DAY 01
Arrive in Lhasa
Meet your guide at the airport or station, transfer into Lhasa and rest. Keep your first afternoon free to adjust to the altitude.
Overnight · Lhasa← All journeys
SAMPLE JOURNEY / 8 DAYS
Shigatse & Namtso · 8 Days.
Combine central Tibet’s monasteries and glacier route with Namtso Lake.
Photo: yuen yan · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Cropped to fit
Tibet travel documents
International visitors should arrange travel documents before booking transport into Tibet. Requirements depend on nationality, entry status, route and travel dates.
- Passport and China entry status. Have a valid passport and the Chinese visa or visa-free entry eligibility that applies to you. Share copies only through the appointed travel operator's secure process.
- Tibet Travel Permit. Foreign tourists need Tibet-specific travel approval. A qualified local travel operator will check your itinerary, travel dates, arrival and departure points and arrange the approved services. Travelers using a Taiwan compatriot travel permit should ask the operator about their separate document process.
- Extra permissions for some routes. Everest, border areas and other restricted places may require additional travel or border permissions. The operator must confirm what applies to your exact route before accepting a booking.
- Plan ahead. Do not book non-refundable travel until the operator has confirmed entry, permits, route access and timing. Carry the approved documents and follow the approved itinerary.
Official guidance: travel permits for foreign nationals and electronic border-area permits. Please ask us to verify the current rules for your trip.
AT A GLANCE
Lhasa · Shigatse · Damxung / Namtso area
Combine central Tibet’s monasteries and glacier route with Namtso Lake.
Ask about this routeTHE ITINERARY
Day by day.
DAY 02
Drepung and Sera monasteries
Explore Drepung Monastery, then visit Sera Monastery in the afternoon. The debating session depends on the monastery schedule.
Drepung Monastery Sera Monastery
Overnight · LhasaDAY 03
Potala Palace, Jokhang and Barkhor
Visit the Potala Palace subject to admission arrangements, then explore Jokhang Temple and the surrounding Barkhor pilgrimage circuit.
Potala Palace Jokhang Temple Barkhor
Overnight · LhasaDAY 04
Yamdrok Lake and Karola Glacier to Shigatse
Travel from Lhasa via Yamdrok Lake and Karola Glacier, continuing through Gyantse towards Shigatse. This is a long road day.
Yamdrok Lake Karola Glacier Gyantse Kumbum
Overnight · ShigatseDAY 05
Tashilhunpo and return to Lhasa
Explore Tashilhunpo Monastery and Shigatse before returning along the Yarlung Tsangpo valley. Local conditions may change the return transport.
Tashilhunpo Monastery
Overnight · Lhasa
Photo credit
Photo: Jan Kranendonk (https://www.jankranendonk.nl) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Cropped to fitDAY 06
Damxung grasslands and Namtso Lake
Drive north through Damxung to Namtso. Enjoy lakeshore views at a manageable pace, then continue to the permitted overnight base.
Namtso Lake
Overnight · Damxung / Namtso areaDAY 07
Northern Namtso and back to Lhasa
Continue around the northern Namtso area if the Elephant Gate access is open and approved, then return to Lhasa. Road conditions may require a simpler lakeside visit.
Namtso Lake
Overnight · LhasaDAY 08
Depart Lhasa
Transfer to the airport or railway station for your onward journey. Plan the departure time with your guide.
Onward travelForeign visitor entry and route permissions must be confirmed before booking. High altitude, access, weather and opening hours can change the sequence. Hotels, meals and guiding are confirmed in the final quotation.
IMAGES FROM THE ROUTE
The places behind the journey.
Photo credit
Photo: Jan Kranendonk (https://www.jankranendonk.nl) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Cropped to fit