Itinerary Details

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  Day 1: Arrival in Lhasa (3650m)

  Attractions: No
  Meals: No
  Hotel: 3★/4★ hotel in Lhasa

  Today, you will board your Singapore Lhasa flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Lhasa Gonggar Airport. After a 10-hour and 25-minute journey, you will arrive in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Upon your arrival at Gonggar airport, your guide will meet you in the airport arrival hall, holding a sign with your name. Then a driver will take you to your hotel in Lhasa.

  After arriving at the hotel, your guide will help you check in. Then, you can rest and take some time to acclimatize to the high-altitude environment, ensuring a comfortable start to your adventure.

  Tips:
  1. To adapt to the high altitude ( over 3,600m ), you are recommended to have a good rest in the hotel, no running and intense activity, no smoking and no alcohol, no shower.
  2. Please drink sufficient water and eat more vegetable, fruits, meat and eggs for more energy.
  3. For the first-time visitors, it is common to have different degrees of high altitude sickness symptom.

  

  Lhasa Gonggar Airport Pick-up

  

  Lhasa Train Station Pick-up
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  Day 2: Lhasa tour

  Attractions: Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery
  Meals: Breakfast
  Hotel: 3★/4★ hotel in Lhasa

  After breakfast at your hotel, you will visit Drepung Monastery. Housing over 10,000 monks, Drepung Monastery is one of the three great monasteries in Lhasa. From a distance, its grand white buildings is like a massive heap of rice. It holds great historical and spiritual significance in Tibetan Buddhism.

  In the afternoon, we will head to Sera Monastery. It's famous for the unique “Daily Scriptures Debating” activity, held from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM in the central courtyard. The debate is a form of Buddhist scholarly discussion, where Tibetan monks engage in intense questioning and debate to test the understanding of Buddhist scriptures among each other. Their unique gestures and body movements will immerse you in an academic atmosphere even if you don't understand their language. After the visit, you will return to your hotel for the evening.

  Tips:
  1. The road condition to Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery is good.
  2. Pack plenty of drinking water, sun glasses, suncream and some food.

  

  Drepung Monastery

  

  Sera Monastery
• 

  Day 3: Lhasa tour

  Attractions: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street
  Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
  Hotel: 3★/4★ hotel in Lhasa

  After breakfast, your tour guide will take you to visit the magnificent Potala Palace, the most iconic landmark of Lhasa. You’ll spend the entire morning exploring this architectural masterpiece, including the White Palace, Red Palace, corridors, stairways, and numerous lamas’ dormitory. Along the way, you’ll see many Buddha statues, intricate murals, red-robed lamas, and countless pilgrims.

  In the afternoon, we’ll visit the Jokhang Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist temple built in 647 AD by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo to commemorate the arrival of Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. This ancient temple will captivate you with its grandeur and devoted atmosphere. Pilgrims are offering butter oil to keep the lamps burning for Buddha and lamas are praying for blessings. You can take photos of the golden roof and soak in the warm sunlight of Lhasa.

  Finally, you will have a relaxing walk around Jokhang Temple at Barkhor Street, a bustling commercial street serving as an important pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists for centuries. It is also a popular shopping destination for visitors, offering a glimpse into traditional Tibetan life and culture.

  Tips:
  1. In Potala Palace, your visiting time is limited on 1 hour. Climb up there, you might experience slight shortness of breath, please take your time and rest when needed.
  2. Don’t disturb pilgrims and Lama. Don’t take photos of them without permission.
  3. In Barkhor Street, remember to bargain and compare the price in different shops for the souvenirs if you are purchasing.

  

  Potala Palace

  

  Tibetan Welcome Dinner at Local Restaurant
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  Day 4: Lhasa - Gyantse (3900m) – Shigatse (3800m) (350km, 7-8hrs)

  Attractions: Yamdrok lake, Karola Glacier, Pelkhor Chode monastery
  Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
  Hotel: 3★/4★ hotel in Shigatse

  As we leave the Tibetan capital, we'll drive southwest toward the stunning Yamdrok Lake. First the winding road takes you up to the Gampa La Pass (4,794 meters) where you’ll catch your first breathtaking view of the lake. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Yamdrok Lake stretches across the landscape. The majestic Mount Nyenchen Khangsar stands tall in the distance within the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountain Range. Then you'll descend to the lake’s shore for a closer look before heading to Nagartse for a delicious local lunch.

  After lunch, we’ll continue toward Gyantse, crossing the Karo La Pass at 5,159 meters. Here, you can see the glittering glacier cascading down the slopes of Mount Nyenchen Khangsar. In Gyantse, we’ll visit the Pelkor Chode Monastery and the remarkable 32-meter Kumbum Stupa. This unique stupa has nine floors and 108 chapels filled with thousands of murals, Buddhist images, and Buddha statues. Finally, we’ll continue our journey in the late afternoon, reaching Shigatse before nightfall.

  

  Yamdrok Lake

  

  Karola Glacier
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  Day 5: Shigatse - EBC (5200m) (350km, 7-8hrs)

  Attractions: Rongbuk Monastery, Mt. Everest Base Camp
  Meals: Breakfast
  Hotel: guestroom bed at EBC

  In the morning, we will depart from Shigatse after obtaining your Alien Travel Permit and drive directly to Everest Base Camp near Rongbuk Monastery. The journey takes us over several high-altitude passes. From the top of the Gyatso La Pass at 5,400 meters, you’ll enjoy a first stunning view of Mount Everest towering in the distance.

  At Old Tingri, we’ll leave the Friendship Highway and follow the Zhufeng Road, crossing the Gawu La Pass at 5,250 meters. Here, you’ll get a breathtaking panoramic view of the Himalayas, including several of the world’s highest peaks: Mount Everest (8,848m), Mount Lhotse (8,516m), Mount Makalu (8,463m), Mount Shishapangma (8,020m), and Mount Cho Oyu (8,201m).

  When arriving at Rongbuk Monastery, we will check into either the tent guesthouses or the Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse, depending on the season. Tent guesthouses are unavailable during the winter months (November to March) and may be fully booked during peak summer months. After a light lunch, you’ll have time to explore Rongbuk Monastery, the highest Buddhist monastery in the world. Housing both monks and nuns, this historic monastery not only serves as a key stopping point for visitors heading to Mount Everest but also stands as a treasure house of Tibetan culture and heritage.

  Tips:
  1. The road condition from Shigatse to EBC is a mixture of paved and rough road around mountains.
  2. Staying overnight near the Rongbuk Monastery will be quite cold, please pack warm clothes.
  3. Remember to get up early in the morning to see the sunrise over Mt. Everest.

  

  Gawula Pass

  

  Rongbuk Monastery
• 

  Day 6: EBC – Shigatse (350km, 7-8hrs)

  Attractions: Mt. Everest base camp
  Meals: No
  Hotel: 3★/4★ hotel in Shigatse

  After a pleasant night at the base camp or Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse, you can wake up early to witness the breathtaking sunrise over the eastern slopes of Mount Everest. The hill behind the monastery offers the perfect vantage point for capturing stunning photos of the majestic peak. After enjoying this unforgettable moment, we’ll bid farewell to the world’s highest mountain and then drive back to Shigatse.

  

  Made it to Everest Base Camp

  

  Enough oxygen, water, and blanket for free
• 

  Day 7: Shigatse to Lhasa (280km, 6-7hrs)

  Attractions: Tashilunpo Monastery and Yalong Valley
  Meals: Breakfast
  Hotel: 3★/4★ hotel in Lhasa

  After breakfast, we will spend the morning exploring the renowned Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama. Built in 1447 by the First Dalai Lama, the monastery is renowned for its impressive architecture, sacred relics, and rich cultural heritage. You can explore the tombs of seven Panchen Lamas, intricately decorated with gold and precious stones, and wander through its cobbled streets lined with prayer wheels to get a peek into monastic life.

  On the drive back to Lhasa through Yalong Valley, you’ll have the opportunity to stop at a viewing platform and get the expansive views of the Yalong Riverbed. After arriving in Lhasa, your guide will transfer you to your hotel.

  

  Panoramic view of Tashilhunpo Monastery

  

  Yarlung Zangbo River
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  Day 8: Lhasa - Namtso Lake - Damxiong (350km, 9-10hrs)

  Attractions: Namtso Lake
  Meals: Breakfast
  Hotel: 3★ hotel at Damxiong

  After breakfast, we drive from Lhasa to Namtso Lake, one of Tibet's three sacred lakes and the world’s highest saline lake. Along the route, you’ll enjoy spectacular views of the snow-capped Nyenchen Tanglha Mountain Range and vibrant grasslands dotted with nomadic tents, yaks, and sheeps. You’ll also see the famous Sky-Road Railway with snow mountain background. At the renowned Nagenla Pass (5,190m), you'll take in breathtaking panoramic views of the holy Namtso Lake. Then, you can take time to enjoy a leisurely trek along the lakeshore before returning to your hotel in Damxung.

  

  Namtso Lake

  

  Namtso Lake
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  Day 9: Damxung to Lhasa (220km, 4hrs)

  Attractions: Chimelong Nunnery,Tsurphu Monastery.
  Meals: Breakfast
  Hotel: 3★/4★ hotel at Lhasa

  After concluding our journey to Namtso Lake, we will return to Lhasa. On the way back to Lhasa, we will visit two cultural landmarks nestled in the valleys.

  Located in a peaceful valley near Lhasa, Chimelong Nunnery is one of the largest nunneries in Tibet. It serves as a residence and practice center for female practitioners and offers you a rare opportunity to witness the daily life and practice of Tibetan Buddhist nuns, making it a meaningful stop for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding of Tibetan culture.

  Tsurphu Monastery is the birthplace of the renowned reincarnation system of Tibetan Buddhism, known as the Living Buddha or Tulku tradition. Here, you might be fortunate enough to witness precious and rare artifacts, including the silver statue of the 8th Karmapa and the relic of the 16th Karmapa's leg bone.Around noon, we will enjoy a farmhouse lunch on the nearby grasslands or in the monastery's restaurant. Afterwards, we'll return to Lhasa.

  

  Northern Tibetan Grassland

  

  Tsurphu Monastery
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  Day 10: Depart from Lhasa

  Activity: See off to Lhasa Airport or Railway Station
  Meals: Breakfast
  Hotel: No

  Today is free for you until it’s time for your departure. Your guide will escort you to the airport or railway station and assist you with boarding for your onward journey.

  

  Send off to the Train Station / Airport / Gyirong

  

  Leave Tibet for next destination