10 Days Soul of Tibet Tour with Everest Hiking

Highlights

Visit:

Potala Palace

Jokhang Temple

Barkhor Street

Drepung Monastery

Norbulingka Palace

Sera Monastery

 

Yamdrok Lake

Palcho Monastery

Tashilumpo Monastery

Everest Base Camp

Rongbuk Monastery

Experience:

Look up and marvel at the magnificent world where we are luckily live;

Have an unforgettable encounter with devoted Tibetan pilgrims at Jokhang Temple;

Witness monkd debating and explore the myths of Tibetan Buddism;

Challenge yourself and have a lifetime EBC trekking experience.

Sampling Itinerary Day by Day

Day 1 Lhasa Arrival

Welcome to Tibet, the holy land of Tibetan Buddhism! Your tour guide will pick you up at the airport arrival hall and escort you to your downtown hotel in Lhasa while you enjoy the stunning views along the Yarlong Tsangpo River.

After check in, the rest of the day is for you to acclimate to the high altitude and weather of Lhasa. Avoid strenuous physical activities during this first day since that may cause high altitude sickness.

Orientation Tips: 1) avoid vigorous activities but do take some leisurely walks in the city to acclimatize to the air and high altitude of Lhasa city (altitude of 3,600m); 2) do not drink liquor in the arrival day, instead plenty of water and fruits are recommended.

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Day 2 Lhasa ( B )

After breakfast, start an incredible day of exploration in Lhasa city. The grandiose Potala Palace will be the first site to discover. After more than 1300 years of historical changes, this colossal palace still dominates the skyline of Lhasa city. The Palace is the political and religious center of Tibet and has served as the governance and preaching site for the Dalai Lama. Climbing up the sacred steps to the Red Palace and White Palace you will explore their marvelous interiors full of exquisite Thangkas, numerous Buddha statues, vivid wall paintings, and other works of Buddhist art.

In the afternoon, first visit the holiest Buddhist temple in Tibet, Jokhang Temple, where the 12-year-old-like Shakyamuni statue is consecrated. With a history stretching over 1,300 years, this temple combines the architectural styles of Tibet, China, Nepal and India. As a spiritual center of Tibet, Jokhang Temple attracts hundreds of devoted pilgrims to worship there every day. Outside the door of Jokhang Temple is the famous pilgrimage circle, Barkhor Street, where you can join faithful Tibetans in colorful attires walking the circle around Jokhang Temple.

Tips for today: 1) wear suitable headgear and glasses to protect you from strong sunlight, but do not wear any hat while visiting inside the Tibetan monasteries; 2) photography is not allowed inside the chapels of monasteries; 3) have your passport with you all the time.

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Day 3 Lhasa ( B )

After breakfast, we start our day with a visit to the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas and also the largest Tibetan garden - Norbulingka Park. The luxuriant trees and flowers, cool ponds and comfortable palaces make Norbulingka the best place for a summer retreat. Then drive about 5 km westward to Drepung Monastery. This monastery has played a crucial role in Tibet Buddhism as the school of the Dalai Lamas. As you walk along, immense temples and chapels leap to your eyes one after another. In its heyday, more than 10,000 monks lived and studied in the monastery. Various Buddhist rituals are performed in the monastery during festivals, most famous being the ceremony of Buddha Display in the annual Shoton Festival.

We will then visit the featured six hundred year-old Sera Monastery, famous for its grand ceremony of Buddhist debating and its beautiful temples with sensational icons, murals and history.

Tips for today: 1) please follow the Buddhist manners - talk in a low voice, always be respectful of others, reflect on the Buddha's teachings in these holy sites, and remain quiet and respectful when visiting temples 2) be sure to carry some water with you.

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Day 4 Lhasa – Gyantse ( B )

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Today you will be transferred from Lhasa to Gyantse (5.5-hour drive).

En route, you’ll stop to see Yamdrok Lake, one of three most famous holy lakes in Tibet. For Tibetans, it is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and the home of the 'wrathful deities'. The scenery of turquoise blue water in the lake with the reflection of surrounding snow-capped mountains is awesome. Then another stop takes you to a Tibetan family where you can chat with common Tibetans and try some their self-made food.

After arrival in Gyantse, you will tour Palcho Monastery to admire fancy frescoes, statues and sculptures.

Day 5 Gyantse – Shigatse ( B )

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After breakfast, you will be driven from Gyantse to Shigatse (1.5 hours). In Shigatse, you will visit Tashilumpo Monastery, the oldest and largest Gelugpa Monastery in Tibet. Here you will see a giant statue of Future Buddha, the largest one of its kind on earth, decorated with precious pearls, turquoises, corals and ambers. Then proceed to a free market to experience the stylish local life.

En route, visit Shalu monastery, which the construction was started in 1027. Its architecture is of typical combination of the Tibetan and Chinese styles with archways, carved pillars, tilled roofs and the Song and Yuan style murals.

Day 6 Shigatse – Lhatse ( B )

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Today you’ll drive to Shegar and overnight here. En route visit Sakya monastery. It is of typical Yuan Dynasty style of resembling castles. There are a lot of historical articles in the monastery, among them are found a lot of the imperial certificates, gold signets, crowns, costumes bestowed by the Yuan Dynasty emperors. It has over 10,000 volumes of Tibetan books on astronomy, medicine, calligraphy, and history. So the Sakya monastery enjoys the title ‘the second Dun Huang Cave.’

Day 7 Lhatse – Rongbuk Monastery - Mt. Everest Base ( B )

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Although it's just 100km from Shegar to Everest Base Camp (5200m), it takes about 4 hours since the cracked winding roads demand much caution. But the views are stupendous on a clear day, and feature a huge sweep of the Himalaya range including peaks over 8000, Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Gyachung and Cho Oyu. When you finally get to Base Camp, the first sight of the mighty Everest simply leaves you speechless. All the hardship you bear along the way makes sense at this while. The best moments to watch Mt. Everest's are early morning and late evening when Everest is shining like a goddess in the sunglow.

Rongbuk Monastery is located at the foot of Mount Everest, and has earned the title of the world's highest monastery standing at 4,980 meters high.

Day 8 Mt. Everest Base – Shegar - Lhatse ( B )

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After view the sunrise of the Mt. Everest, drive about 4 hours to back Shegar. Have a luch here, then drive back to Lhaste. Tonight we will have our accommodation here. In Lhaste, there is a quite characterized Farmer's hotel, where they can offer Tibetan dancing and singing show for free. You can have a funny night here after visiting the stunning beautiful Mt. Everest.

Day 9 Lhatse – Lhasa ( B )

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Today drive back to Lhasa.

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Day 10 Lhasa Departure ( B )

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Today is free for you until to be transferred to the airport in time for your flight.

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