10 Days Lhasa Shigatse Mt.Everest Namtso Tour

This is the first day in Tibet. Your guide will greet you at Lhasa Gonggar Airport/Railway Station and transfer you to your hotel. It usually takes around 1 hour to drive from Lhasa Airport to downtown Lhasa and takes about 20 minutes from Lhasa Railway Station. Tourists could have a look at the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the largest and longest river in Tibet on their way to the hotel. After check-in, you can have a good rest first. And if you feel like going out, you can wander around the city. But just remember that don't take too much stuff, try to go with a light pack. Meanwhile, drink some more water, and do not move strenuously. It’s really useful to get acclimatized to the high altitude.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

After resting one night, today you will recover sufficiently to launch your Lhasa city tour, with close contact with Lhasa, which is the political, economic, cultural, communication and tourism center of Tibet with a history of over 1,300 years.

At first, you will go to the Potala Palace, which is the symbolic place of Lhasa and also the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. It was built by the 33rd great king of Tibet - Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th century. The gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and the meditation Cave of the 33rd great king are the most worth seeing in Potala Palace.

After lunch, you are going to Jokhang Temple, which was founded at the same time and by the same king as Potala Palace. From the outside, you can see many pilgrims prostrating in front of the temple. The most precious treasure of this temple is the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of 12.

Barkhor Street is the next destination that women love a lot. Because it’s a famous busy walking street where they can go shopping. There are many distinctive shops and stalls that sell different Tibetan stuff, like handicrafts, Thangka, and so on. Except for shopping, tourists can also join the Kora with pilgrims and locals, to explore Tibetan religious culture more deeply.

Optional:

You can go to visit the Tibetan handicraft art or Tibetan Traditional Medicine center if time is enough. You can also watch the Tibetan Culture Show in the evening for USD60 per person at your own expense.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

In the morning, you are heading to Drepung Monastery, which means Monastery of Rice Heaps in the Tibetan language. It’s a white magnificent building complex that looks also like rice heaps in the distance. Drepung monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery, where lived more than 10 thousand monks in the past.

In the afternoon, you will pay a visit to Sera Monastery, which is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. Monks debate from around 3 pm to 5 pm. If the debate is not your type, you can also see the three sand Mandalas and colorful Rock Paintings of Buddha. Besides, the sight here is quite good because you can see wild roses around. That’s why people also call it “the Court of Wild Roses”.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

You will go to Gyantse (4,040m) from Lhasa today.

Firstly, you can have a glimpse of Yamdroktso Lake at Kampala pass (4,790m). Yamdroktso is a holy lake surrounded by plenty of snow-capped mountains. And special views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar (7,191m) - the highest mountain near Lhasa, will show up soon.

Then you will see the Korala Glacier when passing it on the roadside. After hanging the prayer flag at Simila Mountain Pass, you will arrive in Gyantse, the third largest city in Tibet after Lhasa and Shigatse.

Finally you can visit Pala Manor, about 4km southwest of Gyantse. It’s the main estate of Para family, the full name of Paji Lacan, which is a rich Tibetan aristocratic family in the old times. And Para Manor is the only well-preserved manor of three old Tibetan nobles so far.

After breakfast, we shall visit Pelkor Monastery with Gyantse Kumbum and then see the Gyantse Fortress from a distance.

Gyantse Dzong, the hero city that witnesses the history of fierce fighting. It was 1904, British troops started to attack China here, and Tibetan people defended their homeland with simple weapons. The bloody war lasted for more than three months. This is also the basic story of the famous movie named "Red River Valley".

The last spot of the day is Shalu Monastery, the only monastery in Tibet that combines Tibetan and Chinese styles in its design.

Then we will start to go to Shigatse (3,840m). It normally takes one and a half hours to drive from Gyantse to Shigatse, where we may visit the traditional barley mill and have the unique sights of barley fields (in summer).

Stay overnight in Shigatse

Before driving to Lhatse to have lunch, you will visit the famous Tashilhunpo Monastery, the home of Panchen Lama.

After passing Tsola Pass (4,600m) and Gyatsola Pass (5,248m), with countless prayer flags flying in the wind, you will enter the National Nature Reserve of Mt.Everest. Then you will ascend to Gawula Pass (5,198m), where tourists can enjoy the panorama of the Himalayas.

Finally you will go directly to Everest Base Camp (5,200m). You can see the amazing sunset of Golden Everest Peak at the lodging area if the weather is good.

Stay overnight in Nomad Tent (Dorm Bed) / Guesthouse

The great sunrise of Everest Peak is far out of your imagination. You can have a good look at Mt. Everest from EBC and take clear photos of it. Enjoy the peaceful and wonderful morning you’ve never had. After that, we will go to the Rongbuk Monastery, which is the highest monastery in the world. In the end, we will start to return to Shigatse.

Stay overnight in Shigatse

From Shigatse to Namtso, it's nearly 400 kilometers along the national highway, passing through Yangbajing and crossing the 5,400-meter-high Xuegela Mountain. Along the way, the vast grasslands stretch beneath a sky of blue and clouds of white, creating a boundless and breathtaking landscape—like traveling through a painting!

Namtso Lake (4,600m) is one of the top three holy lakes in Tibet. It’s also the third-largest salt lake in China and the highest lake in the world. The name Namtso means “lake from heaven” in the Tibetan language. And the gorgeous landscape is really like heaven. You can enjoy the amazing sunset here.

Stay overnight in Damxung

Today may be the most relaxing day during this journey because you are going to Yampachen. Located 92km from Lhasa city, Yampachen is rich in geothermal energy and is known for its hot spring baths. People enjoy the blue sky and white clouds when taking a bath in a therapeutic hot spring.

After the bath, you will go to visit Tsurphu Monastery, the last attraction on your tour. It’s the main monastery of Karma Kargyu. And the remarkable system of Tibetan Buddhism reincarnation originated from there.

Then after driving for about 2 hours, you will get back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Your tour ends today. Our guide and driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Lhasa Airport/Railway Station for your next destination.