Overview
Four days in Lhasa with a day out to the holy Yamdrok Lake — the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor circuit, paced for altitude and with a Tibetan guide throughout.
Lhasa sits at 3,650 metres and the first rule of visiting it is to do less than you think you should. This itinerary is built around that: a gentle arrival day with nothing scheduled, then a full day on the Potala and the Jokhang, a day out to Yamdrok, and a final morning at Sera Monastery before departure.
The Potala needs no introduction — 117 metres, thirteen storeys, more than a thousand rooms, and the gilded stupas of eight Dalai Lamas. The Jokhang is the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism and the Barkhor circuit around it is walked clockwise all day by pilgrims, many of whom have taken months to arrive and who prostrate themselves full-length on the flagstones.
Yamdrok, two hours south over the 4,794-metre Kamba La pass, is one of Tibet's four holy lakes — a turquoise ribbon of water twisting 70 kilometres between bare mountains, with the snow peaks of the Nyainqentanglha range behind it.
Group size is capped at twelve, the vehicle carries oxygen, and all Tibet travel permits are arranged for you.
- Potala Palace golden roofs
- Holy Yamdrok Lake
- Acclimatisation-friendly pacing
- Small group, maximum 12 travellers
Itinerary
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1 Arrival in Lhasa
Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m) and transfer to the hotel. Rest and acclimatise; light walk around the Barkhor circuit if comfortable.
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2 Potala & Jokhang
Morning at the Potala Palace, afternoon at the Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor Street pilgrimage circuit.
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3 Yamdrok Lake
A scenic drive over the Kamba-la pass to the holy Yamdrok Lake, then back to Lhasa with a visit to a hillside monastery.
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4 Departure
Morning at Sera Monastery to watch the debating monks (if scheduled), then transfer to the airport for departure.
Gallery
What's included
- 3 nights handpicked hotels
- Daily breakfast
- English-speaking Tibetan guide
- Private transport with oxygen
- All listed entrance fees
- Airport transfers
Not included
- Flights to/from Lhasa
- Lunches and dinners
- Tibet travel permit fee
- Travel insurance
- Tips for guide and driver
- Personal expenses
