4 Days Lhasa City Highlights Small Group Tour

This mind-blowing 4 days join-in group tour in Sunlight City Lhasa is handpicked and showers you the best of Lhasa includes the World Heritage Site of the Potala, the Jokhang Temple, the Barkhor pilgrimage circuit, and the huge monastic institution of Sera lie on the edge of town.

There is the same good tour service as private tour but with lower price, it starts with people just like you with same interests, people who are determined to get the most out of every minute. No hesitation, no waiting, get ready to make new friends from around the world!

Highlighsts

  • Climb up the grandiose Potala Palace to admire its featured architecture and beautiful murals, Buddhist statutes and other collections;
  • Experience the authentic Tibetan culture and devoted pilgrimage by joining the worshipers in Barkhor Street and Jokhang Temple;
  • Visit Drepung Monastery and watch the brilliant live Buddhism Debating in the Sera Monastery.

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa
Day 3: Lhasa
Day 4: Lhasa Departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Lhasa Arrival

Sightseeing and Activities:Airport/train station pick-up, Lhasa City Tour
Accommodation:Lhasa sight life Resort Hotel
Meals: none

You are warmly greeted to Tibet by hearing Tashi Delek at the Train station/airport from the local guide, and then be escorted to your reserved hotel in Lhasa. After arrival at your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the local area and acclimate yourself to the high altitude and weather of Lhasa.

In today(or tomorrow)’s evening, a welcome dinner will be held to meet other members of this group tour. Enjoy the party.

Tips of today: 1. Go for some walking to acclimate the high altitude but avoid strenuous activities; 2. You’d better not have bath; 3. Drink more water.

Day 2 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery
Accommodation:Lhasa sight life Resort Hotel
Meals:breakfast

After breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up in your hotel. Then drive about 30 minutes to visit the Drepung Monastery. This Gelug monastery has a history of more than 500 years. It used to be the largest monastery in the world with totally 10,000 monks there. Many precious stupas, sculptures, paintings, Thangka…are displayed in the hundreds of chapels. And the annual Shoton Festival is organized here.

In the afternoon, you will visit another famous Gelug monastery around Lhasa city – Sera Monastery, which is famous for its “Buddhism Scriptures Debating”. It is only 3km away from Lhasa city. Enjoy the debating.

Tips of today: 1. Feel free to ask tour guide questions about Buddhism or else; 2. Obey Buddhist manners and talk appropriately; 3. If you don’t know where to have meals, restaurant in your hotel is a great choice.

Day 3 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Accommodation:Lhasa sight life Resort Hotel
Meals:breakfast

In the morning, the overwhelming Potala Palace is your first stop. As the symbol of Tibet, it was built in 641 AD and was the winter palace of Dalai Lama who is Tibet’s pope. Impressive Tibetan architecture, huge golden Buddha statues, red-robed lamas and devoted pilgrims all make it a must-visit.

In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet. Every day, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek here from long distances to worship. Finally, walk the special circular pilgrimage route as local followers always do at Barkhor Street where you can buy Tibetan traditional or religious things as souvenir.

Tips of today: 1. Wear hat and sun glasses to prevent ultraviolet radiation, but remember to take off when visiting in the monasteries. 2. Usually taking photos is not allowed in chapels inside monastery. 3. Remember to bring your passport which is needed to showcase when check in Potala Palace.

Day 4 Lhasa Departure

Sightseeing and Activities:Departure from Lhasa
Accommodation:None
Meals:breakfast

Today is free for you until your tour guide transfer you to the airport in time for your flight or drop you off at Lhasa train station.

Tips of today: 1. Please pack your luggage carefully, especially for small things like camera charger, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet and towel. 2. If your flight is arranged in the afternoon, please make sure you check out the hotel before 12pm.

Recommended Hotels

City 5 Star 4 Star 3 Star
Lhasa     Lhasa sight life Resort Hotel

Quotations

Group size(person) 5 Star ($) 4 Star ($) 3 Star ($)

Service Included:

– Tibet Entry Permit and Alien’s Travel Permit.
– Admission fee of all tourist sites in itinerary.
– Professional Tibetan English speaking tour guide.
– Travel Agency Service Charge.
– Transportation
– Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance.
– Accommodation based on 3 star hotel twin sharing room with breakfast buffet in Lhasa.
– Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance.
– All accommodations, based on 3-star facility sharing twin room with breakfast buffet.
– Welcome Tibetan Style dinner.

Service Excluded:

– Single room supplement.
– China visa, all air tickets and train tickets to and from Tibet.
– Sightseeing not listed in the itinerary.
– Meals not listed in the itinerary (all lunches and dinners).
– Personal expenses such as laundry, drink, fax, telephone call, optional activities, etc.
– Gratuities, tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc.
– Excess Baggage Charges.

Travel Tips:

Useful Trip Notes

1. What Are the Features of Our Group Tours
Our Group Tours are budget tour packages with great service which have covered the most popular destinations in Tibet with reasonable trip lengths. Joining in our group tours, you will choose your travel dates from our fixed departures and travel in a small group with maximum members of 12 people.

2. Tibet Permits

There are several permits required to visit Tibet. Tibet Entry Permit, issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, is the most important one which has to be obtained before your trip because you must have it to take your flight/train to Tibet. To get the permit, you have to book a Tibet tour with us, and send us your passport and Chinese visa about 20 days in advance, and then let us apply for the permit (all Tibet permits can only be applied by travel agency). If you travel to other prefectures like Shigatse, Nyingchi, Shannan, etc, you also have to obtain an Alien Travel Permit. If you travel to Mount Everest, you have to obtain a Border Permit. (Tibet Discovery, with office in Lhasa, has always kept up with the latest news on Tibet Permits. Traveling with us, all your permits are guaranteed as long as you are qualified to the requirements.)

3. Available Months to Visit Tibet

Generally speaking, you can travel to Lhasa all year around. But months from April to October are more recommended. If you want to extend your trip to other regions, such as Shigatse, Mount Everest, Namtso, Ngari, etc, you are suggested to visit during April to October. Other months are usually very cold, and possible have heavy snow, especially in regions like Mount Everest, Mount Kailash, Namtso Lake, etc.

4. High Altitude Sickness

The average altitude of Tibet is about 4000 meters above the sea level (Lhasa: 3700m; EBC: 5200m; Namtso: 4718m). You may suffer a bit from High Altitude Sickness in the beginning days of your Tibet trip if you haven’t had rich high plateau travel experience. But don’t worry too much, the high altitude can be acclimatized usually in 2~3 days. Our suggestion is to take a physical examination and get suggestions from your doctor, and also bring some medicines to prevent from High Altitude Sickness before your trip. While in Tibet, you should keep warm all the time, avoid strenuous activities, drink more water and eat more vegetables and carbohydrates. You’d better not take showers during the first two days after your arrival at Tibet. If you don’t feel well, get help from your tour guide or go to the hospital without any delay.

5. How to Go to Tibet

Basically you have two options – flight and train. Currently, you can take a flight to Lhasa from Beijing(4.5hrs), Xian(3.7hrs), Chengdu(2.5hrs), Chongqing(3hrs), Kuming(3hrs), etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu and Xian have more frequent flights to Lhasa. You can also fly to Lhasa from Kathmandu(1.5hrs) .Xian(32hrs), Chengdu(43hrs), Shanghai(47hrs), Chongqing(42hrs), Lanzhou(25hrs), Xining(22hrs), Guangzhou(54hrs).

6. Packing and Wearing Ideas

Firstly you can’t forget your passport and Chinese Visa. A large backpack and a smaller one are recommended (the smaller one can be used for daily activities). Also bring the necessary medicine you need. Other stuffs like sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sun block are recommended.

As for wearing, you are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is necessary in Spring and Autumn. A pair of durable and comfortable shoes is necessary.