Cobalt Blue Sky Over Lhasa's Potala Palace

  Welcome to Tibet, the Roof of the World

Private, Guided, Customized Tours for Individuals or Groups

This classic tour will primarily focus on the ancient city of Lhasa. This wondrously, magical city is generally considered to be the heart of Tibet and is filled with unparalleled history, culture and beauty. The Potala Palace dominates the skyline with its powerful and ancient architecture. The numerous temples and monasteries that surround the city allow travelers to experience Tibetan Buddhism first hand. A visit to Lhasa will stay with you for many years to come.

We specialize in custom-made travel. Below, we have given you a suggested itinerary for your time in Tibet. It is based on the most common requests of our travelers. If you wish to tailor it to your specific interests, we have also listed some alternate itinerary suggestions. Most will not change the price of your tour. A few have a nominal price increase.  Contact us to design your own tour.

If you are able to stay in Tibet for a longer time, we can help you plan other itineraries that meet your needs.

Tour Highlights:

Day 1:  Arrival, transfer to hotel, afternoon rest, dinner 

Day 2:  Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street

Day 3:  Norbulingka, Tibetan Museum, Sera Monastery, Tibetan Culture Show

Day 4:  Transfer to airport or train station

Tour Pricing:  Starting at $270 per person.    Contact us for a quote.

Suggested Alternate Tour Choices:    Choices Listed Below

Services Included in Tour:

Services Not Included in Tour:

• Lunch, dinner      (At a reasonable, additional cost, a full meal plan can be added.)
• Personal insurance
• Personal expenses

Also not included are the tips for the tour guide and the driver. We recommend that you tip each of them $5 USD per day.

Itinerary:  On this four day tour you will visit many of Tibet's best-known sights. 

Tour Day 1

Your guide and driver will meet you at the airport or train station and transfer you to your hotel in Lhasa's city center. If you arrive by air, you will have the opportunity to see the countryside on the way to Lhasa. If you should arrive by train, your guide and driver will take you on a short driving tour of Lhasa. Your guide will help you check into your Barkhor area hotel in the old city center.

Because Lhasa is 12,000 feet above sea level, it is necessary for you to acclimate to the high altitude. You should avoid excess physical activity for the rest of the day to prevent altitude sickness. We strongly recommend that you plan on a minimum of two hours resting upon arrival at your hotel. Also be sure to drink plenty of water. Late in the afternoon, your guide will contact you. A short, leisurely walk in the Barkhor area of your hotel, followed by dinner, will end your first day in Lhasa.

Tour Day 2

After breakfast at your hotel, we will visit the extraordinary Potala Palace. Built in the 17th century, on top of the original 7th century palace of King Songtsen Gampo, the Potala Palace dominates the skyline. Now listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this massive structure contains a small world within its walls. Once the winter home of the Dalai Lamas; the Palace contains the jeweled stupas of eight previous Dalai Lamas, grand halls, and important chapels. You will have the opportunity to view a priceless collection of sculptures, thangkas, murals, mandalas, and other valuable cultural relics. At one time, the tallest building in the world, the Potala Palace offers commanding views of Lhasa and the surrounding mountains.

After lunch we will visit the Barkhor and the Jokhang Temple. This area is both the spiritual heart of Lhasa as well as the main commercial district for Tibetans. The Jokhang Temple was built in the 7th century by King Songtsen Gampo and is the most sacred religious structure in Tibet. The oldest wood
and masonry structure still in existence in Tibet; the Jokhang Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pilgrims from all over Tibet travel here to worship. After visiting the temple, we will explore the back-streets of the Barkhor, the area surrounding the temple. Our direction will be clockwise, and we will follow the middle circumambulation of the pilgrimage circuit. The circuit is also a busy Tibetan market, and we will have an opportunity to mingle with the traditionally dressed pilgrims, and see the typical daily life of the average Tibetan. Later, we will have dinner in a restaurant of your choosing.

Tour Day 3

Today is yours to decide. Perhaps you would like to spend the morning visiting the Norbulingka, the summer home of the Dali Lamas. You might also want to consider the new Tibetan History Museum. After lunch, a drive out to Sera Monastery to see the monks debating is a possibility. While battling with words, the monks clap their hands, move their prayer beads from hand to hand, and push their partners to win their points; all of which is done with good nature. Watch their hands carefully; all motions have meaning.

An interesting side trip are the caves found at Drak Yerpa. King Songtsen Gampo chose this holy place for his own meditation cave. Many high lamas, including the 5th Dali Lama, have meditated here. This peaceful place offers lovely views of the surrounding area.

If you would rather travel outside of Lhasa, Ganden Monastery, the first Gelugpa sect monastery, is another choice. Founded in 1409, and built on top of a mountain by Tsongkhapa, this huge monastery is definitely worth a visit. After visiting the monastery, it is possible for you to visit a Tibetan farm family's home and learn about their life.

Another possible all-day adventure is the scenic drive to Yamdrok-YuTso (Turquoise Lake), one of four holy lakes in Tibet. Yamdrok Lake, with its amazing blue color, puffy clouds floating in a cobalt blue sky above the lake, and snow-capped mountains in the background is a sight to remember. A picnic in this beautiful area gives you a perfect opportunity to enjoy the dramatic scenery.

Dinner and after dinner activities are your choice. The Tibetan dinner and culture show is included in the price of the tour.

Tour Day 4

After breakfast at your hotel, your guide and driver will pick you up and help you checkout. Then they will drive you to the airport or train station. If there is time before your departure, you might want to take a final stroll around the Barkhor Circuit and experience the essence of Lhasa one last time.

Alternate Tour Choices

All of our itineraries are suggested. We have designed our itineraries based on the requests from our previous travelers. If there are other places in Lhasa, or in the area around Lhasa, that you wish to visit, please let us know. We will design a customized tour for you, based on your interests. We have listed several popular alternate choices below. Most will not change the price of your tour. A few have a nominal price increase. Contact us to design your own tour.

Pricing For 4 Day Private Guided Lhasa Tour