11 Days Lhasa - EBC- Namtso - Tsedang Group Tour

When you arrive in Lhasa either by train or flight, your guide will greet you and take you to your hotel. Tourists may view the Yarlung Tsangpo River/ Bhamaputra river (the Longest and largest river in Tibet) and Lhasa river on their way to Lhasa.

After arriving in Lhasa, you can take a rest and get acclimatized to high altitude. If you feel to go out, then you can go to the Potala Square, where you will enjoy the fountain with different colors and get amazing photos of the Potala and around.

Insider Tips:

For the new-comers of Tibet, to get acclimatized to the high altitude in Tibet. Having a good sleep in your hotel is a good option. Don not rush to visit attractions inside Lhasa city.

Jokhang Temple（about 1 hour tour）：The Jokhang Temple is the final destination for pilgrims. A statue of the 12-year-old Sakyamuni, who lived in India in the fifth century BC, and who was the creator of Buddhism, is collected in the monastery. This is the reason why Buddhists consider Lhasa a Sacred Land.

Ticketing tips for the Jokhang Temple：The Jokhang Temple needs real-name online ticketing. From 7:00am to 23:59pm every day, the tickets for the next day will be open on the WeChat applet "Jokhang Temple Reservation" until the number of reservations is full. Therefore, tickets must be reserved one day in advance.

The Jokhang Temple does not open group reservation and you should make reservation by yourself. Travel consultant or tour guide will instruct you how to make reservation. If you fail to reserve at your own reasons, we do not bear any responsibility and consequences.

The Jokhang Temple is a religious temple rather than a tourist attraction. Please note if encountering important religious activities or important activities, you can not visit the Jokhang Temple.

Barkhor Street: Located near the Jokhang Monastery, the Barkhor Street was only a place for Buddhists to do a religious circumambulation in ancient times. Nowadays, tourists can buy exquisite souvenirs on the street, such as handicrafts, costumes, tea, prayer wheels and Tibetan incense.

Sera Monasteryis held in the courtyard almost every day between 3:00pm and 5:30pm. Please note that in case of some special monastery activities such as the Dharma Meeting or the reception of VIPs, the monk debates may be canceled that day. After our visit to the monastery, feel free to stroll around the streets of Lhasa as you absorb the atmosphere and spirit of the devoted Tibetan people, or you may return to your hotel to rest and relax from this wonderful Tibetan cultural experience.

Potala Palace（about 1 hour tour）:  Initially built in 641 AD and listed as a world heritage site in 1994, the Potala Palace is the most popular tourist attraction in Tibet. The halls, murals, statues and mountain views will make you shocked even if you are not a Buddhist.

Ticketing tips for the Potala Palace：The Potala Palace needs real-name online ticketing and valid document (such as ID card, household registration book or passport) is required to make the reservation. After the reservation is successful, the ticket cannot be re-booked within 7 days from the day of the visit. If you can not enter the Potala Palace due to the wrong documents provided by yourself, we do not bear any responsibility and consequences.Therefore, it is important to take the valid documents. If the name or ID number or document does not match the information provided before, you will not be able to enter the Potala Palace. Please note the ticket fee has actually been incurred and cannot be refunded.

The visiting time of the Potala Palace is randomly issued by the Potala Palace Management Office and it can not designate the visiting time. Please note the actual visiting route sequences may be different from the provided one.

In peak season, there has restrictions in visiting the Potala Palace and each travel agency has only a limited number of group bookings every day. In order to ensure the group tour visiting, we solve the problem through different channels. Due to the special requirements for ticket purchases in different channels, you are requested to obey tour guide arrangement. The normal arrangements are as below：
1）The group tour may be divided into multiple small groups (tourists who book together might be divided, and they join with other small group to visit the Potala Palace).
2）Each small group is divided into different times/dates to visit.
3）Each small group follows the different guide to visit.
4）Sometimes due to some special tickets, the tour guide cannot be with the tour to enter the Potala Palace.
5）The group rate of children does not include the Potala Palace entrance fee. Children under the height of 1.2 meters (excluding) can visit for free with adults. Children over the height of 1.2 meters should inform us when confirming the tour and paying the Potala Palace entrance fee and related service fee so we can make an appointment to purchase tickets in advance. If visitors do not inform in advance, children may not be able to enter the palace with adults and can only wait in the tourist vehicle.

Traditional Handicraft Art center: This day will take you to fully immerse yourself in experience traditional Tibetan handcraft art center, including making Tibetan incense, Tibetan calligraphy-the methods behind Tibetan calligraphy and the secrets of block printing.

Warm tips for visiting the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple：
1) Both the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple need real-name online ticketing and valid document (such as ID card, household registration book or passport). You need to obey tour guide arrangement and visit at the designate time.
2) You should respect the rules while visiting. Do not wear hats, wear revealing clothes or step on thresholds as these actions violate local customs.
3) Do not make loud noise, chase, climb, lie down, spit, throw debris, touch cultural relic in the hall. It is forbidden to photography, taking of videos and touching cultural relics and mural in the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple and other temples in Tibet. Do not bring liquid drinks into the temple or palace and do not smoke or use bright fires.
4) There are many steps at the Potala Palace, so it’s better to take it slowly to avoid possible altitude discomfort. The hall is relatively cold, even in summer, it is recommended to prepare a coat. The limitation of visiting time is one hour and the tour guide is not allowed to stay and explain loudly in the hall for long time, so the tour guide can only explain outside. You are requested to travel civilized and abide by the regulations of cultural relics protection units.The buildings of the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple are ancient, with narrow channels and many wooden stairs. In addition, too many visitors might cause hidden dangers. Therefore, you shall leave as soon as possible after visiting. When going up and down the stairs, you should pay attention and do not crowd.

This morning we’ll take a drive up to the Kampala Pass (elevation 4797 meters) where you’ll have a glimpse of  Yamdrok Lake down below as well as spectacular views of the holy Mount Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance. You will want to have your camera at the ready for the turquoise waters of Yamdrok Lake, which is one of the three holy lakes of Tibet, and the beautiful Mt. Nyenchen Khangsar glacier as seen from the Karol la Pass. Later on we’ll be able to visit the Karola Glacier.

Travel Tips：
1. Except Tibet Travel Permit, Aliens' Travel Permit for those who will visit Mt. Everest will be processed in Shigatse. The tour guide will arrange itinerary considering the process of permits. You shall obey tour guide arrangements.
2. Please note the Aliens' Travel Permit processing time might be longer than as usual because of peak season or system failure occurs.

After breakfast we’ll set out towards the peak of the world – Mount Everest. Departing from Shigatse you will see some of the most beautiful and unique scenery in the world – incredibly blue skies, floating high clouds, endless grasslands and the highest mountain peaks in the world. We’ll also stop by the Rongbuk Monastery – the world’s highest altitude monastery before spending the night at the Everest Base Camp.

Warm Tips：
1. Tibetan Tent or uegsthouse (8-15 pax/tent, multi-beds room), from Oct to April next year due to the withdraw of Tibetan Tent in Base Camp, travelers will stay in Basongcun/Tashizongcun guesthouse(multi-beds room)
2. Today the accommodation is poor, the altitude is high, and the temperature is low. Please pay attention to keep warm and prevent altitude sickness. The temperature is about 0-8 degrees in summer night, so please bring down jackets, or rent one in the Base Camp.

We will get an early start today to cross the Gyatso La Pass, also known as the Dingri Boundary, At an altitude of 5248 meters. In the afternoon we will drive back to Shigaste.

Warm Tips：
1. If you are lucky enough, you can enjoy the sunrise at the Base Camp. It depends on the weather conditions and other factors.

We will get an early start today to visit the Tashilunpo Monastery, which was founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama. After visiting this ancient monastery, one of the most important sites in Tibetan Buddhism, we will head back to Lhasa in the afternoon.

Travel Tips：
1. We may adjust the itinerary sequences without any affection of the spots. The group tour may be back to Lhasa from Shigasta on Day 07 and travel to Namsto Lake from Lhasa on Day 08.

We will leave your hotel early in the morning and it takes about 4 hours to get to Lake Namtso. Along the way there are some places to stop for taking pictures. When we get to the Lake, it is around lunch time and we can enjoy the view to the Lake. about 2 hours leisure time beside the lake, we will drive back to Lhasa around 8 pm. To experience the natural views of Tibet is a dream of many tourists. Today is a great day for witnessing Tibet’s natural beauty. Mountains, grasslands, and the holy Namtso are on order for today. Namtso, one of the famous Tibet tourists’ attractions, is one of the 3 holy lakes in Tibet, playing an important role among Tibetans.

Travel Tips：
In winter time, due to the bad weather (heavy snow) , Namtso Lake will close occasionally. At that time, our itinerary will be adjusted like below:
Day 07 Shigatse back to Lhasa
Day 08 Lhasa-Ganden Monastery(Kora trekking)-Lhasa

This morning after breakfast we will drive to Tsedang, in the Yarlung Valley, which is the capital city of the Shannan Prefecture. The fourth largest city in Tibet, it is widely known as the cradle of Tibetan civilization due to its fertile land and mild weather and because legend has it that a nearby cave was the birthplace of the first Tibetans as the offspring of a monkey and a beautiful lady demon. On the way from Lhasa to Tsedang we will have the opportunity to visit the first monastery ever built in Tibet – the Samye Monastery. Originally built in the 7th century, this unique monastery features buildings influenced by three different styles – Tibetan, Han and India. After our visit to the monastery we will continue on to Tsedang where we will spend the night.

This morning after breakfast we will drive to Tsedang, in the Yarlung Valley, which is the capital city of the Shannan Prefecture. The fourth largest city in Tibet, it is widely known as the cradle of Tibetan civilization due to its fertile land and mild weather and because legend has it that a nearby cave was the birthplace of the first Tibetans as the offspring of a monkey and a beautiful lady demon. On the way from Lhasa to Tsedang we will have the opportunity to visit the first monastery ever built in Tibet – the Samye Monastery. Originally built in the 7th century, this unique monastery features buildings influenced by three different styles – Tibetan, Han and India. After our visit to the monastery we will continue on to Tsedang where we will spend the night.

The guide will transfer you to the airport or train station and help you get on board.