Holy Lhasa & Namtso Pilgrimage

Welcome to the holy Tibet! Upon your arrival at Lhasa Gonggar Airport or railway station, our guide will be waiting for you at the exit and transfer you to a nice hotel by a taxi ride. The rest of the day is free for you to get acclimatized to the high altitude and rarefied air. You are suggested to have a good rest in the hotel and avoid strenuous exercises.

Meals: No meals, advice freely available
Accommodation: YAK Hotel (or other similar Hotel)

Your Lhasa and Namtso Lake tour officially starts with a visit to the most eye-catching landmark of Tibet, the splendid Potala Palace. As the former winter residence for generations of Dalai Lamas, Potala Palace is the largest and best preserved Tibetan palace complex in the world, which was inscribed as a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following our guide, you will discover the glorious history and culture of Tibetans. Today's lunch is at your own expense and our guide will offer you some suggestions.

After that, our guide will lead you to the remarkable Jokhang Monastery, one of the three most sacred temples in Tibet. With a far-reaching history of over 1,300 years, the temple has been regarded as the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism. At the entrance, you will be amazed at the flows of pilgrims who prostrate down every three steps on the ground to worship the Buddha. Exiting from the monastery, you will stroll to the bustling Barkhor Street, which is not only a famous pilgrimage circuit, but also the most prosperous commercial center of Lhasa. A leisurely roaming on the street will allow you to admire the well-preserved ethnic folk residence and capture insights into local Tibetan's customs and lifestyle. In the evening, a welcome dinner will be served for you to enjoy the authentic Tibetan food.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: YAK Hotel (or other similar Hotel)

After breakfast, our guide will escort you to the famed Drepung Monastery. Built in 1416, it is the largest monastery in scale that can accommodate more than 10,000 monks at its heyday. Drepung Monastery used to be the presidential palace of five generations of Dalai Lamas before Potala Palace. Today's lunch is also at your expense. 

Afterwards, we will head for the Sera Monastery, where the most highlight is the debating of Buddhist doctrines. Around 3 pm, lamas gather in groups under tree shades in a courtyard to debate on Buddhist doctrines, which has been a long tradition of Sera Monastery for around 600 years. During the debating, lamas even use fierce and exaggerated gestures to make them more convincing. At the end of the tour, you will be escorted back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: YAK Hotel (or other similar Hotel)

Before departure, you are suggested to have a big breakfast in the hotel as you are going to take a bus ride for about 5 hours on the way to Namtso Lake. During the journey, we will travel through the boundless Northern Tibetan steppe scattered with brightly colored prayer flags and Mani stone piles. Our driver will make a stop at lunch time when you could either have a meal at a near restaurant on your own or just enjoy a picnic with food and snacks you packed before. Then you will hit the road again and en route witness the majestic snow-caped Nagenla Mountain with a striking elevation of 5,190 meters (17,000 feet). 

Finally, you will reach the heavenly Namtso Lake. At an altitude of 4,718 meters (15,480 feet), the vast lake with salt-water is surrounded by picturesque grasslands, with Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains covered by snow all year round in the south and plateau hills in the north and west. With the holy snow peaks casting reflections on the crystal water surface, Namtso Lake is just like a plateau gem inlaid in the boundless grasslands. Tonight, you will stay at Namtso Yurt Inn.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Namtso Yurt Inn

In the early morning, you will take an excursion to catch the breathtaking sunrise by the lake shore, and then return to the hotel to enjoy breakfast. After that, have some free time to explore the lake. You may want to take a leisure stroll along the lakefront, shoot some pictures, or trek for a while to Tashi Dor Island, where you can appreciate the mysterious meditation caves. Afterwards, you will be transferred to Dumxung by our private vehicle in about 1.5 hours, where a number of small restaurants are clustered for your lunch choices. 

In the afternoon, we will arrive at Yampachen famous for natural hot spring resource. You could have an optional activity - hot spring bath either inside the house or in the outdoor ponds. It charges USD25 per person, which is not included in the tour price and you can pay it locally. At last, you will be chauffeured back to the hotel in Lhasa for a good rest. 

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: YAK Hotel (or other similar Hotel)

Your memorable Tibet trip from Lhasa to Namtso Lake comes to an end today. After checking-out procedures, our guide and driver will escort you to the airport or railway station and see you off. We wish you a nice journey home. 

Meals: Breakfast