This morning, we take a flight to Lhasa. Our local tour guide will meet you at Lhasa airport, and escort you to hotel in Lhasa city. Lhasa is a city and administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is one of the most featured and dreamt-about cities in the world. Because the city has over 1,000 years' cultural and spiritual history which leaves an impressive heritage that has helped to create the romantic and mysterious Tibetan religion. Besides, it has high altitude (3,490 meters) which means remoteness and limited accessibility.

For most of the way, you follow the Kyichu River, you could see Tibetan homes with their trapezoid shaped windows and fluttering prayer flags, and Tibetans walking beside the roads wearing their distinctive national costumes. Do have a comfort stop near Nietang Buddha where a giant statue of Buddha has been carved out of a stone cliff-face centuries ago. One of the first buildings you could see as you enter the city is the Potala Palace, sitting majestically on a hill dominating Lhasa. Stay at the hotel after arrival for adapting to the high attitude. It is helpful to take things easy for the first few days, and try to drink some water just and now. 
    

TRAVEL TIPS.

Before going to Tibet.

Try to keep healthy and not catch a cold before entering and while in Tibet, as illness makes any altitude sickness feel worse. Take it easy and rest well, keep warm, drink a lot of water, and eat simply the first two days in Tibet to reduce any altitude sickness symptoms.

What to Pack/Carry/Wear for Tibet trip?
Good camera.

Clothes: Warm clothes, such as sweaters and fleeces are needed even in summer as the day-night temperature drop is big. A thick down coat is essential if you go to the Everest. If you go in the low season bring mountain winter clothes.

Lip cream: It is very dry so bring a lip cream to protect your lips.

Sunglasses, Sunscreen cream, Comfortable walking shoes (Almost all monasteries have steep steps to climb), Snacks.

Altitude sickness medicine: Taking the medicine one day before arriving at high altitude increases effectiveness.
Motion sickness medicine if you have motion sickness on long mountain road journeys.
Anti-diarrhea medicine: Tibetan food is very different from what you are probably used to, and it may not agree with your digestive system.

ABOUT TIBET ENTRY PERMIT.
The Tibet Entry Permit is the key to entering and traveling in Tibet. It is the most important permit and is a must for foreigners entering Tibet. With this permit, you can visit Lhasa, the Potala Palace, Shigatse, and Namtso Lake. We usually needs 20 days to apply for the permit.

Can foreigners visit Tibet without Tour Guide?
Presently, no individual travelers are allowed to travel to Tibet. All tours must be booked in advance by a Chinese travel agency. Your tour in Tibet must be accompanied by a licensed tour guide.

This morning, your tour guide will meet you at hotel lobby, then we drive to visit Potala Palace first. Potala Palace is a golden feather upon the roof of the world,  which Tibetans proudly claim to be the prime miracle since the creation of this. It is visible from any distance, with the golden roof shinning  in the sun, spend one hour wondering around the inside of this magnificent building exploring the rooms previously used by the Dalai Lama and the many Buddhist icons within.

After lunch, we go to Jokhang Temple. The Jokhang, like most of the larger temple structures have numerous individual temples within it dedicated to specific enlightened beings, protectors, high lamas, or saints. Images, both sculpted and painted, are everywhere. Every   inch of wall and ceiling is brightly painted with images of clouds, beings, mandalas, or decorative patterns. Colorful silk banners, three- storey high, hang in various places. Color, pattern, and images crowd in around you. The central image inside the building is a 30-foot high gilded image of Maitreya Buddha.                                         

Then we stroll around the back alleys of the Barkhor area of Old Lhasa. The streets smelled of yak butter and incense while hordes of pilgrims shuffled along the main Kora (circumambulations) around Jokhang Temple. After tour, we drive back to hotel.

This morning, we drive to Drepung Monastery first. The monastery is the ever largest monastery with more than 10 thousand monks, Buddhist debates often occur there. Seen from afar, its grand, white construction gives the monastery the appearance of a heap of rice. As such, it was given its name which means Monastery of Collecting-Rice in the Tibetan language. Learn about the lives of Tibetan monks there.

After lunch, we go to Sera Monastery. The monastery was created in 1419 and 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 there. Catch the famous debate session of the monks before going to Norbulingka.

Located at the bank of the Kyichu River, Norbulingka is the biggest man-made garden in Tibet. The park (originally built during 1740) was used as the Summer Palace for successive Lamas, where they solved the political problems and held festive celebrations. Norbulingka reflects the ethnical, religious features 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. After tour, we drive back to hotel.

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This morning, we leave hotel and drive to Shigatse. Stop at Lake Yamdrok, one of the four holy lakes in Tibet. Lying under sunshine, the peaceful water seems like a bright mirror. The reflection of sunshine in different depths lends the lake gorgeous and mysterious colors. Overlooked from nearby high mountain, one could see the Lake, like a holy sapphire, set in the group of mountains. In the lake, are dotted several small islands. On the islands, fertile grasses and groups of wild birds betray peaceful but vigorous natural scenery. Embraced by the uninterrupted snow-capped mountains and lying under the clear blue sky, Yamdrok Lake appears very holy and evokes solemnity.

Afterwards, we go on the trip, stop at Pelkor Monastery as well as the splendid Kumbum Stupa (100-Thousand-Buddha Pagoda) nearby, both of them built in the15th century and situated in the northwestern edge of Gyantse.

Then, we go on our trip to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet.

This morning, we go to Tashilumpo Monastery, the holy seat of the Panchen Lama, which is essentially a walled town with cobbled and twisting lanes that revolve around a magnificent monastery.                                         

After lunch, we take a slightly different route back to Lhasa along Yarlung Tsangpo River, be wrapped again in the endless vistas of the Tibetan plateau.

Today, we' ll visit Lake Namtso whose purity and solemnness are symbols of Qinghai-Tibet Platean.

The lake is considered one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and famous for its high altitude (4720 meters), vast area (1961 square kilometers) and beautiful scenery. Being the second largest saltwater lake in China only after Qinghai Lake, Namtso is the biggest lake throughout Tibet. Meanwhile, it is the highest altitude saltwater lake in the world.

The water here is a storybook crystal-clear blue. Clear skies join its surface in the distance, creating an integrated, scenic vista. Soul of every visitor who has ever been here seems to be cleaned by the pure water. After tour, we drive back to hotel in Lhasa.

Hotel - Lhasa airport - Shanghai.

‍Today, we' ll leave Lhasa. Our tour guide will meet you at hotel lobby, then escort you to Lhasa airport. We take a flight back to Shanghai. Good bye, Tibet!