Lhasa Tour - The Best Of Tibet

Lhasa, which means the “place of the gods”, is also the religious capital of Tibet, where Buddhist master Padmasambhava is said to have magically pinned down the earth demoness and built the foundation of the Jokhang Temple over her heart. You will visit the Potala Palace, which was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama and is now a museum and World Heritage Site. The building measures 400 meters east-west and 350 meters north-south, with sloping stone walls that have copper poured into the foundations to help prove it against earthquakes. The palace has thirteen stories containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines, and about 200,000 statues, and is situated at 117 meters (384 ft) on top of Marpo Ri, the “Red Hill”, rising more than 300 m (about 1,000 ft) in total above the valley floor. It is magnificent and provides a breathtaking view of the valley. Next, we visit the Norbulingka Palaces, which were built by the 7th Dalai Lama and served both as the administrative center and religious center, was also the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. Also a World Heritage site, the palace has what is considered to be the largest man-made garden in Tibet. Next, we visit the Tibet Museum, the official museum of Tibet, which has a permanent collection of around 1000 artifacts related to the cultural history of Tibet. Overnight in Lhasa.

In the morning, we drive to Ganden Monastery, one of the “great three” Gelug university monasteries of Tibet located at the top of Wangbur Mountain at an altitude of 4,300m. Ganden Monastery has extremely delicate and fine murals and sculptures, with more than two dozen major chapels with large Buddha statues. The monastery also houses artifacts that belonged to Tsongkhapa, including his tomb. It also has an armor suit decorated with gems worn by Emperor Qianlong, which was bestowed to the monastery as an offering to Tsong Khapa, founder of the Gelug sect. We then drive to Drayerpa Cave located in a beautiful valley with a stunning landscape, that has more than 30 caves for Lamas who wish to meditate. In the evening, we drive back to Lhasa. Overnight in Lhasa.

We visit the Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Bazaar. The Drepung Monastery, which was built in the 14th century, is believed to have sheltered around 10,000 monks in the past. The history, culture, and religious beliefs of the Tibetan people are strongly concentrated and centered in this marvelous monastery. The Sera Monastery is a preserved monastery with white-washed walls and golden roofs. Jokhang Temple is another important sacred site that unravels more deep-seated mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism. We then stroll through the Barkhor Bazaar (market). With its open-air stalls, shops, and a crowd of pilgrims, it is the epicenter of Lhasa. Overnight in Lhasa. Overnight in Lhasa.

Departure day; you can complete your last-minute shopping. Representatives of the Mount Adventure Holidays will transport you to the airport. Important Note: Your safety is of paramount importance to us at the Alpine Club of Himalaya. We have the absolute authority to cancel the trip or change the itinerary, when deemed necessary or when we have reason to believe your safety is at stake. Weather conditions, the health condition of a group member, natural disasters, and such, can contribute to changes in the itinerary when traveling in remote mountainous regions. In these extreme situations, we kindly request that you offer your full cooperation to the trusted leader of the group appointed by the Mount Adventure Holidays. However, we assure you that we will make every effort to keep to the above itinerary.