Tibet Tour – Fly in / Fly out

Day 01:           Arrive in Lhasa & drive to Tsedang

Upon arrival meet and assist at the airport by our representative. Drive to Tsedang Check in to the hotel.

Tsedang: 195 Km from Lhasa, it is known as the cradle of Tibetan Civilization. The ancient town offers a number of side trips that illustrate Tibet's early history the Valley of the Kings (ancient capital of the Yarlung Kings who established the Tibetan Nation)

Overnight at Hotel  [-/-/-]

Day 02:           In Tsedang

After breakfast, explore the breathtaking Yarlung Valley. Known as the cradle of Tibetan civilization, Yarlung valley was the home of Tibet’s early kings, whose vast empire, at its height during the 7^th to the 9^th century, spanned most of Cenral Asia. Visit their colossal tombs, located in Chongye, which testify to the region’s grandeur and antiquity. These structures, some measuring up to 200 meters per side and up to 30 meters in height, are rich source of information about Tibetan life and society during the Yarlung Dynasty. This period marked the end of the funeral custom of earth-burial in Central Tibet.Sky burial subsequently became the norm for ordinary people while cremation or embalming was preferred for important lamas.

Tibetan Kings’ Tombs (Chongye Burial Mounds): The Yarlung valley contains many of Tibetan histories and legends, tombs of the greatest kings of Yarlung Dynasty. It has almost 20 different tombs that belong to the honorable kings of Tibet. This place is also referred to as Chongye, because all the tombs are situated near the Chongye town and east of the Chongye River covering a land of some hundreds of square kilometers. The small and sacred Nyingmapa temple that was reconstructed in the 13th century sits nearby and plays a major role in the mythical stories of the region. The main statue belongs to the 33rd king Songtsen Gampo with his two foreign queens and his chief minister (Gar Tongtsen). At the ridge of Chingpa Taktse is the Dzong, which was the ancient residence of the Yarlung kings and birthplace of the great fifth Dalai Lama in 1617.

Traddruk Monastery: is one of the earliest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet the principal shrine of the Yarlung Valley, which was conceived and built in the 7th century as a small-scale copy of the Jokhang in Lhasa. It is said that the temple was built by King Songtsan Gampo and later became the winter palace of the King and Princess Wencheng in Tsedang. Tradruk Monastery houses the Pearl Tangkha, which was made of 29,026 pearls and different precious stones.This splendid monastery houses several statues of Padmasambhava, which according to legend were created by the Indian master himself.

Yumbulhakhang: Built in the 2nd century B.C, Yambulakhang Palace stands on top of a hill on the east bank of the Yalong River in the southeast of Naidong county.  It is situated about 12 kilometers south of Tsedang and was built by King Nyatri Tsedpo who is believed to have descended from heaven. It's the oldest known building in Tibet, and the first building in Tibet. It is a fortress-like dwelling built on the spur of a hill that commands an impressive view of the entire fertile valley below.

It was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and the present structure, rebuilt in 1982, is an exact replica of the original.

Overnight at Hotel [B/-/-]

 Day 03:           Drive to Lhasa en-route visit Samye Monastery

Samye Monastery: Situated amidst breathtaking scenery, built in the 8th century, Samye Monastery was the first Buddhist monastery to be founded in Tibet by King Trisong Detsen of Tibet who sought to revitalize Buddhism, which had in the 7th century. A unique monastery and village rolled into one, Samye is a highlight of a visit to Tibet.

Samye is famous for its sacred mandala design: the central temple symbolizes the legendary Mount Meru, center of the universe. It is a popular pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Buddhists, some of whom travel on foot for weeks to reach it.

This monastery is designed to represent the Buddhist Universe and many of the buildings in the courtyard are cosmological symbols. At the center of the monastery ground is the most impressive of the monastery buildings, and the center of this is a central pole, which represents the core of the Universe. The complex originally had 108 buildings (an auspicious number to the Tibetans) and there were 1008 chortens on the circular wall that rings the monastery.

Overnight at hotel in Lhasa [B/-/-]

 Day 04:           In Lhasa

Visit Sera and Drepung Monastery

Sera Monastery: 5km North of Lhasa, the Sera Monastery’s setting is one of the prettiest in Lhasa, hugging the ridge that forms the Northern wall of the Kyi Chu Valley. Founded in 1419, Sera Monastery is one of the "great three" Gelukpa university monasteries in Tibet. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The origin of the name 'Sera' is not certain, but it may have come from the wild roses (se ra in Tibetan) surrounding the original site.

In its heyday, Sera hosted a huge monastic population and five colleges. Like Drepung, the colleges in Sera specialized in: Sera Me in fundamental precepts of Buddhism, Sera Je in instruction of itinerant monks and Sera Ngagpa in Tantric studies.

The monastery is magnificent, featuring a unique style quite different from other famous monasteries in Lhasa and covering an area of 114,946 square meters (28 acres). Its main buildings are the Coqen Hall, Zhacang (college) and Kamcun (dormitory). Buddhist Scriptures written in gold powder, fine statues, scent cloths and unparalleled murals can be found in these halls. The monastery is a Buddhist think-tank and lively debates on Buddhist doctrines are held here.

Drepung Monastery: About 8km to the west of central Lhasa, Drepung is one of the "great three" Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet. The other two are Ganden and Sera. Seen from afar, Drepung’s grand, white construction gives the monastery the appearance of a heap of rice hence; Drepung literally means ‘heaps of rice’. The fertility of its fields supported a monastic community that before 1959, ranked as Tibet’s largest monastery with 7,770 monks. Since the 1950s, Drepung Monastery, along with its peers Ganden and Sera have lost much of their independence and spiritual credibility in the eyes of Tibetans since they operate under the close watch of the Chinese security services.

For over 500 years Drepung served as the major pillar of the theocratic state, serving as the main political headquarters for the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It also served as the residence of the Dalai Lamas until the Potala Palace was constructed in 1645. Suffering only minor damage during the Cultural Revolution Drepung has plenty of historical relics, Buddhist scriptures and arts.

The Drepung Monastery houses many cultural relics, making it more beautiful and giving it more historical significance. Statues of famous celebrities in Buddhism are found on the first story of the Coqen Hall, rare sutras on the second story, and a famous conch shell on the third one. All of these add to the mystique of the monastery.

Overnight at hotel in Lhasa [B/-/-]

Day 05:           In Lhasa

Visit Potala Palace, Jokhang, Norbulinka & Bharkhor

Potala Palace: Potala Palace, the chief residence of the Dalai Lama since the 7^th century has been the focus of the travelers for centuries. It is the cardinal landmark and a structure of massive proportion. It symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its role in the traditional administration of Tibet. It is an architectural gem that was built in the colossal monastic style of Central Tibet in the 7^th century but rebuilt in the mid 17^th century. The Tibetans themselves rarely speak of the sacred place as the "Potala", but rather as "Peak Potala" (Tse Potala), or usually as "The Peak."

It stands 300m above the valley floor, atop the hill called Marpo Ri, the ‘Red Hill’. The Potala Palace is an immense structure with an interior space of about 130,000 square meters, it has thirteen stories of buildings containing 1000 rooms, 1000 shrines and about 200,000 statues that date from 1645 when the fifth Dalai Lama began erecting a palace that would serve as a sacred and administrative center. It served all the succeeding Dalai Lamas until the 14^th Dalai Lama who fled to Dharamshala, India during the 1959 Tibetan Uprising. Today, the Potala Palace has been converted into a museum by the Chinese authorities.

The Potala palace is one of Tibet’s most impressive and enduring monuments that was protected by the Chinese Army of Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. As a result many of its chapels and treasures are intact, virtually unchanged since the 17^th century. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

 Jokhang Temple: Jokhang meaning ‘House of the Lord’ in Tibetan is located at the center of the old Lhasa and is the oldest and the most revered religious structure in Tibet. Built in 647 by Songtsen Gampo, it has a history of more than 1,300 years. It was built by craftsmen from Tibet, China and Nepal and thus features an intriguing mix of architectural styles.

Jokhang Temple also houses many invaluable cultural relics. Every year, the Great Prayer Festival is held here. The rites of Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas' initiation into lamahood are also held in the monastery.

Princess Wencheng made use of Chinese astrology to decide that the temple should be built over the pool where the temple is now located. She believed that the pool was a witch's heart and that building the temple over it would purify the area of evil. This pool still exists under the temple. Outside the temple an old and withered willow tree has survived centuries and is said to be planted by Princess Wencheng herself.

Norbulingka: Built 100 years after the Potala palace, Norbulingka means ‘Treasure Park’ in Tibetan and is situated in the western suburb of Lhasa City, on the bank of the Kyichu River, about one kilometer southwest of the Potala Palace. It is the biggest man-made garden in Tibet. The park was built by the Seventh Dalai Lama in 1755, and became the summer residence of the Eighth Dalai Lama. The garden contains an abundance of chapels, gardens, fountains, and pools as well as a variety of beautiful flowers and trees. Norbulingka reflects both the ethnic and religious traits of the Tibetan people and embodies the architecture style of inland China. It is of great cultural value and was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2001 as an extension of Potala Palace.

During the Cultural Revolution, the Norbulingka complex suffered extensive damage. However, in 2001, the Central Committee of the Chinese Government in its 4th Tibet Session resolved to restore the complex to its original glory.

The garden is a favorite picnic spot and provides a beautiful venue for theatre, dancing and festivals, particularly the Sho Dun or 'Yoghurt Festival', at the beginning of August, with families camping in the grounds for days surrounded by colorful makeshift windbreaks of rugs and scarves and enjoying the height of summer weather. There is also a zoo at Norbulingka, originally to keep the animals that were given to the Dalai Lama. Heinrich Harrer helped the 14th Dalai Lama build a small movie theatre there in the 1950s.

Barkhor Market: Barkhor Street is the oldest street in Lhasa and runs through the center of the old city. It is a circular street where Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts assemble. The word Barkhor refers to the middle of the three concentric holy circuits around the Jokhang.

The Barkhor Circuit runs through the heart of the old city where life has changed little down the centuries and it gives you a curious sensation of having slipped through time into a medieval carnival. Tibetans walk clockwise around the Jokhang Temple to pay their respects to Sakyamuni, establishing Barkhor Street as Tibet's "Sacred Way". Each day hundreds of Buddhist pilgrims flow in from every corner of Tibet and across China to make the trek through Barkhor Street. Some merely walk, but some progress by body-lengths along the street clockwise every day into deep night to worship Sakyamuni. Barkhor will allow you to experience firsthand the religious fervor of Tibet.

Overnight at hotel in Lhasa [B/-/-]

Day 06: Departure [B]

Transfer and assist at the airport by our representative.

Cost  includes:

• Arrival and departure by our representative.
• 02 nights’ accommodation in Hotel on twin/ double sharing on the bed and breakfast basis as per the above mentioned hotels.
• 03 nights’ accommodation in Lhasa on twin/ double sharing on the bed and breakfast basis as per the above mentioned hotels.
• All entrance and monument fee as indicated in the program.
• All the sightseeing tour in Tibet will be provided as per the program with local English speaking Tibetan guide.
• All transfer by private vehicle
• Tibet travel permit.

 

Cost does not include:

• International airfares and taxes [Quoted separately, subject to change if revised]
• Chinese visa. [Quoted separately]
• Meals which are not mention in itinerary.
• Refreshment, bottled drinks.
• Gratuities, Tipping to Guide and drivers.
• Insurance and rescue in any form.
• Cost arising out of flight cancellation / road blockades/landslides/riots and event beyond our control
• Expenses of personal nature and any other expenses not mentioned in the above cost.
• Photography charges in the monastery and monuments.