7-Day Lhasa & Tsedang Shoton Festival Tour: Discover Tibetan Cultural Origins

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.

• Tibetan tour guide greets you at Lhasa Airport.
• Lhasa River

In the morning your guide and driver will meet you at hotel lobby and drive you to the Potala palace, 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

• Potala Palace is always the No.1 attraction for travelers visiting Tibet.
• Holy Jokhang Temple

Today you have a great opportunity to visit the beginning ceremony of the most important annual festival in Lhasa called “Shoton” means Yogurt Banquet. The opening ceremony begins from Drepung and Sera the two largest monasteries in Lhasa.

In the very early morning your guide and driver will pick you up and drive to Drepung Monastery to attend the ceremony. With thousands of local pilgrims and tourists, you will luckily see one of the largest embroidered Thangka/scroll painting of Buddha in Tibet.

Hundreds of monks and volunteers transfer it to a hillside not far from the monastery and display on a huge wall then the monks perform a special religious ritual to open the ceremony, the pilgrims from nomadic area offer fresh Yak Yogurt to the monks and everyone receives blessings from main master of monastery.

In the afternoon you will be driven to Sera monastery, the second largest monastery to visit another beautiful Grand Thangka and religious ceremony. It’s a very busy day but very worth.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Drepung Monastery, one of the Great Three Gelug monasteries of Tibet
• Monk debate in Sera monastery

Today you will spend whole day in Norbulingka to see how people enjoy their festival, you will have a great chance to watch the performance of traditional Tibetan opera, join with friendly local people, their hospitality towards you makes you feel like very close friends, they will serve you free cookies, Yak meat or yogurt sometimes and plenty of their homemade barley beer.

You will also visit the main residence of the successive Dalailamas’ personal residences, guest interview room, meeting rooms, the wall of paintings that tells the general history of Tibet and ancient civilization as well as its unique architectural design and wooden carves.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Norbulingka - the Summer Palace of Dalai Lama
• Enjoy Traditional Tibetan Opera in Norbulingka during Shoton Festival

Southeast to Lhasa lies the Tsedang, the capital of Shannan Prefecture and the cradle of Tibetan civilization. After around 2h30min’s scenic ride, you will be arriving at in Yumbulhakhang palace, the first imperial palace on the rocky hill for a first Tibetan king.

You may enjoy the relics that display the history and culture of Tibetan Buddhism while listening to the chanting of monks. The panorama of Yarlung Valley from the top of Yumbulhakhang will take your breath away.

Then, we head back to Trandruk Monastery, built by Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo. It has a history of 1,300 years. Enjoy the vivid murals and precious Thangka made of pearls that echo the heyday during the reign of Songtsen Gampo.

Insider Tips: If you feel intimidated by the steep walk to Yumbulhakhang, the horse ride is readily available, with an extra charge by the local herdsman.

Stay overnight in Tsedang

• Yumbulhakhang, the first palace built in Tibet
• Local Tibetans turnning prayer wheels in Tradruk Temple

Feast your eyes and spirits on Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet built in the 8th century. Ascend to the top of the 3-story monastery to have a clear view of this unique monastery whose layout was designed in the form of a giant mandala, a representation of the Buddhist universe.

The main temple in the center represents Mt. Meru, the mythical mountain at the center of the Buddhist universe. The four continents in the ocean around Mt. Meru are represented by the four temples at the cardinal points, each flanked by two smaller temples to symbolize islands in the ocean.

You will be struck by the distinctive spiritual ambience permeating through such a holy Buddhist site. With time permitting, you may kora up to the top of Hepori hill to enjoy the stunning panorama of Samye Monastery. Finally, get transferred back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Samye Monastery, the first Buddhsit monastery in Tibet
• Samye Monastery

Today marks the end of your Tibet tour in Shoton Festival. Please make sure to verify your departure flight/train details with our guide in advance. And your guide will take you to the airport or train station.

Thank you for choosing Tibet Vista, and we extend a warm welcome for your return to Tibet in the future.