5 Days Ganden Ngachen Chenmo Festival Tour

Tour Overview

Gaden Ngachen Chenmo Festival, also known as Tsong Khapa Butter Lamp Festival, is held on 25, Oct of Tibetan calendar to commemorate the death of Tsongkapa, the greatest founder...

Code of Tour: YCT0000003178

Length of Travel: 5 Day

Destinations of Tour: Lhasa

Departure City: Lhasa

Price of Tour: Request

Type of Tour:

Features of Tour: Culture Minority Landscape Festival

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Gaden Ngachen Chenmo Festival, also known as Tsong Khapa Butter Lamp Festival, is held on 25, Oct of Tibetan calendar to commemorate the death of Tsongkapa, the greatest founder of Tibetan Buddhism. This 5 days Ganden Ngachen Chenmo Festival Tour will first bring you to visit the city highlights of Lhasa, including the Potala Monastery and Drepung Monastery. Then, you will head to visit Ganden Monastery along beautiful mountain winding road.

Brief Itinerary

• Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
• Day 2: Lhasa
• Day 3: Lhasa
• Day 4: Lhasa-Ganden
• Day 5: Ganden-Lhasa Departure

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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Arrive in Lhasa
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:None

 Upon your arrival at the airport or train station, meet you local tour guide and driver, then transfer to the hotel for rest.

Day 2 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Potola Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast,Lunch

In the morning, we are about to visit the famous Potala Palace and explore the grandest of this myriad chapels, and you will experience its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens (stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, thangkas, combinations of mandala, etc.

Day 3 Lhasa

Sightseeing and Activities:Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery
Accommodation:Lhasa
Meals:Breakfast,Lunch

Today, you will visit two important monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera. Drepung Monastery was situated at the foothill of a mountain and was once home to 10000 monks and Ganden podrang in Drepung was famous for its role as the governmental centre during the fifth dalai lama and later was moved to the famous Potala Palace during the fifth dalai lama.

Day 4 Lhasa – Ganden

Sightseeing and Activities:Golden Pond Wetland, Splendid Monastery Complex Genden Monastery Tsongkhapa Gender Kora Kychi Valley
Accommodation:Gandan Hostel
Meals:Breakfast,Lunch

After breakfast, drive to Ganden along beautiful mountain winding road. On the way, paya visit to Golden Pond Wetland and you can have a far view of Splendid monastery complex on the top of the mountain. Then, visit chapels of Ganden Monastery and enjoy a hike around thr Genger Kora from where you can have a beautiful view of the wide Kychi Vally.

Day 5 Ganden – Lhasa Departure

Sightseeing and Activities: Departure from Lhasa
Accommodation:None
Meals:Breakfast

Transfer from Ganden to Lhasa, then transfer to the airport for the departure flight to next station.

Recommended Hotels

Service Included:

• Tibet travel permit and all other necessary permits to Tibet;
• All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary;
• Personal knowledgeable English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide;
• Personal comfortable, clean and safe vehicle with reliable Tibetan local driver; vehicle ranging from 4WD land cruiser to minibus depending on your group size;
• All lodging listed in the itinerary; it’s your decision about the accommodation class: luxury 5-star international hotel, comfortable 4-star hotel, economic 3-star hotel or budget hostel, guesthouse or tent. Please tell us your accommodation preference when submitting the enquiry; we will arrange the best-value hotels for you.
• Domestic flight/train tickets listed in the itinerary;
• All meals listed in the above itinerary.

Service Excluded:

• International flight to and out of China;
• Chinese visa (Note: we could help you with the Chinese visa application, like providing the invitation letter, presenting the hotel or domestic flight reservation copies, etc that you may need. )
• Domestic flight/train not listed in the itinerary. (We can provide you the domestic flight/train ticket booking service at the BEST discount price; please contact us our travel experts for the details.)
• Meals not specified in the itinerary; usually it costs about USD3-15 per person for one meal in TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region).
• Tips and gratitude to tour guide and driver;
• Personal expenses, like laundry, phone call, snacks, soft drinks (please do the best to avoid the alcoholic beverages during your Tibet trip), optional tour activities, etc.

Travel Tips:

1. Tibet Permits

There are several permits required to visit Tibet. Tibet Entry Permit, issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, is the most important one which has to be obtained before your trip because you must have it to take your flight/train to Tibet. To get the permit, you have to book a Tibet tour with us, and send us your passport and Chinese visa about 20 days in advance, and then let us apply for the permit (all Tibet permits can only be applied by travel agency). If you travel to other prefectures like Shigatse, Nyingchi, Shannan, etc, you also have to obtain an Alien Travel Permit. If you travel to Mount Everest, you have to obtain a Border Permit. (Tibet Discovery, with office in Lhasa, has always kept up with the latest news on Tibet Permits. Traveling with us, all your permits are guaranteed as long as you are qualified to the requirements.)

2. Available Months to Visit Tibet

Generally speaking, May to early October is the best time to for a Mount Kailash trip. July and August are the peak season and rainy season. It may be too cold to travel in Kailash area from November to March. There is usually heavy snow. The conditions in Namtso Lake and Mount Everest area are quite similar with Kailash. While other places like Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse are suitable for travel all year around.

3. High Altitude Sickness

The average altitude of Tibet is about 4000 meters above the sea level (Lhasa: 3700m; EBC: 5200m; Namtso: 4718m). You may suffer a bit from High Altitude Sickness in the beginning days of your Tibet trip if you haven’t had rich high plateau travel experience. But don’t worry too much, the high altitude can be acclimatized usually in 2~3 days. Our suggestion is to take a physical examination and get suggestions from your doctor, and also bring some medicines to prevent from High Altitude Sickness before your trip. While in Tibet, you should keep warm all the time, avoid strenuous activities, drink more water and eat more vegetables and carbohydrates. You’d better not take showers during the first two days after your arrival at Tibet. If you don’t feel well, get help from your tour guide or go to the hospital without any delay.

4. How to Go to Tibet

Basically you have two options – flight and train. Currently, you can take a flight to Lhasa from Beijing(4.5hrs), Xian(3.7hrs), Chengdu(2.5hrs), Chongqing(3hrs), Kuming(3hrs), etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu and Xian have more frequent flights to Lhasa. Kathmandu also has several flights to Lhasa each week.

If you a train travel, you can take a train to from Beijing(40.5hrs), Xian(32hrs), Chengdu(43hrs), Shanghai(47hrs), Chongqing(42hrs), Lanzhou(25hrs), Xining(22hrs), Guangzhou(54hrs).

5. Packing and Wearing Ideas

Firstly you can’t forget your passport and Chinese Visa. A large backpack and a smaller one are recommended (the smaller one can be used for daily activities). Also bring the necessary medicine you need. Other stuffs like sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sun block are recommended. As for wearing, you are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is necessary in Spring and Autumn. A pair of durable and comfortable shoes is necessary.