Tibet Spiritual Tour

After breakfast, our tour will begin from UNESCO World Heritage site – Potala Palace, which is also the winter palace of Dalai Lama. It’s situated at 12,139 feet above sea level. It’s a 13-story high building that contains over 1,000 rooms, various statues, stupas, murals and artifacts.Then continue to Jokhang Temple, another UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a spiritual center for Buddhists in Tibet. Next to the temple there is Bakhor Street, filled with pilgrims and street vendors, selling traditional Tibetan items such as prayer wheels and jewelry.

In the morning you’ll visit Drepung Monastery, which used to be the largest monastery with more than 10 thousand monks, Buddhist debates often occur there. Seen from afar, its grand, white construction gives the monastery the appearance of a heap of rice.In Tibetan language, means Monastery of Collecting-Rice. Learn about the lives of Tibetan monks there.

In the afternoon, visit Sera Monastery, which was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called “the court of wild rose”. Today still 200 lamas live in there. Catch the famous debate session of the monks before returning back to Lhasa.

After fully exploration of Lhasa, you’ll have a chance to get lost in the endless Tibetan landscape while you take a short hike along the turquoise waters of Lake Yamdrok, one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. This dazzling lake is normally first seen from the summit of the Kamba-la (4700m). The lake lies several hundred metres below the road, and it is shaped like a coiling scorpion. Far in the distance is the huge massif of Mt. Nojin Kangstsang (7191m).

Then pass by the 5,010 m high Karo-la and the Simi La forward to Gyantse (3,950m). Visit Pelkor Monastery as well as the splendid Kumbum Stupa (100-Thousand-Buddha Pagoda) nearby, both of them built in the15th century and situated in the northwestern edge of Gyantse.

After having breakfast at hotel, we will drive towards Shakya Monastery via Shigatse.

Sakya Monastery is a Buddhist monastery situated 25 km southeast of a bridge which is about 127 km west of Shigatse on the road to Tingri in Tibet. It belongs to Sakya County, Shigatse region. Zhong Qu River flows by the monastery, which naturally divided Sakya Monastery into the north and south two temples. In Tibetan, the word Sakya means “gray soil” referring to the weathered gray earth on the Bonbori Hill where the monastery is located.

Sakya monastery is often known as the “second Dunhuang”, for its huge collection of over 40,000 books. The SakyaKloster is the home of thousands of volumes of sacred Buddhist scripts, and just one single, long bookshelf holds around 10,000 ancient scriptures. The bookshelves cover both sides of the hall, as well as the back wall, and reach from floor to ceiling. The shelves down each side are 57 meters long, 11 meters high, and one meter deep. The scriptures vary in type, from scrolls to folders, and even books bound with boards. It is also the home of the world’s largest scripture, the unique BurdeGyaimalung, which is 6 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet thick. The sacred scripture is a record of Tibetan religion, culture, history, philosophy, literature, and agriculture, and weighs over 500kg.

Today we drive same way back to Shigatse, after 2-3 hours driving, we arrive in Shigatse. Which is the second largest city in Tibet. In Shigatse, in early afternoon we may visit traditional Barley Mill and view the landscape of Barley Field (in summer); Tibetan traditional shops and restaurants.

In the morning, we will visit the home of Panchan Lama – Tashilunpo Monastery. You can see the well preserved largest statue of Jampa (Future God) in the world. The monastery itself is abiding place for the successive Penchen Lamas. Then we are expected to follow Yalong Valley back to Lhasa, and the guide will get you transferred to your hotels.

In the morning, drive from Lhasa to Lake Namtso, one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and also the highest saline lake in the world. On the way, you can see snow-capped Nyenchen Thanglha Mountain Ranges and lots of nomads and their tent with grazing yak and sheep densely-populated on the flourishing grassland (in summer). Besides, you can enjoy the view of the Sky-Road Railway with snow mountain background; while standing at the famous Lagenla Pass (5190m), you can view the stunning vista of holy Namtso Lake.

Then we can enjoy our time doing a leisurely trek around Tashi Dor Island and along the lakeshore. Drive back to Damxung. (For environment protection, the Lakeshore guesthouses were close by the government

As usual after having breakfast at hotel, we drive back to Lhasa, we have short break for your lunch. After lunch we continue driving towards Samye Monastery via Gonggar Airport.

 

Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet built in the 8th century. Ascend to the top of the 3-story monastery to have a clear view of this unique monastery whose layout was designed in the form of a giant mandala, a representation of the Buddhist universe.

The main temple in the center represents Mt. Meru, the mythical mountain at the center of the Buddhist universe. The four continents in the ocean around Mt. Meru are represented by the four temples at the cardinal points, each flanked by two smaller temples to symbolize islands in the ocean. You will be struck by the distinctive spiritual ambience permeating through such a holy Buddhist site. With time permitting, you may kora up to the top of Hepori hill to enjoy the stunning panorama of Samye Monastery. Finally, get transferred back to Lhasa.

After a hearty breakfast your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel for the trip to the Airport or Train station for your travel out of Tibet. It is time to say goodbye and continue on to the next destination in your plans.