Twelve-day Tibet Highlights Tour

    You will meet your guide and driver at Nyingchi Mainling Airport and be escorted to your hotel in downtown Nyingchi. In order to acclimatize yourself to the high altitude, you will get some rest after you check in at your hotel.

    Nyingchi is a prefecture in Southeastern Tibet. It lies in the lower reach of Yarlung Zangbo River. The prefecture is nicknamed “the Land of Milk and Honey on the Roof of the World”, due to its relatively low altitude and warm climate. Its average altitude is about 3,000 meters(9,843 feet) above sea level. The city of Nyingchi is easily accessible by plane. Tourists can fly to Nyingchi from some major cities in Mainland China, such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Beijing and Guangzhou.

    After breakfast, you will ride your private car or coach to visit Lamalin Monastery and Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon. In the late afternoon, you will be taken back to your hotel in downtown Nyingchi.

    Lamalin Monastery is also called Bujiu Lama Monastery or Sangduobai Monastery. It is the biggest lamasery in Nyingchi prefecture. Lamalin Monastery belongs to the Nyingma Sect of Lamaism. It was built in the early Twentieth century. The lamasery is situated on a mountain slope in Buqu Township, overlooking the Nyang River, 29 kilometers(18 miles) to the south of downtown Nyingchi.

    Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon lies 84 kilometers(52 miles) to the east of downtown Nyingchi. The Yarlung Zangbo River makes a horseshoe-shaped turn at the foot of Namcha-barwa Mountain. It is the deepest and longest canyon in the world with a total length of 504.6 kilometers(314 miles) and an average depth of 2,268 meters(7,441 feet). Namcha-barwa Mountain is the highest peak on the east mountain range of Himalaya. Its altitude is 7,782 meters(25,531 feet) above sea level.

    You will be guided to visit Pagsum(or Basum) Lake in the morning and be escorted back to your hotel in downtown Nyingchi in the late afternoon.

    The lake lies about 120 kilometers(75 miles) to the northwest of downtown Nyingchi. It is a five-star scenic area. Pagsum Lake measures about 27 square kilometers(10.4 sq.mi) and 120 meters(394 feet) in depth. It is the largest lake with lowest altitude in Tibet. Its altitude is 3,480 meters(11,417 feet) above sea level. The view of the lake is extremely beautiful.

    After breakfast, you will travel to Lhasa by car or coach. Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region, is located 390 kilometers(242 miles) to the west of Nyingchi. The ride takes about five hours. You will have lunch in a local restaurant near Ganden Monastery. After having lunch, you will pay a visit to the monastery. In the afternoon, you will check in at your hotel in downtown Lhasa.

    Ganden Monastery is one of the top three Ge-luge-pa Lamaseries in Lhasa. It is located in Dazi District, 55 kilometers(34 miles) to the east of downtown Lhasa. The monastery was built in 1409 by Master Tson-Kapa, the founder of Ge-lug-pa Sect. It is well-known as the Oldest Ge-lug-pa Lamasery and has topped the list of Six Most Famed Ge-lug-pa Lamaseries in Mainland China.

    You will have a whole day inner-city tour in Lhasa. The attractions you will visit during the day are Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street. An optional activity suggested for enriching your tour is to watch an impressive Tibetan dancing show.

    Potala Palace is a huge castle situated on the Red Hill. It was originally built in the seventh century by King Songtsan Gambo. The king built it for his wife, namely Princess Wencheng from the Tang Empire. The castle was reconstructed in 1645 by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Then, Potala Palace became Dalai Lamas’ official residence. It was added to the list of world cultural heritage sites by UNESCO in 1994.

    Jokhang Temple is the most sacred Buddhist monastery in Tibet. It was built by King Songtsan Gambo in the seventh century. The temple houses the statue of Sakyamuni which was brought to Lhasa by Princess Wencheng. It is one of the must-go attractions in Lhasa.

    Barkhor Street lies in the center of downtown Lhasa. It is the oldest traditional Tibetan styled street encircling Jokhang Temple. The street could be traced back to the seventh century. It is a place where visitors can bargain with the local Tibetan vendors for handicrafts which are rear to be seen elsewhere in the world. Barkhor Street is a very important path along which Buddhist pilgrims have walked to Jokhang Temple for centuries.

    You will go for a stroll in Norbulingka Summer Palace in the morning, and pay a visit to Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery in the afternoon.

    Norbulingka Summer Palace is located about 2 kilometers(1.2 miles) to the west of Potala Palace. It was built by the Seventh Dalai Lama in 1755. It used to be the summer house of Dalai Lamas. The compound is hidden by trees. It covers an area of 36 hectares(89 acres). Nowadays, Norbulingka Summer Palace has become a garden and a museum open to the public. It is also the place where local people celebrate some grand traditional festivals.

    Drepung Monastery is situated in the west suburb of Lhasa, about 10 kilometers(6.2 miles) to the downtown. It plays the most important role in the Ge-lug-pa Sect of Lamaism. Lamas in Drepung Monastery were responsible for training Dalai Lamas. The monastery was founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choje Tashi Palden, one of Master Tsongkhapa’s disciples. It is one of the top three lamaseries in Lhasa and one of the six most famed Ge-lug-pa lamaseries in China.

    Sera Monastery is also one of the top three lamaseries in Lhasa and one of the six most famed Ge-lug-pa lamaseries in China. It was constructed in 1434 by Jamchen Choje Shakya Yeshe, one of Master Tsongkhapa’s disciples. It is famous for its daily debate on Buddhist doctrine.

    You will ride your car or coach to visit Namtso Lake in the morning, and return to Lhasa in the late afternoon. You will have a long hard day. It takes about five hours to get to the lake from Lhasa.

    Namtso Lake lies about 240 kilometers(149 miles) to the north of downtown Lhasa. It is the third largest saltwater lake in Mainland China, is a vast alpine lake with the highest altitude in the world. Its altitude is 4,718 meters(15,479 feet) above sea level. Visitors need to stay in Lhasa for a few days before heading for Namtso Lake, so that they would have acclimatized themselves to the high altitude. The lake measures 70 kilometers(43 miles) by 30 kilometers(19 miles), and covers an area of 1,920 square kilometers(741 sq.mi). It is 120 meters(394 feet) at its deepest point. Namtso Lake is regarded as one of the most holy pilgrimage destinations for Tibetan Buddhists. It is also one of the most beautiful lakes in Tibet.

    After breakfast, you will leave Lhasa for Shigatse. Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet. It is located 275 kilometers(171 miles) to the west of Lhasa. You will travel to Shigatse via Gyantse County. The route is 360 kilometers(224 miles) in total length. It takes about 7 hours to drive from Lhasa to Shigatse. On the way to Shigatse, you will pay a visit to Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier and Gyantse Dzong Castle. You will spend the night in downtown Shigatse.

    Yamdrok Lake lies about 110 kilometers(68 miles) to the southwest of Lhasa. It is well-known as one of the three holiest lakes in Tibet. The three holiest lakes are Yamdrok Lake, Namtso Lake and Manasarovar Lake. Yamdrok Lake attracts visitors with its sapphire water and the surrounding snow-capped mountains. It is one of the most lovely lakes in Tibet. The lake measures 675 square kilometers(261 sq.mi) and 60 meters(197 feet) at its deepest point. Its altitude is 4,441 meters(14,570 feet) above sea level.

    Karola Glacier is located on the southern slope of Noijin-Kangsang Mountain. It is one of the top three glaciers in Tibet, is the most easily accessible one. The summit of the mountain is 7,191 meters(23,593 feet) above sea level. The view of the glacier is quite gorgeous.

    Gyantse Dzong Castle is situated in Gyantse Town. It was originally built in 967. The castle was the battlefield where Tibetans fought against British invaders in 1904.

    Before you travel to Tingri County, you will go to visit Tashilhunpo Monastery. The distance between Tingri County and Shigatse is about 240 kilometers(149 miles). It takes about 5 hours to get to Tingri from Shigatse by car. Tingri County is known as a stepping stone to the Everest Base Camp. The county seat of Tingri is about 4,300 meters(14,108 feet) above sea level. The living condition in Tingri is not as harsh as the one at the Everest Base Camp, especially the accommodations and the altitude. You will spend the night in the town of Tingri.

    Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the six most famed Ge-lug-pa lamaseries in China. It was constructed in 1447 by Gedun Drup, one of Master Tsongkhapa’s disciples, the First Dalai Lama. The compound was expanded by the Fourth Panchen Lama in the year of 1601. Since then, Tashilhunpo Monastery has become the official residence of Panchen Lamas.

    In the morning, you will ride your car or coach to the Everest Base Camp. The camp is located 110 kilometers(68 miles) to the south of Tingri County. It takes about two and a half hours to drive from your hotel to the camp. You may spend four or five hours at the camp and Rongbuk Monastery. In the afternoon, you will be escorted back to your hotel in Tingri.

    Situated at the border between China and Nepal, Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world. It is the summit of Himalaya Mountain, is at an elevation of 8,848 meters(29,029 feet) above sea level. There are two base camps at the foot of Mount Everest, namely the Northern Everest Base Camp in China and the Southern Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Generally, the base camp in China is more easily accessible than the one in Nepal. It is set in a valley about 19 kilometers(11.8 miles) as the crow flies from Mount Everest.

    Rongbuk Monastery is located near the Everest Base Camp. It belongs to the Nyingma Sect of Lamaism. The monastery was built in 1899. It is the highest monastery in the world with an elevation of 5154 meters(16,909 feet) above sea level. The images of Sakyamuni Buddha and Master Geru Padmasambhava are placed in the monastery for worship.

    You will set off for Lhasa after breakfast. The distance between Tingri and Lhasa is about 500 kilometers(311 miles). It takes around ten hours to drive from Tingri to Lhasa. You will spend the night in your hotel in downtown Lhasa.

    You will be transferred to Lhasa Kongga International Airport according to your flight timings. The airport is located 65 kilometers(40 miles) to the southwest of downtown Lhasa. It takes about one and a half hours to get to the airport from Lhasa by car. Currently, Lhasa Kongga International Airport operates flights to 47 domestic cities, such as Chengdu, Xi’an, Chongqing, Xining, Kunming, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. There is only one international flight operating between Lhasa and Kathmandu(Nepal).