5 days Lhasa Yamdrok Lake Tour with Local Family Visit

Lhasa ⇀ Yamdrok Tso ⇀ Lhasa

This 5-day Lhasa Yamdrok Lake Tour is perfect for families or first-time visitors. Explore Lhasa’s sacred landmarks, the hilltop Ganden Monastery, and the turquoise Yamdrok Lake. Meet a Tibetan family and experience authentic local life on this easy and scenic Tibet journey.

Type
Private
Duration
5 days
Theme
Family focused, Winter getaways
Trip code
WT-103
Price
From USD 3,080 per person
USD 2,800
you save USD 280 (10%)

The 5-day Lhasa Yamdrok Lake Tour offers an easy yet enriching way to experience Tibet’s culture and landscapes. Spend time exploring Lhasa’s highlights, including the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Sera Monastery. Continue to Ganden Monastery for panoramic views of the Kyichu Valley, then travel to the turquoise shores of Yamdrok Lake, one of Tibet’s three sacred lakes. Visit a local Tibetan family to learn about their daily life and traditions. With short drives and a comfortable pace, this Lhasa tour is ideal for families, seniors, and first-time visitors seeking an authentic glimpse of Tibet.

Day 01 :
Arrival at Lhasa [3595m], rest and acclimatize.

Upon your arrival at Lhasa airport or train station, you will be greeted by your Tibetan guide, from airport to Lhasa city is 68km, around an hour drive will take you to the holy city Lhasa. Driving along the Brahmaputra river and Lhasa river, you will not only amazed by the spectacular plateau scenery but also have a chance to see flocks of black-necked crane, wild duck and many other kind of wild birds. If you take the train to Lhasa, normally you will arrive in the afternoon or evening, 20 minutes drive will take you to your hotel in Lhasa city. Check into hotel, have a good rest to acclimatize the high altitude. Overnight at Lhasa.

Day 02 :
Lhasa City Tour - Visit Potola Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Market (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 Temple in Tibet which was built in the 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). After Potala Palace, you will be arranged to have butter tea or sweet tea at the cave tea house at the foot of Patala Palace. Overnight at Lhasa .

Day 03 :
Morning Excursion to Ganden Monastery, Afternoon Enjoy Monks' Debates at Sera Monastery (B) [4500m] (B)

Morning drive about 60 km eastwards to Ganden Monastery, which ranks the first among the six largest monasteries of Gelugpa. In addition to its magnificent architecture and religious importance, there is a extremely fabulous view on top of the Ganden Wangpo Hill, and Kichu valley is behind Ganden monastery, it is strongly suggested to hiking around the monastery and take a bird's-eye view of the valley. Early afternoon drive back to Lhasa to visit Sera monastery for its famous monks debating between 3pm to 5pm(not available on Sunday). Overnight at Lhasa.

Day 04 :
Excursion to Yamdrok Tso Lake [4300m] with a Visit to a Local Tibetan Family - 260KM, 4-hour Drive (B)

 

Morning drive up to Kampala pass[4794m], you will have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso and spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance, the turquoise coloured Lake Yamdrok Yutso is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. Descend to the bank of Yamdrok Tso Lake and drive to Samding monastery along the lake shores. Samding monastery is on a ridge that separates the northern arm of the lake from Dumo-tso, it provides excellent view of the Dumo plain and the mountains to the south. If you are pretty fit, then you can consider to hike from Nangartse county to Samding, which should take about 1-2 hours. 

On the way back, we will arrange you to visit one of the local Tibetan families, and you will get an opportunity to see their customs and how they live, and you will be invited to have butter tea or sweet tea by the hospitable host. Overnight at Lhasa.
 
Day 05 :
Lhasa airport /train station dropping off (B)
Lhasa railway station exterior

Your guide and driver will see you off at the airport or train station, end the trip.

Tour notes:

Please note prices are based in CNY.

General inclusions:

All required government taxes and fees.
Meals allowance for your guide and driver.
2 bottles of mineral water provided daily.
All required Tibet permits and domestic travel documents.
Private ground transport by clean, comfortable, air-conditioned sedan, minivan, or coach—based on group size. Luxury upgrade available on request.
Admission tickets for all attractions included in the itinerary.
Professional licensed English-speaking local Tibetan guide (Other languages, including Spanish, German, and Japanese, available upon request).
Standard 3-star standard hotels throughout the trip (upgrade or downgrade available upon request). Hotel accommodation is based on double occupancy.

General exclusions:

Personal expenses such as laundry, drinks, internet access, fax, telephone calls etc.
Tips for your guide and driver.
Optional activity during this trip, such as personal horse or yak riding.
Flight or train tickets to and from Lhasa (ticket booking service upon request).
Meals not specified in the itinerary.

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Comments

TL Djiauw
Sat, 08/16/2025

Your Private 5 days Lhasa and Yamdrok Lake Tour (Including A Local Family Visit).
We (2 people) are interested in this private tour and have the following questions:
1) What are all included in the price of this 5 days tour? (The button "Inclusion" on your website is not working)
2) Our plan to be in Lhasa at the end of October - begin November 2025.
3) Are your price also valid for 2 people?
5) Is it possible to replace the visit to Ganden Monastery with visits to Norbulingka and Drepung Monastery?
6) We need Tibet Travel Permit. Is this included in the price as well? We are foreign citizens allowed to travel to China free of visa for up to 30 days
Thank you and regards.

Replied by
Helen Wang
Sun, 09/28/2025

Dear T.L. Djiauw,

Thank you for sharing your interest in our 5-day Lhasa and Yamdrok Lake tour. This is Sylvia from WindhorseTour.

I have sent you an email addressing all your questions, and I’ve also prepared a detailed itinerary and quotation for your reference. Please take a look and feel free to share any thoughts or comments.

I look forward to helping you plan an unforgettable trip!

Best regards,
Sylvia