5 Days Lhasa Plus Samye Monastery Group Tour

Arrive in Lhasa

Our local guide will wait you at Lhasa Airport/Railway Station at designated time to transfer you to hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to spend on your own. Rest to acclimatize the high altitude here in Lhasa is suggested.

Lhasa (B+D)

Attractions: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street

Today is the most classic day tour of Lhasa city. We may not see these sites by the exactly same order below because at summer times Potala Palace has designated visiting hours.

Potala Palace sits on the 130m-high Marpo Ri (Red Hill) in the centre of Lhasa city. The fortress like Potala Palace is a structure of massive proportions -- 400 meters east-west and 350 meters north-south, with 13 stories containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues.

Jokhang Temple is widely considered the most sacred and important temple in Tibet, situated in Barkhor Square of Lhasa Old Town, spreading over an area of 25,000 square meters with its shining golden roof.

Outside of Jokhang Temple, the surrounding area called Barkhor, including narrow streets and a public square. Barkhor is both the spiritual heart of the holy city and the main commercial district for Tibetans - a fascinating combination!

Lhasa (B)

Attractions: Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery and Watch Monk Debating

We will visit Drepung Monastery in the morning, which is located at the foot of Mount Gephel, 5km from the western suburb of Lhasa. Drepung Monastery is known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism.

In the afternoon we will visit Sera Monastery, situated at the foot of Tatipu Hill, in the north of Lhasa city. One of the highlight of visiting Sera Monastery is watching the monks debating in a courtyard here (available between 15:00-17:00 from Mon-Sat). As part of their study, the monks hold debates to improve their understanding of Buddhism. It’s a sight of fascination even though you don’t understand a word of what they are debating about.

Lhasa > Samye Monastery > Lhasa (B)

Attractions: Drive along Yarlung Tsangpo River, Samye Monastery

Today we make the day excursion to Samye Monastery, which is about 200km away from Lhasa, along Yarlung Tsangpo River. Samye Monastery (3630m) was Tibet’s first monastery and the place where Buddhism was established. Sitting on the north faces the south and covers more than 25,000 square meters with a shape of oval, Samye Monastery was built according to the description of the universe in Buddhism scriptures. Built in 762 by Tibetan King Trisong Detsen, Samye Monastery has a history that spans more than 1200 years and represents the Tibetan state’s first efforts to allow the Buddhist faith to set roots in the country. Samye Monastery is a fusion of Han, Tibetan and Nepali architecture.

Depart from Lhasa (B)

Your tour ends today. We will pick you up to transfer to Lhasa Airport/Railway at designated time.