6-Day Lhasa & Shigatse Exploration
From the Potala to Tibet's second city โ Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier and Tashilhunpo Monastery.
At a Glance
| Day | Simple Itinerary | Meals | Hotel |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | ARRIVAL IN LHASA - LHASA RAILWAY STATION/AIRPORT PICK-UP | EXCLUDED | Lhasa |
| D2 | Potala Palace 5A - Potala Palace Square - Medicine King Hill Platform - Jokhang Temple - Barkhor Street - Lhasa | B.D | Lhasa |
| D3 | Lhasa - Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains - Damxung - Nagela Pass - Namtso Lake - Lhasa | B | Lhasa |
| D4 | Lhasa - Yamdrok Lake - Karola Glacier - Palcho Monastery - Shigatse | B | Shigatse |
| D5 | Shigatse - Tashilhunpo Monastery - "Princess Wencheng" Live Drama - Lhasa | B.D | Lhasa |
| D6 | Depart from Lhasa, Send off to train/airport | B | EXCLUDED |
Detailed Itinerary
ARRIVAL IN LHASA - LHASA RAILWAY STATION/AIRPORT PICK-UP
Arrive at the Sunshine City Lhasa, at Lhasa Railway Station/Lhasa Gongga Airport. A tour guide will welcome the group with a sign and a ceremonial scarf (Hada), then drive to the city hotel for check-in and rest to acclimatize to the altitude.
POTALA PALACE - SQUARE - MEDICINE KING HILL PLATFORM - JOKHANG TEMPLE - BARKHOR STREET โ LHASA
After breakfast at the hotel, drive to the Potala Palace, a palace-fortress complex built in the early 7th century, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the first batches of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council, and a witness to Tibetan-Chinese harmony. Go to Potala Palace Square for a panoramic photo and then to the Medicine King Hill Platform to take a photo with the backdrop featured on the 50 Yuan RMB note. After lunch, drive to the Jokhang Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in 647 AD, which houses the golden statue of a 12-year-old Buddha Shakyamuni. Take a city walk through the ancient circumambulation path of Barkhor Street, walking alongside pilgrims who have traveled thousands of miles, prostrating every three steps, witnessing the faces of all beings and the vibrancy of life.
LHASA - NYENCHEN TANGLHA MOUNTAINS โ DAMXUNG โ NAGELA PASS โ NAMTSO LAKE - LHASA
After breakfast at the hotel, drive along the Beijing-Tibet Expressway to the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains viewing platform. Legend has it that the mountains and Namtso Lake were once a loving couple. After lunch, arrive at Namtso Lake - Tashi Peninsula, the third largest saltwater lake in China, with a surface elevation of 4,718 meters. "Namtso" means "Heavenly Lake" in Tibetan, and it is also called "Tengri Sea" in Mongolian. It is one of the "Three Great Holy Lakes" of Tibet and a famous Buddhist pilgrimage site. On the return journey, stop at the Nagela Pass (5,190 meters) for a distant view of Namtso Lake and receive a Himalayan High-Altitude Challenge certificate.
LHASA โ YAMDROK LAKE โ KAROLA GLACIER โ PALCHO MONASTERY โ SHIGATSE
After breakfast at the hotel, drive along the Gya' Nyai Expressway, through Qushui County, and cross the 4,998-meter-high Kamba La Pass to Yamdrok Lake (often shortened to Yang Lake). Together with Namtso Lake in Damxung and Lake Manasarovar in Ngari, it is known as one of the Three Great Holy Lakes of Tibet. In Tibetan, it is also called "the turquoise lake above". It is the largest inland lake at the northern foot of the Himalayas, renowned for its stunning beauty of lakes and mountains, unparalleled in Southern Tibet. The lake covers an area of 675 square kilometers with a surface elevation of 4,441 meters. After lunch, drive along the lakeside ring road to the Karola Glacier, the eastern source of the Nianchu River and one of the three major continental glaciers in Tibet. Arrive in the heroic city of Gyantse and visit Palcho Monastery, founded in 1427. It is a unique Tibetan Buddhist monastery complex combining a stupa and temples, where the stupa and temples are naturally integrated and complement each other. In the evening, arrive in Shigatse City, the administrative center of Tsang (Western Tibet).
SHIGATSE โ TASHILHUNPO MONASTERY โ "PRINCESS WENCHENG" LIVE DRAMA โ LHASA
After breakfast at the hotel, visit Tashilhunpo Monastery. It was founded in 1447 by Gendun Drup, a disciple of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. It is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school and the traditional seat of successive Panchen Lamas. The monastery astonishes visitors with its magnificent architecture, exquisite art, and long history. After lunch, return to Lhasa via National Highway 318 and the Yarlung Tsangpo River Gorge. In the evening, watch the "Princess Wencheng" Live Drama. Set against the natural landscape of Lhasa, it tells the historical story of the marriage between Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty and Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo over 1,300 years ago. The performance is divided into five acts, lasts about 90 minutes, and involves over 800 performers.
DEPART FROM LHASA, DROP OFF TO TRAIN/AIRPORT
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the airport or train station according to your departure schedule, concluding your mysterious Tibet journey.
2026 Group Departures & Prices
Prices are per person in USD, based on two guests sharing a twin room. The single-room supplement applies to solo travellers; the children's price applies to children sharing a bed with two adults.
| Departure date (2026) | Price | Single room | Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 | $1080 | $190 | $680 |
| Oct 1, 2, 3 | $1080 | $190 | $680 |
| Oct 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 | $740 | $110 | $460 |
| Nov 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29 | $740 | $110 | $460 |
| Dec 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 | $740 | $110 | $460 |
Registration and payment deadline: 25 working days prior to departure. The minimum group size is 2 guests โ if the group cannot be formed, all fees collected are fully refunded.
What's Included
- HOTELStay in standard twin rooms at 4-star hotels for 5 nights. (Price is based on one bed per person per night. A single room supplement will be required if single occupancy is needed or in case of odd numbers.) Please note that hotel conditions in Tibet are limited, and facilities differ significantly from those in cities in mainland China. Please adjust your expectations accordingly.
- DINING5 breakfasts and 2 main meals are included throughout the trip. (Breakfast is included at the hotels. Main meals do not include alcoholic beverages. The average cost per person per main meal is 100 CNY).
- CAR7-15 seats, travel for 2-8 people
- ADMISSION FEEThe first entrance ticket to the scenic spots listed in the itinerary.
- TOUR GUIDEBilingual tour guide service in both Chinese and English
- CERTIFICATESTibet Entry Permit, Travel Permit, and Border Permit (if applicable).
- OTHERNo mandatory self-paid activities or shopping stops throughout the tour. Your supervision is welcome.
Not Included
- Single room difference.
- Children do not occupy the bed. If you need to occupy the bed, please pay the additional fee. Children do not include tickets. Please purchase them at the entrance of the scenic area based on your height. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
- Costs incurred due to traffic delays, strikes, weather, aircraft malfunctions, flight cancellations or changes in time, and other force majeure reasons.
- Personal expenses: expenses incurred for personal expenses such as laundry, haircuts, telephone, fax, pay TV, beverages, tobacco, alcohol, etc. within the hotel.
- The self-funded projects participated in locally during the trip, as well as other projects not included in the "cost inclusive" section.
- The final interpretation right belongs to our company.
Good to Know
- On the premise of ensuring service standards and not reducing the number of tourist attractions, our company reserves the right to adjust the order of visits;
- In case of travel delays or changes caused by uncontrollable factors such as traffic delays, strikes, natural disasters, policy price adjustments, flight or train cancellations or changes in time, the expenses incurred shall be negotiated and handled by both parties. As Lhasa tourist buses belong to chartered buses and hotels belong to long-term private rooms, scenic area tickets belong to discounted tickets or enjoy government free-ticket policies. If guests voluntarily give up on sightseeing, transportation, accommodation, etc., the fees will not be refunded.
- The minimum number of people in a tourist group is 2. Our company has the right to cancel the group and notify guests 10 days before departure if the minimum number of people is not reached. If we cannot form a group, our company will refund all the fees already collected and will not bear any other responsibilities or losses.
- Individual and group guests are required to pay the hotel room card deposit at the hotel and keep the deposit receipt properly. When checking out, they should check out at the front desk with the receipt and room card to collect the deposit. If there are food and daily necessities in the hotel room, they are all items that tourists can freely consume and are not included in the group fee. If tourists enjoy them freely, please pay at the front desk when leaving the hotel. The phone in the hotel room is for free consumption, please pay at the front desk after use.
- Valuable items should be carried with you and kept properly. They should not be placed in the luggage to prevent loss. Please be cautious of thieves when going out. If there is any loss, our company will not be liable for compensation, and we will assist the customer in reporting and handling the case.
- This group is a group of individual guests, with tourists from various places. Prices may vary due to transportation, registration time, or other reasons. Please do not compare prices. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
- There may be souvenirs, local specialties, and other items sold by local residents in some scenic spots and near stops along the way, which are not provided by our company. Tourists are advised to purchase with caution to avoid being deceived. Rest stations along the way (such as water-added points, toilets, gas stations, roadside stalls, car washes, and some scenic areas) are not within the shopping scope. When taking a rest stop along the way, please pay attention to safety when getting on and off. Most local people charge for toilets along the way, so please take the initiative to pay. (Please be sure to remember for participating guests)
- Please inform customers in advance that the distance between Lhasa Scenic Area and the scenic area is long, and the travel time exceeds 2.5 hours. Please be mentally prepared and get ready necessary food and water.
- When using the restroom or taking a bath in a hotel or other public place, please pay attention to slip resistance to avoid falling.
- Guests who suffer from hypertension, heart disease, asthma, obvious lung, brain, and kidney lesions, as well as severe anemia, severe colds, and other coronary heart diseases that are not suitable for high-altitude tourism are not allowed to enter Tibet. Please follow medical advice.
- If tourists are dissatisfied or complain during the tour, please inform us as soon as possible, and we will coordinate and handle it. If no objections are raised, our company will consider the tourists satisfied; If any objections are raised after returning, our company will not recognize or handle them. Our reception quality is based on the opinions of the majority of tourists in the group;
- During the journey, tourists are advised not to leave the team or change their itinerary without permission; Valuable items should be left at the front desk of the hotel and not in the room.
- 13.5 Tourists under 5 years old and over 69 years old who book this product should be informed in advance.
Entering Tibet
- Correct treatment of altitude sickness: The oxygen content in Lhasa is only about 70% of that in the plain, and the atmospheric pressure is also relatively low. Upon arriving at the plateau, most people will experience varying degrees of chest tightness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and other symptoms of hypoxia. In severe cases, there may be symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain throughout the body, and insomnia. But this does not mean that you cannot adapt to high altitude. This reaction is very normal. The so-called high altitude reaction is the counteractive reaction our body makes due to the discomfort caused by such a pressure difference and lack of oxygen.
- When entering the plateau, one should not overeat or drink excessively to avoid increasing the burden on the digestive organs and enabling them to adapt well to this environment. It is best not to drink alcohol or smoke. Eat more vegetables, fruits and other substances rich in vitamins, drink more water to prevent dryness, especially lipstick and sunscreen used for sun-proof, which can effectively prevent water loss and increase the body's resistance.
- When arriving at the plateau for the first time, do not walk quickly, let alone run, and do not engage in physical labor. It is best to fully rest and rest for half a day, and to prevent colds caused by catching a cold. Commonly used drugs for preventing altitude sickness include Rhodiola, American ginseng, glucose, quick results heart-save pills.
- If you are not sure whether you can participate in travel activities in Tibet, it is recommended that you consult an experienced doctor and try to follow the principle of stability.
- According to the relevant regulations of the China National Tourism Administration, if a tourist fails to complete all tourism projects or leaves Tibet early due to their own reasons, it will be considered as automatically giving up the trip, and the group fee paid by the tourist will not be refunded. Any subsequent consequences shall be borne by the tourists themselves, and the travel agency shall not be held responsible.