Day 1: Fly from Kathmandu to Lhasa. Early morning you are transferred to the airport to board the plane for the flight over the Himalaya to Lhasa. If the weather is clear there are wonderful views of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu, Kanchenjunga and other peaks en route. On arrival at Gonggar airport (which is 90 km. from Lhasa), you meet your vehicle and drive east along the broad Yarlung Tsangpo valley to Tsedang (3400m.). After checking in to your hotel you drive south to see the reputed oldest building in Tibet, the Yumbu Lakhang, a beautiful castle-like dwelling and monastery, dramatically perched on a spur looking out over the fertile valley below. If time permits you may be able to visit a small monastery close to Tsedang, or an interesting carpet factory where you can see the whole process of carpet making. Stay overnight at hotel.
Day 2: This day you visit Potala Palace, Sera Monastery and Norbulinka. One of the highlights is the visit to the symbol of Tibet; the Potala Palace set high on Red Hill, the winter home of the Dalai Lama until 1959. The most sacred temple in Lhasa is the Lokhang, where people come from all over Tibet to visit and pray in this spiritual heart of the country. It was used as a military kitchen during the Cultural Revolution but has now been beautifully restored, with many priceless thangkas and statues adorning the chapels, and magnificent gilded roofs.
In the afternoon visit Sera monastery, which was created in 1419, has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called “the court of wild rose”. Today still 200 lamas live in there. Another great treasure is the Norbulingka – the old summer palace of the Dalai Lama. Stay overnight at hotel.
Day 3: This day you are programmed to visit Drepung Monastery, Jorkhang Temple and Barkhor Street. This day you are programmed to visit Drepung monastery, one of the great monasteries of the Gelukpa (yellow hat) sect, just outside Lhasa. There is time to explore Lhasa on your own, perhaps visiting the Tibetan Medical College or the Ramoche temple (one of the oldest religious buildings in Tibet).
In the evening you visit Jorkhang temple, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred land of Buddhist followers where innumerable pilgrims come for worship everyday. The temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Surrounding the Jorkhang Temple is the bustling Barkhor Market place which is the religious and social focus of Lhasa. Around the Barkhor there are numerous stalls selling all sorts of handicrafts: brightly colored boots and fur-lined hats, silver and turquoise jewelry, rosaries, prayer flags and charms, as well as beautiful Tibetan carpets and all manner of ordinary household ware. Stay overnight at hotel.
Day 4: Early morning transfer to Gonggar airport and fly to Kathmandu. The flight from Lhasa to Kathmandu takes one hour and during your flight, you can see Yarlung Tsangpo River, Yamdrok Tso [Lake], Mount Kanchanjungha (8,586m.), Mount Makalu (8,463m.) and Mount Everest (8,848m.). But the visibility depends on the weather condition. Your Tibet Tour ends on your arrival at Kathmandu Airport.
