 Lhasa,
capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, covers an area of 544 square kilometers
and is "The Land of Gods" in Tibetan, sits on the north bank
of River Lhasa, a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangbo River, at an altitude
of 3,700 meters. It has a history of over 13 centuries. With more than
3,000 hours of sunshine annually, Lhasa is famed as "the City of
Sunshine". It is the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region and the center
of Tibet's political, economic, cultural and religious activities. There
are many historic sites and famous relics in the city proper and its suburbs,
among which the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery, Sera
Monastery and Ganden Monastery are world famous.
This route is appropriate for people:
1) who live in low altitudes and are coming to Tibet for the first time
2) who take children
3) for older travelers who might choose to go more slowly due to the altitude
4) people who have limited time for traveling
Interested in this tour?
Contact us for a quotation.
Itinerary day by day:
Day1 Fly to Lhasa from Chengdu
Potala Palace
Jokhang Temple
Barkhor Street
Drepung Monastery
Sera Monastery |
When your flight arrives in Tibet, you will be met by your local guide who will transfer you to Lhasa. On the way, you will enjoy the ‘heart-beating’ highland view along the Yarlong Tsangpo River (the longest river in Tibet). The rest of the day is free for you to relax and become more acclimatized to this altitude.
Day2 Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor street
The first day of sightseeing starts from Lhasa's cardinal
landmark- Potala Palace, a structure of massive portions. Its towering
image is shown on all travel literature, but nothing can compare to your first sight of this incredible, amazing wonder of the world. It is absolutely awe-inspiring and you will be enchanted as you visit the rooms, halls and chapels of the palace.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Jokhang Temple which is the spiritual center of Tibet. Everyday, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek here from long distances to worship. The temple is the product of Han, Tibetan and Nepalese architectural techniques. Finally we will visit Barkhor Street which is the oldest street in this very traditional Tibetan city.
Day3 Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastey
About 8 km west of central Lhasa is the Drepung Monastery which was once the largest Monastery with over 10,000 monks. This day's sightseeing begins
with these white monastic buildings piled up on the hillside. Walking
up to the hill is a pleasant thing, an easy break from the solemn ambience
inside the halls and chapels. At the plat roof of the hillside, you will experience wonderful views of the whole of Lhasa city and the distant mountains.
Drepung is one of Lhasa's two great Gelugpa monasteries,
the other is Sera. Around 5km north of central Lhasa, Sera may not be
as grandiose as Drepung, but is more serene surrounded by many small temples.
The 'Buddhism Scriptures Debating' in Sera is very famous.
Day4 Fly to Chengdu
Take flight to Chengdu.
If you have one or two more days, the tour can be
extended like this:
Extension optional tours
A. one more day to Yamdrok Lake or Yampacheng for the
grassland
Yamdrok Lake |
Yamdrok Lake: On the old road between Gyanste and Lhasa,
dazzling Yamdrok lake can be seen from the summit of the Kamba-la (4794m).
The lake lies several hundred metres below the road, and in clear weather
is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. Far in the distance is the huge
massif of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang (7191m).
B. one more day to Namsto Lake
Namtso Lake |
Namsto Lake: Namsto, approximately 190km north-west of
Lhasa, is the second-largest saltwater lake in China. It is over 70km
long and reaches a width of 30km. The Nyenchen Tangula range, with peaks
of more than 7000m, towers over the lake to the south. Namtso is a tidal
lake and the ring marks of earlier lake levels are clearly visible by
the shoreline. In clear weather the water is a miraculous shade of turquoise
and there are magnificent views of the nearby mountains. The wide open
spaces, dotted with tents of local nomads, are intoxicating.
C. one more day to Gandan Monastery or Tsurphu Monastery
Gandan Monastery |
Gandan Monastery: Gandan, just 40km north-east of Lhasa,
was the first Gelugpa monastery. If you only have time for one monastery
excursion outside Lhasa, Ganden would probably be the best choice. With
its stupendous views of the surrounding Kyi-chu Valley and fascinating
kora, Ganden is an experience unlike the other major Gelugpa monasteries
in the Lhasa area.
Tsurphu Monastery: Tsurphu Monastery around 70km west
of Lhasa, is the seat of the Karmapa branch of the Kagyupa order of Tibetan
Buddhism. The Karmapa are also known as the Black Hats, a title that dates
back to 1256.
Interested in this tour?
Contact us for a quotation.
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