Yamdrok Lake Homestay Tour

Yamdrok Lake Homestay Tour

The 10 days tour will allow you to visit the most of Tibet's highlights, including the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepunag and Sera Monasteries, Yamdrok Lake, etc. It is perfect combination of the cultural and natural sites. Start now to plan your lifetime Tibet tour.

Itinerary

Day 1: Day 01: Arrival in Lhasa by train or air and transfer to downtown Lhasa, 3650mts.

Pass By: Yaowang Mountain of Lhasa, Right of Potala Palace, Chengguan District, Lhasa 850000 China
Arriving in Lhasa, the ancient holy city of Tibet and Our Tibet travel guide and driver will be welcomed you at the railway station and transfer to the hotel. Rest in the afternoon.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: lubhum tsang boutique hotel or shambhala palace

Day 2: Day 02: Sightseeing tour in Lhasa, Potala Palace, Jokang temple, Bharkor Bazar

Stop At: Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Chengguan District, Lhasa 850000 China
After breakfast, travel to Potala Palace which will take you 10 minutes from your hotel. THE POTALA PALACE is considered one of the great wonders of the world. It is held sacred by Tibetans as the former residence of successive Dalai Lamas, and is one of Tibet's most holy pilgrimage sites. A palace was originally built in the 7 th century by King Songtsen Gampo, and was believed to have been nine stories high, but around the 9th century, it is believed to have been destroyed by a big fire. The present Potala Palace was constructed by the great fifth Dalai Lama in the 17 th century after he became ruler of Tibet. The Potala Palace is divided into two sections, the White Palace (completed in 1653) and Red palace (completed 1694). It has more than one thousand rooms and is thirteen stories high. The White Palace was secular in nature and mainly used for government administration, whilst the Red palace was mainly used for religious functions and still has numerous chapels, including those containing reliquary stupas of the successive Dalai Lamas which are richly decorated in gold, silver and semi-precious stones. Afternoon, visit Jokang temple and Bharkor. JOKANG TEMPLE the Jokang is Tibet’s most sacred temple, the main point of pilgrims from the entire Tibetan plateau. Located at the heart of the ancient town of Lhasa, it was built in the 7 th century by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo’s queen Bhrikuti on a site identified by Queen Wencheng according to her geomantic calculation. The temple is 3 stories high and it is constructed with enormous chapels including the most sacred statue of Budhha Shakyamuni, enshrined. It has around 70 monks nowadays. ANCIENT BHARKOR STREET is the most sacred pilgrimage site in Lhasa and it is full of pilgrims from down till dusk. There are four huge prayer flags situated in Bhakor street which surrounds the Jokang, known respectively as Gadhen Dharchen in the northeast, Juyak Dharchen in the west, Kelsang Dharchen in the southwest and SharKyaring Dharchen in the southeast. The Bharkor street is the most active market in all Tibet and it is possible to purchase traditional Tibetan artifacts, religious implements, antiques, modern goods, books, music, clothing, spices, fresh meat and vegetable.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: lubhum tsang boutique hotel or shambhala palace

Day 3: Day 03: Drepung and Sera monasteries.

Stop At: Drepung Monastery (Zhebang Si), Southern Slope of Genpeiwuzi Mountain, Chengguan District, Lhasa 850000 China
After breakfast, drive to Drepung monastery which will take you 15 minutes drive from your hotel. DREPUNG MONASTERY is the largest monastery in Tibet, built in the 15 th century by Jamyang Choeje who is one of Tsongkapa’s foremost disciple. The monastery is beautifully located up in a hill at the distance of 7 Km from the old section of the city and it is the biggest monastery in Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery has four main colleges with numerous small chapels and house chapels, known as Khangtsen in Tibetan. There are around six hundred monks nowadays. Afternoon, visit Sera and Norbu Lingka. SERA MONASTERY was founded in around 15th century by Jamchen Choeje who is another famous disciple of Tsongka pa and it is the second largest monastery of Tibet. There are three big colleges with numerous chapels and house chapels. The most attraction to visit this monastery is to see the monks debating which hold from 3-5Pm everyday apart from Sunday. NORBU LINGKA is the first summer Palace which was founded by the seventh Dalai Lama in 18th century and the first Palace Kelsang Podrang was also constructed as the same name as the 7th Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso. The eight Dalai Lama Jampel Gyatso (1758-1804) did more initiated work on the Norbulingka, expending the gardens and digging a lake which can be found south of the new summer Palace. The thirteenth Dalai Lama (1876-1933) was responsible for the three Palaces in the north west corner of the park and the fourteen the Dalai Lama built the new summer Palace in 1956. Nowadays there are some monks who are taking care of the Palace.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: lubhum tsang boutique hotel or shambhala palace

Day 4: Day 04: Excursion to Ganden monastery and then drive to Samye monastery

Stop At: Ganden Monastery, Wangori Mountain, Dazi County, Lhasa 850100 China
You will start your tour at around 9Am and drive along the Lhasa river dominated by beautiful Tibetan villages and flocks of yaks grazing on side mountain of Ganden monastery. We will visit the monastery then drive back to Lhasa and continue to Samye monastery.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: lubhum tsang boutique hotel or shambhala palace

Day 5: Day 05: Visit Samye monastery and then drive to Langthang Dewachen (3900mts/165Km) Tibetan Home stay on full board

Stop At: Samye Monastery (Sangye Si), Sangye Town, Dranang County 850800 China
Morning, visit Samye monastery which is the first monastery of Tibet built around 8th century by Padmasavawa and Shatarakshita. It was also the first monastery where they have received first Tibetan monks. It is the mother monastery of red hat school and nowadays, it has around four hundred monks. After visiting the monastery, you will hike up to Hepori hermitage hill which is the first cave where Pamasamvawa used to take meditation. You will hike to the top hill for around one hour and half and back down for around 40 minutes. You will have the most beautiful view of the whole Samye valley. After having lunch, you will drive along the Yarlung Tsangpo river and reaching Chedishol, the road condition is very good, from Chedishol, turn left and drive on a dusty road for 25 Km but the scenery is more fascinating. Stay in a Tibetan family , visit a Tibetan family and have dinner in a Tibetan family and experience how the traditional family of a farmer village in Tibet and the way of their living.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: lubhum tsang boutique hotel or shambhala palace

Day 6: Day 06: Langthang Dewachen-Gongkar Choede-Kyarola La-Drilung village-Rido monastery-

Pass By: Gongkar Choede Monastery, Laldang Tibetan Colony, Plot Brotiwala, P.O. Vikasnagar 248198, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248198, India
After breakfast, one and half hour walk to Bumthang monastery and around the villages. hike up to Bumthang monastery, visit the monastery and walk down to Shizhol village. we will drive back to Gongkar county where the airport is, have lunch in Gongkar and then continue towards south west from the airport. Reach Gongkar Choede monastery. We will visit the Choede monastery. Gonggar Choede monastery, which was built in 1464, belongs to the Zung branch (meaning grey earth ) of the Sakyapa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The principal founder of the Dzongpa Tradition was Dorje Chang Kunga Namgyal (1432–1496). The main monastery of the Dzongpa is Gongkar Chode just south-west of Lhasa on the south side of the Tsangpo River at the distance of 55Km from Lhasa. In the 16th century, the monastery was beautified with wall paintings of the Khyenri school of Tibetan paintings done by the well-known artist of the times, Jamyang Khyentse Wangchuk The history of the monastery is traced to the first visit of Jowo-je Palden Atisha (980–1054 CE), Buddhist teacher from the Pala Empire. During his first visit, Atisha had stopped close to the location of the monastery, prostrated in the direction of the monastery and prophesised that one day a monastery would be built at this location, which would become famous. He had marked the location with a mound of white pebbles in the form of a Mandala (this mound got destroyed during the Cultural Revolution). The Dzong was under the stewardship of Dorje-denpa Kun-ga Namgyal also known as Dorje Chang Kunga Namgyal (1432–1496), who was a well-known Guru who had received training in the Sutra, Tantra and Tantric rituals from masters of all traditions.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: lubhum tsang boutique hotel or shambhala palace

Day 7: Day 07: Drive from Kangru monastery to Rimpo grassland and Yamdrok lake shore-trek along the Yamdrok lake for around

Pass By: Yamdrok Yumtso Lake, Langkazi Country, Nagarze County 851100 China
After breakfast, drive down to Rimpo, trek two hours across Gyole la and along the Yamdrok lake shore, meet the vehicle and drive through Yamdrok Karmaling grassland and finally reach Kha village during your lunch time. Have lunch in the family and then walk around the village for around one hour. Early afternoon, you will have a simple Tibetan cooking class for the afternoon, join the family to prepare the dinner and learn how to make Tibetan Momo ( a traditional dumpling ). You will have dinner with the family members.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: lubhum tsang boutique hotel or shambhala palace

Day 8: Drive from Kha village to Ralung monastery, 4000m/80Km Stay

Stop At: Yamdrok Yumtso Lake, Langkazi Country, Nagarze County 851100 China
After around 100Km drive, you will reach Taklung monastery. On the way, visit Taklung monastery and then continue to Ralung monastery, by crossing Karola pass and it’s glacier. After around ten minutes drive down from the glacier, you will stop for Ralung monastery. From the main road to Ralung monastery, there are around 4Km which is around 2 hours walk. You will trek from the main road to Ralung monastery and visit the monastery in the afternoon. Over night in Ralung monastery.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: lubhum tsang boutique hotel or shambhala palace

Day 9: Day 09: Drive from Ralung to Lhasa (3650mts/ 170Km )

Stop At: Lhasa Amusement Park, No.30-32 Sela Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa 850000 China
After breakfast, start your Tibet journey back to Lhasa along the same route for 15Km distance until you reach Nakartse county and then take a new road back to Lhasa, driving along the eastern arm of Yamdrok lake. Crossing Gampala pass, 4794m and enjoy the most beautiful overlooking and panoramic view of Yamdrok lake and Nojing Kangsang snow mountain in a distance. Driving through many zigzags when you drive down the Pass, have a panoramic view of the Yarlung Tsangpo valley and Kyichu valley. Reaching Lhasa in the afternoon and free afternoon for shopping around Bharkor Bazzar.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: lubhum tsang boutique hotel or shambhala palace