Tibet Travel -9 days

Arrive in Lhasa. When you arrive to Lhasa, you will be met by your guide and transported to your hotel. You can spend the afternoon wandering around the Barkhor, Tibet’s ancient market area that surrounds Jokhang Temple. Each day thousands of Buddhist pilgrims make their way around this sacred temple.

You will explore the Jokhang, the holiest Buddhist temple in the Himalaya’s. Founded nearly 1400 years ago, Jokhang Temple houses the most sacred statue of Buddha. You will work your way through this fascinating temple alongside Buddhist pilgrims from the faraway regions of Tibet. The sound of pilgrims chanting mantras fills the air as does the smell of yak butter candle offerings. In the afternoon, you will go to the 600 year old Sera, one of Tibet’s largest Buddhist monasteries. Each weekday afternoon starting at 3pm, monks engage in Buddhist philosophy debates, which are fun to photograph.

You will start the day by exploring the Potala Palace, Tibet’s most iconic building. Towering above Lhasa with more than 1000 rooms, the Potala Palace served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lama’s for hundreds of years. After lunch, you will go to Drepung, another of Tibet’s huge monastic complexes. The pilgrimage circuit around Drepung takes about an hour or so and offers spectacular views.

After breakfast, you will hit the road and begin the next part of your Tibet adventure. From Lhasa, you will drive along the scenic Kyi Chu River Valley and then ascend to the top of the 4794 meter Kamba La Pass, which has a breathtaking view of Yamdrok Lake and 7191 meter Mt. Nojin Kangtsang. You will then descend and drive along the lakeshore before making your way back up to the Karo La, a beautiful glacier that comes down almost to the roadside. In the late afternoon, you will arrive in Gyantse.

You will begin by exploring Pelkhor Chode Monastery and the Kumbum Stupa, the largest Buddhist pagoda in Tibet. This beautiful monastery lies within a walled complex in the Gyantse Old Town. A short hike to the top of the wall offers an excellent panoramic view of the monastery, town and the snow-covered mountains in the distance. Afterwards, you will make the short drive to Shigatse, Tibet’s second largest city. Along the way from Gyantse to Shigatse, you can stop at a couple of interesting farming villages to experience traditional Tibetan farming culture. In Shigatse, you will visit the huge monastery of Tashi Lhunpo. The excellent pilgrimage route around the monastery takes about 2 hours to hike and has fantastic views.

After breakfast, you will depart Shigatse and begin the journey to Nam Tso, Tibet's largest and arguably most beautiful lake.

In the mid morning, you will make the short drive to Nam Tso, Tibet's largest lake. For Tibetans, this is one of the most sacred lakes in Tibet. You will stay in a basic guesthouse near the lake shore and near the small Buddhist temple of Tashi Do. You can spend the rest of the day walking along the lake shore or walking the 3.5 kilometer pilgrimage circuit around Tashi Do temple.

The last full day of your Tibet journey will lead you from Nam Tso back to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. You will arrive back to Lhasa with plenty of time to do some last minute souvenir shopping and walk around the holy Jokhang Temple one more time.

In the morning, you will be transferred to the Lhasa airport and depart Tibet.