Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Tour

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Lhasa

    Lhasa - Gyantse - Sigatse are the main cities of rich history, natural beauty, and attractions in Tibet. This tour is also called the Golden Route among Tibet Tours. This tour will show you most of the real highlights of Tibet, including the landscape, snow-capped mountains, lakes, monasteries, and its ancient architecture. We will visit the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka Palace, Sera Monastery, and Barkhor Street in Lhasa. Visit Gyantse Zhong in Gyantse and next visit the second biggest monastery, Tashilhunpo, in Shigatse. Driving on the well-paved road with the highest pass of Karo La (5010m) with the panoramic view of the Tibetan Himalayas. Another attraction of the biggest Yamdrok Lake is on the way from Lhasa to Gyantse.    

    Lhasa – Gyantse - Shigatse Tour is all about driving and staying in a hotel every night. You can choose your accommodation according to your preference. Touch Kailash Travels and Tours can provide you with five-star accommodations as well as basic guest house accommodations, which are available on this tour route.

    Highlights:

    • Historical cities of Tibet, Lhasa, Gyantse, and Shigatse
    • Potala Palace, the spiritual and temporal power of Tibet, and the palace of the Dalai Lama
    • Norbulinka Palace, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama 
    • Jokhang Temple, Holiest of Tibet's temples
    • Barkhor Square, Lhasa's liveliest place, and the main route for the prayer wheels rotating  
    • Drepung Monastery, a school of 10,000 monks
    • Tashilampo Monastery in Shigatse and Gyantse Zhong in Gyantse
    • Scenic drive with passing through the highest passes and panoramic Himalayan views
    • Yamdrok Lake, the biggest lake in Tibet
    Itinerary
    Trip Plan
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    Your tour starts with your arrival in Lhasa today. There are two ways to arrive in Lhasa: one is via Nepal and the other via mainland China. If you choose to fly from Kathmandu to Lhasa, you will have a 1 hour 10 minutes Trans-Himalayan flight, which is considered one of the most beautiful air routes in the world that takes you over the Everest (8848m), Kanchenjunga (8536m), and other Himalayan peaks. If you are coming via mainland China, you might fly from any major city or take the world’s highest train route to reach Lhasa. You will be received by our Tibetan guide at the airport/train station. Approximately 1.5 hours’ drive along a 93 km road, from the airport/train station, you will reach Lhasa. It’s advisable to rest and take it easy for the remainder of the day due to Lhasa’s altitude. Overnight at the hotel in Lhasa. 

    • Max Altitude: 3650m

    Foremost, our tour begins with a visit to Sera Monastery, with an experienced tour guide also working as an interpreter. This is a preserved monastery of white-washed walls and golden roofs. An equally adventurous and exciting rhythm builds up while touring Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. Jokhang Temple is another important sacred site that unravels more deeply seated mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism. A visit to Barkhor Markets can be quite an experience from other visits as you roam around the city, testing every detail around the stalls, and you may purchase some goods that display Tibetan culture, customs, and traditions. Overnight at the hotel in Lhasa. 

    • Max Altitude: 3650m

    Today, your visit to the Potala Palace and Drepung monastery will bestow invaluable insights. From the Mar Po Ri Hill, where the Potala Palace, a 17th-century great monumental structure, stands, you can get an awesome view of the entire city. Potala Palace, an immense structure with its interior space in excess of 130,000 square meters, has private quarters of the Dalai Lama, numerous grand state rooms, and chapels. Your next visit will be to Drepung Monastery, a residence of the Dalai Lama before the Potala Palace, which was built in the 14th century and used to shelter around 10,000 monks some time ago. Tibetans immensely believe in and respect this monastery. 

    • Max Altitude: 3650m

    Following Friendship Highway, while driving past Khamba La (4794 m), you will have a break to appreciate the majestic views of Yamdrok-Tso Lake, a lake deep blue in color, and the Nazin Kang Sang glacier standing proud at 7252m. Ahead to westwards, you come across another Karo La pass at 5045m. Glance through the road, and you can see huge glaciers tumbling down into the road. After hours of driving for 261 km, you enter the town of Gyantse, where you will see beautifully landscaped Tibetan villages.

    • Max Altitude: 3950m
    • Distance: 265km

    Gyantse prides itself on Gyantse Dzong and Kumbum. Gyantse Dzong is a historical fort built in the 14th century and overlooks a mesmerizing view of the entire Gyantse and the surrounding Nyang Chu Valley. Kumbum has a large gold-domed 35m high chorten(stupa ) and houses with several chapels and Tibetan Buddhist murals. Kubum means 100,000 images in Tibetan. After enjoying and exploring Gyantse, you will take a 90 km drive to Shigatse. Shalu monastery, built with Han, Tibetan, and Indian style architecture, is about one and a half hours away from Gyantse on the way to Shigatse. After a brief observation of the monastery, you drive further to Shigatse, the second largest city of Tibet. Tashilhunpo Monastery is the major attraction of Shigatse, being one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet. 

    • Max Altitude: 3900m
    • Distance: 92km

    Today long and continuous drive back to Lhasa. You also have the option to drive through Nepal with one overnight stay on the way. You also have the option to reach Everest Base Camp. 

    Drop you off at either Gongar airport or Lhasa train station to end your trip  

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    Cost Details
    Includes
    • Arrival and departure arrangements 
    • Private transportation for the entire trip
    • Accommodation in hotel twin-sharing rooms
    • Everest morning breakfast 
    • Tibet entrance permit and visa
    • Entrance fees for sightseeing 
    • An English-speaking Tibetan guide 
    Excludes
    • Lunch and Dinner for the entire trip
    • Air ticket or train ticket to and from Lhasa
    • Personal expenses, Insurance, and medical expenses
    • Tipping to staffs
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