Nature and Culture Family Vacation in Lhasa

When 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

In the morning your guide will meet you at the hotel and take you to visit the famous Potala Palace, the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. It was first built by the 33rd King Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th century and rebuilt later by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Now it is a museum and world heritage site. 

In the afternoon, we will go to visit Jokhang Temple in the center of the old Lhasa city. 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 which is 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 is also a must-see place for visitors.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

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Today’s first attraction is Drepung Monastery. Drepung means "piles of rice" in Tibetan, which symbolizes prosperity. It's the world's largest monastery that housed more than 10,000 monks in the past. Also, It's the highest-ranking monastery in the Gelug Sect. After lunch, you will continue to visit the Sera Monastery, the most beautiful Tibetan monastery in Lhasa. The Buddhist scripture debating is the highlight of Sera Monastery.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

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A perfect way to understand the simplicity of Tibetan life is to immerse yourself in actual Tibetan village life. By doing so, you will readily have a first-hand experience of how it is to live like a Tibetan. Today you're going to visit a specific Tibetan home in a remote village outside of Lhasa. In that home, you can actually try homemade Tibetan food and real Tibetan milk tea.

Tibetans are one of the friendliest people in the world and they are known for their exemplary hospitability. Hence, on this day, your family is free to explore a Tibetan village and build lasting friendships with some of the local villagers. Your family will also get to experience the faithful devotion of the Tibetans by visiting a local Tibetan place of worship. Nevertheless, you may also get the chance to make your own thangka, pulu, and other Tibetan delicacies.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

After your amazing journey in Lhasa city, the next destination is 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 (5030m), 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 Tibetan, the lake is the transformation of turquoise earrings scattered by the Goddess. You will be stocked at the beauty but can’t get a whole view here. Looking down from above, the lake panorama looks like the shape of an eardrop surrounded by a mountain. The scenery appears in different colors of blue from different moments in one angle as a dreamland. Looking from far beyond, you can find other scenery. Local animals are walking 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.