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Itinerary
Our Tibetan guide and driver will greet you at the airport or train station and present you with a Kada (the traditional Tibetan ceremonial white scarf) to Welcome you to Tibet :) Then will be drive around 40-50 minutes to Lhasa city if you take plane to Lhasa or drive 20 minutes to Lhasa city if you board train to Lhasa and transferred to your hotel. Along the way, you can enjoy the spectacular scenery of Yarlung Tsangpo River, Lhasa River, and the typical Tibetan villages and highland barley seeds farms.
Later your guide will introduce you to the other members of your group once all are in Lhasa. And will discuss about tour schedule in Tibet. Then will show you some of local, Chinese and continental dish restaurants for the dinner. On your arrival of the first day must be take an easy, relax and keep hydrated by drinking warm water or home temperature water. Will be very helpful to acclimatize to the high altitude.
Stay overnight in Lhasa.
Attraction：Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery. Guide will arrange your lunch with local taste in Monastery restaurant.
After the breakfast our driver and guide will pick you up from hotel and drive to the monasteries. Today, you will visit Drepung and Sera monastery from morning around 9:00 to 5:00 pm. Both of monasteries offering a unique insight into Tibetan Buddhism. And will also have local food taste from the monastery restaurant
History of Drepung Gompa
Drepung monastery is one of the six major monasteries of Gelukpa order. Drepung, Ganden and Sera Monastery are known as the three major and highest ranking monasteries in Lhasa. It was once one of the world’s largest monastery where in the pass day there were over 10,000 monks who studies as well as lives in there. It was a town itself at time Drepung is Tibetan name which means heap of rice. It is located in a valley on the southern slope of Mount Genpuwuzi, about 8 kilometers to the west of central of Lhasa city. It was founded in 1416 by the Jamgyang Choejee Tashi Paldan the disciple of the founder of the Yellow Sect, Tsongkhapa master. There are countless halls in Drepung monastery with the most famous being the "Jampa Thongdorl" hall in religious terms and the most important being the "Ganden Potang" hall in political terms. The "Jampa
Thongdrol " (Maitreya Sees Liberation) Hall is located on the northwest side of the third floor of the Tsochen Hall. Although it is not large in scale, it is famous for its main statue of Maitreya at the age of eight. A continuous stream of believers came to worship. Inside the hall, there is also the precious treasure of the temple - the white conch was bless by the Budhha Shayakmuni when he was in India . When Tsongkhapa ordered Jamyang Choejee Tashi Paldan to build the Drepung Monastery, he would hand over the white seashells personally excavated by Tsongkhapa before the construction of Ganden Monastery to Tashi Paldan and wish the temple a success. This collection of seashells has always been kept in the Maitreya Hall. There are also six main scripture halls in the temple: 1. Ganden Podang Chapel 2. Tsochen Hall 3. Tantric Monastery 4. Losaling collage 5. Guomang collage 6. Deyang collage.
After around 3 hour’s visiting of the Drepung Gompa will have a 1 hour lunch time for locate taste from the monastery restaurant then drive to next scenic spots. The most interesting thing in the Sera Gompa is Buddhist philosophy debate. The debate venue of Sera Monastery is part of the traditional learning method of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and the debate ceremony starts at 3 pm to 5 pm from Monday to Friday. When debating scriptures, monks usually sit on the ground while another stands across from them, exaggerating their movements to debate the scriptures. This is a discussion of Buddhist knowledge and also a way for lamas to learn. The debate ceremony of Sera Monastery is well-known in Tibetan areas and attracts many tourists to visit. Except for special holidays, the debate venue holds debate activities from Monday to Friday, giving visitors the opportunity to witness this unique form of religious learning firsthand.
History of Sera Gompa
Sera Monastery, also known as Sera Mahayana Monastery, is one of the six main monasteries of the Gelug sect in Tibetan Buddhism. Along with Drepung monastery and Ganden monastery, it is known as one of the three major temples in Lhasa and is the latest one built among them. Sera Monastery is a national key cultural relic protection unit, located at the foot of Sera Uzi Mountain, 3 kilometers north of central part of Lhasa city. It is surrounded by willow forests and has been a place for high monks and living Buddhas to preach since ancient times. There are many small monasteries for monks and nuns surrounding it. In the 17th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1419), Jamchen Shakya Yeshi, a disciple of Tsongkhapa master, built it, which was completed in the 9th year of the Xuande reign of the Ming Dynasty (1434). Later, Jamchen Shakya Yeshi was summoned to Beijing and granted the title of Great Compassionate Dharma King. After returning to Tibet, the imperial bestowed sutras and statues were preserved in the temple and still exist today. At its peak, there were over 8000 monks in the monastery, slightly smaller in scale than the Drepung Monastery. There are tens of thousands of Vajra statues in the Sera Gompa, most of which are made locally in Tibet. There are also many bronze Buddha statues brought from mainland China or India. The walls of the main hall and various Tazang scripture halls preserve a large number of original colored murals. The most famous statue is the " Protector Hayagriwa " statue in the main hall. The main buildings include Tsochen (Assembly Hall), Jee Tazang, Mai Tazang, Ngapa Tazang, and 32 Kang Tsan villages. The early buildings were centered around Mai Tazang and Ngapa Tazang , and were later expanded and renovated throughout history to have the current scale, so there was no overall plan for the layout. But the architecture of Sera Monastery is dense but not crowded, diverse but not chaotic, tailored to local conditions, with a prominent main body, reflecting the unique style of Gelugpa monasteries, and is entirely a religious city.
Transfer you back to the hotel after the tour.
Breakfast, Lunch
Attraction; Potala Palace, Jokhang temple and Bakhor Street;
In the morning, your Tibetan guide and driver will meet you and the other group member at hotel lobby then start from downtown Lhasa and first visit the Potala Palace, which is not only the political, religious and cultural center of Tibet but also the holy land of Tibetan Buddhism.
History of Potala Palace or ancient castle
The Potala Palace is located on the Maburi Mountain (Red Mountain) in the northwest of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. The Potala Palace was built under the leadership of Songtsen Gampo, the 33rd Tibetan king of Tubo, in 631 AD. However, with the disintegration of the Tubo Kingdom, it suffered severe damage due to natural and man-made disasters. In 1645, the Fifth Dalai Lama rebuilt the Potala Palace to consolidate the political and religious unity of the Ganden Pohang region, and continued to expand it until it reached its current size. The Potala Palace was designed and built according to the layout of Buddhist mandalas, covering a total area of over 360000 square meters and a total construction area of over 130000 square meters. The main building is 117 meters high and has 13 floors. It is a large palace style architectural complex with 1267 rooms, including palaces, stupas, Buddhist halls, administrative offices, monk schools, and monk houses. The main works of the building have two systems: the White House and the Red Palace. The White House is the place where the Dalai Lamas of past dynasties govern and live. The Red Palace is the place for religious activities and the place where the Dalai Lamas of past dynasties worship their stupas. The building form of the White House around the Red Palace reflects the social system of the integration of politics and religion in old Tibet. After 1959, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council attached great importance to the maintenance and protection of the Potala Palace, and allocated maintenance funds throughout the year. Two phases of maintenance were carried out in 1988 and 2001. On March 4, 1961, the Potala Palace was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In 1994, the Potala Palace was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO. Potala Palace is the winter palace of all previous Dalai Lamas, and also the ruling center of the integration of politics and religion of Tibet’s m local rulers in the past. Since the fifth Dalai Lama, major religious and political ceremonies have been held here. At the same time, it is a place to worship the spiritual tower of all previous Dalai Lamas.
Afternoon we will go to Jokhang Temple to experience the strong religious atmosphere. Then we will stroll along Barkhor Street, taste authentic Tibetan cuisine, and purchase handicrafts. In the evening, you can go to see the night view of the majestic Potala Palace to enjoy the beautiful night walk.
History of Jokhang temple
Jokhang Temple, located in Lhasa, Tobey Autonomous Region, is a central Tibetan Buddhist temple and also a central of the universe too. It was founded in 647 A.D. by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo to commemorate Princess Wencheng's entry into Tibet. Jokhang Temple has a long history of more than 1300 years. It is one of the most splendid existing buildings in Tibet during the Tibetan period and the earliest civil structure building in Tibet. The temple was originally called "Rasa", later evolved into "Lhasa", and eventually became the name of the city. Jokhang Temple is not only a Buddhist temple, but also a three-dimensional representation of the ideal model of the universe in Buddhism - the mandala. The architectural style of Jokhang Temple combines the characteristics of Tibetan, Tang, Nepalese, and Indian architecture, and is a model of Tibetan religious architecture. There are statues of Shakyamuni and other figures enshrined in the temple, as well as statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Chizun, and Princess Wencheng. The temple has undergone multiple expansions and modifications, especially during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, forming its current scale. Jokhang Temple is not only a pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists, but also a sacred temple revered by various sects. The "Golden Urn Lottery" ceremony for the reincarnation of Gelug Living Buddhas has always been held here. Breakfast
It takes several hours to drive to Tsurphu Monastery from Lhasa, The altitude will be up to 4300m and it takes half a day to acclimatize for the following trekking. Tourists will visit Tsurphu Monastery after lunch.
Camping
The first day trekking takes 4-5 hours, 11km, by walking along a green valley crisscrossed with mountain streams. Tourists may also stand on the lookout for various species of mountain goats disguised in gray rocks. Several small nomadic communities camp here for the summer herding months, you will walk on a high plateau with a scattering of rock-enclosed huts, and look for a flat area for camping. From day one, the scenery becomes breathtaking, while the landscapes feature typical Tibetan beauty.
Camping
Today, you will walk along a long big valley, up to the highest spot Lasar La(5400m). Have your first small pass, the Damchen-la(5200m), bear to the left at the cairns at the crest, and descend into a magical valley,meandering streams and expansive, powder-blue sky. Three hours later, you will cross the Lasar La(5300m) and descend into the Yangpachen valley, with its wide open plateaus, and then head towards Bartso. Camp near Bartso, a drokpa (nomad) village of five or six houses, surrounded by the juniper used for incense all over the Tibetan world.
Camping around Bartso
Leaving the village of Bartso behind, head towards a wide trail leading across the valley and over another ridge, from where you will be rewarded with views of Nyenchen Tanghlha (7111 m), the holiest mountain in central Tibet. Then you merge at Tajung village, and then climb gently up rolling hills where young nomadic boys and girls on the plateaus as they watch their yaks and sheep graze. The vistas are, again, just amazing! Mid-day, you should reach the small Djore Ling Ani Gompa (nunnery), near which you will set up camp. It's possible that these nuns, some of the friendliest in Tibet, will drag you into the Nunnery's tea-house and pass around a heaping plate of yak meat (use the bowie knife provided to hack a piece off) before getting into the requisite photo session.
Camp near Nunnery
Today trek the 14km from the Droje Ling nunnery via Tsaburing valley to the monastery of Yangpachen. After the trekking, drive back to Lhasa.
(In recent years, a concrete road link has been constructed to Dorje Ling and places further up the valley, so if you feel like driving back to Lhasa instead of trekking on the last day, you can ask your tour guide to arrange the drive for you.)
Stay overnight in Lhasa
Lhasa airport/Train station dropping off, end the service. On the other hand, if you prefer to stay longer in Tibet, you can extend your trip to other parts of China like Gyantse,Shigatse, Everest Base Camp,etc. – if you need, please ask us.
