10 Days Yunnan Shangri-La to Lhasa by Flight

As you arrive in Lijiang, a historic city home to Naxi and other ethnic minority groups in northwest of Yunnan Province, our local guide will be expecting you at the airport. Later, the guide will escort you to your hotel.

In the afternoon, we will visit one of the must-see attractions in Lijiang, namely Lijiang Ancient Town. The hot pedestrianized town features plenty of lovely little canals and bridges, traffic free streets and overhanging willow trees. Numerous small cafes and bars, and street artists, tasty local snacks, etc. can also be found. Afterwards, climbing to Wangu Tower of the Lion Hill where you can enjoy the panoramic view of the entire old town and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain afar.

Stay overnight in Lijiang

In the morning, the tour will take you to climb Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the picturesque mountain overlooking the Lijiang. Get down jacket since the temperature can get pretty cold. You may choose to visit incredible Glacier Peak or enchanting yak meadows.

After that, we head to spectacular Black Dragon Pool, built in Qing Dynasty. The lovely park gives you a break from touristy ancient town. You can stroll on the colorful cobbled path and enjoy the gorgeous Moon-Embracing Pavilion with crystal-clear lake below reflecting the enchanting Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We can also stop by Dongba Culture Museum inside the park

Stay overnight in Lijiang

In the morning, we will drive from Lijiang to Shangri La (Zhongdian) and on the way we will pass drive the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, and the Iron Chain Bridge in the Stone Drum town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road runs through the Lijiang valley, which is filled with wheat fields and dry haystacks.

Continue driving 40KM more to visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river.

In the afternoon, head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian. Upon arrival in Shangri La, you will enter the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scatter in the valleys. The guide will take you the hotel for rest.

Stay overnight in Shangri La

In the morning, visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. And afterwards you'll go and visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake. Having finished touring the Bita Lake & Shudu Lake, you would visit the Old Town of Shangri La and the Guishan Park.

At night, you can have dinner in Tibetan family and enjoy butter tea and other tasty Tibetan food.

Stay overnight in Shangri La

In the morning, you will be transferred to Diqing Shangri La Airport and take the flight from Shangri La to Tibet. Upon your arrival in Lhasa Gonggar Airport, our Tibetan guide will be expecting you and escort you to the hotels in Lhasa City. The rest of the day is for you to get acclimatized to high altitude in Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Today's tour will first bring you to the Potala Palace which is the winter palace of the Dalai lama. It was put to use since the 7th Century by the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

Then after lunch, tourists head to Jokhang Temple which was founded by the 33rd great king of Tibet in the 7th century, in order to promote the Buddhist religion. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve, perhaps the only most venerated object in Tibetan Buddhism. Around the temple is Barkhor street where you can do kora (a religious circle of a building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals, in the meantime you can buy souvenirs.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

In the morning ,you are going to visit Drepung Monastery which is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. Ganden palace used to be Dalai lama’s palace in the Drepung before he moved to the Potala palace.

In the Afternoon, Tourists will visit Sera Monastery which is another one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. The hot attraction is the Monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Today, we have to drive from Lhasa to Gyantse. On the way, the group will pass over the Gampala pass (4790 m),and tourists will have a glimpse of Yamdrok-tso (4400m) .The Lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountain and in the distance you have spectacular views of Holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar, (7191m) the highest mountain near Lhasa .

We head westward along the lake and drive towards Gyantse. Gyantse was historically Tibet's third largest city (after Lhasa and Shigatse). In Gyantse, we will visit the famous Pelkor Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum.

After one and a half hour's driving, we arrive in Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, we’ll visit Tashilunpo Monastery, the seat of Tibet's second highest incarnation, the Panchen Lama. (notice: Lhasa to shigatse drive: 8-9 hours via Gyantse city; or 6 hours via 318 National Highway Lhasa to Shigate train: Z8801, 02:55 duration )

Stay Overnight in Shigatse

Today, we will drive back to Lhasa on the friendship Highway. The whole distance is almost 280km and it takes 6 hours along the Yarlung Tsangpo River / Bhamaputra River (the Longest and largest river in Tibet).

Stay overnight in Lhasa

The guide will transfer you to the airport or train station and help you get on board.