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Lhasa and Holy Lake Namtso Tour

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Overview

6 DAYS

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Activity Levels

Moderate
Group Size 02 above
Activity Tibet Cultural Tour
3 Star Hotel Package

USD 700 Per Person

5 Star Hotel Package

USD 970 Per Person

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Our 6 days highly recommended Lhasa and Holy Lake Namtso Tour itinerary covers not only lhasa best tour and sightseeing but also incudes a holy lake namsto. Also called "Heavenly Lake", this is one of the three sacred lakes of Tibet. It is the 2nd largest salt lake in China with an area of ​​1920 KM, after Qinghai Hu Lake. It is 70km long and 30km wide. In the background, you can admire the Tangula Mountains with snow-capped peaks at 7000m.We will stay three nights in lhasa for tour and sightseeing around there and get well acclimatized to the altitude before we drive to Namtso lake. During our 3 nights stay in lhasa we visit main tourist sites in Lhasa like Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkor street, Drepung and sera monastery.

Of course, the highlight of this trip would be the one of the must-see attractions sacred Namtso Lake. During your excursion, you will be able to sleep one night at tented guesthouse, which located not far from the lake. Do not forget to bring a flashlight for the night. During this special journey, you will not only experience the spirit of Tibet, but also enjoy the picturesque countryside.

At a Glance

  • Climb up the impressive Potala Palace, one of the great architecture in the world, and explore its secretive inner
  • Visit sacred Buddhist temples and monasteries with local Tibetan pilgrims and watch a spectacular Buddhism
  • Go to discover the sacred lake as well as one of the most scenic lakes in Tibet - Namtso Lake.

What's Included?

  • Tibet travel permit & other necessary permits 
  • All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites 
  • Daily Breakfast for whole tour
  • Comfortable Tourist Vehicle as per Group Size.
  • English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide 
  • Comfortable Hotel Accommodations;
  • Service Charge & Government Taxes
  • Drinking water provided during the trip
  • One shared big Oxygen tank in the car.
  • Tourist accident/casualty insurance.

What's Not Included?

  • Visa, air tickets/train tickets to & from Tibet.
  • Sightseeing not listed in the itinerary.
  • Meals not listed in the itinerary except breakfast
  • Personal expenses such as laundry & drink 
  • Gratuities, tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc.
  • Excess Baggage Charges.
  • Single room supplement.

Itinerary

Expand all days

Welcome to the roof of the world! You will be picked up by local tour guide at the airport hall or train station, and then be escorted to your hotel in Lhasa city in a private vehicle. After arrival at your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the local areas and acclimatize yourself to the air, temperature and high altitude of Lhasa.

High Altitude Acclimation Tips: 1) Go for some leisure walking to acclimate the high altitude but avoid strenuous activity after arrival; 2) you’d better not have bath, in case of catching a cold; 3) Drink more water, and have some fruit; 4) Have a good rest.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Start today’s Lhasa exploration with an exhilarating visit to the landmark - Potala Palace that is considered as one of the most stunning architectural building in the world. You will climb up the palace along the zigzag stone paths with white-and-red walls to the top of the palace where you can not only appreciate the exotic Tibetan-style architecture, but also get a great view of Lhasa’s urban areas, then walk into the inner space of Potala Palace to explore the stately chapels and learn about the history of the palace. 

Continuing your exploration, you will then get to Jokhang Temple, which is reflected as the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Each day, there are thousands of pilgrims coming from different places in Tibet to the temple to worship to the Buddha. This temple is also known as the “house of Buddha” because it keeps the precious Jowo Rinpoche, the life-sized (5 foot/1.5m) image of the Shakyamuni at the age of 12. The last site for today’s exploration is the famous Barkhor Street. It is a circular and wide street encircling the Jokhang Temple. The local people like to walk on the street for several circles usually in the late afternoon as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. The street also has many shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handcrafts. 

Tips of Today: 1) there are 1,080 steps up to climb to the top of Potala Palace, so don’t walk in a rush, which may cause high altitude sickness; 2) taking photos is not allowed inside the palace; 3) today you will be mainly outside, please bring some water, a hat, sun cream, and sun glasses with you.

 Stay overnight in Lhasa

In the morning, you are going to visit Drepung monastery which is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet, founded in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples. You can visit biggest monastery kitchen inside the monastery and enjoy Buddhist Sculpture Carving workshop near Drepung.

In the Afternoon, Tourists will visit Sera Monastery which is another one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. The hot attraction is the Monks debate at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon. In addition, you can tour the Tibetan religious scripture-printing house; inside the monastery, you can see three sand Mandalas and colorful Rock Painting of Buddha.

The Etiquette of Visiting Monastery:1) you shouldn’t wear short and uncover shoulders; 2) taking off your sunglasses and hat before entering the chapels; 3) taking photos is usually not allowed inside the chapels.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

After healthy breakfast at Hotel, you will be pickup by our guide and driver at 8:00 am, then leaving Lhasa to Namtso Holy Lake. While on the way, beautiful Nyenchen Thanglha Snow Mountain will accompany us. Today, we will have chances to escort at the grassland, visit the nomad family and walk into the tent to drink the fresh yak milk, talk with the Tibetan Children, etc. Namtso Lake is the Heavenly lake which is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the highest salt lake, as well. You can do a relax trekking around the lakeside and Tashi Island.

The scenery on the lakeshore is splendid, the clear sky is so clean that you will see all the stars twinkling and shinning, so close to you as if you could stretch your hands to pick them down. Namtso Lake is actually the lake in the sky; it is about 5,000 meters high and lies on the highest plateau in the world. We will stay at most well known of these tent hotels, the Namtso Tent Guesthouse:

Stay overnight at Namtso Tent Guest house

Enjoy the clear morning by Namtso Lake, and snap the amazing view of sunrise. You can also have a little hike along the lakeshore to Tashi Dor Island to explore the meditation caves. In the afternoon, we drive back to Lhasa. You can have a comfort stop in Yangpachen for the fabulous views of the grassland and its famous Yangpachen hot spring  (optional) You may enjoy Yangpachen hot spring (Optional, Price $25 not included in package) and have both indoor and outdoor swimming pool filled with hot springs water. Finally, head back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

The guide will transfer you to the airport or train station and help you get on board.

Vital information

1.Tibet Permits

There are several permits required to visit Tibet. Tibet Entry Permit, issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, is the most important one, which has to be obtained before your trip because you must have it to take your flight/train to Tibet. To get the permit, you have to book a Tibet tour with us, and send us your passport and Chinese visa about 20 days in advance, and then let us apply for the permit (all Tibet permits can only be applied by travel agency). All persons traveling to Tibet must hold a passport valid for at least six months. If you enter Tibet from China, your Chinese visa must be valid. Only travelers with a tourist visa (not a business, residence or study visa) are allowed to enter Tibet. Entering Tibet via Nepal, either through the "Kerung border" or by plane, requires a separate Tibet visa, issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu (this type of visas is usually valid for 30 to 60 days and the time to obtain is usually 3-4 days). If you travel to other prefectures like Shigatse, Nyingchi, Shannan, etc, you also have to obtain an Alien Travel Permit. If you travel to Mount Everest, you have to obtain a Border Permit. (Mountain Sherpa Trekking & Expeditions, with office in Lhasa, has always kept up with the latest news on Tibet Permits. Traveling with us, all your permits are guaranteed as long as you are qualified to the requirements.)

2. When is the best time to go to Tibet?

Normally speaking, months from May to October are suggested. Mostly the warmest, greenest and most crowded time is in the summer, a time when festivals tend to be held. It’s also rainy season in Tibet, especially July and August, when rain falls mostly at night but when clouds can obscure mountain views. Autumn and spring season are colder but have clearer views and fewer crowds. Winter is definitely cold but offers excellent local atmosphere in and near Lhasa. During November to march, Namtso Lake is mostly frozen, and not suitable for travel.

3. High Altitude Sickness

The average altitude of Tibet is about 4000 meters above the sea level (Lhasa: 3700m; EBC: 5200m; Namtso: 4718m). You may suffer a bit from High Altitude Sickness in the beginning days of your Tibet trip if you haven’t had rich high plateau travel experience. But don’t worry too much, the high altitude can be acclimatized usually in 2~3 days. Our suggestion is to take a physical examination and get suggestions from your doctor, and also bring some medicines to prevent from High Altitude Sickness before your trip. While in Tibet, you should keep warm all the time, avoid strenuous activities, drink more water and eat more vegetables and carbohydrates. You’d better not take showers during the first two days after your arrival at Tibet. If you don’t feel well, get help from your tour guide or go to the hospital without any delay.

4. How to Go to Tibet

Basically you have two options – flight and train if you travel Tibet via China. Currently, you can take a flight to Lhasa from Beijing (4.5hrs), Xian(3.7hrs),Chengdu(2.5hrs),Chongqing(3hrs), Kuming(3hrs), etc. Among all these cities, Chengdu and Xian have more frequent flights to Lhasa.

You can also go to Tibet via Nepal and Kathmandu. Nepal has a direct connection flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu. If you a train travel, you can take a train to from Beijing (40.5hrs), Xian (32hrs), Chengdu (43hrs), Shanghai (47hrs), Chongqing (42hrs), Lanzhou (25hrs), Xining (22hrs), Guangzhou (54hrs).

5. Packing and Wearing Ideas

Firstly you can’t forget your passport and Chinese Visa. A large backpack and a smaller one are recommended (the smaller one can be used for daily activities). Also bring the necessary medicine you need. Other stuffs like sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sun block are recommended.

As for wearing, you are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is necessary in spring and autumn. A pair of durable and comfy shoes i

Reviews

1-1 of 1 Reviews
6 day Lhasa and namsto lake tour ( Wonderful Experience)

Review Posted by:
Michelle Cuppy

6 day Lhasa and namsto lake tour ( Wonderful Experience)

Excellent private and custom tour tailored for our small group. Mr. pasang of Mountain Sherpa Trekking & Expeditions was responsive, well mannered, and expert, who deliberate and organized our tour from the beginning to end. Mr. Pasang Sherpa answered all our questions for Namsto lake tour and accommodations.
Our local guide Kusang in Tibet was very educated and excited about Tibetan history and culture. He spoke English-language fluently; we were so pleased to have him as our tour guide for the whole period in Tibet. The hotel rooms were better than expected and more importantly at good locations; walking distances to some major attractions. Mr. Pasang spoke to me twice during our Lhasa to holy lake Namsto tour, just to see whether all was fine, particularly handling with the high altitude.
Overall, the entire trip, our guide and Kusang exceeded our expectations. We definitely recommend Mr. Pasang Sherpa at Mountain Sherpa trekking & Expeditions be your Tour Agent for Tibet.

Posted on : July 5th, 2018 7:54 AM

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