photos is usually not allowed inside the chapels.
- Outside view of Sera Monastery
- Drepung Monastery Roof
- Pay a visit to the Dalai's Summer Palace - Norbulingka
Day 3 Lhasa Potala Palace Tour (B)
Start today's Lhasa exploration with an exciting visit to the landmark - Potala Palace which is the home to the successive Dalai Lama as well as a great masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. The whole palace is divided into the White Palace - living quarters and office to deal with political and Buddhist affairs for Dalai Lamas, and the Red Palace where houses several stupas of previous Dalai Lamas, many historical relics and precious arts. After entering the gate of Potala Palace, you need to walk up about 30 minutes along the zigzag stone paths with white-and-red walls to the White Palace. Remember to ascend the steps slowly and take some stops for sightseeing and rest which will be helpful to reduce high altitude sickness. Then explore the palace in an orderly way from the White Palace to the Red Palace, and exit from the back side. After Potala Palace visit, go to enjoy a leisure stroll in Zongjiao Lukang Park, a lovely park with pleasant scenery built around the lake behind Potala Palace. It is a great place to experience local Tibetans' living styles as you can see local people gathering and chatting, taking exercise, walking the kora, feeding wild birds and ducks, etc. If your day is clear, you can take some great photos of the reflection of Potala Palace on the lake in the park.
Continuing your exploration, you will then get to Jokhang Temple which is considered as the spiritual center of Lhasa and the most revered religious structure of Tibet. In front of Jokhang Temple, you can see crowds of pilgrims polishing the flagstones with their prostration, which is truly a heart-touching scene you will ever see. This temple is also known as the "house of Buddha" because it keeps the precious Jowo Rinpoche, the life-sized (5 foot/1.5m) image of the Shakyamuni at the age of 12. Rise to the top floor of this temple, you can see savor the beautiful golden roof and the view of Potala Palace afar. The last site for today’s exploration is the famous Barkhor Street. It is a circular and wide street encircling the Jokhang Temple. The local people like to walk on the street for several circles usually in the late afternoon as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. The street also has many shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handcrafts.
Optional Activity: If your physical strength permits, take a short climb to the viewing-deck of Chakpori Hill to take a panoramic photo of Potala Palace after your Potala Palace visit.
Tips of today: 1) taking photos is not allowed inside the palace; 2) today you will be mainly outside, please bring some water, a hat, sun cream, and sun glasses with you.
- Tibet Potala Palace with fabulous architecture
- Tibetan and tourists enjoy the sunshine in the Jokhang Temple Square
- Barkhor Street
Day 4 Lhasa -Yamdrok (B)
After breakfast, leave Lhasa city, and drive to Yamdrok Lake, about 105km away from the holy city. Enjoy the bright stunning landscape of Ngachu Valley in the morning sunlight. Pass over the Kamba La Pass(altitude: 5,030m), you will get to the famous holy lake Yamdrok.
As the largest fresh lake in the northern of the Himalaya Mountains, Yamdrok Lake spreads about 675 square meters from south to north. Regard as the turquoise earrings scattered of Goddess among Tibetan, you can easily find its beauty but never reveal its full sight. Only looked at map or from upper height, Yamdork with a shape of eardrop lay in the mountains side. Meanwhile, viewed from different moment in the same angle, she will present you extremely rich colors with various kinds of blue, like a dreamland. View from a distance, you can have a wider sight to find local animals wandering through the fertile lakeshores, and some small Tibetan villages inhabiting in the valleys close to Yamdrok Lake.
After the sightseeing at Yamdrok, drive back to Lhasa. Take a good rest in Lhasa.
Tips of today: 1. Wear warm clothes to prevent from cold and wild; 2. Avoid strenuous activities.
- Yamdrok Lake is as beautiful as a sapphire
- Yamdrok Sheep Flocks
Day 5 Lhasa Departure (B)
Today is free for you until your tour guide transfer you to the airport in time for your flight or drop you off at Lhasa train station.
Tips of Today: 1) please pack your luggage carefully, especially for small things like camera charger, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet and towel; 2) If your flight is arranged in the afternoon, please make sure you check out the hotel before 12pm.
Useful Trip Notes
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- 1. Tibet Permits Guaranteed
To travel in Tibet, all Non-Chinese passport holders need to have a Tibet Travel Permit which is issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa. And only Chinese travel agencies like Tibet Discovery can apply for the permit on behalf of tourists. You must obtain it before your tour starting because the permit will be checked when you board your flight/train to Tibet. Traveling with Tibet Discovery, you don't have to worry about the complicated procedures of Tibet Travel Permit application. All you have to do is to confirm a tour package with us and send us your passport and Chinese visa copies at least 15~20 days in advance before your tour, then we will take care of all the rest things. Once the permit is issued, we will deliver to your address in China, such as your hotel, local travel agency, etc.
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- 2. Available Months to Visit Tibet
Generally speaking, April to October is the best time. July and August are the peak season and rainy season. It is usually snowy and cold in winter, which is not suitable for visit Mount Everest, Namtso and Mount Kailash regions. While other places such as Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse are suitable for travel all year around. The temperatures in daytime and night differs a lot, usually 5~15℃ in the daytime and -5~0℃ in the night, so please wear accordingly.
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- 3. High Altitude Sickness
The average altitude of Tibet is about 4000 meters above the sea level (Lhasa: 3700m; EBC: 5200m; Namtso: 4718m). You may suffer a bit from High Altitude Sickness in the beginning days of your Tibet trip if you haven’t had rich high plateau travel experience. But don’t worry too much, the high altitude can be acclimatized usually in 2~3 days. Our suggestion is to take a physical examination and get suggestions from your doctor, and also bring some medicines to prevent from High Altitude Sickness before your trip. While in Tibet, you should keep warm all the time, avoid strenuous activities, drink more water and eat more vegetables and carbohydrates. You’d better not take showers during the first two days after your arrival in Tibet. If you don’t feel well, get help from your tour guide or go to the hospital without any delay.
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- 4. How to Go to Tibet
Basically you have two options – flight and train. Currently, you can take a flight to Lhasa from Beijing(4.5hrs), Xian(3.7hrs), Chengdu(2.5hrs), Chongqing(3hrs), Kunming(3hrs), Kathmandu (1.5hrs), etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu and Xian have more frequent flights to Lhasa.
If you prefer a train travel, you can take a train to Tibet from Beijing(40.5hrs), Xian(32hrs), Chengdu(43hrs), Shanghai(47hrs), Chongqing(42hrs), Lanzhou(25hrs), Xining(22hrs), Guangzhou(54hrs). -
- 5. Packing and Wearing Ideas
Firstly you can’t forget your passport and Chinese Visa. A large backpack and a smaller one are recommended (the smaller one can be used for daily activities). Also bring necessary medicine you need. Other stuffs like sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sun block are recommended.
As for wearing, you are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is necessary in Spring and Autumn. A pair of durable and comfortable shoes is necessary.
Recommended Tibet Group Tour Packages
Escorted by a skilled driver and companied by a professional local tour guide to organize all the activities, all you have to do is to enjoy your fantastic Tibet journey.Following are some other recommended Tibet group tour packages that you may be interested in. You can also contact us to customize a trip if you want..
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Lhasa / Gyantse / Shigatse / Everest / Lhasa
8 Days Lhasa to Mount Everest Private Tour
Highlights: Potala Palace, Yamdrok Lake, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Mt. Everest
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Lhasa / Namtso / Lhasa
5 Days Lhasa Highlights & Holy Lake Namtso Tour
Highlights: Potala Palace, Barkhor Street, Sera Monastery, Namtso Lake
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Lhasa / Gyantse / Shigatse / Lhasa
7 Days Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Golden Triangle Tour
Highlights: Potala Palace, Yamdrok Lake, Tashilumpo Monastery, Mt. Everest