9 Days Lhasa-Nyingchi-Yamdrok Lake-Shigatse-Namtso Lake Tour

Day 1  Arrival Lhasa

Altitude: 3650m   Distance: 100km, about 1.5 hours’ drive

Upon your arrival at the Lhasa airport, your tour guide will greet you and escort you to your hotel and help you check in. You will have the rest of the day and evening to rest and relax to become acclimatized to the higher altitude of Tibet.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Standard/Comfort hotel in Lhasa

Travel Tip:

With its much higher elevation, some visitors may experience symptoms of altitude sickness. We recommend taking everything slowly, getting plenty of rest the first day and staying very well hydrated by drinking plenty of water to minimize the effects of the high altitude. Usually, you will fine by the second day, but if you do experience severe and/ or worsening symptoms, please contact your tour guide or a member of our staff immediately.

Day 2 Lhasa – Kadinggou – Nyingchi

Altitude: 2800m   Distance: 420km, about 8 hours’ drive

Kadinggou (about 1 hour tour)

Kadinggou is known as "Heaven on Earth". Walking into the gorge, we can see the ravine is long and deep, accompanied by the sound of gurgling water from far and near into the virgin forest. There are high mountains and deep valleys, strange peaks and rocks, towering old trees, and even bamboo forests here.

Lalin Expressway (The most beautiful highway in China)

As part of the Sichuan-Tibet high-level highway and Yunnan-Tibet high-level highway, relying on the magnificent natural landscape of the snow-covered plateau, there are snow-capped mountains, forests, and grasslands along the way. Slow down the road to take pictures of the scenery!

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Standard/Comfort hotel in Nyingchi

Day 3 Nyingchi – Segrila Pass - Lulang Forest - Basumtso

Altitude: 2800m   Distance: 320km, about 6 hours’drive

After breakfast, we will drive to Sejila Mountain. If the weather is fine, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the Namjagbarwa (Namcha Barwa) from a distance in Segrila Pass (the specific viewing effect depends on the weather conditions). The Lulang Forest area is covered by numerous different types of trees that are inhabited by many cuckoos, found here in their native habitat. Among all of the trees we will still be able to find broad meadows filled with herds of cattle around the small villages in the area. We will visit a viewing platform in the Lulang Forest that will give us great views of Namche Barwa (peak elevation 7756 meters), Gyala Pelri, and other high snow-capped mountain peaks. After that, we drive to Basumtso for the night.

Food Arrangement-Lulang Stone Pot Chicken

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Basumtso lake resort or similar

Day 4 Basumtso – Cuozong Temple – Jieba Village – Lhasa

Altitude: 2800m   Distance: 360km, about 6 hours ‘drive

Today we will firstly visit Cuozong Temple, then go to fairytale Jieba Village.

Fairytale Jieba Village

It is the best place to watch Basumtso and the surrounding two snow mountains, which called "King's Throne" and "Burning Flame".

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Standard/Comfort hotel in Lhasa

Travel Tips:

Due to the limited reception capacity of the scenic spot, if the hotel in the scenic spot has no enough rooms, you will be adjusted to the hotel in Nyingchi City. Please kindly note there is no price difference and refundable. The price will not increase or decrease, and the attractions in the itinerary will not be affected. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Day 5 Lhasa City Tour -Potala Palace, Canggu Temple, Barkhor Street

Altitude: 3650m 

Potala Palace

Initially built in 641 AD and listed as a world heritage site in 1994, the Potala Palace is the most popular tourist attraction in Tibet. The halls, murals, statues and mountain views will make you shocked even if you are not a Buddhist.

Canggu Temple

Located in the city of Lhasa Tibet, Canggu Temple enjoys a high reputation in Tibetan Buddhism. This temple is not only a Gelug temple of Tibetan Buddhism but also the only nun temple in Lhasa. There are some tea houses, restaurants, clinics  nearby. Most of them are charitable , with high in quality and low in price.

Barkhor Street

Located near the Jokhang Monastery, the Barkhor Street was only a place for Buddhists to do a religious circumambulation in ancient times. Nowadays, tourists can buy exquisite souvenirs on the street, such as handicrafts, costumes, tea, prayer wheels and Tibetan incense.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Standard/Comfort hotel in Lhasa

Tips for Visiting Potala Palace

1. The number of visitors to the palace is strictly limited to 2,300 per day. Visitors can only visit during the time specified on the admission ticket.

2. Admission tickets to visit the Potala Palace are sold out almost every day, so it is strongly recommended to book your tickets several days in advance.    

3. There are many steps at the Potala Palace, so it’s best to take it slowly to avoid possible altitude discomfort.

4. Visitors should respect the rules while visiting. Do not wear hats, wear revealing clothes or step on thresholds as these actions violate local customs.

5. Photography and the taking of videos are forbidden inside the Potala Palace.

6. A security search will be taken place at the entrance to the palace. Explosives, flammables, knives, lighters and even water bottles are not allowed inside the Potala Palace.

Day 6 Lhasa - Yamdrok Lake – Karola Glacier – Shigatse

Altitude: 3650m   Distance: 380km, about 7 hours’drive

This morning we’ll take a drive up to the Kampala Pass (elevation 4797 meters) where you’ll have a glimpse of Yamdrok Lake down below as well as spectacular views of the holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance. You will want to have your camera at the ready for the turquoise waters of Yamdrok Lake, which is one of the three holy lakes of Tibet, and the beautiful Mt. Nyenchen Khangsar glacier as seen from the Karol la Pass. Later on we’ll be able to visit the Karola Glacier.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Standard/Comfort hotel in Shigatse

Day 7 Shigatse Tashilumpo Monastery - Nimu - Mountain Donggula - Yampachen Grassland in northern Tibet – Damxung County

Altitude: 4700m   Distance: 330km, about 6 hours’drive

Tashilumpo Monastery

Tashilumpo Monastery, the seat of Tibet's second highest incarnation-the Panchen Lama. The immense complex is a rambling warren of chapels, shrines, and halls linked by mysterious alleyways and steep staircases. At the center of the monastery is a courtyard that was used as a theater for religious dances. Just off the great courtyard in Tashilumpo’s main hall, where, like the explorer Sven Hedin, we may hear “the monks…intone a chant…enthralling, mystical, full of yearning…soothing as a cradle, intoxicating as wine, and sedative as morphia.” We'll visit this dark and evocative chamber and its many side altars, as well as a distinctive red building called the Jamkhang Chenmo, which houses a massive yet lyrical 90-foot tall statue of Maitreya, the Future Buddha, built in 1914 by the Ninth Panchen Lama while Europe was madly at war.

Yampachen: Far View

Located in Damxung County and 90 kilometers northwest of Lhasa, Yampachen is the first wet steam field developed in mainland China and the highest geothermal power station in the world.

Grassland in northern Tibet

It is located among the Kunlun Mountains, Tanggula Mountains and Gangdise Mountains.It is not only a paradise for wildlife, but also a culturally place with rich sedimentary layers.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Standard/Comfort hotel in Damxung

Day 8 Damxung-Namtso Lake – Jokhang Temple– Lhasa

Altitude: 3650m   Distance: 350km, about 7 hours’drive

Namtso Lake

Today is a great day for witnessing Tibet’s natural beauty. Namtso Lake, one of the famous Tibet tourists’ attractions, is one of the 3 holy lakes in Tibet, playing an important role among Tibetans. On the way to namtso the road conditions is very good and comfortable. Start from Lhasa around 280 km you will arrive at a scenic point call Nyenchen Thankghula pick (the height is 7162m) and this mountain is the one of the holiest mountain in Tibet. At that moment you will have time to view that mountain and you are standing around at 4800m when that time you can show your photographic skills to that mountain. After that some times on the way also you will see some of the nomads families are roaming on the grass land of the north Tibet. Also on the way to Namtso lake there are lots of real Tibet yak, sometimes if you are lucky you will see some of the wild animals like wild donkeys, wild yaks, wild rabbits and wild fox ext. then also you will pass the pick called Laken La (the height of Laken La 5190m).

Jokhang Temple

The Jokhang Temple is the final destination for pilgrims. A statue of the 12-year-old Sakyamuni, who lived in India in the fifth century BC, and who was the creator of Buddhism, is collected in the monastery. This is the reason why Buddhists consider Lhasa a Sacred Land.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Standard/Comfort hotel in Lhasa

Day 9 Lhasa Departure

Altitude: 3650m   Distance: 100km, about 1.5 hours’ drive

Today you will have free time until your tour guide escorts you to the Lhasa train station or airport for your departing train or flight from Lhasa. This will end your tour services in Tibet.

Meals: Breakfast only

Accommodation: None