D01
Gonggar Airport-Lhasa
Activities: Rest to acclimatize the high altitude
Meals: No
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
You’ll be met on arrival at Lhasa airport by your ATT local guide, who will transfer you to a hotel in Lhasa. On the way you will enjoy the spectacular scenery, and the typical Tibetan villages as well as the Yak-skin-boat cruising on Yalung Tsangpo River.
After lunch stay at the hotel for adapting to the high attitude. It is helpful to take things easy for the first few days, and better to drink some water.
Today's activities end.
D02
Lhasa Sightseeing
Activities: Potala Palace, Johkang Monastery, Barkhor
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
After breakfast your ATT local guide will pick you up at the hotel and take you to the Potala Palace, where you will learn about the history of successive Dalai Lamas, the unique style of Tibetan architecture. This will last for the whole morning.
After lunch your ATT local guide will lead you to have a view of the Johkang Monastery, the first Tibetan Buddhism monastery built in the center of Lhasa city.
Then walk on the Barkhor street surrounding Jokhang, a big free market with its prolific stalls for selling local specialties.
Today's activities end.
D03
Lhasa Sightseeing
Activities: Drepung Monastery, Sera monastery, Sera Kora walk
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
After breakfast your ATT local guide will pick you up at the hotel and take you to the Drepung Monastery, the biggest monastery in the world. There were once more than 10,000 monks studying and living here.
After lunch your ATT local guide will lead you to visit Sera Monastery, one of the three main monasteries of Gelug sect in Tibetan Buddhism.
Then you can do the Sera Kora walk of about 1 hour and then catch the famous debate session of the monks before returning back to Lhasa.
Today's activities end.
D04
Lhasa-Tsedang
Activities: Samye Monastery
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
After breakfast your ATT local guide will pick you up at the hotel. Then drive to Tsedang, the cradle of Tibetan civilization and culture, and also the political and economic center of Shannan Prefecture.
On the way you can pay a visit to Samye Monastery. It is the first monastery ever built in Tibetan area, built in 762 and completed in 779.
When arriving Tsedang, check in the hotel.
Today's activities end.
Day 05
Tsedang Sightseeing
Activities: Yarlung Valley, Yumbulakhang Palace, Trandruk Monastery, Mindroling Monastery
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
After breakfast your ATT local guide will pick you up at the hotel. In the morning, make a trip in the Yarlung valley to visit the Yumbulakhang Palace, a medieval-European castle-like structure, reputed as Tibet’s oldest building. It doesn’t take that long to explore Yumblagang, perhaps the best part of the visit is the walk up along the ridge about the building. There’re fabulous views of the Yarlung valley.
Then have a tour to Trandruk Monastery. It was built during the reign of King Songtsan Gampo, amd considered one of the first monasteries built in Tibet. Next proceed to Mindroling Monastery. The statues in this monastery are much different with those in other places.
Today's activities end.
Day 06
Tsedang-Gyantse
Activities: Yamdrok Yum Tso
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
After breakfast your ATT local guide will pick you up at the hotel. Then drive 350KM to Gyantse. The town is strategically located in the Nyang River Valley on the ancient trade routes from the Chumbi Valley, Yatung and Sikkim, which met here.
On the way you can have a fantastic view of the holy lake of Yamdrok Yum Tso (4,441M) at the Ganba La (4,796 M).
When arriving at Gyantse, check in the hotel.
Today's activities end.
Day 07
Gyantse-Shigatse
Activities: Pelkor Monastery, Kumbum Stupa, Shalu Monastery, Tashilumpu Monastery
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
After breakfast your ATT local guide will pick you up at the hotel. In the morning, visit Pelkor Monastery as well as the splendid Kumbum Stupa (10-Thousand-Buddha Pagoda) nearby Gyantse.
Then drive onward to Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet and also the hometown of Panchen Lama. On the way visit Shalu Monastery.
Upon arrival, have a visit to the Tashilumpu Monastery, the main attraction of Shigatse city and its free market.
Today's activities end.
Day 08
Shigatse-Shegar
Activities: Tashilumpu Monastery, Sakya Monastery
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
After breakfast your ATT local guide will pick you up at the hotel. In the morning, visit Tashilumpu Monastery. The monastery is the traditional seat of successive Panchen Lamas, the second highest ranking Tulku lineage in the Gelukpa tradition.
Then drive to Shegar via Gyatsola Mountain Pass (5,220M). It takes 6-7 hours to get there covering 310 KM. The road is bumpy and dusty. If time permits, have a tour to Sakya Monastery en route. Today you can appreciate the evening scenery of Mt. Everest enough.
Upon arrival, check in the hotel.
Today's activities end.
Day 09
Shegar-Mt. Everest Base Camp
Activities: Rongbuk Monastery, Mt. Everest Base Camp
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
After breakfast your ATT local guide will pick you up at the hotel. Drive to Rongpuk Monastery, Rongbuk monastery lies by the foot of the Rongbuk Glacier at 5,100M above sea level, it is the highest monastery in the world. It is only 200M lower than the north side Everest Base Camp of Mount Everest.
Then hike up to Everest BC. Rest of day own leisure time, you could take a little bit of time to explore the glacier.
If weather permits, camp in the tents. Otherwise overnight in the only hotel near EBC— the Sightseeing Hotel.
Today's activities end.
Day 10
Mt. Everest Base Camp -Shigatse
Activities: Rongbuk Monastery, Mt. Everest Base Camp
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
In the early morning, watch the sunrise in Mt. Everest, if weather permitting. After breakfast your ATT local guide will pick you up at the hotel and then drive back to Shigatse.
It’s really a long way to drive back to Shigatse.
Today's activities end.
Day 11
Shigatse - Namtso
Activities: Yangpacheng, Namtso Lake
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
Drive to Namtso Lake from Shigatse city in the morning. Have a shot stop for the beautiful view of the grassland near Yangpacheng. When arriving Namtso Lake (245km to the north of Lhasa), enjoying the glory of sunset over the lake. By the lake, you can view the peak of Nyianchentangula (7162m). Stay overnight at the bank of the lake.
Today's activities end.
Day 12
Namtso - Lhasa
Activities: Namtso Lake, Tashi Dor Monastery, Curpu monastery
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
Photo enthusiast can shot sunrise at Namtso Lake. Then have a little hiking around Namtso Lake and explore the Tashi peninsula by walking around the holy hill, the cliffs of which have eroded over the centuries. Visit Tashi Dor Monastery. On the way piles of mani stones stand. If lucky, you could have a glance of the nomads in yak hair tents who have been living on the pastures between the holy Nam Tso and Nyenchentangla. In the afternoon, drives 250KM back to Lhasa, on the way, pay a visit the HOME monastery of Garma Kargyuelpa order -- Curpu monastery.
Today you could do the Tashi Dor Monastery Kora if you like, there are some fine walks in this area. The short kora path takes less than an hour. It leads off west from the accommodation area to a chapel hidden behind a large splinter of rock. Another main attraction of a trip to Namtso is the opportunity to get a peek at the otherwise inaccessible nomadic life of the Changtang, Tibet’s vast northern plateau. You may get the opportunity to stop at the brown or black spider-like tents of nomads.
Today's activities end.
Day 13
Lhasa - Train Station or Gonggar Airport
Activities: Transfer from hotel to train station or airport
Meals: Breakfast
Transportation: Jingbei or Toyota 4500
Departure transfers for the trai or flight out, tour service ends.
Today's activities end.