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Four days that give Lhasa the time it needs. Day one is arrival and nothing else — at 3,650 metres, resting on the first afternoon is not laziness, it is what makes the rest of the trip work. Day two covers the two buildings everyone comes for, the Potala Palace and the Jokhang. Day three goes to the monasteries: Drepung, Sera and the Norbulingka summer palace. Day four is a sacred lake, north to Namtso or south-west to Yamdrok depending on season, roads and how you are feeling.
The monastery day is the one that surprises people. Drepung was once the largest monastery in the world, and the platform where its huge thangka is unveiled each summer still dominates the hillside. Sera is where you sit in the debating courtyard and watch monks test each other on doctrine with a clap and a shout, which is louder and more physical than most visitors expect. Norbulingka, by contrast, is gardens and summer rooms.
Three hotel nights in Lhasa are included; the final evening is not, since the lake day ends back in the city. All the paperwork is handled for you: the Tibet Travel Permit is mandatory, foreign visitors must travel as an arranged group with a licensed Tibetan guide, and a private vehicle with driver is assigned for the whole programme. Travellers over 60, or with heart or lung conditions, should consult a doctor before booking. Please read the booking notes below.
Morning — Airport/Train Station Transfer
Your guide and driver will meet you at Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Railway Station with a name sign. A private vehicle transfers you to your hotel (about a 1- to 1.5-hour drive). Your guide assists with check-in and offers a brief orientation to the altitude.
Afternoon — Acclimatization Rest
Spend the afternoon resting to adjust to Lhasa's elevation of 3,650 meters. Drink plenty of water and avoid strenuous activity, allowing your body to acclimate gradually.
Evening — Barkhor Street Stroll
In the evening, take a gentle walk around Barkhor Street, the pilgrim circuit near Jokhang Temple. Observe locals prostrating and spinning prayer wheels, then pause at a café for butter tea or sweet yak yogurt.
Morning — Potala Palace and Tibet Museum
Explore the Potala Palace, the UNESCO-listed winter palace of the Dalai Lamas, rising in 13 stories above Lhasa with its gold-roofed tombs and panoramic views over the city; visits are time-limited and tickets are pre-booked by your agency. The palace was first founded in the 7th century and rebuilt in the 17th, and its scale makes it the defining landmark of the Tibetan capital. The Tibet Museum follows, where thangka paintings, ancient manuscripts and ritual objects tell the story of Tibetan history, art and Buddhism.
Lunch — Local Tibetan Cuisine at Tashi Restaurant
Try Tibetan dishes such as momos (dumplings) or thukpa (noodle soup) at Tashi Restaurant.
Afternoon — Jokhang Temple
Visit the Jokhang Temple, Tibet's holiest temple, founded in the 7th century and home to a revered statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. Witness pilgrims offering yak butter lamps and circling the temple along Barkhor Street, and your guide will explain the local etiquette of visiting, including the clockwise direction of circumambulation.
Evening — Traditional Tibetan Culture Show
Attend a performance featuring folk dances, operatic scenes and chanting at the Yak Theatre or the Princess Wencheng Show, a vivid introduction to Tibetan performing arts.
Meals — Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
All three meals are included on this day.
Morning — Drepung Monastery and Norbulingka Palace
Explore Drepung Monastery, once the largest monastery in the world, whose white-walled halls and debate courtyards still convey the scale of monastic life in old Tibet and where monks engage in philosophical discussion. A short drive away, Norbulingka Palace served as the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas, set among lush gardens where peacocks roam.
Afternoon — Sera Monastery and a Local Craft Workshop
At Sera Monastery, watch the lively monk debates held on most afternoons, a unique ritual of clapping and dynamic gestures that has long been part of monastic training in Tibet. Afterwards, try hands-on thangka painting or butter sculpture making with a master artisan and learn about the materials and symbolism behind these traditional Tibetan crafts.
Evening — Free Time at Barkhor Street
The evening is free to relax or to revisit Barkhor Street, the pilgrim circuit around the Jokhang Temple, for souvenir shopping — pashmina shawls, silver jewelry and prayer flags are among the most popular finds.
Meals — Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
All three meals are included on this day.
Early morning — Departure from Lhasa
An early start, because the lake is a long way out and the light is better before the wind gets up. Your guide confirms the choice with you the day before: north to Lake Namtso, or south-west over the Kamba La pass to Lake Yamdrok and the Karo La Glacier road. Road conditions, season and your own acclimatisation all play into it.
Option A — Lake Namtso (4,718m)
Namtso is one of the three sacred lakes of Tibet and one of the highest salt lakes in the world, sitting on the northern plateau at 4,718 metres. It is enormous, cold, and almost absurdly blue, with the Nyenchen Tanglha range along the southern shore. The road crosses a high pass on the way; the day is long and the altitude is serious, so it suits travellers who have already spent two or three nights in Lhasa.
Option B — Lake Yamdrok and Karo La
Yamdrok is the nearer and gentler of the two, a turquoise lake folded into the mountains south-west of Lhasa, and also counted among the three sacred lakes. The road climbs to a viewpoint over the water before dropping to the shore, and continues to the Karo La Glacier at 5,560 metres, where the ice comes down almost to the roadside. Yaks and prayer flags are usually parked beside it for photographs.
Lunch
A simple Tibetan or Sichuan restaurant on the road — noodles, fried rice, yak — with whatever the kitchen has that day. Bring snacks and water; there is not much choice out here.
Afternoon — Shore time and the road back
You spend an hour or two at the water before turning back. The drive returns to Lhasa in the late afternoon or early evening, depending on the option, the roads and any checkpoint queues; treat the timings as approximate rather than fixed.
Practical note
This is a high day whichever option you take. Dress in layers, keep a hat and sunglasses on — the sun at this altitude is unforgiving — and tell your guide straight away if you feel unwell. Oxygen is carried in the vehicle.
Meals
Lunch
Accommodation
Not included - this is the final day of the programme.
| Group Size | Adult(Age:8-80) Price/p.p | Child(Age:4-7) Price/p.p | Infant(Age:0-3) Price/p.p |
| 2 PAX | from $1740 | / | / |
| 4 PAX | from $1227 | / | / |
| 6 PAX | from $1064 | / | / |
| 8 PAX | from $978 | / | / |
| 10 PAX | from $878 | / | / |
| 20 PAX | from $756 | / | / |
| 30 PAX | from $716 | / | / |
Before booking, please read the entry and health notes below. Tibet is not like the rest of China: entry paperwork, altitude and the pace of travel all need planning, and some of it cannot be arranged at short notice.
Entry formalities. Every foreign visitor needs a Tibet Travel Permit (often called the TTP or 入藏函) in addition to a Chinese visa. Independent travel is not permitted: you must travel as part of an arranged group with a licensed Tibetan guide and a licensed vehicle with driver throughout. For areas beyond Lhasa prefecture — Shigatse, Everest Base Camp and the border counties among them — additional permits are required on top of the TTP. We handle the paperwork, but it takes time, so please book well ahead and send passport details early. Permits are issued at the discretion of the authorities and can be withdrawn at short notice if policy changes.
Altitude. Lhasa sits at 3,650 m and much of this programme runs higher. Acclimatisation days are built into every multi-day itinerary for a reason: guests who fly in and drive straight up do not enjoy the trip. Expect some breathlessness and disturbed sleep for the first day or two, drink more water than usual, avoid alcohol on the first nights and keep the first day gentle.
Health. Travellers over 60, and anyone with a heart or lung condition, high blood pressure, or who is pregnant, should consult a doctor before booking and bring a medical certificate. Please tell us about any relevant condition when you enquire. Oxygen is carried in the vehicle on all high-altitude days.
Pace and conditions. Road distances in Tibet are long and journey times depend on road works, weather and checkpoint queues, so treat all driving times as approximate. Accommodation outside Lhasa is simpler than in the big eastern cities, and at Everest Base Camp it is basic. Photography is prohibited inside many chapel interiors; your guide will tell you where.
Q: Do I need a Tibet Travel Permit, and do you arrange it?
A: Yes. Every overseas visitor needs a Tibet Travel Permit in addition to a Chinese visa, and for Shigatse, Everest Base Camp and the border counties further permits are required as well. We arrange them as part of the booking. You cannot apply for them yourself, and you cannot travel in Tibet independently, so please send clear passport scans early — processing needs lead time.
Q: Can I travel independently or join a fixed-departure group?
A: Independent travel is not permitted for foreign visitors in Tibet. You travel as your own private group — just your party — with a licensed Tibetan guide and a licensed vehicle with driver for the whole trip. That is what these itineraries are priced for.
Q: How bad is the altitude, and what do you do about it?
A: Lhasa is at 3,650 m and the high passes and lakes on these routes are considerably higher. Most people feel some breathlessness and sleep lightly for the first day or two. We build in arrival and acclimatisation time, keep the first days light, carry oxygen in the vehicle and run the itinerary so that you gain height gradually rather than all at once.
Q: I am over 60 / I have a heart or lung condition. Can I still go?
A: Many travellers over 60 do these trips without difficulty, but you should talk to your doctor first and bring a medical certificate. The same applies to anyone with heart or lung disease, high blood pressure, or who is pregnant. Please tell us before booking so we can advise honestly and, if needed, suggest a lower-altitude alternative.
Q: What standard is the accommodation, especially at Everest Base Camp?
A: In Lhasa we use comfortable city hotels with heating. Outside Lhasa, standards are simpler and facilities are more limited. At Everest Base Camp, accommodation is basic — shared facilities and very cold nights — and this is a fixed condition of visiting, not something that can be upgraded.
Q: Are the entrance fees and sightseeing buses included?
A: All admission fees listed in the itinerary are included, and where a scenic area requires its own shuttle or environmental bus — the Everest reserve is the main example — that is included too. Potala Palace entry is by timed reservation and is subject to the daily visitor cap, so we book it as early as we can.
