8 Days Tashilhunpo Thangka Festival Tour
- Duration
- 8 Days / 7 Nights
- Pace
- Easy
- Group size
- 3–8 travellers
- Best season
- June or July — the 14th to 16th days of the 5th Tibetan month
The trip at a glance
For three days running, Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse hangs a different giant thangka on its great stone wall — a Buddha of the past, Shakyamuni and Maitreya. This tour is built around those three mornings: two days in Lhasa, the train to Shigatse, three nights there for all three thangkas, then back to Lhasa by Gyantse and Yamdrok Lake — never the same road twice.
Three thangkas, three days. The festival falls on the 14th to 16th days of the 5th Tibetan month, usually in June or July. In Lhasa, the Shoton Festival shows one thangka on one morning; in Shigatse you see three. Read more about the festivals in Shigatse.
Read the full overview
More than the festival. The afternoons are for Tashilhunpo itself, the old town of Shigatse and a farming village with a family visit, and the way home passes Gyantse, the Karola Glacier and Yamdrok Lake.
- Lhasa
- train to Shigatse
three thangka mornings at Tashilhunpo
Gyantse
Karola Glacier
Yamdrok Lake- Lhasa
Where you go, and how high you sleep
The route, stop by stop
Lhasa → train to Shigatse → three thangka mornings at Tashilhunpo → Gyantse → Karola Glacier → Yamdrok Lake → Lhasa
- Arrive in Lhasa (3,650 m) — a quiet first dayDay 1
- Potala PalaceDay 2
- Train to Shigatse — an easy stroll through the cityDay 3
- Thangka day one — a Buddha of the pastDay 4
- Thangka day two — ShakyamuniDay 5
- Thangka day three — MaitreyaDay 6
- Gyantse → Karola Glacier → Yamdrok Lake → LhasaDay 7
- Departure from LhasaDay 8
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 — an easy stroll through the city
A short train ride west along the Yarlung Tsangpo valley to Shigatse, Tibet's second city. The afternoon is free for an easy stroll — the market, the old streets below the fortress, a cup of sweet tea — and an early night before the first thangka morning.
Thangka day one — a Buddha of the past · Tashilhunpo Monastery
Early to Tashilhunpo Monastery, where the first giant thangka — a Buddha of the past — is unrolled on the great stone thangka wall. Monks chant, the long horns sound and thousands of pilgrims throw white khata scarves and make offerings. The thangka is rolled up again in the afternoon.
In the afternoon, the whole of Tashilhunpo with time inside: the giant Maitreya statue, the tombs of the Panchen Lamas and the courtyards where the monks live and study.
Thangka day two — Shakyamuni · old town and a farming village
The second morning at the thangka wall: today it is Shakyamuni, the Buddha of the present — the busiest of the three days.
In the afternoon, the old town of Shigatse, then out to a farming village nearby. In July the barley fields are green, and you visit a local family at home for butter tea and a chat about the farming year.
Thangka day three — Maitreya · on to Gyantse
The last morning at Tashilhunpo: Maitreya, the Buddha of the future — called Jampa in Tibetan. Then east along the farming valley to Gyantse, with time for the Kumbum stupa and the old town below the fortress. Night in Gyantse.
Gyantse → Karola Glacier → Yamdrok Lake → Lhasa
Over the Karola Glacier and along Yamdrok Lake, one of the three holy lakes of Tibet, then over the Gampala Pass to Lhasa — a different road from the train ride out. A free evening in Lhasa — a last walk around the Barkhor if you like.
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
When is the Tashilhunpo thangka festival?
On the 14th, 15th and 16th days of the 5th Tibetan month — usually in June or July. For 2027 we expect around 16–18 July; we re-confirm the dates with the monastery before you book flights.
Will I see all three thangkas?
Yes. The tour stays three nights in Shigatse so you are at the thangka wall on all three mornings. If the festival moves by a day, we move the Shigatse days with it.
How do we get to Shigatse?
By train from Lhasa — a short, easy ride. The way back is by road through Gyantse, the Karola Glacier and Yamdrok Lake, so you never travel the same road twice. The train ticket inside Tibet is included.
Can this tour be private?
Yes. The same itinerary can run as a private tour for your family or friends, with your own guide and vehicle.
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 →
