Day 1 Arrival in Lhasa

There are two ways for you to enter Lhasa, train and plane. We recommend a flight. Upon your arrival, your local guide and driver will be waiting for you at the exit and transfer you to the hotel. We will leave the rest of the day at your hands. You can use it to rest, which will be conducive to your health.

Day 2 Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barhkor Street

Your Tibet exploration starts officially from this morning. The first stop will be the first highlight of the tour - the iconic Potala Palace. Sure, you might have seen it elsewhere, but today, you will ascend the lofty building and unveil the interior mysteries. One thing to remind you, you can’t take photos inside the palace. The Potala Palace was a work of a Tubo King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century. It was like a wedding gift to the Tang Dynasty princess Wencheng when she married the Tibetan King. When the Tubo dynasty declined, the palace was destitute for a long time until the mid-17th century, when the Fifth Dala Lama established the Galdan Phobrang regime and resumed the palace. Since then, the Potala Palace became the winter palace for later Dalai Lamas. After all these centuries, the palace has collected tons of treasures and Buddhist relics.

In the afternoon, we will head for the Jokhang Temple, another masterpiece from Tubo King Songtsen Gampo. It’s one of the most sacred places in Tibet. You will see many Buddhist disciples practice worship in the temple. What makes the temple even more famous is the magnificent building. You will see it’s a wooden building with traditional Tibetan, Chinese, Nepalese, and Indian architectural marks.

The last stop today is Barhkor Street, which is just outside the Jokhang Temple. Many Tibetan Buddhist disciples with revolving prayer wheels in their hands make their pilgrimage clockwise around the Jokhang Temple. It’s striking to see local people so devout and reverent. Of course, you will also see a lot of local specialties, arts, crafts, and souvenirs.




Your day tour comes to an end by now. Your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.






    

Day 3 Norbulingka, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery

After breakfast, we will soak up in the fresh morning air of the Norbulingka, the summer palace of Dalai Lamas. It’s the largest artificial garden in Tibet and a place with rich historical stories and amazing landscapes, making it a fantastic place for leisure. It’s now turned into a park where you will see a lot of stores and shops.

Next, we will leave for the Drepung Monastery. “Drepung” in Tibetan means “rice piles," symbolizing prosperity. The monastery is also the largest one in Tibet and one of the three most important monasteries of Gelug Sect. It has cultivated a lot of Buddhist masters for Tibet. To visit the monastery, you have to trace along the mountain road, which can be energy-consuming. Please be prepared.

At last, we will pay a visit to the Sera Monastery, another prestigious Gelug monastery. The name “Sera” came from the fact that there are a vast expanse of rosewood on the mountain on which the monastery was built. Every afternoon, the monastery will organize a big meeting where monks debate over the Buddhist scriptures, which can be intriguing to observe.




    

Day 4 Lhasa to Tsedang by car, Yumbulhakhang Palace and Trandruk Monastery

Today, we will leave for Tsedang to explore the origin of Tibetan history and culture. The journey between Lhasa and Tsedang is about 2.5 hours, but you will be amazed by the scenic views on the road.

The first sight in Tsedang will be the Yumbulhakhang Palace. According to legend, the palace was built by the first king of Tibet, Nyatri Tsenpo, in 127 B.C, who was believed to teach locals farm. There is still a piece of farmland preserved near the palace. Since locals learned how to farm, the tribes grew powerful. Finally, during the reign of the 33rd Songtsen Gambo, all tribes in Tibet was unified and the Tubo Kingdom was established. The political center was shifted from Tsedang to Lhasa. The glory of this ancient palace began to fade into history. Nowadays, the Yumbulhakhang Palace houses a lot of statues and relics like Shakyamuni Buddha, Songtsen Gambo, Princess Wencheng, and the first Buddhist classics. In a valley northeast of the palace is a spring that never dries. It’s said that the spring water can cure all diseases. Therefore, many Buddhism disciples came here for water.

Afterwards, we will head for the Trandruk Monastery. Built during the reign of Songtsen Gambo, the Trandruk Monastery was the first Buddhist hall in Tibetan history. It’s said the Princess Wencheng came here for Buddhism practice. The utensils used by the princess were still reserved in the temple. The lower layout and formation resemble that of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. There is a big copper bell hanging in the temple, which is very famous. The treasure of the temple is the Pearl Thangka, which shows the image of Arya Avalokiteshvara resting.




Stay overnight in a Tsedang hotel.






    

Day 5 Samye Monastery, Chim-puk Hermitage

After breakfast, we will explore the first actual monastery in Tibet - the Samye Monastery. As the first monastery with Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, the monastery has a mixed architectural style of Tibet, Han and India. Therefore, it was regarded as “the masterpiece in the history of architecture." The whole monastery sits in the north and faces the south. The layout of the monastery is based on the world in Buddhist scriptures. The main hall in the center represents the Mount Sumeru; four halls surrounding the main hall represents jambudvipas; the wall outside the temple symbolizes the Cakravadaparvata. Besides, four pagodas in red, white, green, and black were built around the main hall to subdue the devils. Inside the main hall and the corridors, many exquisite murals depict not only the Buddhas but also the history of Tibet.

In the afternoon, we will set out for the Chim-puk Hermitage. In the hearts of Tibetan people, Chim-puk Hermitage is a must after visiting the Samye Monastery. Let’s see why. The Chim-puk Hermitage is located about 15km from the Samye Monastery. It’s said that there were 108 caves, 108 Zhodo Tidro Hermitages, and 108 divine springs in the Chim-puk Mountain. Many flagellants came here for practice, making the place a mall village. Therefore, many locals deem it a holy place. Please take some food and water as there is no restaurant on the mountain.




After the tour, we will drive back to Lhasa.






    

Day 6 Lhasa Departure

Your Tibet Culture tour comes to an end. Your guide and driver will pick you up a few hours before your flight and take you to the airport.