Spots:Free program

Arrival to Lhasa airport or train station where you will be picked up by our local guide and driver then transfer you to hotel. Main highlights on the way to Lhasa, you will see the biggest river in Tibet called Yarlung Tsangpo or Barmaputra in Indian language, the unique architectural village houses of Tibetan farmers and the first glance of Potala Palace.
Free sightseeing or take rest in your room in late afternoon to acclimatize.Your guide will give you more detail advice on acclimatization.

Spots:Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkor Street

In the morning your guide and driver will meet you at hotel lobby and drive you to the Potala this majestic palace, the land mark of Tibet, the first construction ever built in Lhasa by the most well known and outstanding Tibetan king Tsongtsen Gambo in seventh century as his residence and central government official. And in seventeenth century the fifth Dalailama began to extend it into current style. It is listed into the UNESCO’s World Heritage in December 1994. More than three hours visiting outside and inside the palace, you will learn all detail history about the palace by your guide.

After marvelous visiting and climbing hundreds of stairs there, your driver will pick you up at the exit of Potala and transfer you to local restaurant near by Jokhang, you will feel bit exhausted and tired but no matter you can have good relax during the lunch time and ask for your guide to order a glass of Ginger Lemon Tea+honey that will give you more energy and feel fresh again.

After lunch break, your guide will lead you to Jokhang Temple and Barkor by walking to explore the culture center of Tibet, the heart of Tibetan Buddhism and the main destination of the pilgrims coming from all over the Tibetan territories and the Barkor Ancient Street with local bazaar and art workshops.

Spots:Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Beginning ceremony of Shoton Festival

Today you have a great opportunity to visit the beginning ceremony of the most important annual festival in Lhasa called “Shoton” means Yogurt Banquet. The opening ceremony begins from Drepung and Sera the two largest monasteries in Lhasa.

In the very early morning your guide and driver will pick you up and drive to Drepung Monastery to attend the ceremony. With thousands of local pilgrims and tourists, you will luckily see one of the largest embroidered Thangka/scroll painting of Buddha in Tibet. Hundreds of monks and volunteers transfer it to a hillside not far from the monastery and display on a huge wall then the monks perform a special religious ritual to open the ceremony, the pilgrims from nomadic area offer fresh Yak Yogurt to the monks and everyone receives blessings from main master of monastery.

In the afternoon you will be driven to Sera the second largest monastery to visit another beautiful Grand Thangka and religious ceremony. It’s a very busy day for you but very worth.

Spots:Norbulinka / Summer Palace, Tibetan Opera

Today you will spend whole day in Norbulinka to see how peopleare enjoying their festival, you will have a great chance to watch the performance of traditional Tibetan opera, join with very friendly local people, their hospitality towards you makes you feel like very close friends, they will serve you free cookies, Yak meat or yogurt sometimes and plenty of their homemade barley beer if you like it.

You will also visit the main residence of the successive Dalailamas’personal residences, guest interview room, meeting rooms, the wall of paintings that tells the general history of Tibet and ancient civilization as well as its unique architectural design and wooden carves.

Spots: Lake Yamdrok, Pelkor Monastery

After fully explore Lhasa, you’ll have a chance to get lost in the endless Tibetan landscape while you take a short hike along the turquoise waters of Lake Yamdrok, one of the four holy lakes in Tibet.

As the largest fresh lake in the northern of the Himalaya Mountains, it spreads about 675 square meters from south to north, like an eardrop lying in the arms of snow-capped giant mountains. Viewing from a distance, you can see fertile pastures full of yaks and sheep, and some small Tibetan villages along the lakeshore. Keeping driving not so far from Yamdrok Lake, you will see the imposing Karola Glacier towering aloft on the right side of the road.

Afterwards pass by the 5,010 m high Karo-la and the Simi La forward to Gyantse (3,950m). Visit Pelkor Monastery which was built in the15th century and situated in the northwestern edge of Gyantse.It is a very impressive fortress with typical Tibetan palace architecture style which is inherited from Yumbulagang Palace - The First Palace of Tibet.

Then drive about 90 kilometers to Shigatse , the second largest city in Tibet and the traditional capital of the Tsang.

Spots:Tashilhunpo Monastery

Visit the famous Tashi Lhunpo monastery, the seat of Tibet's second highest incarnation, the Panchen Lama. In this monastery, you can see the well preserved largest statue of Jampa (future god) in the world.you will take a visit to the official seat of Panchen Lama - Tashilhunpo Monastery,which is also the largest and most influential Gelug Monastery in Shigatse prefecture. you will see a giant statue of Future Buddha, the largest one of its kind on earth ( 26.2 meters high and 11.5 meters wide ), decorated with precious pearls, turquoises, corals and ambers.

Afterwards, drive back to Lhasa through the friendship Hihgway. Th 280 km’s journey takes about 6 hours along the Yarlung Tsangpo River.

Spots:Free program

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.

You can take your time selecting many special items full of Tibetan characteristics, such as Thangka paintings, Tibetan blankets, famous medicines, and specialties from many places in Tibet, or just hang out in some local well protected old city, some meaningful historic sites near Barkhor Street to feel the strong culture in Lhasa.