5-Day Lhasa - Yamdroktso Small Group Tour

Upon your arrival at Lhasa Airport, the tour guide will greet you and escort you to the hotel to complete the check-in procedures. For the rest of the time, you can relax and acclimatize to the high-altitude environment of Tibet.

Notice：

• Pick up/drop off: Foreign and Taiwanese travelers need a tour guide to pick up/drop off according to the regulations of the Tourism Administration.
• Altitude sickness: With its much higher elevation, some visitors may experience symptoms of altitude sickness. We recommend taking everything slowly, getting plenty of rest the first day and staying very well hydrated by drinking plenty of water to minimize the effects of the high altitude.
• Usually, you will be fine by the second day, but if you do experience severe and/or worsening symptoms, please contact your guide or a member of our staff immediately.

Today, we will take you to fully immerse yourself in the Traditional Tibetan Handicraft Center, where you will experience Tibetan incense making, woodblock printing, and learn about the Tibetan language.

While learning how the refreshing Tibetan incense is made, you can also participate in making it with your own hands—this holds quite different significance compared to buying ready-made Tibetan incense. Knowledgeable instructors will introduce the origin of the Tibetan language to you and help you write Tibetan blessings or your own name in Tibetan. Meanwhile, you can also try your hand at traditional woodblock printing. The incense you make, the printed works, and the Tibetan calligraphy can all be taken home as souvenirs.

In the afternoon, we will head to Sera Monastery. The monks’ debate is held in the monastery courtyard almost every Monday to Saturday, from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm. You can watch this ceremony on-site and learn about this unique learning method in Tibetan Buddhism. After that, you can visit monastery buildings such as the Tsokchen Hall (Main Assembly Hall) and the Hayagriva Hall, admire the Buddha statues, murals, and precious Buddhist scriptures, and gain insights into Tibet’s art and religious history.

Sera Monastery

Monks Debating

Note: Please be aware that if there are special monastery activities (such as Dharma assemblies or VIP receptions) on a given day, the monks’ debate may be canceled.

After our visit to the monastery, you are free to stroll along the streets of Lhasa to soak up the atmosphere and the devout spirit of the Tibetan people. Alternatively, you may return to your hotel to rest and unwind after this wonderful Tibetan cultural experience.

Your Journey’s Rewards:

Experience traditional Tibetan handicrafts with your own hands and feel the charm of traditional craftsmanship. Watch the monks’ debate ceremony at Sera Monastery, explore Tibetan-style ancient buildings, heritage thangkas, and precious Buddha statues, and immerse yourself in the pure atmosphere of Tibetan religious faith.

Educational Focus:

What is a monks’ debate like?

Takeaway:

The monks’ debate is a unique learning method in Tibetan Buddhism. Through question-and-answer exchanges, body movements, and logical arguments, monks delve into discussions on Buddhist doctrines and philosophical issues.

Thought Challenge:

As the demand for Tibetan cultural experiences grows, how can we enable tourists to deeply experience the cultural essence of Sera Monastery while preventing excessive tourism from disrupting religious order and diluting the authenticity of its culture?

After breakfast, we will head to the Potala Palace. It is a grand castle-style architectural complex built against a mountain, and a sacred site of Tibetan Buddhism, divided into the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace was the place where the Dalai Lama lived and conducted political activities, while the Red Palace is used for religious ceremonies and houses the Stupa Halls. You will also have the chance to see the Sacred Avalokitesvara Statue, known as the "Treasure of the Palace".

Potala Palace

Ticketing tips for Potala Palace: The Potala Palace requires real-name online ticketing and valid document (such as ID card, household registration book or passport) is required to make the reservation. Once the reservation made, the ticket cannot be re-booked within 7 days from the day of visit. If you can not enter the Potala Palace due to the wrong documents provided by yourself, we do not bear any responsibility or consequences.Therefore, it is important to take the valid documents. If the name or ID number is inconsistent with the actual ID used, you will not be able to enter the Potala Palace. Please note the ticket fee has actually been incurred and cannot be refunded.

The visiting time of the Potala Palace is randomly issued by the Potala Palace Management Office and it can not designate the visiting time. Please note the actual visiting route sequences may be different from the provided one.

In peak season, there has restrictions in visiting the Potala Palace and each travel agency has limited group bookings quotas every day. In order to ensure the group tour visiting, we solve the problem through different channels. Due to the special requirements for ticket purchases in different channels, you are requested to follow the tour guide’s arrangement. The normal arrangements are as below：

• The group tour may be divided into multiple small groups (tourists who book together might be divided, and they join with other small group to visit the Potala Palace).
• Each small group is divided into different times/dates to visit.
• Each small group follows the different guide to visit.

Subsequently, we will go to the Jokhang Temple, one of the sacred sites of Tibetan Buddhism. It enshrines the 12-year-old statue of Sakyamuni— the most sacred Buddha statue in the temple, which attracts countless believers for worship.

Jokhang Temple

Ticketing tips for the Jokhang Temple: The Jokhang Temple needs real-name online ticketing. Every day, from 7:00am to 23:59pm the tickets for the next day will be open to book through the We Chat applet "Jokhang Temple Reservation" until the number of reservations is full. Therefore, tickets must be reserved one day in advance. Please follow tour guide’s instruction to make the reservation.

The Jokhang Temple is a religious temple rather than a tourist attraction. Please note if encountering important religious activities, it will be closed to tourists.

After that, we will visit Barkhor Street, a circular street surrounding the Jokhang Temple. It is not only a bustling commercial street but also the "middle circuit" for believers to perform the kora (pilgrimage walk). Here, you can taste characteristic Tibetan food and purchase handicrafts such as spices and silverware.

Your Journey’s Rewards:

Pause at the Potala Palace and gaze up at the snow-region sanctuary where the walls of the White and Red Palaces interweave with golden roofs; step into the Jokhang Temple, explore Tibetan-style temple architecture and sacred Buddha statues, and gain an understanding of Tibetan Buddhist culture.

Educational Focus:

Do the wall colors (red and white) of the Potala Palace have special meanings? How are these colors formed?

Takeaway:

White symbolizes purity and tranquility, corresponding to the secular functions of the White Palace; red symbolizes solemnity and holiness, matching the religious attributes of the Red Palace. The white walls are painted with a mixture of lime, milk, and honey, which is not only environmentally friendly but also resistant to the plateau’s wind and snow. The red walls are made by crushing the locally unique "red grass", which is hard-wearing and non-fading— a reflection of the wisdom of ancient Tibetan people in adapting to the natural environment.

Thought Challenge:

As a world cultural heritage site, what challenges does the Potala Palace face in terms of cultural relic protection?

We depart in the morning and arrive at Kampala Pass (elevation: 4,797 meters), which is an excellent spot to enjoy the view of Yamdrok Lake. As one of Tibet's three major sacred lakes, Yamdrok Lake presents a blue hue under the sunlight and is also known as the "Sapphire on the Plateau". Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dotted with herds of cattle and sheep, this place attracts a large number of photographers.

Yamdrok Lake

Next, we will visit Xiazhulin Temple. Built on a hill by the Yarlung Zangbo River, this temple is as magnificent and grand as the Potala Palace. Xiazhulin Temple is most famous for enshrining the preserved body of Palden Lhamo (the Goddess of Fortune). It has been more than a thousand years since she entered nirvana in a seated posture, and every year, many tourists come here specially to pay their respects.

Your Journey’s Rewards:

Pause by the shores of Yamdrok Lake and lose yourself in the scenery where the azure glimmers of the plateau's sacred lake reflect against the snow-capped mountains; step into Xiazhulin Temple and admire the exquisite murals and Buddha statue art inside the temple.

Educational Focus:

Why is Yamdrok Lake regarded as one of the "Three Major Sacred Lakes" in Tibetan Buddhism?

Takeaway:

Yamdrok Lake is seen as the incarnation of a dragon maiden and the residence of a female guardian deity. Tibetan people believe that the sacred lake possesses magical powers, which can bless all living beings and ward off disasters, serving as a sacred link between humans and deities. Every year, a large number of believers perform the kora (circumambulation) around the lake—this act is considered equivalent to making a pilgrimage to Lhasa, representing the adherence to faith and the prayer for a better life.

Thought Challenge:

As a plateau lake, what important role does Yamdrok Lake play in the local ecological environment?

After breakfast, you can pack your luggage and check to ensure nothing is left behind. Before departure, you still have some free time—you may go to buy souvenirs or try some Tibetan-style delicacies. The driver will take you to the airport or railway station according to the schedule, and this trip will come to an end here.