Arrive at the Lhasa Gonggar airport, be greeted and offered a white scarf (called Kada) in a Tibet traditional way which brings you good luck. Then drive to the city proper (3650 m) and transfer to your hotel. Stay at the hotel for adapting to the high attitude. It is helpful to take things easy for the first few days, and try to drink some water just and now, be noted the first day’s acclimation is extremely to ensure you a good health status for the following tour, so please make sure you have yourself lie in bed for all the rest time of the day right after check-in of hotel.
The first day of sightseeing starts from Lhasa's cardinal landmark-Potala Palace, a structure of massive portions. Its towering image already appearing on various occasions, but your first sight of the Potala will still be an awe-inspiring moment. It takes at least a good 2-hour to visit those rooms, halls and chapels. In the afternoon, we will drop a visit of the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet. Everyday, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek a long distance to the temple. The temple is the product of Han, Tibetan and Nepalese architectural techniques. Then we will visit Barkhor Street, the oldest street in a very traditional city in Tibet.
Morning, you’ll visit Drepung Monastery, once world's largest monastery with about 10,000 monks. Walking up to the hill is a pleasant thing, an easy break from the solemn ambience inside the halls and chapels. At the plat roof of hillside, you can have very good views of the whole Lhasa city and the distant mountains. In the afternoon, you’ll have a chance to witness the famous 'Buddhism Scriptures Debating' session at Sera Monastery. Overnight in Lhasa.
The drive from Lhasa to Tsurphu Monastery takes about 2-3 hours, and the altitude will increase up to 4300m. Tsurphu Monastery is an 800-year-old monastery in central Tibet, and is the seat of the Karmpa branch of the Kagyupa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Tsurphu has an annual festival around the time of the Saga Dawa festival, on 9th, 10th and 11th days of the fourth Tibetan month (around May). Today you will relax acclimatizing further and visiting this Tsurphu Monastery. Overnight at local guesthouse.
The spectacular first trekking day ascents up in a green valley crisscrossed with mountain streams. Be on the lookout for various species of mountain goats disguised in gray rocks. Several small nomadic communities camp here for the summer herding months, and you may have a stop into a yak-hair tent for a cup of salt butter tea or some fresh yak milk! Crest the ridge top four hours later, emerging onto a high plateau with a scattering of rock-enclosed huts, and look for a flat area for camping. From the very first day you can enjoy the breathtaking sceneries of the classic Tibetan beauty.
After crossing the first small pass, the Damchen Nyingtri, bear to the left at the cairns at the crest, and descend into a magical valley of lichen-coated boulders, meandering streams and expansive, powder-blue sky. By nearly three hours, you will cross the Lasar La and decline down to the Yangpachen Valley, rich in wide open plateaus, spiky grass hummocks and tundra-like parched, cracked patches of earth, and pace towards Bartso. The enticing views of Brize (translated as female yak herder) and Tarze (horse keeper) are superb, and you will feel safe in the care of the local mountain god, Nyenchen Tanglha. You will camp near Bartso, a drokpa (nomad) village provided with five or six houses encircled by the juniper which is used for making fragrance all over the Tibetan society.
Today you will leave behind the village of Bartso and head towards a wide trail leading across the valley and over another ridge, from where you will be gifted with the hypnotic views of Nyenchen Tanghlha (7111m), the holiest mountain in central Tibet. You will then reach Tajung village, and then gently ascends rolling hills where young nomadic boys and girls picnic on the plateaus as they watch their yaks and sheep graze. The vistas are just praiseworthy .Towards mid-day, you should reach the small Djore Ling Ani Gompa (nunnery), near which we will set up camp. You may meet some of the friendly nuns in Tibet who will lead you into the gompa s tea-house and where you will be served with the plate with huge lump of yak meat (use the bowie knife provided to hack a piece off) before you begin your photo session.
Today you will walk for three or four hours to reach the ox-bow Nyango Chu River making its way through the grassy valley, and head for Yangpachen Gompa which is old Kagyupa monastery, with Tibetan mastiffs keeping guard, manifests part of the Trans-Himalaya range. Vehicle will wait at monastery, and show the path up towards the famous hot springs complex at Yangbachen ( self-paid), which is great to ease your aching limbs. Afterwards, you will return Lhasa again. Overnight in Lhasa.
Today, meet your guide in the hotel lobby and take a last memorable look at the holy city before being transported to the airport.
Potala Palace
Mt. Everest
Yamdrok Lake
Sera Monastery
Namtso Lake
Mt. Kailash
From Ms. Elena Maria ValisiI highly recommend this agency. I travelled with other 2 couples who booked through different agencies and they paid a lot more to have less assistance, same hotels/tour/guide/car, less flexibility and no travel insurance included.
From Mr. Severin WechslerWir sind sehr zufrieden mit der individuellen Tour welche wir mit "Go to Tibet Tours" zusammenstellen konnten (8-Tagestou; Peking und Lhasa). Der Trip hat uns sehr gefallen, alles lief wie geplannt. Die Tourguides (Forrest und Kielsang) waren sehr hilfesbereit und kompetent...
