6 Days Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake and the Yarlung Valley — the Short Loop
- Duration
- 6 Days / 5 Nights
- Pace
- Easy
- Group size
- 3–8 travellers
- Best season
- April to October
The trip at a glance
Six days is enough for the three things most people come to central Tibet for: the old capital, a holy lake, and the valley where the Tibetans say their history began. You drive out one way and come back another, so the view is new every day. If your holiday is short, this is the loop to take. If you can spare one more day, the same route runs at a slower pace as our 7-day loop, with a free afternoon in the valley.
Lhasa first, slowly. Days 1 to 3 are the usual Lhasa start: arrive and rest, then the Potala Palace, the Jokhang and the Barkhor, then Sera Monastery and the Tibet Museum. Three nights at 3,650 m is what makes the lake at 4,441 m comfortable on Day 4.
Read the full overview
Half a day on foot by Yamdrok Lake. From the Gampala Pass the road runs beside the water for a long stretch. We stop the vehicle and walk — about half a day, on grass, between the lake and the yaks. Nobody has to walk: the vehicle follows, and you can get in whenever you like. At the far end of the lake the road climbs the Zhila Pass and drops to Tsedang in the Yarlung Valley.
The first palace and the first monastery, in one day. Yumbulakhang stands on a hill a few kilometres south of Tsedang; Samye lies along the river to the north-west. They are close enough to see both on Day 5 without rushing, and they are the two places that explain the valley best. We don’t add more monasteries to the day.
Leave from Tsedang or from Lhasa. This is the useful trick of the 6-day loop. Tsedang is nearer to Lhasa Gonggar Airport than Lhasa itself, so if you fly out you can sleep a second night in Tsedang and go straight to the airport on Day 6. If you leave by train, or want one last evening in Lhasa, we drive back to Lhasa after Samye instead. You choose.
Never the same road twice. Lhasa → Gampala Pass → along Yamdrok Lake → Zhila Pass → Tsedang → Yumbulakhang → Samye → Lhasa or the airport. See all our loop tours and the three kinds of Yamdrok Lake tours — kora, trek and loop.
Have one more day? Take the valley slowly: our 7 Days Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake and the Yarlung Valley gives Yumbulakhang and Samye a day each, with a free afternoon in Tsedang.
Want to keep going? Ask us. Most of our guests do not fly home the day a tour ends, and few want to plan the next days alone. From Lhasa we can send you on to Nepal or Bhutan, to Chengdu and the pandas, or to Xi’an and Beijing — one company from start to finish, with the same people answering your emails.
- Lhasa
- Gampala Pass
Yamdrok Lake- Zhila Pass
- Tsedang
- Yumbulakhang
- Samye
- Lhasa / Gonggar Airport
Where you go, and how high you sleep
The route, stop by stop
Lhasa → Gampala Pass → Yamdrok Lake → Zhila Pass → Tsedang → Yumbulakhang → Samye → Lhasa / Gonggar Airport
- Lhasa — arrival and rest (3,650 m)Day 1
- Lhasa — Potala, Jokhang, BarkhorDay 2
- Lhasa — Sera Monastery, Tibet MuseumDay 3
- Gampala Pass → walk along Yamdrok Lake → Zhila Pass → TsedangDay 4
- Yumbulakhang + Samye → night in Tsedang or LhasaDay 5
- Leave from Tsedang (airport) or from LhasaDay 6
Day by day
Days 1–3 · Lhasa
Lhasa — arrival and rest (3,650 m)
Met at the airport or station with a khata, driven to your hotel, and then nothing on the programme. Drink water, walk slowly, sleep early.
Lhasa — Potala, Jokhang, Barkhor
The Potala Palace in the morning, the Jokhang Temple after it, and the Barkhor circuit around the Jokhang in the afternoon, walking clockwise with the pilgrims.
Lhasa — Sera Monastery, Tibet Museum
The Tibet Museum, then the monks' debate at Sera Monastery in the afternoon (not on Sundays). Your third day at altitude, so tomorrow's lake is no problem.
Gampala Pass → walk along Yamdrok Lake → Zhila Pass → Tsedang
Leave Lhasa after breakfast, cross the Yarlung Tsangpo at Qushui and climb to the Gampala Pass (4,794 m), where the lake appears below you. Down at the water the road runs along the shore for a long way, and this is where we walk — about half a day, at an easy pace, with the vehicle behind us. Join it again whenever you want. At the east end of the lake the road turns north, crosses the Zhila Pass (5,022 m), and winds down into the Yarlung Tsangpo valley. Tsedang, the main town of the valley, is the night stop.
Yumbulakhang + Samye → night in Tsedang or Lhasa
Morning: a short drive south to Yumbulakhang, the hilltop palace that Tibetans call the first building in Tibet. Ten minutes’ climb gives you the whole valley, barley fields and all. Back through Tsedang for lunch, then north-west along the river to Samye, the first monastery in Tibet, laid out as a map of the Buddhist universe. The small Hepori hill next to it is worth the climb for the view over the whole complex.
Where you sleep tonight is up to you:
- Option A — second night in Tsedang. Choose this if you fly out of Lhasa. Tsedang is closer to Gonggar Airport than Lhasa is, so Day 6 is an easy 1.5-hour drive to your flight.
- Option B — back to Lhasa. About 2.5 hours from Samye. Choose this if you leave by train, or want a last evening around the Barkhor.
Tell us your choice when you book, so we reserve the right hotel.
Leave from Tsedang (airport) or from Lhasa
Option A: Tsedang → Lhasa Gonggar Airport, about 1.5 hours. Option B: your Lhasa hotel → airport or railway station. Your guide sees you off. Tashi delek.
What is included
Included
- Tibet Travel Permit and all other permits for the route
- English-speaking Tibetan guide
- Private vehicle and driver for the whole trip
- Hotels in Lhasa
- Hotel in Tsedang — one or two nights, depending on your Day 5 choice
- Entrance tickets for the sights in the itinerary
- Airport or railway station transfers
- Oxygen cylinders in the vehicle throughout the trip
Not included
- Flights or trains to and from Lhasa
- China visa
- Lunches and dinners in Lhasa
- Personal expenses and tips
- Single room supplement
Photos from this route
Questions travellers ask
Is six days enough for Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake and the Yarlung Valley?
Yes, if you are happy with a full programme. Three days in Lhasa, one day at the lake with half a day on foot, one day for Yumbulakhang and Samye together, and the morning of Day 6 to leave. If you want a free afternoon in the valley, take the 7-day version of the same loop.
How long is the walk at Yamdrok Lake, and do I have to do it?
About half a day along the shore, on flat grass, at whatever pace suits you. Nobody has to walk — the vehicle follows the group, and you can ride the whole way if you prefer.
Can I fly out without going back to Lhasa?
Yes. Stay the second night in Tsedang and we drive you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport on the morning of Day 6, about 1.5 hours. This works for any flight after mid-morning. For trains, go back to Lhasa on Day 5 instead.
Why Yumbulakhang and Samye, and not the other monasteries in the valley?
Because these two tell the story: the first palace of the first king, and the first monastery where Buddhism was established in Tibet. One hill, one monastery, one day — not a string of temples that start to look alike.
What is the difference between the 6-day and the 7-day loop?
Same road, same places. The 7-day loop gives Yumbulakhang and Samye a day each and a free afternoon in Tsedang. The 6-day loop sees both on one day and lets you leave straight from Tsedang if you fly.
How high do I sleep on this tour?
Lhasa 3,650 m for three nights, then Tsedang 3,560 m — slightly lower. The passes are high (Gampala 4,794 m, Zhila 5,022 m) but you cross them by vehicle and sleep low every night.
