Lhasa Essence Nakchu Tour

Lhasa Essence and Nakchu Tour Trip Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Lhasa. Overnight at hotel.

Day 2: Sightseeing at Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street.

Potala Palace: Former winter home of the Dalai Lama, a vast, awe-inspiring maze of corridors and stairs leading through countless rooms of richly decorated statues, tombs, murals and antiques. You will climb past the White Palace into the Red Palace, where the file of pilgrims offering silk scarves, coins or yak butter to burn in the shrines combine to make this an unforgettable experience. Note: you need to be fit for the long stairways.

Jokhang Temple: Smaller and more manageable than the Potala, this 4-storey, golden-roofed temple is at the heart of a rich and living Tibetan Buddhism. Many locals pray here regularly; the Temple is surrounded by Barkhor Street and thronged with pilgrims and visitors. Yak butter lamps burn in front of rich statuary that includes the Sakyamuni Buddha brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng in the 7th Century.

Barkhor Street: Watch the pilgrims, wearing local dress from many different parts of Tibet, as they circle clockwise around Jokhang Temple with prayer wheels, or prostrate themselves near the front gate. Join the locals and visitors to shop for local goods at the colorful stalls, or relax in a coffee shop or tea house to enjoy the passing parade.

Tibet Steak House: Steak House belongs to the same restaurateurs with Snowland Restaurant, mainly caters Western and Tibetan cuisine to overseas tourists. Surrounding by alluring landscape in Lhasa, it will leave you a deep impression of dining experience as it is a suitable choice for diners while traveling in Tibet.

Day 3:
Sightseeing at Sera Monastery, Norbulingka, Drepung Monastery

Sera Monastery: It is known as one of the three greatest monasteries of Tibet. As one of the three main monasteries of Lhasa, it is here that the monks "famous daily debates" take place.

Norbulingka: Norbulingka means "Jeweled Garden". It was constructed as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama and later served the whole governmental administration.

Drepung Monastery: Drepung Monastery lies in west of Lhasa under Mt. Gambo Utse, clustered round by the black mountain, its white grand buildings shining under the sunlight. Built in 1416, it is considered as one of the largest monasteries in the six principle monasteries of Gelu Sect in China. Drepung Monastery used to be the living palace of Dalai Lamas before the reconstruction of Potala palace (after the 5th Dalai Lamas was bestowed by Qing emperor Qianlong).

Day 4:
Sightseeing at Yambajan, Lake Namtso.

Yambajan: It is famous for its hot spring and is a nice choice for those who want to get a close look at the Tibetan herders (drokpa) and their semi-nomadic lifestyle. Covering an area of about 150,000 square meters, Yambajan, 87 kilometers away from Lhasa, is situated in the basin at the foot of Nyainqentanglha Mountains to the northwest of Lhasa.

Lake Namtso: Lake Namtso is the second largest saltwater lake in China. The lake is beautiful with its azure water and surrounding snow capped peaks. There is a gravel road from Damxung to the lake. In the rainy season, the route can be quite difficult.

Day 5:
Depart from Lhasa.