Tibet Classic Tour with Holy Lake 7 D/6 N
Lhasa - Gyantse–Shigatse-Namtso
Itinerary:
Day 1 Lhasa-Arrival (3700 m.)
Meet on arrival at Lhasa Gongga Airport, transfer to hotel in the city. Take a rest in the afternoon in order to become acclimatized to the thin air. Lhasa is 3,700 meters above the sea level. It is the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region.
Day 2 Lhasa
Visit Potala Palace in the morning, it is a symbol of Tibet. Once the spiritual and temporal palace of the Dalai Lama, it is now a museum with shrines and chapels maintained by monks. Visit also Jokhang Lamasery, which is the home of Sakamuni Buddha, brought from China by Princess Wencheng. (Tang Dynasty) Surrounding the Jokhang Lamasery is a circular street Barkhor. It is the busiest section of Lhasa because of the pilgrimage and business dealings.
Day 3 Lhasa-Gyantse (3950 m.)-Shigatse (3900 m.)
Leave early in the morning and drive to Gyantse via South Route. (260 km. 6 hours) On the way visit the Yamdrok Tso (4441 m), one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the largest habitat of waterfowls in south Tibet. There enjoy the unforgettable vista of its spear-shaped expanse of turquoise water, with the mysterious Mt. Donang Sangwari (5,340m) on the peninsula beyond, and the snow peaks of Nojin Gangzang (7,191m) in the distance. The lake and the Yarlungtsangpo River (3570) are Aprarated by a mountain and the shortest distance between them is only 6 kilometers. The 800m-high difference contributes a rich water resource to this region. Many Tibetans believe that the life of Tibet will no longer continue when the lake dries up. Reach Gyantse in the early afternoon. Gyantse gives the impression of being a small and inconsequential city. Visit the Kumbum Monastery; the pagoda of Kumbum is the most beautiful pagoda Tibet has ever produced. In the late afternoon, you will reach Shigatse (90 km. 2.5 hours).
Day 4 Shigatse - Lhasa
Return to Lhasa in the morning (320 km. 4-5 hours) via middle road, upon return to Lhasa, visit Sera monastery, which was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called "the court of wild rose". Today still 200 lamas live in there. You will be deeply impressed by the scene that so many lamas debate each other on a grand square.
Day 5 Lhasa – Namtso Lake (4718 m.)
Drive along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway to the holy lake, 5 hours, 24o km. You will pass by the 5,150-meter Lhachen La and reach the Nam Tso or Tengri Nor (heaven lake in Mongolian) along the newly paved way and set up camp at Tashi Dorie peninsula (or staying at guesthouse). Namtso, the biggest salty lake of Tibet, is 70 kilometers long from east to west and 30 kilometers wide from north to south, covering an area of 1,920 square kilometers with an altitude of 4,700 meters above sea level. On the way piles of mani stones stand. Also visit the nomads in yak hair tents who have been living on the pastures between the holy Nam Tso and Nyenchentangla.
Day 6 Namtso Lake -Lhasa
In the morning take a walk by the lake and then drive toward Trurpu Monastery along the Qinghai-Tibet highway. Tsurpu was established in 1189 by Duesum Khyenpa, a pupil of Gampopa and the first Karmapa. He introduced the principle of reincarnation into Tibet. He told his disciples that he would reincarnate and pointed out the location of the second Karmapas reborn. In contrast to Yellow Caps (Gelug) the Karmapa Kagye are regarded as the Black Hat and the Karmapas the holder of this sect. The monastery was restored in 1984. In the individual temples are statues of the different Karmapas. The 16th Karmapa Rigpe Dorje (1924-1981) had traveled to Europe and America for spreading of Tibetan Buddhism in west after he left for Sikkim in 1958. On the way back to Lhasa, have a stopover at Yangbajing, the highest-altitude hot springs in the world, which is 70 kilometers to the northwest of Lhasa. This area is rich in terrestrial heat and densely distributed with various fountains, geysers, hot springs, boiling springs as well as hot-water lakes.
Day 7 Lhasa- Departure
After breakfast you will be picked up and transferred to the airport and depart for your next destination. Trip ENDs