7 Days Tibet New Year Festival Tour

Arrival to Lhasa airport or train station where you will be picked up by our local guide and driver then transfer you to hotel. Main highlights on the way to Lhasa, you will see the biggest river in Tibet called Yarlung Tsangpo or Barmaputra in Indian language, the unique architectural village houses of Tibetan farmers and the first glance of Potala Palace.

Free sightseeing or take rest in your room in late afternoon to acclimatize.Your guide will give you more detail advice on acclimatization.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Note: If your Arrival is by train, then you don’t have the chance to see the river view and Tibetan village houses because the train station is next to the city.

In the morning your guide and driver will meet you at hotel lobby and drive you to the Potala this majestic palace, the land mark of Tibet, the first construction ever built in Lhasa by the most well known and outstanding Tibetan king Tsongtsen Gambo in seventh century as his residence and central government official. And in seventeenth century the fifth Dalailama began to extend it into current style. It is listed into the UNESCO’s World Heritage in December 1994. More than three hours visiting outside and inside the palace, you will learn all detail history about the palace by your guide.

After marvelous visiting and climbing hundreds of stairs there, your driver will pick you up at the exit of Potala and transfer you to local restaurant near by Jokhang, you will feel bit exhausted and tired but no matter you can have good relax during the lunch time and ask for your guide to order a glass of Ginger Lemon Tea+honey that will give you more energy and feel fresh again.

After lunch break, your guide will lead you to Jokhang Temple and Barkor Street by walking to explore the culture center of Tibet, the heart of Tibetan Buddhism and the main destination of the pilgrims coming from all over the Tibetan territories and the Barkor Ancient Street with local bazaar and art workshops.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Today your guide will take you to Drepung Monastery once the world's largest monastery with about 10,000 attending monks and the home of second till fifth Dalailama. The main attraction there will be a huge assembly hall that could accommodate more than 5,000 monks once in the previous time, if you are lucky, you will have a chance to see the monks’ prayer meeting inside the assembly hall and a huge kitchen that you will have ever seen where it provides thousands of monks daily meals and it still keeps in traditional style.

After having quick lunch not in that kitchen, drive to Sera the second largest monastery in Lhasa where you will enjoy to see a very exciting monks’ debate on Buddhist philosophy same mode practice of ancient Indian philosophers did thousand years ago, what more, you will visit sand mandalas the Buddhist Cosmology and printing house where they publish the sutras and mantras in very traditional way by stamping from wooden blocks, you can also buy small old type sutras blessed by monks.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Today you drive to Gyangtse one of the most well known towns in Tibet. It’s not so long drive but full of highlighted scenic spots on the way, such as Yamdrok Yumtso the turquoise color like lake is the third largest holy lake in Tibet, Karola Glacier of Mount Nochen Kangsang 7,300m which is a branch range of the Himalaya is just 400m away from you, by the mountain road the artificial lake of Manak dam is isolated from special geographical feature like in the moon will make your journey even more exciting.

In Gyangtse late afternoon, you will visit one of the oldest monastery called Palchoe and Kubum pagoda the largest pagoda in Tibet, what more you can explore further in Gyangtse old town.

Stay overnight in Gyangtse

In the morning hike up the Gyangtse Castle one of the oldest castle in Tibet, from there you will see whole panoramic view of Gyangtse old town and Palchoe monastery, then drive to Shigatse, on the way visit Tibetan villages to enjoy their annual New Year Festival. People are very friendly and welcome hospitality to you. With local villagers you can drink their homemade barley beer, singing and dancing with them in full afternoon to experience the real life style and culture.

Stay overnight in Shigatse

Today you will visit Tashi Lhunpo the largest monastery in Tsang area of Tibet autonomous region which is also the home of successive Panchen Lamas. After about two hours visiting, drive back to Lhasa along the friendship way passing through Nyimo Canyon one of the deepest canyon of Yarlung Tsangpo river/ Barmaputra. Free sightseeing in Lhasa late afternoon.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Departure to your next destination, your guide and driver will transfer you back to airport or railway station and help you to get the boarding pass. Say good bye Tibet!