Central Tibet Monastery 6-Day Tour to Lhasa, Gyantse, and Shigatse

Lhasa , China

Central Tibet Monastery 6-Day Tour to Lhasa, Gyantse, and Shigatse

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About this experience

Take the pain out of transportation in Tibet with this 5-night tour focused on the holy monasteries of Lhasa, Gyantse, and Shigatse. See the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, Pelkor Chode Monastery, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Yamdrok Lake, Karo-La Glacier, and more. Your tour operator can arrange a Tibet Travel Permit and recommend accommodation in Tibet: tour includes entrance fees but excludes lunch and dinner.

Note: Your local tour operator will apply for a TTP for you (minimum 15 days lead time) and send it to one of the local offices for you to collect. Office locations include Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Chengdu, Kunming, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Changsha, Nanning and Macau. Please advise which city office is convenient for you upon booking. TTP can also be delivered by Express Mail Service to your hotel in mainland China.

Available options

Join in Group Tour

Pickup included

What's included

English-speaking tour guide

1-night accommodation and breakfast at Tashichota Hotel, Shigatse 3*

Tibet Travel Permit (TTB) and Alien's Travel Permit (PSB)

Shuttle bus to and from Lhasa airport

Climate-controlled coach for sightseeing and transfers

Chinese visa invitation letter if required

4-night accommodation and daily breakfast at Lhasa Gang-Gyan Hotel Tibet 4

What you'll see

Day 1: Lhasa

Airport Pickup. The airport shuttle bus leaves Lhasa Airport at 12:30 and 16:00.

Day 2: Lhasa

Your climate-controlled coach or minivan will collect you from your hotel lobby around 8 a.m. to start your Lhasa city tour. You'll visit the UNESCO-listed Potala Palace, a focal point for Tibetan Buddhism and home to the Dalai Lama for many centuries, then wander the alleys and byways around Barkhor Street. You'll also explore the 1300-year-old Jokhang Temple with its sacred golden Buddha, the spiritual epicenter of Tibetan Buddhism.

Day 3: Lhasa

The day begins around 8 a.m. when your climate-controlled transport collects you for more exploration around Lhasa. Today's tour includes two of the “great three” Gelug sect monasteries: Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery. Drepung is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery, founded in the fifteenth century on a mountainside. Sera, not far from Lhasa, was famous for its debates.

Day 4: Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse

Your driver will collect you in the morning to drive from Lhasa to Shigatse via the old mountain route. You'll stop at the sacred Yamdrok Lake, pass the striking Karo-La glacier 16,273 feet (4960 meters) above sea level, and visit the Pelkor Chode Monastery in Gyantse. You'll arrive in Shigatse, Tibet's second city and the spiritual home of the Panchen Lama, in the afternoon. Your local operator can recommend a hotel or you can book your own.

Day 5: Shigatse – Lhasa

Check out of your Shigatse hotel early in time for a morning pickup. Visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, one of the oldest and best-preserved Gelug sect monasteries in Tibet, and a must for any student of Tibetan Buddhism: the Panchen Lama has his Summer Palace nearby. You'll take a new but almost equally scenic route back to Lhasa, through the green farmland of the Nyang-chu Valley.

Day 6: Lhasa

The airport shuttle bus leaves at 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. from downtown Lhasa. You'll be picked up from your hotel lobby, and transferred to the bus stop. If you prefer, you may arrange your own hotel-to-airport transfer.

Fixed Departure Dates in 2018

Apr: 1, 4, 9, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29

May: 2, 5, 8, 13, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30

Jun: 3, 6, 11, 13, 17, 20, 24, 26

Jul: 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29

Aug: 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29

Sep: 2, 5, 8, 10, 12, 16, 19, 22, 26, 28, 30

Oct: 17, 21, 24, 28, 30

Nov: 6, 10, 13, 15, 20, 23, 27

Dec: 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25

If your preferred tour date is not in the list, please check with local tour operator if any person has signed up the same day. A new group will be created if 5 adults sign up for the new tour date eventually (Plan A), or full refund guarantee (plan B).

What's not included

Meals and beverages

Airfare and train ticket

Personal expenses

Gratuities

China visa

Available languages

Guide guide

Reviews breakdown

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Important information

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

A minimum of 2 adults per booking is required

Adult price is based on twin / triple share of a hotel room

Child price is based on child without extra bed

If you need one adult in one room, additional single supplement will be informed and charged

If you need extra bed for child, additional cost will be informed and charged

Please notice the hotel allows only maximum of 3 persons to stay overnight in one room

Please be prepare the hotel facilities and service standard in Tibet will not be as good as cities in inland China. A 4-star hotel in Tibet equals maybe the standard of a 3-star hotel in Beijing. At Rongphu Monastery Kent, hot water is only available for limited hours.

For shuttle bus between airport and hotel, each passenger (except an infant) can check-in a maximum of 2 pieces of baggage, total dimensions per bag shall not exceed 158 cm (62") . Over sized and excess baggage are subjected to the availability of storage space on coach, and surcharge will be charged.

If you do not want to wait for our airport shuttle bus, the taxi fare will be paid by yourself.

If you travel from a Chinese city to Lhasa, all foreign travelers need a Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) in addition to a Chinese visa. TTP is inclusive in our package, the local operator in Lhasa will apply for you. China visa application is not included.

Please first obtain a Chinese visa from a Chinese Embassy on your own and then book this package at least 20 days prior of your arrival day in Tibet. If the Chinese Embassy requests an invitation letter for Chinese Visa, your local tour operator can prepare one and send it to you.

Your local tour operator will apply for a TTP for you (minimum 15 days lead time) and send it to one of their offices for you to collect. Office locations include Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Chengdu, Kunming, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Changsha, Nanning and Macau.

To apply for the TTP, please provide traveler's name (as appears on passport), nationality, age, sex, occupation, and passport number as well as photocopies of your passport and Chinese visa.

The following travelers can not get a TTP issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau: diplomats, journalists, professional media photographers, and government officials. These travelers need to apply directly to the Foreign Affairs Office at Lhasa City Hall: your local tour operator is unable to help.

If you travel from Katmandu to Tibet, the visa (by land or by plane) is called TIBET GROUP VISA (TGV). Please remember that you do not need to apply any other type of China visa from your home countries. Every passenger is required for a TGV if you enter Tibet from Nepal. And this TGV can only be issued from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

How to apply a TGV: After you book the Tibet tour with a local agent, you will need to send your passport copy to the agent by email attachment. If you also plan to travel further to mainland China after Tibet, you will need to specify which Chinese cities will be visited. And what date you plan to fly out of China. The local agent in Lhasa will go to Tibet Travel Bureau to apply an "China Group Inviation Letter" for you. The local agent in Lhasa will send "China Group Inviation Letter" and your passport by email to an agent in Kathmandu. The Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu works for the Tibet group visa on Monday, Wednesday, Friday only. The agent in Kathmandu will make an appointment with you by email: when and where to collect your passport. After you have arrived in Kathmandu, the agent will take you to the Chinese embassy to fill in the visa form (bring your original passport. You will also be required to forward 2 passport size photos (the photos must be 2.5*3.5 CM in size) at the embassy (you may bring 2 photos from home or just simply take instant photos in Kathmandu).

You will pay the cost to this agent in Kathmandu in cash. Based on the visa application time and cost, there are 3 categories for your reference, and please note that The local Nepal agencies charge additional USD20 per person service charge according to the group size. *Urgent Application: 3 working days. Cost for American passport holders USD144. Other nationalities passport holders: USD65 *Top Urgent Application: 1.5 working days. Cost for American passport holders USD175. Other nationalities passport holders: USD85

Highly recommend you not to travel from Kathmandu to Lhasa, because the above TIBET GROUP VISA is very inconvenient.

If your travel date is not on our fixed depart list, please choose a random departure date we already have, state your ideal travel date and submit. The local operator in Lhasa will check the availability and come back to you with a final answer: Plan A to create a new group, or plan B for 100% refund guarantee.

Important notes

• Your local tour operator will apply for a TTP for you (minimum 15 days lead time) and send it to one of the local offices for you to collect. Office locations include Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Chengdu, Kunming, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Changsha, Nanning and Macau. Please advise which city office is convenient for you upon booking. TTP can also be delivered by Express Mail Service to your hotel in mainland China.
• Please confirm with your local tour operator for actual tour departure time from Lhasa Airport.
• For shuttle bus between airport and hotel, each passenger (except an infant) can check-in a maximum of 2 pieces of baggage, total dimensions per bag shall not exceed 158 cm (62") . Over sized and excess baggage are subjected to the availability of storage space on coach, and surcharge will be charged.
• Highly recommend you NOT to travel from Kathmandu to Lhasa as getting TIBET GROUP VISA there is extremely inconvenient.
• If your travel date is not on our fixed depart list, please choose a random departure date we already have, state your ideal travel date and submit. The local operator in Lhasa will check the availability and come back to you with a final answer: You will be inform if it is OK to form a new group, or 100% refund will be issued

About Lhasa

Lhasa, the spiritual and cultural heart of Tibet, is renowned for its ancient Buddhist monasteries and vibrant Tibetan culture. Nestled in a valley at an elevation of 3,650 meters, it offers a unique blend of history, spirituality, and breathtaking Himalayan landscapes.

Top Attractions

Potala Palace

The iconic Potala Palace was the residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a symbol of Tibetan Buddhism.

Historical/Religious 2-3 hours ¥100 (includes White Palace and part of Red Palace), ¥200 (includes all areas)

Jokhang Temple

Jokhang Temple is the most sacred temple in Tibet and a pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists. It houses a life-sized statue of Buddha Sakyamuni brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng in the 7th century.

Religious 1-2 hours Free (¥25 for photography)

Barkhor Street

Barkhor Street is a bustling market street surrounding the Jokhang Temple. It's a popular place for pilgrims, locals, and tourists to shop for traditional Tibetan items and souvenirs.

Cultural/Shopping 1-2 hours Varies by purchase

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery is one of the largest and most important monasteries in Tibet. It was once home to over 10,000 monks and is known for its grand architecture and religious significance.

Religious 2-3 hours ¥55

Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery is famous for its lively debates among monks, which take place daily in the monastery's courtyard. It is one of the three main monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Religious 1-2 hours ¥55

Must-Try Local Dishes

Momos

Steamed or fried dumplings filled with yak meat, vegetables, or cheese. They are a popular street food and a must-try in Lhasa.

Snack/Dinner Can be vegetarian or vegan

Thenthuk

A hearty noodle soup with vegetables, meat, and sometimes cheese. It's a popular dish in Tibetan households and restaurants.

Soup/Dinner Can be vegetarian or vegan

Yak Butter Tea

A traditional Tibetan beverage made with butter, salt, and tea. It's an acquired taste but a cultural experience.

Drink Contains dairy

Balep Khabsey

Tibetan fried bread or cookies, often flavored with butter and sugar. They are a popular snack and can be found in most bakeries.

Snack/Dessert Contains dairy

Popular Activities

Hiking Mountain biking Trekking Tea house visits Meditation Yoga Monastic tours Traditional dance performances

Best Time to Visit

May to October

This period offers the most pleasant weather with warm days and cool nights. It's ideal for exploring the city's attractions and enjoying the vibrant cultural scene.

10°C to 25°C 50°F to 77°F

Practical Information

Language

Official: Tibetan, Chinese
Widely spoken: Chinese, English (limited)
English: Limited

Currency

Chinese Yuan (CNY)

Time Zone

GMT+8

Electricity

220VV, 50HzHz

Safety Information

Overall Safety Rating: Exercise caution

Lhasa is generally safe for travelers, but altitude sickness and limited medical facilities can be concerns. Petty crime is rare, but always be aware of your surroundings.

Important Precautions:

• Be cautious of altitude sickness
• Stay hydrated and rest when needed
• Avoid political discussions

Getting there

By air

Lhasa Gonggar Airport • 60 km from city center

By train

Lhasa Railway Station

By bus

Lhasa Bus Station

Getting around

Public transport

Buses are the primary mode of public transport in Lhasa. They are affordable but can be crowded during peak hours.

Taxis

Available • Apps: DiDi (limited availability)

Rentals

Car, Bike, Scooter

Neighborhoods

Barkhor Lhasa Old Town Doilungdêqên District

Day trips

Yamdrok Lake

100 km from Lhasa • Full day

Yamdrok Lake is one of the holiest lakes in Tibet and is known for its turquoise waters and stunning mountain surroundings. It's a popular destination for pilgrims and nature lovers.

Ganden Monastery

50 km from Lhasa • Full day

Ganden Monastery is one of the most important monasteries in Tibet and the seat of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. It offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.

Namtso Lake

120 km from Lhasa • Full day

Namtso Lake is the highest saltwater lake in the world and is known for its breathtaking beauty and spiritual significance. It's a popular destination for pilgrims and nature enthusiasts.

Festivals

Great Prayer Festival (Monlam Chenmo) • February/March (lunar calendar) Saga Dawa Festival • June/July (lunar calendar) Losar (Tibetan New Year) • February/March (lunar calendar)