5 Days Tibet Tour

Welcome to Lhasa! Lhasa is a city with both human and natural landscapes. Lhasa is the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region and the political, economic, cultural, and religious center of Tibet; it is also the holy land of Tibetan Buddhism. Lhasa is located in the middle of the Tibetan Plateau and the north of the Himalayas, with an altitude of 3650 meters. After arriving in Lhasa, the local tour guide will welcome you at the airport, and then transfer to the hotel. Then visit Norbulingka in the afternoon. Return to the hotel to rest after the tour. Acclimatize to the high altitude in the hotel.

There is no severe cold in winter or intense heat in summer; the climate is pleasant. The annual sunshine time is more than 3000 hours, which is known as the "sunshine city". The tour will begin from the UNESCO World Heritage site - Potala Palace, which is also the winter palace of the 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. Potala Palace is located on the Maburi mountain in the northwest of Lhasa city. It is a palace-castle-style building complex. It was originally built by Zanpu Songzanganbu of the Tubo Dynasty to marry Princess Wencheng. Potala Palace is an outstanding representative of Tibetan architecture as well as the essence of ancient Chinese architecture. The architectural art of Potala Palace is the most outstanding representative of thousands of Tibetan Buddhist temples and palaces. It is a unique example in China and even in the world. In addition, about 200 cultural relics in the Potala Palace treasure museum are on display, including letters of patent, seals, gifts, documents and classics, palm leaf scriptures, statues of Buddha, Thangka, magic tools, etc. Therefore, you can explore more about traditional Chinese culture and religious culture and also can get spiritual strength in this unique holy land.

Jokhang Temple is another UNESCO World Heritage site. It's a spiritual center for Buddhists in Tibet. Located in the center of the old urban area of Lhasa, it is a Tibetan Buddhist temple built by Tibetan king Songzanganbu. The reason why Lhasa has the reputation of "holy land" is related to this Buddha statue. Jokhang Temple has a history of more than 1300 years and has a supreme position in Tibetan Buddhism. Jokhang Temple was the most brilliant architecture in Tibet during the Tubo Period, and it is also the earliest civil structure architecture in Tibet. It has created the Tibetan Pingchuan style temple Municipal Bureau style. 

And next to the temple, there is Bakhor Street, filled with pilgrims and street vendors, selling traditional Tibetan items such as prayer wheels and jewelry. It has strong local style and national characteristics. Bakhor Street is the most famous commodity street in Lhasa. It is also an ancient and sacred place in Lhasa; you can visit Bakhor Street for a long time and buy some souvenirs.

Drive from Lhasa to Gyantse. Admire the Gampala pass (4790 m) on the way, and get a glimpse of Yamdrok Lake (4400m), which is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains. In the hearts of Tibetans, YamdrokTso Lake is regarded as "Turquoise Earrings scattered by goddess". In the Gangbala mountain pass, you can overlook the lake. When irradiated at different times, it will show different levels and rich blue. Water sources come from snow water in the Tanggula Mountains and the water changes with light and evolves into a thousand changes in blue. There is a section of road along the lake not far from Gangbala Snow Mountain and you can take a walk here for a while. 

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. And a lot of people come here to watch the debate, so if you can get earlier then you will get a good seat. Besides, the older murals are preserved in many large halls of Sera Monastery. Tourists should bring a flashlight or headlights for easy appreciation. Tens of thousands of Vajra Buddha statues are also preserved in the temple, some of which are made locally, and a few are brought from the mainland or India. You can see the whole Sera Monastery in the northeast of the Buddha platform; every year, the Sutra ceremony is held here at the Sho Dun Festival.

Today is a great day for witnessing Tibet’s natural beauty--Namtso Lake. Drive from Lhasa to Lake Namtso. Namtso Lake is the "Heavenly Lake" which is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and also the highest salt lake. Namtso Lake was selected as the third place in the "China's Five Most Beautiful Lakes" by China National Geographic's "Beauty China" pageant. You can do a relaxing trek around the lakeside and the Tashi Island. Many travelers will spend the night on the lake together to see the beautiful sunset and sunrise. And the starry night in Namtso brings you wonderful memories too. 

Then, drive back to Lhasa. Upon arrival, we will take you to fully immerse yourself in the experience traditional Tibetan handcraft art center.

The driver will transfer you to the airport to catch your flight. Wish you have a pleasant journey!