Day 1: You will arrive at Lhasa either by fly or by train. Your Tibetan guide and driver will take you to your hotel in Lhasa city. The distance from the airport to Lhasa is about 70km, approximately 1:30 hrs. drive. The distance from the train station is only 25km, about 30 minutes’ drive. Check in the hotel and relax the rest of the day to acclimatize your body to the new altitude and alleviate the jet lag.

​

Day 2:On the second day you’ll visit Jokhang temple, bustling Bakhor Street and Drepung monastery. Today is your first day on the high plateau and some of you may have a headache. This is very common for all travelers because of the high altitude, so drink enough water and avoid strenuous activity during this first few days to help you adjust to it. In the morning our guide will meet you at the hotel to visit the Jokhang Temple in the center of the old Lhasa city.
Jokhang temple is one of the most sacred temples of Tibet and it has always been bustled with earnest local pilgrims. After the visit you will have time to walk around the Bakhor Street, one of the most devotional circuit as well as the most crowded central market in Lhasa. In the old days, it was the most famous local market but nowadays it has evolved into a very touristic gift shopping center. You will be impressed by the crowds of local pilgrims doing prostration in front of the temple, especially during the winter months.
Drepung Monastery is one of the world’s largest monasteries, housing more than 10,000 monks. It was the residence of the Dalai Lama prior to moving to the Potala Palace. Destruction has taken place at different times, but you can still fully enjoy it. You can walk through numbers of narrow and twisted lanes of monks’ apartments, which are more like a typical village. Continue acclimatizing and alleviating jet lag rest of the day.
At the end of the tour we’ll take you back to your respective hotel.

​

Day 3: This morning you will visit the Potala palace, the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. It was built by 33rd King Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th century and, later in the 17th century, rebuilt by the 5th Dalai Lama. Since then, it served as the home to the Dalai Lama and his government. Walking though the long steps is quite challenging, but it is worthwhile to leave your footprints in the spiritual palace on God’s compassion, listed in the world heritage in 1994.
This memorable day will end with a visit to the Sera Monastery. It was built in the 15th century by the Jamchen choji Sakya Yeshi who was a disciple of Tsongka pa. The monastic colleges in Sera house several hundred monks from different parts of Tibet. The famous Buddhist philosophical debates among the monks takes place every afternoon except on Sundays. Continue acclimatizing to the new altitude and alleviating your jet lag the rest of the day.
We’ll take you back to your hotel after the tour

​

Day 4: We will drive from Lhasa to Terdom Nunnery and hot springs, stopping to visit the Ganden monastery, and along the way enjoying several rural Tibetan villages. Total distance 180km, approximately 3.5hrs drive
Today we will drive to the East of Lhasa, our destination of the day is Terdrom Nunnery, located in the Drigung valley. Terdrom nunnery is well known for retreat and meditation since the 8th century. At that time, Gurupadmasambava and his consort Khadro Yeshi Tsogyal used the site to meditate and the caves are open to visitors. The hot spring is also popular for its natural healing powers and you will have a chance to enjoy it in the afternoon.
We will visit the famous Ganden monastery. It was founded by Tsongkapa in 15th century and later became one of the main Buddhist learning center for Gelugpa sect (one of the four sects in Tibetan Buddhism). The monastery is located on the top of the Wango hill (4500m) and from there you will see the Khyichu Valley.
Overnight stay at local guesthouse or hotel.

​

Day 5:This day we will drive back to Lhasa via Drikong Til monastery, 170km, approximately 3hrs. Before leaving the Drigung valley, we will visit the Drigung monastery, located on the slopes of a steep cliff overlooking the valley. This monastery has a high reputation for its excellence in meditation. Among the Tibetans, Drigung monastery is well known for its holy sky burial site. However, the site is strictly forbidden to tourist travelers, because in the past some tourists disobeyed the local rules and took photos of the sky burial site which resulted in the violation of our local culture and tradition. We ask you to please respect the norms and don’t request your guide to take you there, which could put him/her in a difficult situation. You will get back to Lhasa in the afternoon on time to explore the town on your own.
Overnight stay at your hotel in Lhasa.

​

Day 6:Your personal driver and the guide will take you to the Lhasa Gongkar airport or Libu train station and your tour around Lhasa city will end here.

​

​