Tibet - Lhasa 4 Nights/5 Days Tour
With excursion to the Drak Yerpa Cave Hermitage

DAY 01 (TUE) - FLIGHT ACROSS THE HIMALAYA TO LHASA.
Air China, CA 408 departs Kathmandu at 1130 A and arrives at Lhasa at 3:15P.

Report Air China at Kathmandu International Airport 2 hour’s prior departure time. Prepare to present your Chinese visa document (arranged by us) to check in the flight. It’s 1hr-30 minutes flight over the sea of snow capped mountains to Lhasa. From the plane, we will witness the highest mountain on earth-Mount Everest and other several 8- thousanders.

After clearing immigration and custom, you will meet your Tibetan Guide and driver and you are driven 47 miles to Lhasa City (1 hr.).

Few miles before Lhasa, we stop at Drolma Lakhang, a small but significant monastery, rich with ancient relics and hidden treasures. Next, we will also stop by the blue rock carving of Shakyamuni Buddha at the base of a cliff.

We check in hotel and take rest for acclimatization. We are likely to experience mild symptoms of altitude sickness that includes light-headedness, breathlessness, disorientation, loss of appetite etc. We drink plenty of water, take enough rest and consume liquid food in meals. We will have oxygen tank in our car and you can also rent oxygen pillow at your hotel, in case you are having difficulty in breathing. As we continue to stay in Lhasa’s altitude for another two days, the effects of altitude should go away in a day or two. 

Overnight hotel in Lhasa

Meals: None

DAY 02 (WED) - VISIT DREPUNG MONASTERY, JORKHANG TEMPLE AND THE OLD TOWN WALKING TOUR.
Following breakfast, we drive 5 miles west of central Lhasa to visit Drepung Monastery which was once world's largest monasteries with around 7000 resident monks! Drepung Monastery was the home to the Dalai Lamas and the power center of Tibet, until the 5th built Potala Palace. We visit the Ganden Palace, the main assembly hall and the several chapels and colleges. The monastery also commands the panoramic views of the valley.

From Drepung, we walk 10 minutes downhill to visit Nechung Monastery-which had a historical role as the State Oracle until 1959. No Dalai Lama's would take any important decision without consulting the Nechung Oracle.

After visiting Nechung Oracle, we walk back to the car park and drive to the old town of Barkhor. We visit Jorkhang Temple-built in the 7th century by King Songtsen Gampo to house the image of Akshobhya Buddha brought as a part of dowry by wife Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal! Jorkhang Temple is the most revered of all religious shrines in Tibet. Thick with the smell of butter lamps and burning incense, the murmur of sacred Tibetan mantras, prostrating Tibetan devotees, visiting Jorkhang is indeed an unrivaled Tibetan experience. We visit the various chapels of the temple and later, we take leisurely walking tour of the old town. The Tibetan old town is the refuge for the soul of Lhasa, unaffected by the Chinese influence. The walk takes us in the craft workshops, back-street chapels and pilgrimage path with the Tibetan devotees spinning prayer wheels or counting beads with the murmur of sacred mantras. The complete circuit can take up to 3 hours but you can cut short and return to the Barkhor Square from anywhere.

Tibetan opera and folk dance show (Optional): If you are doing fine with the altitude, it's worth going for a Tibetan opera and folk dance show that gives glimpses of Tibetan culture. The show with dinner costs about US$ 15.00. 

Overnight hotel in Lhasa

Meals: Breakfast 

DAY 03 (THU) - LINGKHOR WALKING TOUR, POTALA PALACE AND SERA MONASTERY.

We need to start a bit early to see the morning activities. We transfer by car to Dickey Lam (Deji Zhonglu in Chinese) and join the hundreds of Tibetan pilgrims heading to the Potala. The trail takes us through the rock carvings, a chorten built entirely of the carved money stones. Take chance to watch the Tibetans rubbing their backs, shoulders and hips against a series of polished holy stones at the intersection of Beijing Road and Dickey Lam. We continue east to the Golden Yak Statue and time permitting, we climb the viewpoint just above the white chorten for photography opportunity. By now, it must be time for us to enter the Potala Palace-Lhasa's cardinal landmark.

Situated atop Marpo Ri, 130m high hill, with a commanding view of all Lhasa, Potala Palace is one of the great wonders of world architecture. The palace was the power center of Tibet until Dalai Lama's departure to India in 1959. The complex has two palaces-White Palace and the main Red Palace. The White Palace houses the throne rooms of the 13th and 14th Dalai Lamas, a reception hall, meditation room and the bedroom of Dalai Lamas. The Red Palace has various chapels and the tombs of Dalai Lamas.

Afternoon, we head to Sera Monastery one of Lhasa's two great Gelugpa institutions, second only to Drepung. Founded in the early 15th century by Sakya Yeshe-a disciple of Tsongkhapa, Sera Monastery was once home to more than 5000 monks. The monk population is now limited to 500 or so. As the chapels start closing at 3 p.m., we first explore the various chapels of the monastery and then attend the debating ceremony of the monks, which takes place between 3 pm and 5 pm. If you are not interested seeing chapels, you can take hike on the pilgrimage path of the monastery, which takes less than an hour. Before leaving the monastery, we take chance to have a look at the printing blocks in the new hall.

Overnight hotel in Lhasa.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 04 (FRI) - EXCURSION TO DRAK YERPA HERMITAGE AND GANDEN MONASTERY.
After breakfast, we set out to explore the rural areas of Lhasa. Today, we visit Drak Yerpa Hermitage, which lies about 18 miles north east of Lhasa. With more than 80 mediation caves Drak Yerpa Hermitage is one of the most revered cave retreats in central Tibet. Many Buddhist teachers including Guru Rinpoche and King Sangtsen Gampo also mediated here. The site is very peaceful, offers stunning views and provides the experience of rural Tibet, away from the crowds of Lhasa.

From Drak Yerpa, we head further east through the rural areas to Ganden Monastery-the principal seat of the Gelugpa sect of Buddhism-to, which Dalai Lama belongs to. Ganden is also among the earliest and largest Buddhist monasteries of Tibet and commands the highest position among the six major Gelugpa monasteries. If you are keen on hiking, you can join the devout Tibetans and take 1-2 hour hike on the pilgrimage path around the monastery.

Late afternoon, we retrace drive to Lhasa. 

Overnight hotel in Lhasa

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 05 (SAT) - FLIGHT FROM LHASA TO KATHMANDU OR NEXT DESTINATION

After an early morning breakfast, you are transferred to the airport for flight to Kathmandu.  Air China CA 408 Departs Lhasa at 1105A/1030 A.  

Meals Breakfast

Service ends.