7 Days Lhasa To Shigatse and Namtso Group Tour

Itinerary

Start and end in Lhasa! With the In-depth Cultural tour 7 Days Lhasa To Shigatse and Namtso Group Tour, you have a 7 days tour package taking you through Lhasa, China and 3 other destinations in China. 7 Days Lhasa To Shigatse and Namtso Group Tour includes accommodation, an expert guide, insurance, meals, transport and more.

Introduction

This tour will lead you to explore the most featured sites of authentic Tibetan culture in the holy city Lhasa like the world heritage Potala Palace, sacred Jokhang temple etc. After that, head straight to Gyantse and Shigatse in the west, experience the distinct culture of western Tibet, by driving along the stunning turquoise color lake Yamdrok and blooming Nyenchen Kangsar glacier under the sunny plateau climate, you will never waste every single minute by discovering new experiences and wonders on the way to Gyantse and Shigatse. Then a day excursion to the holy lake Namtso which is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the second largest alpine saline lake in Tibet with an altitude of 4,718 meters above sea level.

Day 1 Arrival In Lhasa

Our staff will greet you at Lhasa Airport/Railway to transfer you to the hotel. From Lhasa Airport to downtown Lhasa, it usually takes abt 1.5hrs; from Lhasa Railway Station, abt 20mins. After transferred to the hotel, the rest of the day you will be free to wander around the city on your own but try not to overtax yourself. The first day’s well-rest is crucial to acclimatize high altitude. Remember to drink lots of water, eat light, and not to shower if you can help it.

Day 2 Lhasa Sightseeing

Our guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel in the early morning and then drive to visit the Drepung Monastery which is located at the foot of the Mountain Gambo Utse, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the western suburb of Lhasa, the Drepung Monastery is known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples.

After lunch, you are going to visit the Sera Monastery which is located at the foot of Tatipu Hill in the northern suburb of Lhasa City; Sera Monastery is one of three famous monasteries in the city along with the Drepung Monastery and the Ganden Monastery. One of the main attractions of Sera Monastery is debating. As a part of their study, lamas must participate in debates to further their comprehension and proceed to more advanced levels of study. The debating usually is held at around 3 – 5 in the afternoon except for Sunday.

Day 3 Lhasa Sightseeing

Today’s tour will begin to visit the famous world heritage Potala Palace. It’s situated on the Red Hill of central Lhasa; Potala Palace is the highest ancient palace in the world, reaching 3,767.19m (12,359.55ft) at the topmost point. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

In the afternoon, take an easy visit to Jokhang Temple in the center of the Old Lhasa city. Jokhang temple is the most sacred temple in all over Tibet and it is always bustling with earnest local pilgrims. After you visit the temple you have time to walk around the Barkhor street which is the one of the most devotional circuit as well as the crowded central market of Lhasa since from a long time, in the early days it is the most famous local market but now it is changed to the tourist gift shopping center.

Day 4 Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse (3840m)

From Lhasa to Gyantse is abt 264km, en route you will pass by Khamba-la Pass (4794m), from there you will be amazed by the breathtaking glimpse of the holy Yamdrok Lake with its turquoise color and snowcapped Mt. Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance. About two hours away from Yamdrok Lake is Karola Glacier. It isn’t a big glacier, but the white glacier is spectacular from the highway, and it is close enough (about 300 yards) to walk to from the highway. Arrival at Gyantse, we visit Kumbum stupa and Palkhor Choede monastery, this magnificent multi-door structure is the largest stupa in Tibet, it is not only well known for its architecture but also its old sculptures and paintings all around its inner walls.

Then head to Shigatse via the fertile Nyangchu Valley, a wide agricultural plain where colorfully decorated yaks and horses are used by Tibetan farmers to till the land.

Day 5 Shigatse – Lhasa, 280km Option A: Drive From Shigatse – Lhasa, Approx 5hrs Option B: Train From Shigatse – Lhasa, Approx 3hrs

In the morning, visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery which is founded by the First Dalai Lama in 1447, the monastery’s structure was expanded by the Fourth and successive Panchen Lamas. Tashilhunpo is the seat of the Panchen Lama since the Fourth Panchen Lama took charge in the monastery, and there are now nearly 800 lamas.

For the trip back to Lhasa from Shigatse, we have two solutions which will be decided by Great Tibet Tour.

Option A: Drive from Shigatse – Lhasa

Option B: Train from Shigatse – Lhasa

For Option B, the guide will accompany you to take a taxi to Shigatse Railway Station and take the train from Shigatse to Lhasa. And upon your arrival in Lhasa, we will arrange you to be dropped off at your hotel. The taxi & train fare are included by GTT.

Day 6 Lhasa- Namtso(4718m) – Lhasa

In the morning, we drive to the holy Namtso lake. On the way to Namtso, you will have a far view of NyenchenThanglha Snow Mountain. Enjoying the view of the vast grassland and spectacular natural scenery along the way, you’ll drive to Namtso Lake after passing NagelaPass(5150m). Namtso Lake covers a total area of more than 1900 square kilometers, being the second largest salt lake in China. At an elevation of 4718 meters, it is also the highest altitude salt lake in the world, the furthest depth being more than 33m. In the afternoon, you may have a leisurely trek along the lake shore. After that, we will go back to Lhasa

Day 7 Lhasa Departure

Tour ends today. Tour guide and driver will drop you to the Lhasa airport or railway station for your next stop