As you land at Lhasa airport on the first day of your Lhasa trip, you’ll see a sea of Himalayan mountain peaks beneath you. After you’ve collected your baggage, you’ll be taken to central Lhasa. The drive should take about 2 hours. Along the way, you’ll stop at a rock-cut Buddha - a tradition which more or less marks the beginning of our Lhasa trip.  

At 3600m, Lhasa is actually the lowest lying area in Tibet. You're going to go even higher, so make sure to drink lots of water. Many travellers get headaches shortly after arriving, so drink about 3 litres on the first day to help alleviate altitude sickness symptoms. Today is yours to go for a gentle walk and explore your new surroundings.  Some logistical details will be handled by our local agents on the first day- like borrowing your passport to register for the Potala Palace tour. It will be returned to you a short time later.

On the second day of your Lhasa trip, you are free to explore at your own pace. It’s really important to take it easy today- you may not sleep well during your first night and you may have a slight headache or feel unusually tired, so we recommend that you don't visit the Potala Palace today. Instead, stick to sightseeing in the city and visit the most holy Buddhist sanctuary: Jokhang Temple. This temple is the spiritual heart of Tibet. Pilgrims from the entire country and far beyond come to the temple on foot. They cover hundreds of kilometres and while doing so they stop, kneel and prostrate themselves every few metres with complete devotion. The block of streets surrounding the Jokhang is called the Barkhor. Once the pilgrims reach Lhasa they usually walk countless clockwise circles around the Barkhor in a holy circuit. During day two of your Lhasa trip, you can also visit a market here where you can by anything from thankas and prayer wheels to yak butter.

It's day three of your Lhsa trip and today you’ll be collected by a driver and an English speaking guide who will stay with you all day for your Lhasa tour. It’s necessary to make advance reservations to visit the Potala Palace, so it isn’t possible to just walk in. Our agent will bring your personal access vouchers and let you know the time of your scheduled visit. Your plans for today will depend on the time of your visit to the palace.

We will try to arrange for you to visit the palace in the morning. On arrival at the palace you’ll pay an entrance fee, approximately £15. The Potala dates back to 1600 and it's located on a hill high above the city. It was once the home of the spiritual leader of the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama. The view from the front of the palace will leave an unforgettable impression on you and you’ll need around two hours to look through the many rooms, temples and chapels.

This afternoon of your Lhasa trip, you’ll visit Drepung and/ or Sera Monastery. These monasteries are schools for apprentice Tibetan monks. The Sera Monastery has an afternoon debating session tradition where philosophy college student monks practice their debating skills. The apprentice monks start their debate in the garden at 3.30. If your visit to Potala is planned for the afternoon, you'll visit the monasteries in the morning. At the end of the day, you’ll be dropped off at your hotel in Lhasa and you’ll say your goodbyes to your driver and guide.

Unfortunately you won’t be able to visit the prominent Ganden Monastery, located 35km outside of Lhasa - there's not quite enough time. The monastery is located at a dramatic location on top of a cliff and it is home to the Tibetan Buddhist Gelukpa sect. Taking the Ganden ‘Kora’ or circular pilgrimage high around the monastery, you’ll see the Kyichu Valley and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Revive afterwards with some momos in the monastery's canteen! If you would like to visit Ganden during your Lhasa trip, we’ll book an additional night in Lhasa for you as well as a car, driver and guide to accompany you. There's a £65 per person surcharge for this.

Day 4: Departure from Lhasa