Lhasa Explore Tour – 5 Days

After breakfast today, you will go for a sightseeing tour in Lhasa beginning with a visit to the beautiful Potala Palace. This amazing palace has the honor of being the highest ancient palace in the world. There is no lift up to the palace or inside, so you have to reach the top by climbing steps up 100 meters. The palace comprises of two parts: the Red Palace and the White Palace. The beautiful murals inside the palace are not only attractive but also tell the story of Tibet. Exploring the grandeur of Potala Palace will leave you stunned with the magnificence in architecture and spiritual aura that it spreads around. You will then proceed to visit the Norbulingka Palace, popularly known as the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, and the most famous and the largest man-made garden in Lhasa. You may require 2-3 hours to thoroughly visit this Treasure Park and there are various activities to join when you visit Norbulingka, like watching Tibetan show, tea tasting and so on. Next, you will visit the Tibet Traditional Hospital, locally known as Mentsekhang. Numerous Thangkas, hanging on the walls of the hospital contain the Tibetan medicinal knowledge in all the aspects. You will then go back to your hotel room. Overnight in Lhasa.

Today is the day you will be exploring more of Lhasa including significant landmarks such as the Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, and the Jokhang Temple. Drepung Monastery is the largest monastery of Tibet and one of the three greatest Gelug monasteries believed to have sheltered 10,000 monks in the past. Sera Monastery is the last of the three yellow sect monasteries built in Lhasa. It is a preserved monastery comprised of white-washed walls and golden roofs. The main highlight of this monastery is watching the monks debating inside the shady courtyard behind the main temple. Jokhang Temple, an important monastery, lies in Old Lhasa and it is the spiritual center of Tibet as well as the holiest destination for all Tibetan pilgrims. It has a golden statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and houses the most important religious treasures of Tibet. After visiting these important monasteries, you will proceed to explore and experience the local social life of Barkhor Bazaar with its open-air stalls, shops, and a crowd of pilgrims. The marketplace is filled with religious ambiance and a world of exotic articles. Overnight in Lhasa.

After breakfast today, you will drive to Ganden Monastery, which is located on the top of Wangbur Mountain on the southern bank of Lhasa River. It is one of the oldest and one of the great three Gelug university monasteries of Tibet which has extremely delicate and fine murals and sculptures. With an orderly architectural layout of standing Buddha halls, towering roofs, splendid stupas, Ganden Monastery is arranged well with vivid colors of black windows, white walls, and golden roofs. In the afternoon, you will visit the Drayerpa Cave that is located in an alluring valley with an astounding landscape. The Drayerpa Cave is a hermitage built on a hillside of the mountain and composed of more than 30 caves for spiritual Lamas who wish to meditate in a silent milieu. Overnight in Lhasa.

Your beautiful tour in Lhasa ends today and you will fly back home with ample memories from the roof of the world. If your flight schedule is later during the day, you may stroll around Lhasa streets and shop for souvenirs. One of our representatives will be there at your hotel lobby to transfer you to the airport well ahead of your scheduled flight timing for your onward journey.