Lhasa & Ganden Monastery Group Tour
- Duration:
- 5 Days
- Price:
- From USD550
- Route:
- Lhasa - Ganden Monastery - Lhasa
- Season:
-
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
- Tour Type:
- Group Tour
- Group Size:
- Max 12
Overview
This 5 days group tour is designed for travelers who are particularly interested in Tibetan Buddhism culture. During this tour, you will not only explore the top attractions in Lhasa such as the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple but also visit the three major monasteries of the Gelug (yellow hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism - Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery and Ganden Monastery. The hiking tour of Ganden Monastery is definitely the highlight, from which you can enjoy the view of this monastery and get close to the local village to see the local Tibetan life. Finally you will discover Drak Yerpa, one of top meditation retreats in Tibet and famous for its temples on cliffs.
| Day | Route | Attractions & Activities | Accommodation | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival in Lhasa (3650m) | Pick up and transfer to the hotel | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | |
| 2 | Lhasa Sightseeing | Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
| 3 | Lhasa Sightseeing | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
| 4 | Lhasa - Drak Yerpa – Ganden(3800m)- Lhasa, 160km, Approx 3hrs | Drak Yerpa, Ganden Monastery | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
| 5 | Lhasa departure | Send off to the airport/train station | B |
Daily Itinerary
CollapseOur staff will greet you at Lhasa Airport/Railway Station to transfer you to the hotel. From Lhasa Airport to downtown Lhasa, it usually takes about one hour; from Lhasa Railway Station, about 20mins. After being transferred to the hotel, you will be free for the rest of the day to wander around the city on your own but try not to overtax yourself. Your good rest on the first day is crucial to acclimatize to the high altitude. Remember to drink lots of water, eat light, and avoid strenuous activities. As the capital city, Lhasa is the political, economic, cultural, communication and tourism center of Tibet with a history of over 1300 years.
Stay overnight in Lhasa 3★/4★
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 covers the hillsides. It's the highest-ranking monastery in the Gelug Sect. .
In the afternoon, you will visit Sera Monastery, which is reputed as the most beautiful Tibetan Monastery. The biggest feature is the Monks' debate from 3 pm to 5 pm. As a part of the study, lamas should participate in debates to further their comprehension and proceed to more advanced levels of Buddhism.
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★
Today, you will visit the most famous Potala Palace, which is the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. Potala Palace was the winter palace of successive Dalai lamas. It was built by the 33rd great king of Tibet - Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th Century. 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.
At noon, the tour guide will bring you to a good restaurant to have lunch and have a rest. In the afternoon, we will go to visit Jokhang Temple in the center of the Lhasa old town. Jokhang Temple is the most sacred temple in Tibet and it is always bustling with earnest local pilgrims since the early days. After that, you will take a walk around the Barkhor Street - one of the most devotional circuits as well as a crowded central market of Lhasa. Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the locals are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, it‘s also a must-see place for visitors.
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★
In today's excursion outside of Lhasa city, we'll take you to Ganden Monastery. It's located on Wangbozhi Mountain on the southern bank of Lhasa River, which is about 50km northeast of Lhasa. Ganden Monastery is the most special one of the top six Gelug monasteries in Tibet, as it's built by the founder of the Gelug sect - Tsongkhapa in 1409. It's quite worthy to see if this is your first time to travel in Tibet.
On the way, we will also visit the less-known-by-tourists Drak Yerpa hermitage. Drak Yerpa is only a short drive to the east of Lhasa. It's an ancient temple and meditation caves that have a history of more than a thousand years. After passing through a rugged path to the temple, you can see the beautiful scenery in the distance. Compared to the Jokhang Temple and Sera Temple, which are full of incense, there're not so many tourists. Only devout Tibetans burn mulberry to worship here, and you can feel the tranquility brought by Tibetan Buddhism.
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★
Cost & Calendar
All prices are in US Dollar / Person
Economic Class (3-Star Hotels)
| 2023-09-01 ~ 2023-10-07 | 2023-10-08 ~ 2023-10-31 | 2023-11-01 ~ 2023-12-31 | 2024-04-01 ~ 2024-04-30 | 2024-05-01 ~ 2024-06-30 | 2024-07-01 ~ 2024-08-31 | 2024-09-01 ~ 2024-10-07 | 2024-10-08 ~ 2024-10-31 | 2024-11-01 ~ 2024-12-31 |
| USD650 | USD600 | USD550 | USD580 | USD600 | USD680 | USD650 | USD600 | USD550 |
Comfortable Class (4-Star Hotels)
| 2023-09-01 ~ 2023-10-07 | 2023-10-08 ~ 2023-10-31 | 2023-11-01 ~ 2023-12-31 | 2024-04-01 ~ 2024-04-30 | 2024-05-01 ~ 2024-06-30 | 2024-07-01 ~ 2024-08-31 | 2024-09-01 ~ 2024-10-07 | 2024-10-08 ~ 2024-10-31 | 2024-11-01 ~ 2024-12-31 |
| USD720 | USD640 | USD600 | USD690 | USD640 | USD750 | USD720 | USD640 | USD600 |
Schedule
No desired date of departure? Please send us an inquiry and we will try to arrange your tour according to your plan.
Discount Policy
You may only enjoy one of the advantageous policy, not both.
| Option A: | 3 or More to Join the Same Group | $30 Off / person |
| Option B: | Tour in Apr~Oct |
|
Our Service
INCLUSIONS
*Lodgings: 4 Nights, twin room en suite in 3★/4★;
*Meal: 4 Breakfasts;
*Travel-licensed vehicle according to group size & season as itinerary needed including gas and parking fee;
*Free Lhasa Railway Station transfer at all time on first & last day;
*Free pick-up from Lhasa Gonggar Airport to the hotel at 9:30 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on the first day;
*Free drop-off from the hotel to Lhasa Gonggar Airport at 6:00 am, 8:30 am and 12:30 pm on the last day;
*Guide: experienced local English-speaking tour guide;
*Attractions: all entrance fee mentioned in the itinerary;
*Permit: Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit;
*Travel Agency Liability insurance;
*Government Tax;
*Express delivery fee of Permit (eg. SF. Express);
*Food & lodgings for guide & driver;
*Oxygen tank for emergency use;
*Two bottles of mineral water per person per day;
EXCLUSIONS
* International flight to and out of China;
* Domestic flight/train to and out of 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 cancelation, then you are required to pay a private transfer from USD 80/vehicle/time.
* Lunch & Dinner are not included but we will recommend some good ones for you according to your requirements. Usually, it takes 3-10 USD per 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. Each of you is suggested to tip them 5-10 USD/day in total;
* All the commission and tax 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-day 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. We don’t include the transfers to your own hotels;
*We need to pick up and drop off all members of the group on first & last day from Lhasa Airport/Railway, thus there may not always have guide presence but 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, 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 certain attraction entrance fee which will be solely decided by GTT.
*Single Supplement: our quote is based on twin rooms. For single travelers, a single supplement is required at the time of booking. If later we manage to match you with another traveler to share the twin rooms, the single supplement will be refunded.
We enjoyed our stay in Lhasa. The hotel was good but most of all we were very lucky with our guide Purbu Tashi and his driver. Tashi knew where we had to be at what time so we could avoid the crowd and got to see extra activities that took place at the locations. The information he told us was ver ....
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Typically Asked Questions from Our Clients
Asked by John***
2021-05-12
I am interested in the 5 or 6 day Lhasa and Ganden Monastery tour (perhaps making 6 days with adding on Namyok Lake as well, with the 5 star option of St Regis or Shangri-La.
In your inquiry, you mentioned you would like to have Lhasa&Ganden Tour. Currently, we accept booking of Lhasa tour for a solo traveler 50 days prior to departure, so the departure date shall be on June 28th, the earliest. Will it be possible for your schedule? If the date works, we shall add one day Garden tour and a day trip to Namtso in private, according to your requirement. What do you think？
Asked by John***
2020-01-21
I wish to depart from Beijing to Lhasa and join a group of English speaking visitors either in Beijing or in Lhasa. The departure date is flexible but I wish to stay in Lhasa 4-5 nights at comfortable class 4-star hotels. I am a solo traveler and I will book 2-3 months in advance.
In your inquiry, you mentioned you would like to have the 5 Days Lhasa & Ganden Monastery Tour. We have this group tour with the departure date on Apr. 8th. Is it available to you?
Asked by Anna***
2020-01-17
Hello. I need some information about the availability of booking the International flights to and out of China with your travel agency. I am planning a trip from Milano (ITALY) to Shangai. Wondering about the availability and the cost of the trip to Lhasa from Shangai and return, for 2 people. Hoping to travel there around 6th Aug, day of arrival in Lhasa and 10Aug, day of return from Lhasa to Shangai. We would like to partecipate to “5 days Lhasa and Ganden monastery tour”. Please let us know. Kind regards, Anna
In your inquiry, you mentioned you would like to have the 15 Days Mt.Everest & Mt.Kailash Kora Pilgrimage Group Tour. It is okay for you to hire a Yark to carry your pack.
The travelers who have the Mt.Kailash Kora Pilgrimage in June are from all over the world. There are not only many Indian travelers but also travelers from other countries.
Here is the hotel list.
Hotel star
Lhasa
Shigatse
3-star hotel
Gang-Gyan Hotel
Hotel Manasarovar Shigatse
4-star hotel
Shambala Hotel
Shigatse Gesar Hotel
Asked by Nami***
2019-10-27
Hi! I am planning a trip to Kathmandu with my daughter who is 11 years old in New Years. Wondering about the availability and the cost of the trip to Lhasa from Kathmandu for 2 people. Hoping to travel there around 2nd Jan to 5th Jan. Please let us know.
In your inquiry, you mentioned you would like to travel to Lhasa from Kathmandu in Jan 2020. We can arrange the tour for you. For travelers entering Tibet from Kathmandu, a China group visa is required. Please plan 3 working days to stay in Nepal to wait for your China group visa. Our representative in Nepal will assist you with the visa application. However, Jan 1st is the public holiday. Also, the direct flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa runs every other day in winter. The incoming flight is available on Jan. 1 or 3rd, thus, I suggest you come in 3rd and return on the 6th. Here is the itinerary of 4 Days Lhasa City Essential Group Tour,
Asked by Kevi***
2019-10-14
We hope to travel from Friday, November 1 to Tuesday, November 5!
In your inquiry, you mentioned you would like to have 5 Days Lhasa & Ganden Monastery Tour which is a private tour. We can arrange the tour for you. Kindly note, it takes 12 working days to process your Tibet permit, there is no much time left.
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