Tibet Tour -5 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 take a day trip from Lhasa to the turquoise-colored lake of Yamdrok Tso. This is one of Tibet's most beautiful lakes and a must-see attraction. You will follow the Kyi Chu River valley southwest from Lhasa to the top of the Kamba La Pass at an elevation of 4794 meters (15,725 feet). The top of the pass offers a panoramic of Yamdrok Lake. Mt. Nojin Kangtsang, rising to 7191 meters (23,590 feet) can be seen in the background. You will return to Lhasa in the late afternoon.

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