Lhasa & Yamdrotso Lake Group Tour
- Duration:
- 5 Days
- Price:
- From USD710
- Route:
- Lhasa - Yamdrotso - Lhasa
- Season:
-
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
- Tour Type:
- Group Tour
- Group Size:
- Max 12
Overview
This trip is a perfect choice for first-time visitors who would like to not only experience the most important Tibetan cultural attractions but also enjoy the treasures of plateau scenery. First, you will pay a visit to Lhasa city, home of famous monasteries and devout Tibetans, and explore the top tourist spots such as Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Bakhor Street, Drepung Monastery, etc., then you will enjoy the stunning plateau scenery of Yamdrok-tso Lake. As one of the top 3 holy lakes in Tibet, dazzling Yamdro-tso is at an altitude of 4441 meters. It lies tens of meters below the road and shows a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. You will see some Tibetan villages nearby and the huge Mt. Nojin Kangtsang(7191m) in the distance.
| 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 - Yamdrok - Lhasa, 220km, Approx. 5hrs | Yamdrok Lake | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
| 5 | 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
After your amazing journey in Lhasa city, the next destination is the Yamdrok Lake. Not long after having breakfast, we will pick you up at the hotel. The travel distance is about 105 kilometers away from Lhasa. On the way, you can have a glimpse of Ngachu Valley in the morning lights, and after passing over the Kamba La Pass (5,030m), we will finally arrive at the holy lake Yamdrok.
Located in the north of the Himalayan Mountains, Yamdrok Lake is the largest fresh lake in the district with an area of 675 square meters. According to local Tibetans, the lake is the transformation of turquoise earrings scattered by the Goddess. You will be stocked by the natural beauty but can’t get a whole view here. If you look down from above, you will find the lake panorama like the shape of an eardrop surrounded by the mountain. The scenery appears in different colors of blue from different moments in one angle as a dreamland. Looking around, you can also find other scenery. Local animals are grazing along the fertile lakeshores and Tibetan villages can be seen in the valleys near Yamdrok Lake.
In the afternoon, we will drive back to Lhasa.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
- Meals:
- Breakfast
- Meals:
- Breakfast
Cost & Calendar
All prices are in US Dollar / Person
Economic Class (3-Star Hotels)
| 2025-04-01 ~ 2025-05-31 | 2025-06-01 ~ 2025-06-30 | 2025-07-01 ~ 2025-10-10 | 2025-10-11 ~ 2025-10-31 | 2025-11-01 ~ 2026-02-28 |
| USD760 | USD790 | USD830 | USD750 | USD710 |
Comfortable Class (4-Star Hotels)
| 2025-04-01 ~ 2025-05-31 | 2025-06-01 ~ 2025-06-30 | 2025-07-01 ~ 2025-10-10 | 2025-10-11 ~ 2025-10-31 | 2025-11-01 ~ 2026-02-28 |
| USD810 | USD840 | USD890 | USD810 | USD770 |
Schedule
| Starting Date | Price From | Booked | Book Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-02 | USD760 | open for booking | Book |
| 2025-05-05 | USD760 | open for booking | Book |
| 2025-05-09 | USD760 | open for booking | Book |
| 2025-05-12 | USD760 | open for booking | Book |
| 2025-05-16 | USD760 | open for booking | Book |
| 2025-05-19 | USD760 | open for booking | Book |
| 2025-05-23 | USD760 | open for booking | Book |
| 2025-05-26 | USD760 | open for booking | Book |
| 2025-05-30 | USD760 | open for booking | Book |
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 from You Join Together | $30 Off / person |
| Option B: | Tour in Apr~Oct |
|
Our Service
INCLUSIONS
*Lodgings: 4 Nights, twin room en suite in 3★/4★;
*Meals: 4 breakfasts & 1 welcome dinner;
*Travel-licensed vehicle according to group size & season as itinerary needed including gas and parking fee;
*Free Lhasa Railway Station transfer at all times 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 the 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);
*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 5-15 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 8-15 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 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, attractions temporarily closed. etc., resulting in a change of itinerary, the increased cost will be paid by travellers; if any attraction visits have to be cancelled 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 travellers, single supplement is required at the time of booking. If later we manage to match you with another traveller to share the twin rooms, the single supplement will be refunded;
Nationality: France We are back to Shanghai now. Tibet was great and Tibetans are nice. Your driver was very nice and his driving was super nice too.. better than in China! Car was clean as well. I think we definitely could have seen more things and do more visits.. Wish to visit Tibet again next ti ....
Read more testimonials...
Typically Asked Questions from Our Clients
Asked by Viol***
hello,
My mother and I are interested in joining one of your group tours to Tibet, and I would appreciate more details about the available options. Specifically, I’d like to understand the following:
Tour start dates and duration: Could you please share upcoming group tour schedule in terms of times?
Accommodation: What is the difference between 3-star and 4-star hotel options in your packages? And is it possible to request a room with twin beds (not a double/king), as we are traveling together but prefer separate beds?
Train travel: We would like to travel to and from Xi’an by train, if possible. Is this something your agency can help book?
If so, we would like to reserve an entire soft sleeper cabin just for the two of us, so that we are not sharing the compartment with others.
Permits and logistics: Will your agency take care of all the necessary travel permits for Tibet and help coordinate transportation and guiding services during the tour?
If there are any additional recommendations or details you think we should consider, we’d be very happy to hear them. We are also flexible on travel dates and may be able to extend our stay, depending on the itinerary.
Dear Viol****,
I'll answer your questions one by one.
1. We have a 5-day Lhasa & Yamdrotso Lake Group Tour departing on 12 August. Is the date available for you? This group tour starts on 12 August and ends on 16 August. You can leave Lhasa on the morning of August 16.
2. Relatively speaking, the conditions of 4-star hotels are better than 3-star hotels. We can arrange a twin-sharing room for you.
3. Regarding soft-sleeper train tickets between Xi'an and Lhasa, they are relatively difficult to book in August. Usually, we can grab two berths in the same cabin. I suggest you consider taking a high-speed train from Xi'an to Xining, then Xining to Lhasa soft-sleeper train. After the tour, take a Lhasa-Xining soft-sleeper, then a Xining-Xi'an high-speed train.
4. We'll apply for all permits for your Tibet tour and arrange hotels, transportation, a tour guide, etc., according to the itinerary.
5. Below are some tips for the tour.
Regarding clothes, you can bring a hat(anti-UV), scarf(against strong wind sometimes), pants, T-shirt, jacket, etc.
Wind and solar radiation are quite strong in Tibet. Skincare products are quite necessary, such as lip balms, sunblock, and skin creams, sunglasses.
Considering the high altitude, you can prepare some medication. Nuodikang Capsules or Nifedipine are recommended by most travelers. In addition, if you are worrying about altitude sickness, you can purchase two tanks of oxygen in Lhasa.
We usually hand in documents for the Tibet permit application one month in advance. Booking the tour earlier is recommended.
Asked by Susa***
5 day Lhasa and Lake tour - I would like to know what time we return to Lhasa after visiting the lake on day 4, I would like to fly from Lhasa to Shanghai on 18th April after the lake trip and not stay for another night - but maybe there is not enough time to get a flight…?
Dear Susa****
We can arrange the Lhasa & Yamdrotso Lake Group Tour departing on 15 April 2025 for you. I have checked that the direct flight from Lhasa to Shanghai departs at 15:30 pm on 18 April. In this case, you need to drive back to Lhasa at about 12:30 pm from Yamdrok Lake, and it takes 2 hours from Lhasa City to Yamdrok Lake and 1.5 hours from Yamdrok Lake to Lhasa Gonggar Airport. If you want to visit Yamdrok Lake, I suggest you join a 4 Days Lhasa City Essential Group Tour and a one-day Yamdrok Private tour, We can adjust the time to Yamdrok Lake according to your request.
Asked by Mr. ***
Hi,
We would like to do the 5 days Tibet Lhasa tour with Yamdrok Lake.
Since we have a tight schedule we were wondering if it is possible to start the tour at 2024-12-04 (4th of december 2024).
We will go from Chengdu to Lhasa and after the tour we will go from Lhasa to Beijing.
Dear Mr. Gijs****,
Up to now, we don't have 5 days Lhasa & Yamdrotso Lake Group Tour starting on 4 Dec. but we have 6 Days Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour starting on 6 Dec, which has a similar itinerary. We can send you off on Day 5. Or we can arrange a private 5 days Lhasa & Yamdrotso Lake tour for you on 4 Dec.
Asked by Petr***
I will arrive from Beijing, considering the option one way by plain and one way by train.
I could also do tour on 28.Oct. Let me know if possible.
Dear Petr****,
We can arrange the Lhasa & Yamdrotso Lake Group Tour for you. I suggest you take a train from Xining to Lhasa and leave Lhasa by plane. We can help you buy the train ticket and flight ticket.
Currently, we have 2 pa booked for the 6 Days Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour on 25 October and you can join them. In this group, we will visit Yamdrotso Lake on Day 4 and arrive in Shigatse at night. On Day 5, you can return to Lhasa and then go to the Airport, and I suggest you buy the flight after 15:00.
If your time is enough, you can also visit Tashilunpo Monastery with the other tourists and leave Lhasa on Day 6.
Asked by Hilb***
Hello, I would like to visit Lhasa, I know that a Tibet Permit is necessary and linked to a tour. I will arrive in Lhasa from Beijng on October 20 and will fly to Xi'an on October 22 in the afternoon. Can I still participate in a group tour in Lhasa and perhaps travel to Yamdrok Lake by train for a day? So October 20 in the afternoon in Lhasa, October 21 to Yamdrok Lake and October 22 in the morning in Lhasa? Perhaps you have an interesting and affordable tour for me? Thank you in advance.
Dear Hilb****,
We can arrange a Tibet tour for you on 20 October. For most tourist guests, we usually arrange a 2-day tour in Lhasa to get used to the high altitude. We can also arrange the attraction of Yamdrok Lake on the second day for you but there may be a risk of altitude sickness. Please let me know your idea.
May I know your flight time so that I can give you a customized itinerary?
And do you have a China visa now? It will take 5 working days to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit along with your China Visa and passport and several days to express the permit to your hotel in Beijing.
Read More ...