Tibet In-depth 8 Day Tour (Lhasa / Tsedang / Gyantse / Shigatse / Yamdrok Lake)

B=breakfast
 

Day 01 Arrival at Lhasa [3658m]
Upon arrival at Lhasa airport or train station, You will greet by your tour Tibetan tour guide & driver and will transfer to your hotel / hostel in Lhasa, from the airport it is 68km to Lhasa and it takes one and half hour, from the train station it is only 15km and it takes 20 minutes. Afternoon have a good rest to acclimatize the high altitude. Overnight at Lhasa.

Day 02 Lhasa City sightseeing, visit Potola Palace & Jokhang Temple (B) - Walking tour is arranged today
Today is your first day of sightseeing on the high plateau, so we have purposely arranged only to visit Jokhang temple and Potala Palace. Jokhang temple is the most scared shrine in Tibet which was built in 7th century and located at the heart of old town in Lhasa, the circuit around it called Barkhor street, which is a good place to purchase souvenirs. Potala Palace is the worldwide known cardinal landmark of Tibet. The massive structure itself contains a small world within it. Mostly it is renowned as residence of the Dalai Lama lineages (Avalokiteshvara). Both of them are the focal points of pilgrims from entire Tibetan world, multitudinous pilgrims are circumambulating and prostrating in their strong faith. Overnight at Lhasa.

Day 03 Lhasa City sightseeing, visit Drepung monasteryand Sera monastery (B)
Today you will be arranged to visit Drepung monastery in the morning and Sera monasteries in the afternoon. Both Drepung and Sera monasteries are Gelugpa (yellow hat) sect monastic colleges. Drepung Monastery was the seat of the Government prior to Potala, it was once the world largest monastery in the history with 10,000 monks hailed from different monasteries all over Tibet. Sera monastery is famous for its Buddhism philosophical debate practice, the clapping sound and aggressive expression of the monks are well worth to see. Overnight at Lhasa.

Day 04 Lhasa / Samye / Tsedang, 290KM, 5hours (B)

Morning drive to Tsedang city which is located at the Yarlung Valley,  which is reputed as 'the cradle of Tibetan civilization', here you will be arranged to visit the first monastery and first palace in Tibet. After 2 hours drive along the Yarlung Tsangpo river you will reach Tsedang, here your guide will process your PSB permit, afterwards visiting the first Palace - Yumbulakang Palace, then drive to Samye monastery, Samye is the first monastery in Tibet, boasting over 1200 years of history. Nestled in a scenic valley, Samye is an important pilgrimage location shaped like a mandala. Late afternoon drive back to Tsedang for overnight. 

Day 05 Tsedang / Yamdrok Lake / Gyantse, 300KM, 6-7hours (B)
After breakfast, drive along Yarlung Tsangpo River back to Chushul, here you will cross Kambala Pass which is 4794m high, kambala Pass will provide you the first sight of the holy lake - Yamdrok tso. Then drive down to the bank of Yamdrok tso Lake, it takes about half an hour driving along the beautiful bank to the nearest town - Nangartse, normally groups will have their lunch here. After lunch, continue on Southern Friendship Highway towards west, enjoy the spectacular views of the snow capped mountains, valleys and grasslands with the groups of nomads. Arrival at Gyantse in the afternoon, in Gyantse, you will be arranged to visit the famous stupa - Gyantse Kumpum, the most stunning architectural wonder in Tibet. Overnight at Gyantse.

Day 06 Gyantse / Shigatse, 90KM, 1.5 hours (B)
Morning visit Gyantse Dzong where you will see the whole Gyantse city. Afterwards drive to Shigatse, about 90km away from Gyantse, the drive will take about 1.5 hours, on the way you will stop at Tsampa factory which is the traditional factory for locals to make Tsampa powder. Upon arrival at Shigatse, check into the hotel. Afternoon visit Tashilunpo Monastery and the spectacular tombs of Panchen Lamas in Shigatse, and do its kora which provide a great view of whole Shigatse city. Overnight at Shigatse.

Day 07 Shigatse / Lhasa, 280KM, 5hours (B)
Morning visit the lively free market in old area of Shigatse, where you can buy the local handicrafts and also other local Tibetan stuff.. Late morning start driving back to Lhasa along the northern friendship way, marvelous landscapes and sceneries along the Brahmaputra River will accompany you all the way back to Lhasa. Overnight at Lhasa.

Day 08 Lhasa airport /train station send-off (B)
Your guide and driver will see you off at the airport or train station, end of the trip.