6 Days Private Tour from Lhasa to Namtso Lake

Upon arrival in Lhasa, you will be greeted by our Tibetan guide at airport or train station with auspicious white Hada. On the ride to hotels in the downtown, the guide will briefly introduce the itinerary and remind you of dos and dont's in Tibet. To acclimatize to Tibetan plateau, it’s advisable to take a good rest in the hotel.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today you will visit the Potala Palace, the UNESCO world heritage site and the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. Inside this grandiose palace, you can explore the former residence of Dalai Lama and the meeting room, and worship the gilded burial stupas of past Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd Great King of Tibet. You can also enjoy a panoramic view of Lhasa City and Lhasa Valley from the top of the Palace.

After lunch, you will head to the most sacred Buddhist site in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple. You can see devout Tibetan pilgrims prostrating in front of the temple and long lines of Tibetans following the Barkhor circuit. Inside the temple, you can see the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni at the age of twelve.

Around the temple is the famous Barkhor Street, you can do the kora by circling the street with pilgrims and locals and buy some souvenirs. You can also enjoy the tasty sweet tea in local tea house and visit Tromzikhang, the famous farm product market.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, you will visit two of the “Great Three” Gelug monasteries in Tibet, Drepung and Sera Monastery. In the morning, you will visit Drepung Monastery founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416. It is situated at the foot of Gebeiwoze Mountain and is the largest monastery in Tibet which was once home to over 10,000 monks and has the biggest monastery kitchen.

After lunch, you’ll visit the Sera Monastery, which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa's disciple Jamchen Chojey. The highlight of Sera Monastery is the monks’ debate in the courtyard at around 3-5 pm in the afternoon.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

In the morning, set off from Lhasa to Lake Namtso, one of the three holy lakes of Tibet and the highest saline lake in the world. On the way, you can admire the snow-capped Nyenchen Tangula Mountain Range, nomads tents,  and lots of yaks and sheep grazing in the flourishing grassland (in summer). In addition, you can enjoy the view of the legendary Sky-Road Railway/Qinghai-Tibet Railway with snow mountain background. When standing at the Lagenla Mountain Pass (5190m), you can far view Namtso Lake shining under the sun.

Then you can take a leisurely trek around Tashi Dor Island and enjoy the stunning view of Namtso Lake. You can also see pilgrims prostrating along the lake shore. Finally, take the car ride to Damxung (or Yampachen) and spend the night there (For environment protection, the lake shore guesthouses were closed by the government in late 2018). The lower altitude at Damxung and Yampachen shall bring you a sound sleep.

Stay overnight in Dumxung or Yampachen.

The trip back to Lhasa is relaxing to both body and soul. You will make a stopover at Yampachen to enjoy the famous Yampachen Hot Spring there. The natural mineral-rich hot spring will remove your tiredness and get your refreshed (please bring your own swimming suit). After enjoying the outdoor hot spring, get back to the car and head back to Lhasa. On the way to Lhasa, you will visit Chimelong Nunnery (Phyirmil Lung Nunnery) and have a far view of a sky burial site nearby.

Cultural Tips: Sky burial is a funeral practice commonly seen in Tibet. The corpse will be disposed of and later devoured by vultures. In Tibetan Buddhism, sky burial is believed to represent their wishes to go to heaven. Only family members of the dead can attend the funeral.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

The driver will pick you up from your hotel, and drop you off at Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Railway Station, and assist you to get on board.