6 Days Lhasa and Lake Namtso Small Group Tour
Tour Overview
6-Day Lhasa and Lake Namtso tour is not only a Buddhism culture experience tour, but also an enjoyable landscape sightseeing tour by combining both Lhasa and Namtso Lake into...
Code of Tour: YCT0000003569
Length of Travel: 6 Day
Destinations of Tour:
Departure City: Lhasa
Price of Tour: Request
Type of Tour:
Features of Tour: Nature Culture History Minority Landscape
6-Day Lhasa and Lake Namtso tour is not only a Buddhism culture experience tour, but also an enjoyable landscape sightseeing tour by combining both Lhasa and Namtso Lake into a single trip. At the same time, join in a group tour, you will save much money while meeting new friends. You will start your trip at Lhasa where you will spend two days to explore Tibetan culture and people, then take a day and night tour to the holy lake Namtso, then return back to Lhasa. It is moderately challenging, as the maximum altitude is over 5,000 meters above sea level at Namtso area.
Highlights
- Explore authentic Tibetan culture and history by visiting the grand palaces, temples, streets in the holy city Lhasa, such as Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery Buddhism Debating, etc;
- Go to take a pleasant adventure to the holy lake Namtso which is the most beautiful lake on the Tibet Plateau;
- Enjoy the budget price and great service of our well-arranged group tour packages.
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Lhasa Arrival
Day 2: Lhasa
Day 3: Lhasa
Day 4: Lhasa-Namtso Lake
Day 5: Namtso Lake-Lhasa
Day 6: Lhasa Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Lhasa Arrival
Sightseeing and Activities:Train station or airport pick-up, Lhasa City Tour
Accommodation:Lhasa sight life Resort Hotel
Meals:none
You are warmly greeted to Tibet by hearing Tashi Delek at the Train station/airport from the local guide, and then be escorted to your reserved hotel in Lhasa. After arrival at your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the local area and acclimate yourself to the high altitude and weather of Lhasa.
In today(or tomorrow)’s evening, a welcome dinner will be held to meet other members of this group tour. Enjoy the party.
Tips of today: 1. Go for some walking to acclimate the high altitude but avoid strenuous activities; 2. You’d better not have bath; 3. Drink more water.
Day 2 Lhasa
Sightseeing and Activities:Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery
Accommodation:Lhasa sight life Resort Hotel
Meals:breakfast
After breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up in your hotel. Then drive about 30 minutes to visit the Drepung Monastery. This Gelug monastery has a history of more than 500 years. It used to be the largest monastery in the world with totally 10,000 monks there. Many precious stupas, sculptures, paintings, Thangka…are displayed in the hundreds of chapels. And the annual Shoton Festival is organized here.
In the afternoon, you will visit another famous Gelug monastery around Lhasa city – Sera Monastery, which is famous for its “Buddhism Scriptures Debating”. It is only 3km away from Lhasa city. Enjoy the debating.
Tips of today: 1. Feel free to ask tour guide questions about Buddhism or else; 2. Obey Buddhist manners and talk appropriately; 3. If you don’t know where to have meals, restaurant in your hotel is a great choice.
Day 3 Lhasa
Sightseeing and Activities:Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Accommodation:Lhasa sight life Resort Hotel
Meals:breakfast
In the morning, the overwhelming Potala Palace is your first stop. As the symbol of Tibet, it was built in 641 AD and was the winter palace of Dalai Lama who is Tibet’s pope. Impressive Tibetan architecture, huge golden Buddha statues, red-robed lamas and devoted pilgrims all make it a must-visit.
In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet. Every day, pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek here from long distances to worship. Finally, walk the special circular pilgrimage route as local followers always do at Barkhor Street where you can buy Tibetan traditional or religious things as souvenirs.
Tips of today: 1. Wear hat and sun glasses to prevent ultraviolet radiation, but remember to take off when visiting in the monasteries. 2. Usually taking photos is not allowed in chapels inside monastery. 3. Remember to bring your passport which is needed to showcase when check in Potala Palace.
Day 4 Lhasa-Namtso Lake
Sightseeing and Activities:Namtso Lake, Lagenla Mountain Pass
Accommodation:Namtso Tent Guest House
Meals:Namtso Lake
Get up early and then drive about 4 hours to the holy lake – Namtso Lake. Along the road are endless plateau landscapes: yaks, sheep, grasslands, snow mountains… And you will pass the Lagenla Mountain Pass with the altitude of 5,190m. After arrival at Namtso Lake, you can take a rest, then go to explore the heavenly scenery around the Namtso Lake.
Namtso Lake is the highest saltwater lake in the world with an altitude of 4718 meters, also the second largest saltwater lake in China (after the Qinghai Lake). For travelers, Namtso is the ideal place for photography, while for Tibetans, it is a scared and magical lake for pilgrimage. In clear days the water is a stunning shade of turquoise. You will be surrounded by magnificent views of the nearby mountains. The wide open spaces, dotted with tents of local nomads, are breathtaking. You may also walk along the lake or climb up the hill near the lake to explore the area.
Accommodate at Namtso Lake.
Tips of today: 1. Best time to visit Namtso is from June to September; 2. Wear warm and thick clothes to prevent from cold and wild. 3. Accommodation condition in Namtso area is basic.
Day 5 Namtso Lake-Lhasa
Sightseeing and Activities:Namtso Lake, Yangpachen Geothermic Spring
Accommodation:Lhasa sight life Resort Hotel
Meals:Lhasa
In the morning, get up early to enjoy the magnificent sunrise at this holy lake. After breakfast, keep exploring Namtso Lake. Namtso’s beauty begins from May, in which time the frozen ice breaks up. The water comes out a startling blue, integrated with the water-reflected clear sky and snow peaks surrounded in the distance. In summer time, there are yaks, cattle, sheep, birds and more animals dotted along the lakeside natural grassland. The multicolored flowers, the flying pray flags, the solemn marnyi stones, all enhance the beauty of Namtso Lake and add a sense of vitality. No matter which direction you standing beside Namtso, you will gladden the heart and refresh the mind.
In the afternoon, drive back to Lhasa. En route, you have chance to witness the Natural Wonder – Yangpachen Geothermic Spring. From long distance, you will see many giant pillars of vapors rising up and gushing into the sky. If you are interested, you can have a bath in the spring is good for health and helps you get rid of strain, introduced by local Tibetans (optional).
Tips of today: 1. You have to pay some money to the local peopale if you take photos with yaks and Tibetan Mastiff; 2. Wear warm coat because it is very chilly in the early morning at Namtso.
Day 6 Lhasa Departure
Sightseeing and Activities:Depart from Lhasa
Accommodation:None
Meals:breakfast
Today is free for you until your tour guide transfer you to the airport in time for your flight or drop you off at Lhasa train station.
Tips of today: 1. Please pack your luggage carefully, especially for small things like camera charger, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet and towel. 2. If your flight is arranged in the afternoon, please make sure you check out the hotel before 12pm.
Recommended Hotels
| City | 5 Star | 4 Star | 3 Star |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lhasa | Lhasa sight life Resort Hotel |
Quotations
| Group size(person) | 5 Star ($) | 4 Star ($) | 3 Star ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 |
Service Included:
– Tibet Entry Permit and Alien’s Travel Permit.
– Admission fee of all tourist sites in itinerary.
– Professional Tibetan English speaking tour guide.
– Travel Agency Service Charge.
– Transportation
– Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance.
– Accommodation based on 3 star hotel twin sharing room with breakfast buffet in Lhasa.
– Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance.
– All accommodations, based on 3-star facility sharing twin room with breakfast buffet.
– Welcome Tibetan Style dinner.
Service Excluded:
– Single room supplement.
– China visa, all air tickets and train tickets to and from Tibet.
– Sightseeing not listed in the itinerary.
– Meals not listed in the itinerary (all lunches and dinners).
– Personal expenses such as laundry, drink, fax, telephone call, optional activities, etc.
– Gratuities, tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc.
– Excess Baggage Charges.
Travel Tips:
Useful Trip Notes
1. What Are the Features of Our Group Tours
Our Group Tours are budget tour packages with great service which have covered the most popular destinations in Tibet with reasonable trip lengths. Joining in our group tours, you will choose your travel dates from our fixed departures and travel in a small group with maximum members of 12 people.
2. 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.)
3. Available Months to Visit Tibet
Generally speaking, months from May to October are recommended for this tour. Other months are usually very cold, and possible have heavy snow. During November to April of next year, Namtso Lake is mostly frozen, and not suitable for travel. While for other regions, such as Lhasa Shigatse, Mount Everest, Shan
4. 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.
5. 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. You can also fly to Lhasa from Kathmandu(1.5hrs) .
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).
6. 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.
