7 Days Classic Lhasa Nyingchi Discovery Tour (Price from $962)

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.

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.

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.

Today, you are going to drive about 6 hours along the well-paved 318 National Road to Nyingchi, the Switzerland of Tibet. On route, you will take a side trip to Ganden Monastery - the first monastery of Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1409 by the great master Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), which makes the monastery as one of the most important monasteries in Tibet. Ganden, in Tibetan, means "happiness and contentedness". So it is very meaningful to visit this temple. Ganden Monastery is also an architectural masterpiece with many features of traditional Tibetan-style monasteries. It made fully use of colors to create a sense of holiness and solemnity - white paths, red walls, black windows, golden roofs, yellow curtain. From the monastery, one can also enjoy a stunning panoramic view of surrounding mountains and valleys. Besides, there are a lot of infrequent cultural relics and handicrafts kept in the monastery.

After arrival at Bayi Town, you will be transferred to check in your hotel. The rest of today is free for you to explore this peaceful town. 

Tips of Today: 1) wear warm clothes to prevent from cold and wild; 2) pack some food and drinks with you because you will spend much time on the road.

Today will be a pleasant full day of natural vision feast. Driving only about 1.5km out of the town, you will see the most famous and magical tree in Nyingchi area - the King Cypress which is about 50 meters tall and more than 2,500 years old. Leaving the King Cypress, you will move to the next attraction of today – Kading Valley. The highlight is a 200 meters high waterfall rushing out from a narrow valley between two mountains and dropping down rapidly. The most magic wonder is that a scene of Buddha is partly hidden and partly visible in the waterfall.

In the afternoon, you will explore the best highlight of today - Lulang Forest. It is a 15km long, 1km wide narrow valley of wild forests and flowers, grasslands and streams. Lulang, in Tibetan, means “Dragon Valley” or “the place where you won’t be homesick”. On the both sides of the valley are lofty green mountains covered by prosperous spruce, pine trees and brush. At the foot of the mountain are the beautiful meadows and villages. Winding streams flow through among the wooden houses. Wild flowers of different colors dot on the meadows. Look into distance over the valley are enormous snow-capped mountains. All these sceneries make Lulang a dream land.

Drive back to Bayi for accommodation.

Today, we will drive back to Lhasa from Bayi Town. The whole journey will take about 7 hours, with a wonderful sidetrip to beautiful Basum-tso Lake.

The jade lake Basum-tso Lake is called as Cuogao Lake in Tibetan, meaning the green water. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and natural forest, the lake is known for its primitive beauty and tranquility. Covering 26 square kilometers, the dark blue lake surface looks like a mirror, and clearly reflects the tall snow mountains and green plants in the lake, just like a picture. Besides, the lake is also a holy lake for Tibetan Buddhism Nyingma Sect. There are also a sacred Nyingma temple sited in a small island in the central lake for the pilgrims to worship to the Buddha, and a “magical hole” nearby the south shore for people to pray to the Buddha for a child. Combining beautiful scenery and amazing legends, Basum Lake is such a holy and spectacular place to explore! 

Have a good rest in Lhasa City.

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.