6 Days Lhasa and Tsedang Highlights Tour

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Lhasa

   Welcome to Lhasa, the City of Sunlight. Upon your arrival, your tour guide and driver will pick you up at the exit and then transfer you to your downtown hotel. After check-in at your hotel, have a good rest to get acclimated to the high altitude.

   Tips:

   • Today, try to avoid taking a shower as much as possible to prevent an increase in oxygen consumption, which may cause symptoms of altitude sickness such as headaches, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing.
   • Drink plenty of water and maintain sufficient sleep.

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   4-star Hotel in Lhasa
2. Day 2: Lhasa City Highlights
   Discover Sacred Heritage at Potala Palace and Local Life around Barkhor Street

   After breakfast, visit the world's highest palace, the Potala Palace, located at an altitude of approximately 3,700 meters. This architectural complex was first built in the 7th century and finally listed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1994.

   As the most iconic landscape of Xizang, it is printed on the back of the 50-yuan RMB note. The main buildings consist of the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace is named so because of its white exterior. Standing seven stories tall, it was once served as the administrative headquarters of the Tibetan local government.

   

   The Red Palace is located at the heart of the Potala Palace and houses over 70,000 cultural artifacts of Tibetan, Han, Manchu, Mongolian, and other ethnic groups. In the Red Palace, you can see many stupas, among which the Fifth Dalai Lama's is the first and largest one, completely wrapped in gold.

   After the visit, it's time to have lunch. In the afternoon, head to Jokhang Temple. It was built by Songtsen Gampo, once the King of Tibet, to commemorate Princess Wencheng's entry into Xizang. With a history of more than 1300 years, this temple is considered the most sacred one in Tibetan Buddhism. It is not a single Tibetan architectural style, but features harmonious fusion of Indian and Nepalese styles, making it a model of Tibetan religious architecture.

   Tips:

   • Please remove your hat and sunglasses before entering the Jokhang Temple.
   • Photography is strictly prohibited inside the temple.

   

   Afterwards, have a short pilgrimage around Barkhor Street. Please make sure to walk clockwise and follow the flow of believers holding prayer wheels to experience the unique atmosphere. This street is the busiest in Lhasa, with shops on both sides selling various local specialties such as thangka paintings, Tibetan knives, Nepalese handicrafts, butter tea and Tibetan incense. When finishing the visit, you will enjoy butter tea and a welcome dinner.

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   4-star Hotel in Lhasa
3. Day 3: Lhasa Local Village & Monastery
   Experience Rural Tibetan Life, Lively Monk Debates at Sera Monastery

   In the morning, head to a secluded valley to explore Dadong Village. In Tibetan, its name means 'walnut tree'. It is the most well protected ancient village in Xizang and is known as the "Back Garden of Lhasa". Here, the ruins of the estate where Tsangyang Gyatso once lived and the legendary "Acacia Tree" are preserved.

   

   The tour guide will lead you to visit the Nyimatang Monastery with a history of nearly a thousand years. Afterwards, stroll around the village and discover a natural geothermal hot spring. Enjoy lunch at a local Tibetan family and learn about rural life in Lhasa.

   Return to the city in the afternoon to visit Sera Monastery. Together with Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery, they are known as the “three major monasteries” in Lhasa. Inside the temple, there are tens of thousands of Vajrayana Buddha statues, some of which were brought back from India.

   

   The highlight here is the monks' debate on scriptures. Except for Sundays, they discuss Buddhism through body language such as clapping at the northern location of the temple from 3pm to 5pm every day. In addition, you can enjoy cinnabar versions of Tibetan scriptures, scriptures written in gold ink and the famous statue of Hayagriva.

   After the visit, transfer you back to the hotel to rest well.

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   4-star Hotel in Lhasa
4. Day 4: Lhasa to Tsedang
   Explore Early Tibetan History and Scenic Valley Views in Tsedang

   After breakfast, drive 1.5 hours to reach Tsedang Town, located southeast of Lhasa. You will visit Yumbulhakhang, a palace situated on a small hill. It is said to be the first palace in Tibet, built in the second century BC according to historical records. From the top, take a panoramic view of the Yarlung Zangbo River.

   Tips: you can choose to ride a horse instead of walking up to Yumbulhakhang. An additional fee need to be paid to the local herdsmen.

   

   Proceed to Trandruk Monastery. Princess Wencheng once stopped at the temple to practice. The treasure here consists of a pearl thangka which measures 2 meters in length and 1.2 meters in width and contains 29026 pearls together with one diamond, two rubies, one sapphire and 15.5 grams of gold.

   The temple corridor has a copper bell, which was a testament to the cultural and religious interactions between the Tang Dynasty and the Tibetan empire during that historic period. After all visits, check in at a local hotel in Tsedang.

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   4-star Hotel in Tsedang
5. Day 5: Tsedang Back to Lhasa
   Uncover Mandala-Style Architecture and Spiritual Symbolism at Samye Monastery

   Samye Monastery at the base of Mount Habu will be your destination for today. The monastery dating back to the 8th century AD became the first Tibetan monastery to ordain monks. The central Buddhist hall displays a combination of Tibetan, Han and Indian architectural styles, giving the monastery another name San Yang Si (Three Styles Monastery).

   Samye Monastery features a mandala layout in its design. The main temple uses Mount Meru to represent the sacred mountain which serves as the center of the universe. The four temples face the cardinal directions to symbolize four major continents. Near each of them are two smaller halls, meaning the eight subcontinents.

   

   At the four corners of the main temple stand stupas in red, green, black and white to protect against evil spirits and to prevent natural and human disasters. Your tour guide will explain the secrets to you in detail. If you are interested, also perform a kora up the mountain top and enjoy the panoramic view of Samye Monastery. After the visit, send you back to a hotel in Lhasa for the night.

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   4-star Hotel in Lhasa
6. Day 6: Departure from Lhasa

   After breakfast, enjoy your leisure time till your driver picks you up and escorts you to the airport for departure. Your 6-day Lhasa and Tsedang tour ends here. Thank you for traveling with China Xian Tour. Safe travels!

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