4-Day Journey From Lhasa to the Spiritual Heart of Tibet

Potala Palace

Drepung Monastery

Jokhang Temple

Barkhor Street

Highlights

Explore the majestic Drepung Monastery

Wander through the historic halls of Potala Palace

Immerse yourself in the spiritual atmosphere of Jokhang Temple

Stroll along vibrant Barkhor Street

Discover the tranquil beauty of Norbulingka

Lhasa

architectural, cultural, sightseeing

Private Tour

4 Days

Easy

Description

Embark on a captivating tour of Lhasa, Tibet, starting with a warm welcome and transfer to your hotel upon arrival at Lhasa Airport or Railway Station. Spend a leisurely day acclimatizing to the high altitude before exploring iconic landmarks like Drepung Monastery, Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Street. Immerse yourself in Tibetan culture and history, culminating in cherished memories as you depart from Lhasa.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Lhasa
- When you arrive in Lhasa, our staff will pick you up at Lhasa Airport/ Railway Station and transfer you to the hotel.
- From the airport, it takes about 1 hour.
- From the train station, it only takes 20 minutes.
- Afterward, relaxing and taking it easy on the first day to get acclimatised to high altitude and alleviate the jet lag is better.
- You might go to the local market and wander around the city alone, but try not to overtax yourself.
Stay overnight in Lhasa.
Day 2: Lhasa Sightseeing
- After breakfast in the hotel, the tour guide will take you to Drepung Monastery, the biggest Tibetan monastery that housed more than 10,000 monks in the past. Drepung means Rice Heap in the Tibetan language. The entire monastery is large in scale and the white buildings cluster and cover the hillsides. It is the highest-ranking monastery in the Gelug Sect.
- In the afternoon you will first visit the Tibet Museum. Here you can see life scenes, exquisite clothing, house architecture, and festival customs, etc. To explore the special and mysterious Tibetan customs.
- Then you will visit Norbulingka, which is a typical Tibetan-style royal garden, the summer resort of the Dalai Lama.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3: Lhasa Sightseeing
- On your third day, you will be feeling much more acclimatized to Lhasa’s high elevation.
- It is an excellent idea to spend the day exploring the Potala Palace, which is the winter palace of the Dalai Lama.
- Afterward, you may walk the pilgrimage route around the Potala Palace.
- In the afternoon, you will head to the Jokhang Temple, which is well known as the center of Tibetan Buddhism. It features Buddhist prayer wheels, reclining deer, and golden sutra streamers, etc.
- Also, you can see many pilgrims praying in front of the temple and doing kora.
- After visiting the Jokhang Temple, you will stroll in the old alleys of Barkhor Street.
- Here you can drink sweet tea, chat with locals, and even bargain with the street vendors to understand the real-life in Lhasa.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4: Lhasa Departure
- Your tour ends today. After breakfast, you will be free in the morning. Our staff will transfer you to Lhasa Airport/Railway Station.
Meals: Breakfast

What's Included

Lodgings: 3 Nights, twin room en suite in 3/4 star

Meal: 3 Breakfasts

Travel-licensed vehicle according to group size & season as itinerary needed, including gas and parking fee

Lhasa Railway Station transfer at all times on the first & last day

Pick-up from Lhasa Gonggar Airport to your hotel at 9:30 am, 1:00 pm, and 4:00 pm on the first day

Drop-off from your hotel to Lhasa Gonggar Airport at 8:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:30 pm on the last day

Guide: experienced local English-speaking tour guide

Attractions: all entrance fees are mentioned in the itinerary

Permit: Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit

Travel Agency Liability insurance

Government Tax

Express delivery fee of Permit (e.g., SF. Express)

Food & lodgings for guide & driver

Oxygen tank for emergency use

Two bottles of mineral water per person per day

What's Excluded

International flight to and out of China

Domestic flight/train to and out of Lhasa; (We can help you book the domestic flight/train ticket at the BEST price. Please contact us for details.)

If you miss the free transfer schedule due to flight delay or cancellation, you must pay a private transfer from USD 80/vehicle/time

Lunch & Dinner are not included but we will recommend some good ones for you according to your requirements. Usually, it takes 3-10 USD per person for each meal

While the gratuity for guide and driver is NOT mandatory, it is expected. Based on their service, you can tip them on the last day of the tour. You are suggested to tip each of them 5-10 USD/day in total

All the commission and tax charged by PayPal, Bank, and government when making payment. (e.g. PayPal --- 4.4%. Wire transfer --- 2%)

Personal expenses

Anything not mentioned in the Inclusions

Know Before You Go

Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (TTB) usually takes about 12 working days to apply. Failure to provide the required documents and information on time will result in an extra handling fee. For further details, please consult your travel consultant.

We reserve the right to change the itinerary order and attractions in Lhasa without prior notice.

If you prefer to book your own hotels instead of those included in our group tour, please ensure you meet the rest of the group at their daily hotel on time. Transfers to your own hotels are not included.

Transportation will be provided for pick-up and drop-off of all members of the group on the first and last day from Lhasa Airport/Railway. However, there may not always be a guide present, only a driver.

Due to the special nature of Tibet travel, unforeseeable and unavoidable circumstances such as natural disasters, war, terrorism, riot, civil commotion, strikes, public health emergencies, government action, major traffic jams, flight/train delays or cancellations, and temporary closures of attractions may necessitate changes to the itinerary. Any increased costs resulting from such changes will be borne by travelers. GTT will not be held responsible for refunds except for certain attraction entrance fees, the decision of which will be solely determined by GTT.

Single Supplement: Our quoted price is based on twin room accommodation. Single travelers are required to pay a single supplement at the time of booking. If we later match you with another traveler to share a twin room, the single supplement will be refunded.

All members of the same group must be accompanied by the same tour guide throughout the trip. Therefore, all members are required to adhere to the same itinerary and visit the same attractions. Requests to change the scheduled arrangement for personal reasons require permission from other members and may incur additional charges.

The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

It is best to explore the inside of the Potala in the morning for 2-3 hours.