TT-06 Lhasa & Namtso Lake

Arrival in Lhasa with a warm welcome from your guide and driver who will transfer you to the hotel. Lhasa, at a quite manageable altitude of 3,650 meters (12,000 feet), is a unique city and a real highlight. The setting, history, architecture, people and contrasts all make for a very special travel experience. Free time to relax and adjust to the altitude or start exploring the city.

Today you visit one of the architectural highlights of China – if not the world – the vast Potala Palace, former residence of the Dalai Lama’s of Tibet. Building started in 1645 and has been added to over the centuries. It is 13 stories high and contains over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and 200,000 statues. You will see some of the meeting rooms as well as the extraordinary chapels with their vast gold and jewel encrusted shrines to previous Dalai Lamas – the chapel of the 5th Dalai Lama has a stupa coated in 3,727kg of gold and 18,680 precious stones. The Potala dominates Lhasa and the views from the palace stretch out across the city to the surrounding mountains.

After lunch (own arrangement) visit the Jokhang Temple constructed in 642 AD and considered the most sacred and important temple in all Tibet. It is located at one end of Barkhor Square, a fascinating meeting point for pilgrims from all over the region making for an intense atmosphere infused with incense and devotion. Surrounding the temple is the Barkhor Kora, a 1 km circular walk for pilgrims and locals as well as a fascinating market selling all the goods a pilgrim might need on their travels.

Continue to Sera Monastery, spread over 28 acres at the base of Pubuchok mountain and built in 1419. The highlights are the great assembly hall and some of the colleges located within the complex with their wealth of architectural features and shrines.

Today we begin a classic Tibetan adventure to the remote and stunning Namtso Lake 275km / 6 hours from Lhasa with its dramatic backdrop of the Nyainqêntanglha mountain range. On route we stop at the Drak Yerpa to visit the hermits caves and chapels before driving through the Penpo valley and crossing the Chakla and Largen la passes to Namtso lake where we arrive in the afternoon. Free time to explore the lakeshore area and enjoy the spectacular sun-set view of the lake and its backdrop of mountains.

NOTE: Tonight you have the choice of staying at the Holy lake guest house close to the lake which doesn’t have rooms with a shower or private toilet or stay in Damshung where we can use a more comfortable guesthouse which does have basic rooms with private bathroom. You can decide which place once at Namsto itself.

If you get up early this morning you might catch the sunrise over the lake. The rest of the morning is spent at the lake where you can hike around the Tashi Dor hermit cave and chapels or head into the hills.

Late morning we leave for Lhasa (250 km / 4 hours) crossing the Damshung and Nyingchen Thangla passes before going through the expansive Yangpachen nomadic grass-lands and Tulong valley where we can stop at local farming villages to meet people or take photos. Late afternoon arrival in Lhasa where you can further explore the Old City or have some free time to relax or souvenir shop.

Free time until a transfer to your onward transport out of Lhasa. We believe, like so many, you will have come under Tibet’s magical spell!