7 Days Shigatse Linka Week Tour
- Duration
- 7 Days / 6 Nights
- Pace
- Easy
- Group size
- 3–8 travellers
- Best season
- Early June — the Linka week starts on 1 June
The trip at a glance
Every year from 1 June, Shigatse takes about a week off and goes "linka" — families pitch their tents in the parks and spend the days picnicking, singing and dancing. Only Shigatse has this holiday. This tour takes you there: a day in Lhasa, the train to Shigatse, two full Linka days with a local family, and back to Lhasa by Gyantse and Yamdrok Lake — never the same road twice.
A guest in the tents. Walk among the tents and say “Tashi Delek” — you will very likely be offered butter tea or sweet tea. Through our guide, you spend the Linka days with a family. It is not a show and not a religious festival: it is how Shigatse celebrates early summer. Read more about the festivals in Shigatse.
- Lhasa
- train to Shigatse
- two Linka days with a local family
Gyantse
Karola Glacier
Yamdrok Lake- Lhasa
Where you go, and how high you sleep
The route, stop by stop
Lhasa → train to Shigatse → two Linka days with a local family → Gyantse → Karola Glacier → Yamdrok Lake → Lhasa
- Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m) — a quiet first dayDay 1
- Potala PalaceDay 2
- Train to Shigatse — the Linka week beginsDay 3
- Linka day one — the parks and Tashilhunpo MonasteryDay 4
- Linka day two — a whole day in the parksDay 5
- Shigatse → Gyantse → Karola Glacier → Yamdrok Lake → LhasaDay 6
- Departure from LhasaDay 7
Day by day
Days 1–2 · Lhasa hotel
Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m) — a quiet first day
Airport or station pick-up, hotel check-in, then a quiet day to rest and get used to the altitude.
Potala Palace · Jokhang Temple · Sera debate · Barkhor Street
The Potala Palace in the morning, the Jokhang Temple, the monks' debate at Sera Monastery in the afternoon, and Barkhor Street in the evening.
Want the full story of these two days in Lhasa — what you see, and why it matters? Read the day-by-day details (opens in a new tab)
Train to Shigatse — the Linka week begins
A short train ride west along the Yarlung Tsangpo valley to Shigatse, Tibet's second city. Today the Linka week begins: from 1 June, Shigatse takes about a week off, and families move into the parks. In the afternoon, an easy stroll through the city to feel the holiday mood.
Linka day one — the parks and Tashilhunpo Monastery
The morning in the parks among the tents. Walk through, say "Tashi Delek", and you will very likely be offered butter tea or sweet tea; through our guide, you spend time with a family in their tent.
In the afternoon, Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lamas: the giant Maitreya statue, the tombs and the courtyards.
Linka day two — a whole day in the parks
A full day of the Linka: picnics, songs and circle dances, games and long conversations over chang and butter tea. You sit with the family again and share the day as a guest — the best way to see how Shigatse lives.
Shigatse → Gyantse → Karola Glacier → Yamdrok Lake → Lhasa
Back to Lhasa by road — a different way from the train ride out: east to Gyantse and its Kumbum stupa, over the Karola Glacier, along Yamdrok Lake, one of the three holy lakes of Tibet, and over the Gampala Pass to Lhasa.
Departure from Lhasa
Your guide takes you to the airport or railway station. Tashi delek — safe travels.
What is included
Included
- Tibet Travel Permit and all other permits for the route
- English-speaking Tibetan guide
- Vehicle and driver for the whole trip
- Train ticket Lhasa → Shigatse
- Hotels with daily breakfast
- Entrance tickets for the sights in the itinerary
- Airport or railway station transfers in Lhasa
- Oxygen cylinders in the vehicle throughout the trip
Not included
- Flights or trains to and from Lhasa
- China visa
- Lunches and dinners
- Personal expenses and tips
- Single room supplement
Photos from this route
Pick your date
Questions travellers ask
What is the Linka week in Shigatse?
A holiday of about a week from 1 June, only in Shigatse, when families camp and picnic in the city's parks with food, butter tea, singing and dancing. It is not a New Year and not a religious festival.
Can we really join a family?
Yes. Walking among the tents and saying Tashi Delek usually brings an invitation to tea, and our guide arranges for you to sit with a family on both Linka days.
Is one day in Lhasa enough?
It is a full day — the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple, the monks' debate at Sera and Barkhor Street. Shigatse is only a little higher than Lhasa, and the train makes the journey easy.
Can this tour be private?
Yes. The same itinerary can run as a private tour, and in a private tour the dates can be anywhere in the Linka week.
Would you like to take this tour with a small group? It runs on fixed dates with 3 to 8 travellers. The group assembles in Chengdu or Xining, and the tour ends in Lhasa. See the dates for this tour →
