BEIJING optional toursBEIJING tour car rental CHENGDE optional tours CHONGQING optional tours DATONG optional tours GUANGDONG optional tours GUILIN
optional tours GUIYANG optional tours HANGZHOU optional tours HUANGSHAN optional toursLANZHOU/
JIAYUGUAN/
DUNHUANG
optional tours LUOYANG optional tours NANJING/
YANGZHOU optional tours QINGDAO/
QUFU
optional tours QINHUANGDAO optional tours SICHUAN/TIBET optional tours SHANGHAI optional tours SUZHOU optional toursSPANISH BROCHURETAIYUAN optional tours XIAMEN/
WUYISHAN
optional tours XIAN
optional tours XINJIANG
optional tours WUHAN
optional tours YUNNAN optional tours YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE
optional tours
|
| |
China optional tours: Tibet |
(2012.4.1-2013.3.31) |
| |
1.Tibet Essential(4 Days/3 Nights):
Day01 Arrival in Lhasa [3658m] 1.3 hrs’ driving from airport and 20minutes from the train station.
Be greeted by your Tibetan guide in Lhasa Gonggar airport or train station and transfer to hotel in Lhasa to acclimatize the high altitude.
Note: This day is very important to acclimate the high altitude. Suggested to drink some more water and eat some fruit which will help you to acclimate the high altitude. Please do not do much exercise or activities. Please do not smoke and drink alcohol if possible.
Day02 Highlights: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street.
Description: Usually our first stop is Potala Palace,which built in the 7th century by the famous Tibetan king-Songtzen Gampo. It became known as the "Winter Palace" by the 1750, when the 7th Dalai Lama built the Norbulingka Park as his summer residence.
After lunch, you will visit the Jokhang Temple, situated in the old section of Lhasa. King Songtzen Gampo built this temple in the mid-7th century A.D. Now it is the most sacred place.
After Supper, you are suggested to ramble over the Barkhore Street. This is a famous local handmade crafts market. You can choose and buy some little present to your families,relatives and friends.
Note: As you may know, to protect the Potala Palace, there is a restriction of 2000 tourists everyday and only one-hour- sightseeing for each tourist. So we may do the converse tour as Jokhang Temple first in the morning and Potala Palace in the afternoon or may changed the schedule with Day 3 in the high season(From April to October)in Tibet. In the early morning and evening, hundreds or thousands of pilgrims or lacal religious people come to the Jokhang Temple and circle around the Barkhore Street. You will appreciate how consecrated the city is and how religious the people is!
Day03 Highlights: Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery and Tibetan Museum
Description: We will begin our tour at Drepung Monastery which is used to be the most large monastery in Tibet where lodged more than 10000 monks at its summit in the morning.
After that, you will visit the Sera Monastery which is famous for its Buddhism scriptures debating in the afternoon. You will finish today's activity after visit the Tibetan Museum, the exhibition center and shopping center of Tibetan traditional handicrafts.
Note: Today is very easy. But you will experience how the Lama study the Buddhism scriptures and also touch the real life of local Tibetan people.
Day04 Leave Lhasa for your next destination. Your guide and driver will see you off at the airport or train station. Your Tibet tour ends.
Note: As for the recent restrictions policy, foreign tourists are required to book the return or leaving flight/train. Otherwise the TTB will not issue the Tibet Enter Permit.
Join Group Service include:
All necessary documents and Permits; Three Star hotel, double room with private bathroom; Hotel breakfast;Airport/train station to hotel transfer;Hotel to airport/train station transfer;Tour guide: English speaking Tibetan guide;Presenting Hada celebration and A bottle of Oxygen for emergency use.
Service exclude:
Flight/Train in and out of Tibet;Meals: Lunch & Dinner, usually 8USD/pax.Meal;Personal consumption, like calls, laundry service,etc and Tips for tour guide and driver (usually 5USD/day.pax)
2. Namtso Summer One Day:
Description: We will begin our heavenly Namtso Lake after breakfast bathing in the splendid sunglow. Namtso Lake is one of the most famous three holy lakes (the other two lakes are Yamdrok Lake and Lake Manasarovar). Namtso Lake is a mountain lake at the border between Damxung County of Lhasa Prefecture and Baingoin County of Nagqu Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Namtso Lake is a beautiful paradise for photographers. On our way back lhasa,we will pass by Yampachen hot spring. If you would like, you can get there to have a swimming and wash off your tired.
Note: Namtso Lake is at an elevation of 4718m. So please make sure you get enough acclimatization of high altitude. If you will swim at Yampachen hot spring, 1-2 hour is enough because of short of oxygen.
Entrance fees of Namtso Lake is 120RMB, Yampachen 30RMB, hotspring bathing 98RMB.
3. Religious Shigatse (6 Days/5 Nights):
Day01-Day03 as same as the Essential Tibet
Day04 Lhasa->Shigatse
Highlights: Yamdrok Lake, Pelkhor Monastery
Deacription: Drive to Gyantse after breakfast. On the way, Yamdrok-tso Lake can be seen from the summit of the Kamba-la pass (4794m). Yamdrok is one of Three Holy Lake in Tibet (the other two are Namtso Lake and Manasarovar Lake). When you arrive at Gyantse, visit Pelkor Chode Monastery. The Monastery is founded in 1418, notable for its superb Kumbum Chode(10,000 Images Stupa). Arrive at Shigatse later for rest.
Note: The Yamdrok Lake and the Pelkhor Monastery are the highlights of today's activities.
Day05 Shigatse->Lhasa
Highlights: Tashilunpo Monastery
Description: Morning visit the Bachen Lama Set - Tashilunpo Monastery, which was built in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama. Drive back to Lhasa along Yarlong Tsangpo River by the Nepal friendship road in the afternoon.
Day06 Leave Lhasa for your next destination. Your guide and driver will see you off at the airport or train station. Your Tibet tour ends.
4. Lhasa+Everest-Kathmendu(7 Days/6 Nights):
Day01-Day03 as same as the Essential Tibet
Day04 Lhasa->Shigatse
Highlights: Yamdrok Lake, Pelkhor Monastery
Description: Drive to Gyantse after breakfast. On the way, Yamdrok-tso Lake can be seen from the summit of the Kamba-la pass (4794m). Yamdrok is one of Three Holy Lake in Tibet (the other two are Namtso Lake and Manasarovar Lake). When you arrive at Gyantse, visit Pelkor Chode Monastery. The Monastery is founded in 1418, notable for its superb Kumbum Chode(10,000 Images Stupa). Arrive at Shigatse later for rest.
Note: The Yamdrok Lake and the Pelkhor Monastery are the highlights of today's activities.
Day 05 Shigatse->Rongbuk monastery
Highlights: Tashilunpo Monastery, Rongbuk Monastery
Description: Early morning start driving to Rongphu via Lhatse and Shegar after visit Tashilunpo Monastery, cross over Gyatsola & Pangla Pass, where you will see the Himalaya mountain ranges in a clear day.
Rongphu is the highest monastery in Tibet, still a good point to take picture of Mt.Everest. Arrive and stay at the Mt.Everest Base Camp.
Day06 Rongbuk Monastery—Mt.Everest—Nylam[2400m]/Zhangmu[2300m] [B], Sunrise, explore Mt. Everest Base Camp, then 290KM 6hrs drive. Overnight at Nylam or Zhangmu
Day07 Leave Nylam or Zhangmu [ B ] After your breakfast, drive to the border friendship bridge, say good bye to your guide and driver, your Tibet tour ends.
PRICE LIST ( In RMB totally, 3 stars hotel accomodation, air bus, entrance ticket and speaking English guide are included) |
|
| optional tours: |
Join Group (RMB/PP) |
1P |
2P |
3P |
4P |
5P |
6P |
7P |
| 1.Tibet Essential 4D/3N |
2460 |
4680 |
6240 |
7800 |
9490 |
|
|
|
| 2. Namtso Summer 1 Day Tour |
|
2920 |
3760 |
4530 |
4880 |
5100 |
5320 |
5580 |
| 3. Religious Shigates 6D/5N |
4280 incl.D4-6 car using |
9000 |
11880 |
13660 |
15440 |
|
|
|
| 4. Lhasa+Everest-Kathmendu 7D/6N |
5980 incl.D4-7 car using |
11990 |
16490 |
21990 |
24980 |
|
|
|
| Senic Spot Name |
Rate |
Senic Spot Name |
Rate |
| Potala Palace |
100 |
Yamdrok Lake |
40 |
| Jokhang Temple |
85 |
Palkhor Monastery |
50 |
| Barkhor Street |
free |
Tashilunpo Monastery |
55 |
| Drepung Monastery |
50 |
Sakya Monastery |
45 |
| Sera Monastery |
50 |
Rongbuk Monastery |
25 |
| Norbulingka Park |
60 |
Mt.Everest |
120 |
| Ganden Monastery |
40 |
Basumtso Lake |
100 |
| Namtso Lake |
120 |
Yumbulakang |
30 |
| Yampachen |
30 |
Samye Monastery |
60 |
| |
All Join Group Tour subject to our further confirmation. To Join Group participantr,we offer free transfer service: Gonggar airport to Lhasa hotel at 15:20, Lhasa hotel to gonggar airport is 12:00AM; The railway station to urban 8:00 PM, downtown to the railway station at 9:00AM in the morning. Whaeever Join or Private group mode, the above rate just has one welcome dinner in Day02.
Tibet Permit::
To travel to Tibet, you would need a valid Chinese visa & a special travel permit. Only those who join package tours are qualified to obtain the permit. To book the tour, you are requested to e-mail or fax us the photo page of your passport and your Chinese visa including the following items: Full name as shown in your passport, date of birth, occupation, gender and your passport number. |
|
| |
Tibet, the Roof of the World, remained unknown to the world until the beginning of the 20th century. Situated on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, It has the world's highest mountains, several large, rushing rivers and many beautiful lakes, and covers a massive 1,220,000 square kilometers, which is about 12.8 % of the whole of China. With an average height of 4,000 meters above sea level, Tibet is encompassed by some of the world's highest mountains. The Himalayas to the south, the Karakoram to the west, and the Kunlun to the north are the dream gardens of all adventurers and mountaineers.
The northern part of Tibet is a high plateau and a wild life reserve (Changtang reserve, 300,000 in square kilometers), the |
|
|
| |
southern, eastern, western parts are valleys. Its unique culture, celebrated monasteries and its magnificent scenery make it charming and mysterious. The mountains, including Mount Qomolangma (Mount Everest), are imposing with their snow covered. This massive, snowy land has exerted an awesome draw on travelers and adventurers. |
|
|
Potala Palace
Originally built by King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century, Potala Palace is located on the Red Hill of Lhasa, Tibet. Destroyed by lightning and war, Potala Palace had been rebuilt by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1645 and since then, it has become the seat of Dalai Lamas and also the political center of Tibet. The thirteenth Dalai Lama extended Potala Palace to the present size, 117 meters in height and 360 meters in width, covering an area of more than 130, 000 sq meters. Mainly comprised by the White Palace (Administrative building) and the
|
|
| |
Red Palace (Religious building), Potala Palace is famous for its grand buildings, complicated constructions, devotional atmosphere and splendid artworks. There are also many other constructions in Potala Palace which include: the School of Buddhist Logic, the Seminary, the Printing House, Gardens, Courtyards and even the Jail. For more than 300 years, Potala Palace has treasured many culture relics such as murals, stupas, statues, thangkas, and rare sutras. The majestic Potala Palace with its glistening roofs is the pinnacle of the labor and wisdom of the Tibetan race. It is a wonder in the history of Oriental architecture, and the pride of the lands of snow. It is symbol of the ancient city of Lhasa, and also a spot unique to Tibet. Potala Palace is indeed a must-see for both visitors and researchers. |
|
|
|
Jokhang Temple
Jokhang Temple is the spiritual center of Tibet and it lies at the center of the old Lhasa. Built in 647 by Songtsen Gampo, it has a history of more than 1,300 years. The construction took 12 months to complete and a large scale renovation took place under the reign of the Fifth Dalai Lama.
The temple is the fine product of Han, Tibetan and Nepalese architectural techniques. Visitors will be treated to the sight of various exotic and sacred sculptures. It also houses many invaluable cultural relics. The most famous and valuable of these is the sculpture of Jowo Sakyamuni aged 12, one of the very few sculptures of its kind making it even more precious.
Every year, the Great Prayer Festival is held in the Temple. Initiation rites into lama hood of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lamas are also held in this monastery.
|
|
| |
 |
Barkhor Street
Barkhor, a circular street at the center of Lhasa, is the oldest street in a very traditional city of Tibet. It is a place where Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts assemble and a place to which a visit must be paid.
Barkhor is the road that pilgrims tramped out around Jokhang Temple through centuries. Buddhist pilgrims walk or progress by body-lengths along the street clockwise every day into deep night. Most of Lhasa's floating population is comprised of these pilgrims. The pilgrims walk outside four columns on which colorful scripture streamers are hung, a custom began in the Tubo period (633-877) as a way to show respect. |
|
| |
Barkhor, the sacred pilgrim path, is also a marketplace where shaggy nomads, traders, robed monks and chanting pilgrims join together. Clustered shops and stalls sell printed scriptures, cloth prayer flags and religious vessels, jewelry, Tibetan knives, ancient coins as well as other Tibetan relic. |
|
| |
  |
Drepung Monastery
Situated at the foot of the Mountain Gambo Utse, 5 km from Lhasa, the Drepung Monastery is the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery was first established in 1416 and is considered one of the “Three Great Monasteries” in Tibet. It held 7,700 monks in total and possessed 141 fazendas and 540 pastures in its heyday, and it is also the largest-scale monastery among the same kind, covering an area of 250,000 square meters. Seen from afar, its grand, white construction gives the monastery the appearance of a heap of rice, hence it got the name 'Drepung Monastery' which, in the Tibetan language, means Monastery of Collecting-Rice.
The Drepung Monastery houses many cultural relics, which adorn the monastery and make it more superb. Statues of Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Sitatapatra found on the first story of the Coqen Hall, rare sutras on the second story and Jamyang Qoigyi's conch shell given by Tsong Khapa on the third one, all add to the wonderment of the monastery. Exquisite statues of Tsong Khapa, Kwan-yin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Amitayus, and Jamyang Qoigyi in other sutra halls, as well as flowery murals on walls also fully present the wisdom of the Tibetan people. |
|
|
  |
Norbulingka (The Summer Palace)
Norbulingka, meaning "Treasure Park", was first built in the 1740s. As a result of continuous expansion by the Dalai Lamas, it covers an area of 40 hectares. In 1956 the Fourteenth Dalai Lama finished his own palace - Takten Migyur Potrang, usually called the New Summer Palace. In the past, each spring a grand procession of lamas would follow the Dalai Lama to move into the park.
Though it is called the New Summer Palace, it is a very traditional architecture except for its interior modern facilities. In the palace, there are many splendid murals painted by a Fourteenth Dalai Lama's painter. The topics of the murals are vast, including: Tibetan officials, Sakyamuni preaching under a Bodhi tree, Tibetan history from its founding by the Holy Monkey, the vicissitudes of the Tubo Kingdom (633-844), Tibetan Buddhism, and the Banchan Lama's and Dalai Lama's interviews with Chairman Mao Zedong in Beijing. The present Dalai Lama's private apartment is also on view, remaining untouched. In a little sutra hall, there is a Dalai Lama's throne which is wrapped in gold foils and decorated with gems. |
|
|
Kumbum and Palkhor Monastery
Palkhor Monastery is very different from other monasteries with its unique structure. It lies at the foot of Dzong Hill, 230 km south of Lhasa and 100km east of Shigatse.
The main assembly hall of Palkhor was built between the end of fourteenth century and the beginning of the fifteenth century. The ground floor of the three-story building is a Chanting Hall with 48 columns decorated with old silk "thangkas". An eight-meter high bronze statuary of Maitreya is also on display and the gilded |
|
| |
figure is made from 1.4 tons of bronze. On the second floor, "Bodhisattva Manjushri" and "Arhats" from the Ming dynasty, were enshrined in the chapels. Its Arhat Chapel is famous throughout Tibet. On the roof, a chapel houses a collection of 15 "mandala" murals, which are three meters in diameter. The monastery collects about 100 robes and costumes worn in Tibetan opera, all of which were made of silk, embroidery and tapestry during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).Palkhor also features its "Bodhi stupa", or "Kumbum" in Tibetan. Deemed as the symbol of the monastery, the spectacular "stupa" consists of hundreds of chapels in layers, housing about a hundred thousand images of various icons, in total there are about 3,000 statues. |
|
|
Tashilhunpo Monastery
Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the Six Big Monasteries in Tibet. Located at the foot of Drolmari (Tara's Mountain), Shigatse, it was founded by the First Dailai Lama in 1447 and was expanded by the Fourth and successive Banchan Lamas. The monastery covers an area of nearly 300,000 square meters including the main structures of The Maitreya Chapel, The Panchen Lama's Palace and The Kelsang Temple.
Tashilhunpo is the seat of the Panchen Lama since the Fourth Panchen Lama took charge in the monastery, and there are now nearly 800 lamas.
Standing on the entrance of Tashilhunpo, visitors can see the grand buildings with golden roofs and white walls. The remarkable Thangka Wall which is nine floors high, displays the images of Buddha on the 14th, 15th and 16th of May every year following the Tibetan Lunar Calendar.
Besides the grand palace and gigantic statues, the Tashilhunpo Monastery also treasures
|
|
| |
characteristic wall paintings. Because of the variety of shapes, resplendent colors and exquisite painting, the murals are considered to be another masterpiece of Buddhist art. Rare sutras, thangka, china and glass services of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasties (1644-1911) are also invaluable assets found in the monastery. These are good relics for researching the history and society of Tibet. |
|
| |
Yamdrok Yumtso Lake (Yamdrok-tso)
Yamdrok Yumtso, one of the three holiest lakes in Tibet, is located about 100 kilometers to the southwest of Lhasa. The lake is surrounded by Mt. Kampala, Mt. Nyinchenkhasa, Mt. Chetungsu and Mt. Changsamlhamo. Befitting its mythical feminine origins, the turquoise blue lake has indescribable scenic beauty, prompting the Tibetans to compare it with the fairyland in heaven. The lake is also called Coral Lake of the Highlands due to its shape, and on the surrounding expansive pasture, animals and birds flourish in huge numbers.
The holy lake is also a pilgrimage site for Tibetans. Every summer, gangs of pilgrims trek there to pray and receive blessings. Pilgrims believe that its water can make the old young again, grant the middle-aged a longer life and make the children smarter. Being a sacred lake, the color of its water may be taken by the devout as having spiritual meaning.
|
 |
| |
 |
Heavenly Lake Namtso
'Heavenly Lake' Namtso is considered one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. Namtso is famous for its high altitude (4720 meters), vast area (1961 square kilometers) and beautiful scenery. Being the second largest saltwater lake in China only after Qinghai Lake, Namtso Lake is the biggest lake throughout Tibet. Meanwhile, it is the highest altitude saltwater lake in the world. The water here is a storybook crystal-clear blue.
Namtso Lake maintains its levels from rainfall and melted snow flowing from high mountains. Summer is the best time for Namtso Lake. Wild yaks, hares and other wild animals leisurely look for food along the expansive lake shores; countless migratory birds fly here to lay eggs |
|
| |
and feed their young; sometimes lovely fishes in the lake jump out of the lake water, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine; sheep and cows herds are like flowing white blanks on the green grassland which can stretch as far as your eyes can see. This time of the year Namtso Lake is full of life and activity. It is really a blessing from nature.
In Nov. 14, 2005, Namtso Lake was selected as one of the five most beautiful lakes in China by Chinese National Geography magazine. |
|
 |
| |
Tibet Weather And Climate |
|
| |
In fact, the Tibetan climate is not as harsh as many people imagine it to be. It is suitable for travel to Tibet from April to the beginning of November, and the best time is August and September. But if you only stay in Lhasa, you can go there anytime of the year.
Sun radiation is extremely strong in Tibet. The sunlight in Lhasa is so intense that the city is called Sunlight City. The thin air can neither block off nor retain heat so that the temperature extremes can be met in daytime and the same night respectively in Tibet. However it is not impossible to visit the holy snow land. May, June and September are the tourism season in east Tibet.
|
|
| |
Most annual rainfall comes in the rainy season that starts from June to September. Usually it rains at night in Lhasa, Shigatse and Chamdo area. The rainfall may block roads and make travel difficult but the scenery at the time will be the best.
The Average Temperature of Lhasa in a Year (in Celsius)
Mon. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Ave. 0.3 1.6 5.5 9.1 13.0 17.0 16.4 15.6 14.3 9.2 3.9 0
Max. 12.2 15.5 18.3 21.6 25 27.8 27.2 25.5 23.9 21.6 16.6 13.9
Min. -14.4 -11.6 -8.3 -4.4 -0.5 4.4 6.1 5.5 3.9 -5.0 -9.4 -13.3 |
|
 |
| |
|
MSN: pandaholidaytours@hotmail.com
|
|
|
