7 Days Classic Lhasa Nyingchi Tour

Arrive in Lhasa  by train/flight, the guide will meet you and transfer to your hotel, enjoy the view of Yarlung Tsangpo River(Bhamaputra river, the longest and largest river in Tibet)  and Lhasa river on their way to Lhasa.

Have a rest and get acclimatized to high altitude in the rest of the day,  for visitors eager to explore this mysterious land, you can visit the Potala Square, where you will enjoy the fountain with different colors and get amazing photos of the Potala and around, but please BE NOTED TO SLOW DOWN YOUR PACES, as for the new-comers of Tibet,  to get acclimatized to the high altitude is crucial for the next few days' activity. 

Today, we will firstly visit the Potala Palace which is the winter palace of the Dalai lama. It was completed in the 7th Century during the reign of the 33rd great king of Tibet. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

After lunch, head to Jokhang temple which was founded in the 7th century too. Inside the temple, the real image statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve is on display and considered to be the treasure of the temple. Outside of the temple, groups of pilgrims making prostrating in front of Jokhang Temple. The famous Barkhor street is encircled the Jokhang temple, where you can do kora (a religious meditation circling a building or mountain considered to be holy) with pilgrims and locals, and explore the old market.

Afterwards, we can taste Tibetan tea with locals in tea house; then have a welcome dinner.

Optional:
Time permits, you may  visit Tibetan handicraft art or Tibetan Traditional Medicine center, in the evening you can enjoy Tibetan Culture Show for the nightlife.

In the morning ,you are going to visit Drepung monastery which is one of the “Great Three”Gelupa (Tibetan Buddhism Yellow Sect) monasteries of Tibet. It was completed  in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the main disciples of Tibetan Buddhism Yellow Sect founder,Tsongkhapa. The monastery has the biggest kitchen of all the monasteries , and you can visit some Buddhist Sculpture Carving workshops near Drepung. 

In the afternoon, visit Sera Monastery which is another one of the “Great Three” Gelupa monasteries of Tibet. It famous for  the Monks Debating Scripture at around 3- 5Pm. afterwards, we can vsiit  the Tibetan sutra  printing house; inside the monastery, you can see three sand Mandalas and colorful Rock Painting of Buddha too.

Today, you are going to drive about 6 hours along the well-paved 318 National Road to Nyingchi, the Switzerland of Tibet. On route, you will take a side trip to Ganden Monastery - the first monastery of Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1409 by the great master Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), which makes the monastery as one of the most important monasteries in Tibet. Ganden, in Tibetan, means "happiness and contentedness". So it is very meaningful to visit this temple. Ganden Monastery is also an architectural masterpiece with many features of traditional Tibetan-style monasteries. It made fully use of colors to create a sense of holiness and solemnity - white paths, red walls, black windows, golden roofs, yellow curtain. From the monastery, one can also enjoy a stunning panoramic view of surrounding mountains and valleys. Besides, there are a lot of infrequent cultural relics and handicrafts kept in the monastery.

After arrival at Bayi Town, you will be transferred to check in your hotel. The rest of today is free for you to explore this peaceful town. 

Tips of Today: 1) wear warm clothes to prevent from cold and wild; 2) pack some food and drinks with you because you will spend much time on the road.

Today will be a pleasant full day of natural vision feast. Driving only about 1.5km out of the town, you will see the most famous and magical tree in Nyingchi area - the King Cypress which is about 50 meters tall and more than 2,500 years old. Leaving the King Cypress, you will move to the next attraction of today – Kading Valley. The highlight is a 200 meters high waterfall rushing out from a narrow valley between two mountains and dropping down rapidly. The most magic wonder is that a scene of Buddha is partly hidden and partly visible in the waterfall.

In the afternoon, you will explore the best highlight of today - Lulang Forest. It is a 15km long, 1km wide narrow valley of wild forests and flowers, grasslands and streams. Lulang, in Tibetan, means “Dragon Valley” or “the place where you won't be homesick”. On the both sides of the valley are lofty green mountains covered by prosperous spruce, pine trees and brush. At the foot of the mountain are the beautiful meadows and villages. Winding streams flow through among the wooden houses. Wild flowers of different colors dot on the meadows. Look into distance over the valley are enormous snow-capped mountains. All these sceneries make Lulang a dream land.

Drive back to Bayi for accommodation.

Today, we will drive back to Lhasa from Bayi Town. The whole journey will take about 7 hours, with a wonderful sidetrip to beautiful Basum-tso Lake.

The jade lake Basum-tso Lake is called as Cuogao Lake in Tibetan, meaning the green water. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and natural forest, the lake is known for its primitive beauty and tranquility. Covering 26 square kilometers, the dark blue lake surface looks like a mirror, and clearly reflects the tall snow mountains and green plants in the lake, just like a picture. Besides, the lake is also a holy lake for Tibetan Buddhism Nyingma Sect. There are also a sacred Nyingma temple sited in a small island in the central lake for the pilgrims to worship to the Buddha, and a “magical hole” nearby the south shore for people to pray to the Buddha for a child. Combining beautiful scenery and amazing legends, Basum Lake is such a holy and spectacular place to explore! 

Have a good rest in Lhasa City.

After having breakfasts in the hotel, the guide will help you check out the hotel and transfer you to the airport or train station, leave Lhsasa for your next destination, end the mysterious Tibet tour.