Lhasa City Essential Group Tour
| Duration: | 4 Days |
|---|---|
| Price: | From USD510 |
| Route: | Lhasa |
| Season: |
|
| Tour Type: | Group Tour |
| Group Size: | Max 12 |
Overview
The 4-day Lhasa highlights tour is a short Tibet tour, which is suitable for those who have limited time but still want to have a high-quality travel experience. Despite being a very popular destination for travelers, you will have the local Tibetan English-speaking guide to take you through the best parts of the holy city Lhasa and get the most out of every minute to appreciate its prominent historical architecture of Potala Palace, the mystical Jokhang temple, sprawling Drepung Monastery and Dalai Lama's royal garden Norbulingka. In addition, you can gain an in-depth understanding of the history of Lhasa, experience the life of the local Tibetan people, and wander leisurely in the old quarter of Lhasa city.
| Day | Route | Attractions & Activities | Accommodation | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival in Lhasa (3,650m) | Pick up and transfer to the hotel | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | |
| 2 | Lhasa Sightseeing | Drepung Monastery, Tibet Museum, Norbulingka | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
| 3 | Lhasa Sightseeing | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
| 4 | Lhasa Departure | Send off to the airport/train station | B |
Daily Itinerary
CollapseWhen you arrive in Lhasa, our staff will pick you up at Lhasa Airport/ Railway Station and transfer you to the hotel. From the airport, it takes about 1 hour. From the train station, it only takes 20 minutes. Afterward, it's better to relax and take it easy on the first day to get acclimatized to high altitude and alleviate the jet lag. You might go to the local market and wander around the city on your own but try not to overtax yourself.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
After breakfast in the hotel, the tour guide will take you to Drepung Monastery, the biggest Tibetan monastery that housed more than 10,000 monks in the past. Drepung means Rice Heap in the Tibetan language. The entire monastery is large in scale and the white buildings cluster and cover the hillsides. It's the highest-ranking monastery in the Gelug Sect.
In the afternoon you will first visit the Tibet Museum. Here you can see life scenes, exquisite clothing, house architecture, and festival customs, etc. to explore the special and mysterious Tibetan customs. Then you will visit Norbulingka, which is a typical Tibetan-style royal garden, the summer resort of the Dalai Lama.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
- Meals:
- Breakfast
On your third day, you will be feeling much more acclimatized to Lhasa’s high elevation. It is an excellent idea to spend the day exploring the Potala Palace, which is the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet. It's best to explore the inside of the Potala in the morning for 2-3 hours. Afterward, you may walk the pilgrimage route around the Potala Palace.
In the afternoon, you will head to the Jokhang Temple, which is well known as the center of Tibetan Buddhism and features Buddhist prayer wheels, reclining deer, and golden sutra streamers, etc. Also, you can see many pilgrims praying in front of the temple and doing kora.
After visiting the Jokhang Temple, you will stroll in the old alleys of Barkhor Street, where you can drink sweet tea, chat with locals and even bargain with the street vendors to understand the real-life in Lhasa.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
- Meals:
- Breakfast
- Meals:
- Breakfast
Cost & Calendar
All prices are in US Dollar / Person
Economic Class (3-Star Hotels)
|
2026-03-01 ~
2026-05-31 |
2026-06-01 ~
2026-06-30 |
2026-07-01 ~
2026-10-10 |
2026-10-11 ~
2026-10-31 |
2026-11-01 ~
2027-02-28 |
| USD550 | USD610 | USD650 | USD550 | USD510 |
Comfortable Class (4-Star Hotels)
|
2026-03-01 ~
2026-05-31 |
2026-06-01 ~
2026-06-30 |
2026-07-01 ~
2026-10-10 |
2026-10-11 ~
2026-10-31 |
2026-11-01 ~
2027-02-28 |
| USD600 | USD650 | USD690 | USD590 | USD550 |
Schedule
Discount Policy
You may only enjoy one of the advantageous policies, not both.
| Option A: | 3 or More from You Join Together | $15 Off / person |
| Option B: | Tour in Apr~Oct |
|
Our Service
INCLUSIONS
* Lodgings: 3 Nights, twin room en suite in 3★/4★;
* Meals: 3 breakfasts & 1 welcome dinner;
* Travel-licensed vehicle according to group size & season as per itinerary needed including gas and parking fees;
* Lhasa Railway Station transfer at all times on first & last day;
* Pick-up from Lhasa Gonggar Airport to your hotel at 9:30 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on the first day;
* Drop-off from your hotel to Lhasa Gonggar Airport at 8:30 am, 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm on the last day;
* Guide: experienced local English-speaking tour guide;
* Attractions: all entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary;
* Permit: Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit;
* Travel Agency Liability Insurance;
* Government Tax;
* Express delivery fee of Permit (eg. SF Express);
* Emergency oxygen tank available in the vehicle;
* Two bottles of mineral water per person per day.
EXCLUSIONS
* International flight to and from China;
* Domestic flight/train to and from Lhasa; (We can help you book the domestic flight/train ticket at the BEST price. Please contact us for details.);
* If you miss the free transfer schedule due to flight delay or cancellation, then you are required to pay a private transfer at USD 80/vehicle/time;
* Single Room Supplement: Hotels are based on twin-sharing rooms. If you prefer a single room or cannot share, an additional single supplement will apply;
* Lunch & Dinner are not included but we will recommend some good ones for you according to your requirements. Usually, it takes USD 5-15/person for each meal;
* While the gratuity for guide and driver is NOT mandatory, it is expected. Based on their service, you can tip them on the last day of the tour. You are suggested to tip each of them USD 8-15/day in total;
* All the commissions and taxes charged by PayPal, Bank, and government when making payment. (e.g. PayPal --- 4.4%. Wire transfer --- 2%);
* Personal expenses;
* Anything not mentioned in the Inclusions.
NOTE
* Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (TTB) usually takes about 12 working days to apply. If you couldn’t provide the required docs & info on time, an extra handling fee will be charged. Please consult your travel consultant for details;
* We reserve the right to change the itinerary order and attractions in Lhasa;
* If you prefer to book your own hotels over those included in our group tour, please meet the rest of the group at their daily hotel on time. Transfers to and from your own hotels are not included;
* We need to pick up and drop off all members of the group on the first & last day from Lhasa Airport/Railway Station, thus there may not always be a guide's presence but a driver;
* Due to the special nature of Tibet travel, any unforeseeable and unavoidable objective circumstances, including but not limited to natural disasters, war, terrorism, riot, civil commotion, strikes, public health emergencies, government action, major traffic jams, delay or cancellation of flight/train, or attractions temporarily closed. etc., resulting in a change of itinerary, the increased cost will be paid by travelers; if any attraction visits have to be canceled due to the same reasons above, GTT won't be held responsible for the refund, except for certain attraction entrance fees, which will be solely decided by GTT;
* All members of the same group must be with the same tour guide during the whole trip. So all members must follow the same itinerary and visit the same attractions. If anyone requests to change the scheduled arrangement for own reasons, you need to get permission from other members and accept the possible payment change if any.
Thank you for checking in! I really enjoyed my time in Tibet and I appreciate all of your hard work which made everything go smoothly. It was excellent being greeted at the hotel by one of your associates who already had the receipt to give me for paying the final sum in cash. I was pleasantly su ....
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Typically Asked Questions from Our Clients
JUNY***
I am going to Lhasa by air.
I am in my early 70s, so I am worried about whether it will be okay.
I am wondering if I need to have an adjustment period until the day after arrival.
Dear Juny****,
Yes, travelers aged 70 and above are permitted to travel to Tibet. Previously, our oldest client who came from the US and even made it to Everest Base Camp(5,200), is at the age of 81 with his 76-year-old wife.
If you worry about the altitude, you can arrive in Lhasa one day before. You can have one day to rest and adapt to the altitude, then join the group. In this case, we will arrange a private pickup.
Elis***
I will be in Shanghai between the end of September 2026 and the end of November 2026 and would like to visit Lhasa using the Golden Week days. I intend to travel Shanghai-Lhasa-Shanghai by train.
I would like to check availability and prices.
Dear Elis****,
We can open a 4-day Lhasa City Essential Group Tour for you departing on 2 October, which needs further confirmation.
We can help you book round-trip train tickets from Shanghai to Lhasa. During the holidays, the direct train tickets are difficult to book. If we fail to book the direct ones, we can book the connecting trains via Xining.
Tere***
Hello,
I'm planning to join the 4-day Lhasa city essential group tour on Friday, April 17, 2026.
My questions:
1. Can the Tibet Tour Permit be emailed to me since I will not be staying overnight in Chengdu.
2. I have a valid China visa. When should I submit the documents to process Tibet Permit?
3. When is the latest I can book the tour and still have time to process tour permit?
4. Please help me check if my tentative itinerary above is ok for booking.
5. Is portable oxygen readily available for purchase in Lhasa? How much do they cost in USD?
6. Are the hotel assigned to this tour well-oxygenated? My husband uses a cpap machine for sleep. i have controlled high blood pressure.
Dear Tere****,
We can arrange the 4-day Lhasa City Essential Group Tour for you. Currently, we just have a group departure on 16 April, and you can join. I will answer your questions one by one.
1. The original Tibet Travel Permit is required if you are flying to Lhasa. If you won't stay one night in mainland China to receive your permit, we will need to arrange for a local agent to deliver the permit to you at the airport with a service fee.
2. It usually takes 12 working days to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit. So I would suggest booking the tour and sending me the documents for the permit application before 29 March.
3. Yes, the 4-day Lhasa group itinerary is ok for booking.
4. Yes, the portable oxygen is available for purchase in Lhasa. It costs around USD3-6.
5. We can upgrade your room to an oxygen-equipped room if needed.
6. I would recommend consulting your doctor to determine if it's safe for you to travel to a high-altitude region.
PABL***
It would be great if you COULD also arrange the train ticket from Xining to Lhasa departing 03-May-26 around 22h (Z8991) for 1 person soft lower, if possible. Thank you so much in advance
Dear Pabl***,
For the 4-day Lhasa City Essential Group Tour, we have a departure date on 4 May. You can join.
We can help you book a soft-sleeper train ticket from Xining to Lhasa departing on 4 May.
Jame***
Hello interested in Lhasa tour. We are living in Hong Kong and have visa for China. How do you share the Tibet Travel permit before the journey begins?
Dear Jame***,
If you fly to Lhasa, I suggest you stay one night in a city in mainland China. We can deliver the Tibet permit to your hotel. The permit cannot be delivered to Hong Kong.
If you take a train to Lhasa, a copy of the Tibet Permit does work. We can send you a scanned copy of it via email.
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