We have created this particular tour for travelers who has enough time to tour around with their family, especially for kids and older person in the group. This 10 days itinerary has a really good feedback from our customers. It is not a difficult tour however with lots of items on the plate.
Unlike any other designed tour, this 10 days central Tibet group tour allows to visit Samye monastery which is the first Buddhist and Nyingma monastery in Tibet founded by Guru Padmasambhava in the year of 779.
Tsedang which has the first ever built palace in Tibet for the first king of Tibet during the turn of 7th and 8th century.
Other popular sights are Yamdrok, Kumbum monastery at Gyantse, Namtso lake which is also called Sky lake.
Songtsan team is solely based in Lhasa. Our Tibetan guides and drivers are also based in Lhasa. From last more than 10 years, our only goal is to provide authentic Tibetan tour service, that means every word we say and steps we take has the touch of local Tibetan essence. It is to consider the very expectation of your visit to a place rich in culture and history. Our reviews will justify that all our guides, drivers and sale’s team have hospitality at their heart. We are 24 hours day in and out at your service.
| Days | Trip Outline | Activity | Accommodation |
| Day1 | Pick up and transfer to hotel. | Rest well to acclimatize | Shangbala |
| Day2 | Lhasa sightseeing | Jokhang temple, Barkhor street, Sera monastery | Shangbala |
| Day3 | Lhasa sightseeing | Potala palace, Drepung monastery, | Shangbala |
| Day4 | Lhasa-Samye-Tsedang 220km 5hrs approx | Samye monastery, Dorji Drak, Tandruk temple, Yumbhu Lakhang | ***hotel |
| Day5 | Tsedang to Gyangtse 300km 6hrs | Yamdrok lake, Karola glacier | Jianzang hotel |
| Day6 | Gyangtse to Shigatse 90km 2hrs | Kumbum chorten, Tashi lunpu monastery, local free market | Tashi Choedar |
| Day7 | Shigatse to Namtso lake 380km 5hrs approx. | Nyenchen Thangla pass,Tashi dor monastery | Local guesthouse |
| Day8 | Namtso to Lhasa | Yangpachen hotspring (fees own your own) | Shangbala |
| Day9 | Free day in Lhasa | Home dinner | Shangbala |
| Day10 | Departure | Drive to airport/train station |
Itinerary Detail:
Day1: Arrival in Lhasa: Acclimatization
Upon arrival at Lhasa Gonggar airport, our guide and driver will be waiting for you at the exit gate, with your name board. Tashi Delek is probably the first Tibetan word you will hear upon arrival, it is an endearing gesture of welcoming our guest followed by offering a white scarf which is called Khata in Tibetan.
It is about 70kms from the airport to the old city Lhasa which will take 45 minutes to 1hrs depending on the traffic. This short trip in your car will allow you to have a short glimpse at the Yarlung river/ Brahmaputra river and close view at the majestic Potala palace.
Check into your hotel, first day is crucial for the travelers to have a good rest at their hotel, acclimatize the environment.
Day2: Lhasa highlights: Jokhang temple, Barkhor street, Sera monastery
Breakfast will be served at your hotel from 7:30am to 10.30am.
Your guide will pick you up at the hotel to visit Jokhang temple which is not more than 5 minutes’ walk from your hotel. Jokhang temple is located at the center of old city Lhasa and has been very important location for both and religious and business
Center of Tibet in early years.
Barkhor street is approximately 15-20 minutes’ walk around the Jokhang temple. Local pilgrimage will be walking along with their prayer wheels in their hand in a clockwise. The street is filled many shops and now has become a shopping center.
Walking around Barkhor street will be a pleasant experience to see many Tibetan local devotees on their prostration and colorful culture of people from different part of Tibet. After lunch, there is debate session of Sera monks which will start around 3pm in the Sera courtyard. The last sight of the day is Sera monastery which was built in 15th Century by The Jamchen Choji Sakya Yeshi who was a disciple of Tsongkapa the founder of Gelukpa sect, one of four schools in Tibetan Buddhism.
Day3: Lhasa highlights: Potala palace, Drepung monastery
Morning visit to the palace is as refreshing as jogging alongside the lake with cool breeze and breathe. After checking in at the gate, stairs and steps will take you higher towards the Potala place which has white palace and red palace. White palace was built to attend official matters and red palace was built to attend for religious matter.
Potala palace was initially laid its foundation by 33rd King of Tibet Songtsan Gampo in 7th Century and later rebuilt by 5th Dalai Lama in 17th Century.
Make sure to rest once a while during the visit, every stair is worth the effort for the beautiful bird eye view of Lhasa and its every rooms and chambers inside the palace.
Day4: Lhasa-Samye-Tsedang
Its takes not more than 3 hrs from Lhasa to Samye monastery, stopping by Dorji drak monastery en route to Samye monastery. The monastery is located adjacent to the rocky hill and gives beautiful of lake on the otherside of the hill.
It will be a quick pleasant visit and about one-hour drive from there to Samye monastery. You can have lunch at the monastery restaurant or restaurant nearby for Samye monastery is a very big monastery with a vast campus filled with beautiful flowers. Samye monastery was founded by Guru Padmasambhava in 779 during the King Trisong Detsen. It is the first Buddhist and Nyingma monastery in Tibet. Monastery is located in the Chimpu valley next to Hepori hill in Yarlung river. Monastery is laid out on the shape of giant Madala, in its center lies the main temple representing the legendary Mount Meru. In corners, there are 4 stupa/chortens- white, red, green and black.
Yumbu lakhang at Tsedang is the first palace built in Tibet for the first king of Tibet Nyetri Tsenpo. This old palace was recently renovated. Upon reaching there, it has the beautiful view of Tsedang ground.
Day5: Tsedang to Gyangtse
It is about 5 to 6 hrs drive. First stop is at Yamdrok lake, Yamdrok is about 2:30-3 hrs drive of about 110km from Lhasa via Gambala pass (4790m).
This holy lake is also called Yamdrok Yumtso in Tibetan. The color of the lake is turquoise, and it has the most beautiful view of the mountains and lake enclosed by an ever-blue sky. The length of the river is 72km, which goes side by side with the main road to Karola glacier which is close to 1hr drive further down.
Second stop is at Karola glacier which is one of Tibet three major continental glaciers located at the boundary of Nangarze county.
If time permits, walking around Gyangtse fort or kora in the evening is quiet and peaceful, whole kora will take more or less than an hour.
Day6: Gyangtse to Shigatse
Morning visit to Gyangtse Kumbum Pelkor chorten monastery. Kum-bum means one hundred thousand holy images. It was built by Gyangtse prince in the year 1427 with nine levels and 77 chapels.
This stupa is unique three-dimensional mandala meant to portray the Buddhist cosmos. Upon reaching Shigatse, you can stop by for a lunch at Shigatse before heading to the monastery. Tashi lunpu monastery was founded by 1st Dalai Lama in 1447, it is traditional monastic seat of successive Panchen Lama. Kora around the monastery will take around one hour and will have beautiful bird eye view of old and new city of Shigatse.
Day7: Shigatse to Namtso lake
Namtso lake is also known as Sky lake. It lies at an elevation of 4718m. It is the largest Salt Lake in Tibet Autonomous Region located between the border of Damxiong county of Lhasa prefecture and Baingoin county of Nagqu prefecture.
Day8: Namtso to Lhasa
It is about 4hrs drive of about 250km from Namtso to Lhasa via Lagenla pass (5190m). This holy lake is one of the four holy lakes in Tibet and also the highest saline lake in the world. This road trip of 4 hrs offers the spectacular view of the snowcapped Nyenchen Thangla mountain ranges where in the valley and on the grassland, Tibetan nomads living their simple life in tent with their yak and sheep grazing nearby.
After visiting Tashi Dor monastery at Namtso and walking around the lakeshore, we will drive back to Lhasa and give you enough time to rest and prepare yourself for the evening home dinner.
Day9: Free day in Lhasa
Today you can walk around for shopping or to take pictures.
We will arrange home dinner at home with our team in the evening. We have a special cook in our team who will prepare local Tibetan dishes, not too greasy not too spicy. We will also teach you how to make Yak momo. For this delightful evening, conversations are mainly on how we work as a team, your experience in Tibet and feedback on how to improve our service.
Day10: Departure
As per your flight or train schedule, your guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel and see you off on time. This is the time we always hope in our heart that you had a wonderful time during your visit and our service are up to your satisfaction.
We appreciate for the feedbacks on TripAdvisor which will allow us to continue what we do and what we always try to achieve, which is to provide a real authentic Tibetan tour service in Tibet for all the oversea travelers who has dreamt of coming to Tibet.
The service Includes:
– All necessary travel permits to Tibet;
– Entrance ticket fees for all the sight spots listed in the program
– Private transportation in Tibet: 8 to 15 seated minivan with experienced local Tibetan driver.
-Vehicle and guide entrance for the Everest Nature Reserve
– Private guide: English speaking local Tibetan guide;
– Lodging: Comfortable Four star hotel in Lhasa and Shigtse
– Oxygen cylinder for the group;
– Lodging and meals for guide and drivers;
– Two bottles of mineral water per person everyday.
– Liability travel insurance
The service excludes:
– Travel insurance covers trip cancellation and emergency evacuation(recommended);
– Expenses of a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone call, etc.);
– International and domestic flight/train. (Note: we accept flights and train tickets bookings in advance,
– Meals – lunches and dinners, breakfasts at the guesthouses (Averagely a meal in Tibet cost USD7 per person);
– Gratuities for the guide and driver.
-Visa fee