Explore Tibet’s holiest sights in Lhasa, including the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, and witness monks debate sacred texts in one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most revered monasteries. This short trip is a perfect extension for our other journeys in the region, including China, Bhutan, Nepal, and India.

Buddhism permeates every aspect of life on the mysterious high Tibetan Plateau. Suspended between heaven and earth in the high Himalayas, Tibet is, not surprisingly, harsh and desolate. Come with us to experience the landscapes and traditions that have shaped their lives and beliefs of Tibetans. On this journey through some of Tibet’s most stunning religious and natural places, we’ll discover important Buddhist monasteries that rise from hilltops like palaces in the sky. We walk with wonder around Lhasa’s Potala Palace, trek overland to explore ancient monasteries, and witness Buddhist monks in a centuries-old debating ceremony.

With plenty of opportunity to meet villagers and learn about their culture, to observe master craftsmen at work, and sip yak-butter tea with locals, there is no better way to experience the treasures of Tibet than on a Boundless Journeys Private Collection adventure.

SAMPLE ITINERARY: Other private customized options are available.

Day 1: Enjoy a spectacular flight over the Himalayan Plateau into Lhasa, Tibet.

Day 2: Explore Norbulingka and Potala Palaces, and many other religious marvels of Lhasa.

Day 3: Hike the hillsides outside of Lhasa to discover seldom-visited monasteries, rife with history and tradition.

Day 4: Drive to Shigatse and visit the tomb of the first Dalai Lama.

Day 5: Return to Lhasa for departure.

• Independent travel at its best. With your own exclusive party of family or friends, you'll enjoy itineraries developed from our years of experience.
• Your dates, your friends. You chose your dates and traveling companions, and let us do the rest!
• Reconnect in remarkable places. What better way to celebrate important milestones than with family and friends in amazing places, with all of the details handled for you so you can simply relax and enjoy each other’s company?
• Do your own thing. Customize your journey to indulge your most amazing travel fantasies.
• Travel with Trusted Leaders in Adventure Travel. Recognized by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine as a Top 10 "World's Best Tour Operator and Safari Outfitter".

Most Convenient Airport:
Lhasa International Airport, Lhasa, China (airport code LXA)

Meeting Place and Time:
Upon the arrival of your flight on Day 1.

Departure Place and Time:
Upon the departure of your flight on Day 5.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Trip Rating
Boundless Journeys’ trips are designed for energetic and flexible individuals who like to be active and have a spirit of adventure and a positive attitude. The Roof of the World is rated 2, easy to moderate, on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being the most strenuous). It features vehicle-based exploration with day walks and hikes, and hotel and accommodations throughout. Our optional walks take place at altitudes of 11,000-13,000 feet. All walking and hiking is with a daypack only, and you always have the option to skip any hike you don’t want to undertake. This trip is appropriate for anyone in good health living an active lifestyle. Although you carry only a daypack on the walks, we recommend that you make a special effort to be in good physical condition if you plan to hike. As this is a Private Collection trip for just you and your friends and family, there is a certain amount of flexibility to make the trip more leisurely or active to suit your travel style.

Preparing for this Trip
It is very important that you realistically assess your physical condition with regard to the demands of this trip. The more well prepared you are for the activities on this trip, the more you will enjoy yourself! Please engage in moderate aerobic activities (hiking, jogging, or cycling) for at least 30-45 minutes several times a week for 4-6 weeks before the trip. If you live in a flat area, try to incorporate some stairs into your workout, or use a treadmill with varying incline capability.  Consult your doctor before undertaking any new fitness program.  

Weather
Expect temperatures to be cooler in the mountains, especially at night. Altitude is the main factor controlling temperature in Tibet. It can drop into the 40s at night. In fall, days are normally clear, with temperatures from the 60s or 70s during the day to below freezing at night, depending on the altitude. In spring, it is generally warmer. At high altitude the weather can be unpredictable, and the wind chill factor can create very cold conditions to well below freezing if it is windy and cloudy. Sudden storms can occur at any time.

However, trying to predict the weather is always difficult, especially in a country as large and diverse as China. Please keep in mind that the temperatures indicated below are only averages. We encourage you to pack a layered system of clothing that allows you to adjust to changing climates.

The following are average temperatures and rainfall amounts in Lhasa: (elevation 11,800’)

                 high         low      precip.

April:          61°F        34°F    .2"
May:          66°F        40°F    1"
June:         72°F        48°F    2.5"
July:          71°F        50°F    4.8"
August:      69°F        49°F    3.5"
Sept:         67°F        45°F    2.6"

You may obtain more detailed weather information by visiting www.weatherbase.com.

The Altitude
In Lhasa we are at approximately 11,800 feet. Our walks and hikes will take place at elevations from 11,000 feet to 13,000 feet. There is time to move at a comfortable pace, allowing ourselves to adjust to the mountain air. Keeping well hydrated, avoiding excessive alcohol, eating frequent, light meals, and getting plenty of rest will help with any effects of altitude that you may feel.


 

Overview:  Accommodations ranging from five-star in Kunming, to simple but charming in other towns. Our accommodations are primarily chosen to be comfortable and reflective of the traditional style of the region. All rooms have private baths.

Nights 1, 2 & 3:  Four Point Hotel by Sheraton
Lhasa, Tibet

This modern hotel has an excellent location conveniently located a short walking distance from the Jokhang Temple and Barkhorn Street, and a quick drive from the Potala Palace.

Night 4:  Shigatse Hotel
Shigatse, Tibet

A newly renovated Tibetan style tourist hotel located in the center of Shigatse.
 

SAMPLE ITINERARY: Other private customized options are available.

DAY 1
Welcome to Lhasa

This morning we take a spectacular flight above the Himalayan Plateau into Tibet. On arrival, we meet our local guide and head to our hotel in Lhasa for check-in. At just over 12,000 feet in elevation, the city is one of the highest in the world. The rest of the day is free to acclimatize, and if energy permits, we may explore the lively and colorful Barkhor Square market near the Jokhang Monastery.

Lhasa is the traditional seat of the Dalai Lama, and Tibetan Buddhists regard this city as the holiest center in Tibet. Both the Potala and Norbulingka palaces, two renowned landmarks, were once residences of successive Dalai Lamas until the Chinese took control in 1959, forcing the 14th, and current, Dalai Lama to flee to India, where he remains in exile. Today, the Potala has been turned into a museum, and locals often picnic in the park setting of Norbulingka. This evening, we have a relaxing supper at our hotel.
Four Point Hotel by Sheraton, Lhasa

DAY 2 
Lhasa and the Potala Palace

City walking – easy, 2-3 hours.

Today, we visit the awe-inspiring Potala Palace, the imposing and often photographed complex stacked atop Marpo Ri (Red Hill) high above the Lhasa valley. Since its construction in 1645 on the site of a destroyed 7th-century palace, the Potala had served as the main residence for successive Dalai Lamas and headquarters of the Tibetan government, until the 14th Dalai Lama was exiled to India in 1959. The massive fortress-like structure, comprised of the secular White Palace and the sacred Red Palace, as well as ancillary buildings, provided dormitories for the large staff. It also included schools, chapels, a printing house, and tombs. The palace features more than 10,000 shrines, 200,000 images, and 1,000 rooms.

After lunch, we explore the Drepung Monastery, situated in the Gambo Utse Mountains and considered one of the three great Gelugpa university monasteries in Tibetan Buddhism. At one time it housed as many as 15,000 monks. We discover its many religious relics, including wood carvings, bronze statues, and colorful murals.

Later, we visit a Tibetan carpet factory, where weavers still use old-style vertical looms to create carpets in the traditional style. At the Dropenling Handicraft Development Center, we discover a workshop and gallery that showcase other locally made handicrafts. Established by The Tibet Poverty Alleviation Fund, Dropenling provides economic incentives to preserve traditional Tibetan crafts and culture.

Tonight we dine in one of our favorite Lhasa restaurants.
Four Point Hotel by Sheraton, Lhasa

DAY 3
Lhasa

Cultural Exploration or optional Hiking – moderate, 2-4 hours (elevation gains up to 1,200 feet).

After breakfast, we drive a short distance to the ancient and seldom-visited Pabongka Monastery. Local legend claims that the surrounding land was home to two divine tortoises—a male and a female—which now take the form of two granite boulders here. Carved into a rock at the entrance to the temple, you’ll see the mantra Om mani padme hum, or “Hail to the jewel in the lotus,” referring to the Buddhist belief that all people inherently possess the qualities necessary to achieve spiritual enlightenment.

Then we set out on a hike that will vary in difficulty depending on the option we choose. Our challenging option leads us to the Sera Monastery, following a trail up to the Tashi Chöling hermitage for fantastic views of the Lhasa valley. Continue up the ridge and along the flanks of Phurbu Chok to the Sera Tse hermitage and then to the Dode Valley. The trail reaches a maximum elevation of 12,300 feet, with a 1,200-foot elevation gain overall. An easier, less strenuous option is available from the first hermitage, from which those who wish can descend the hill and take a bus to the Sera Monastery. The hike will be tailored to suit the abilities of the group. The Sera Monastery was founded in 1417 by a disciple of Tsongkhapa on a site where the teacher and his foremost students had established hermitages. One of the three main Gelupka monasteries in Lhasa, Sera is an important spiritual center for Buddhist monks. Inside the monastery, you’ll find vast temples and college complexes. We mingle freely with monks going about their daily duties, and visit the printing center, where sutra texts are still printed by hand on traditional paper. Here you can try your hand at making your own print. We will time our arrival so that we can watch the monks during their mid-afternoon debate, an ancient tradition. In the courtyard, nearly a hundred monks hone their debating skills in an elaborate clapping ceremony – a lively, entertaining affair.

For those who didn’t have the chance to visit the Jokhang monastery on Day 8, we return to this holiest of temples, to which pilgrims journey each day from all across Tibet. Some even prostrate with each step throughout their trek until they reach the monastery’s threshold. The pilgrims then recite sacred mantras, kindling the continuously lit chömay (butter lamps) and honoring deities with white scarves and spinning prayer wheels. With a 1,300-year-old history, Jokhang was built by King Songsten Gampo to house two Buddha images belonging to his two wives. One wife chose the site at Lake Wothong, as she believed the lake to be the heart of an evil witch in need of purging. The lake was filled in, but according to some, a deep pool still exists beneath the temple. One of the temple’s two original images, the pure-gold statue of Jowo Sakyamuni is Tibet’s most precious Buddha image and depicts the “the Enlightened One” at age twelve.
Four Point Hotel by Sheraton, Lhasa

DAY 4
Lhasa to Shigatse

We depart Lhasa for the countryside this morning, and ultimately Shigatse (approximately 4.5 hours), Tibet’s second largest city. The 600-year-old city is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, second to the Dalai Lama in spiritual leadership.

Along the way, we stop for a picnic lunch at Yamdrok Tso Lake, one of three holy lakes in Tibet and the largest freshwater lake at the south end of the Himalayas. On a peninsula jutting into the beautiful expanse of turquoise water, Mt. Donang Sangwari rises to 17,520 feet, with the glacier-clad peak of 23,000-foot Nojin Gangzang further in the distance. There is time to take a stroll along the shore of the lake, believed to be the female guardian of Buddhism in Tibet, blessing and protecting its people. On our drive to Shigatse we have plenty of opportunities to stop and stretch our legs.

After checking in at our hotel, we’ll explore the local market before delving into Buddhist culture one last time with a visit to the Tashi Lunpo Monastery. Founded by the first Dalai Lama in 1447 and later presented to the Panchen Lama, the Tashi Lunpo Monastery is the largest in the region and is part of the Gelugpa university system, at one time housing nearly 5,000 monks. Here we’ll find the tomb of the first Dalai Lama and those of successive Panchen Lamas. Though nearly two-thirds of the monastery was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, most of the buildings that were razed were monks’ residences, and many of the more impressive halls, courtyards, chapels, and galleries have been preserved.

This evening, we enjoy a final celebratory dinner at our hotel.
Shigatse Hotel, Shigatse

DAY 5
Shigatse to Lhasa for departure

After breakfast, return to the Lhasa airport (approximately 3.5 hours) for your departure flight.

Please note that this is a typical itinerary, and actual activities may vary to take advantage of weather conditions, local events, and to allow serendipity to play a hand in your experience. Accommodations are as outlined in the itinerary, although we reserve the right to change these should the need arise.

From $2,295 per person

1 guest: $3,295 (plus Single Supplement)
2-5 guests: $2,595 per person
6+ guests: $2,295 per person

• Expert local guides
• All accommodations while on tour
• All meals included; alcoholic beverages not included
• All ground transportation during the tour
• All activities as noted in the itinerary