Small group or private
6 Days Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Cultural Tour
6 Days $600 per person Overview Itinerary Tips & FAQ Potala Palace Jokhang Temple Sera Monastery Drepung Monastery Yamdrok Lake Gyantse Kumbum Pelkor Monastery Shigatse Tashilunpo Monastery This classic 6-day tour explores…
- 6 Days / 5 Nights
- Potala Palace → Jokhang Temple → Sera Monastery → Drepung Monastery → Yamdrok Lake → Gyantse Kumbum → Pelkor Monastery → Shigatse → Tashilunpo Monastery
- Moderate pace
- Best: April to October
- No Deposit — Ever
- Cancel Free Before Permit Issued
- Full Refund except $100 Permit Fee
- Bring 7, Your Spot Is Free
- Our Own Office in Lhasa, Since 1999
The trip at a glance
- Lhasa → Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
- Lhasa → Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery
- Lhasa → Yamdrok Lake → Karola Glacier → Gyantse
- Shigatse → Tashilunpo Monastery
Day by day
Potala Palace → Jokhang Temple → Sera Monastery → Drepung Monastery → Yamdrok Lake → Gyantse Kumbum → Pelkor Monastery → Shigatse → Tashilunpo Monastery
Day1
Arrival in Lhasa — Airport Pick-up
Your guide greets you at the airport and transfers you to your hotel. Rest and acclimatize for the day.
Day2
Lhasa — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
Explore the world-famous Potala Palace with its panoramic views of Lhasa. Visit the sacred Jokhang Temple — spiritual heart of Tibet — and explore the colourful Barkhor Street pilgrim market.
Day3
Lhasa — Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery
Visit Drepung Monastery on the hillside west of Lhasa, once the world’s largest monastery. In the afternoon, visit Sera Monastery to watch the lively monk debates in the shaded courtyard.
Day4
Lhasa — Yamdrok Lake — Karola Glacier — Gyantse
Drive over the Kampala Pass for sweeping views of Yamdrok Lake. Stop to see the Karola Glacier up close, then visit Gyantse — historically Tibet’s third city — where you’ll explore the stunning Pelkor Monastery and the magnificent multi-storey Gyantse Kumbum stupa, one of the most remarkable buildings in all of Tibet.
Day5
Shigatse — Tashilunpo Monastery — Return to Lhasa
Visit Tashilunpo Monastery in Shigatse — one of the most important monasteries in Tibetan Buddhism and seat of the Panchen Lama since 1447. Explore its vast complex of chapels, tombs and the 26m-tall gold-and-copper Maitreya statue before returning to Lhasa.
Day6
Lhasa Departure
Free morning in Lhasa before your guide transfers you to the airport or train station for your departure.
Meals: Breakfast Tibet Permit — Required for All Visitors Every visitor to Tibet must hold a Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit. It is mandatory, cannot be obtained on arrival, and differs by nationality. We handle the full application once you book — please allow at least 15 days before your departure date.
What is included
Included
- Tibet Entry Permit and Alien’s Travel Permit
- All entrance fees for tourist sites listed in the itinerary
- Professional English-speaking local tour guide
- Private vehicle with experienced local driver
- All accommodation listed in the itinerary
- Tourist accident/casualty insurance
Not included
- Single room supplement — free of charge for any group booking 5 rooms or travelling with 10 or more.
- Flights or trains to/from Tibet
- Meals not specified in the itinerary (approximately USD 3–15 per meal)
- Tips for tour guide and driver
- Personal expenses (laundry, phone calls, snacks, optional activities)
Photos from this route
Questions travellers ask
How large will my group be?
Join-in departures run with a minimum of 3 travellers — usually 3–8 pax, and never more than 16. You choose the departure date, the starting point and the itinerary length that suits you; guests on different day counts travel together on the shared legs, and each group leaves when their own itinerary ends. If you prefer, this route can also run as a private tour for your own party only. A 3–8 group costs a little more per person and is quieter, with more freedom to change the day on the road; a 3–16 group costs less per person and gives you more people to travel with.
Which permits does this tour need?
We arrange all required Tibet permits for you as part of the booking — you only need a valid passport. Depending on the areas visited this can include the Tibet Travel Permit (TTB), the Aliens’ Travel Permit (PSB), the Frontier Pass and, for sensitive areas, a Military Permit.
How do I get to the starting point of the tour?
The tour starts in Lhasa. You can reach it by flight or by the Qinghai–Tibet railway — either way we meet you on arrival. Many travellers fly in and take the train out (or the other way round) to see both faces of the plateau. We are happy to advise on flights and train tickets as part of your booking.
Can this tour be customized?
Yes — every tour on this site can also run as a private departure with your own dates and pace, arranged by our own office in Lhasa. Send us your dates, group size and interests and we will adapt the itinerary around you.
Before you send your inquiry
- No deposit — ever. Your dates are held with a free inquiry, and nothing is due until we confirm. On fixed group departures, book early to secure your seats.
- Cancel free before your Tibet Travel Permit is issued — full refund, every dollar.
- After the permit is issued: the USD $100 permit fee is non-refundable, everything else is refunded. Refunds within 7 business days.
- Bring a group of 7 and your spot is free (7+1).
- Single room supplement — free of charge for any group booking 5 rooms or travelling with 10 or more.
- Tell us your dates and route on the form below — you will have a written itinerary and an item-by-item quote within 12 hours, with no obligation to book.
- Prices depend on group size, hotel standard, season and how you travel into Tibet, so we quote each trip individually rather than from a price list.
- Hotel details — the exact hotels we use — come with your quote. Ask below for the standard you would like and we will match it.
- A Lhasa-based Tibet tour operator since 1999 — our own guides, vehicles and office in Lhasa, 7,200+ travellers from 40+ countries, 4.9★ on TripAdvisor.
