- Day 1: Arrival at Minling airport and transfer to Bai,2900Mts/70Km Hotel on B.B
The distance from Minling airport to Bai is 70Km which will take you an hour and half to get there. Check in hotel and rest in the morning. After lunch, drive to Buchu Lhakang and Lamaling temple. Buchu Sergyi Lhakang is the most ancient Buddhist temple in Kongpo and one of the four border taming temples ( Tadul Lhakang ) built by King Songtsan Gampo in the seventh century. It was constructed according to geomantic theory on the right elbow of Supine ogress who represented the Tibetan land. Originally the temple was associated with Nyingma pa tradition. By the 17 th century, Buchu Sergyi Lhakang was transformed in to Gelukpa, or yellow hat school. The temple is 2 storey high, dominated by golden roof and an old statue of Padmasambhava. There around 8 monks these days.
After Buchu Lhakang, we will continue to Zangtok peri temple known as Lamaling. It is one of the most sacred temple since it was blessed by Guru Rinpoche in the 8th Century. It is beautifully located up in a forested hill with a good view of the Kongpo valley.
- Day 2: Bayi-Lunang-Bai Hotel on B.B
After breakfast, drive to Lunang forest villages through zigzag road and cross Serkyimla pass. From the top of the pass, you will have a fantastic view of Namchak Barwa snow mountain. Enjoy a panoramic view of the beautiful Lunang international resort and Tibetan villages from view stage. Walk around the Lunang international forest resort and enjoy seeing lots of Tibetan traditional and local products around the market. Have lunch there and continue driving back to Bai. On the way, visit a beautiful Bonbo monastery, located not very far from Bai. Visit the thousand years tree in Nyingtri which shows can show a good sign of the environment nature preserve in the Tibetan society.
- Day 3: Nyingtri-Darksum lake-Minling county-Gyatsa county (3150m/430km) Hotel On B.B
After breakfast, drive to Darksum lake at the distance of 100Km. The road condition is very good. Eventhough, Darksum lake is not a very big like other big lakes in Tibet, but it is a very unique with it’s beautiful island cave and monastery as well as the forest and snow covered mountain around the lake. Drive back to Nyingtri and continue to Minling county at the distance of around 80km. You will cross Barhmaputra and beautiful forest valley and Tibetan villages.
Drive continuously along the Yarlung Tsangpo river. The road condition is very good today. Visit Dakpo monastery in Gyatsa. Darko monastery is a small Gelukpa monastery in the region.
- Day 4: Gyatsa county-Chokor Gyal monastery-Lhamo Lhatso-Gyatsa-Tsetang (3600mts/180Km ) Hotel on B.B
You will start your tour at around 9 am from gyatsa and drive in a beautiful gorge with clean stream water flow and beautiful Tibetan villages. Visit chokor Gyal monastery which was built during the 5th Dalai lama and visit Lhamo Lhatso from the top of the glacier mountain. Lhamo Lhatso is the most holy lake in Tibet which was tested for the re-incarnation of the successive of the Dalai Lama and Penchen Lama. The lake is believed as the mental creation of the Shiri Devi and it gives magically the vision about the choosing of the reincarnation. Continue to Tsetang through the new route without taking Potangla pass.
- Day 5: Visit Yumbu Lhakang-Traduk temple-Kings tomb. Same hotel
Morning, visit Yumbu Lhakang and Traduk temple. Yumbu Lhakang is located at the distance of 15Km from Tsetang and it is located up on a small hill. It is the first castle of Tibet. From the top of the castle, you can have a very beautiful view of the Yarlung valley dominated by many beautiful villages and their farming lands. Traduk temple is also the first temple of Tibet which was built in the 7th Century by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo.
Afternoon, drive to Chonggye valley and visit the Tibetan king's tomb. The King tomb is located at the distance of 25Km from Tsetang city and the most revered object that you can see there is the tomb of Tibetan King Songtsan Gamp. It is believed that there are more than 20 Tombs.
Return to Tsetang and walk around old neighborhood of Tibetan and visit a small Tibetan traditional cloth weaving factory.
- Day 6: Tsetang-Samye-Lhasa (3650m/ 160Km ) Hotel in Lhasa
After breakfast, drive to Samye monastery at the distance of around 60Km. You will be driving along the Barhmaputra river and the road condition is good. Visit Samye monastery and have lunch at the monastery restaurant and drive to Lhasa through the north side of the Barhmaputra river.
- Day 7: Sight seeing Lhasa, Potala Palace, Jokang temple and Bharkor. Hotel on B.B
After Breakfast, you will start from the hotel and drive towards Potala square. Leave the car behind and must be ready and take your challenge to climb more than hundred steps of the Potala Palance. The Potala Palace was originally built in the 7th century by Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo but the one to the present size was expended by the 5th Dalaia Lama. It has thirteen storey’s high with more than a thousand rooms and divided with White and Red Palace.
After the sightseeing of the Potala Palace, walk around the Potala Palace with pilgrimages and you can experience the ancient tradition of Tibetans, walking around Potala, praying matras. The Kora takes you around 40 minutes. It is also good to acclimatize to the high altitude.
After lunch, you will visit Jokang temple. Jokang temple is the oldest temple of Tibet which was built by King Songtsan Gampo in the 7th century and it is housed to the most sacred statue of Bhudha Shakyamuni brought from mainland China by the princess Wangchen of the Tang court. Walking around the Bharkor is another interesting thing during your tour in lhasa. You will meet many different people in Bharkor.
- Day 8: Sight seeing Lhasa, Pabongka, Chubsang nunnery and Sera monastery. Hotel on B.B
Drive to and explore Pabongka Monastery; hike downhill to Chupsang Nunnery; walk to Sera Monastery, where we have a picnic lunch; depending on availability, make your own prayer flag at Sera’s printing center and witness monks debate age-old scripts in the courtyard.
- Day 9: Excursion to Ganden monastery and back to Lhasa, 120Km. Hotel on B.B
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. After an hour drive, you will reach Ganden monastery. Ganden monastery is one of the six biggest Gelukpa monasteries and it is the mother monastery of the Yellow hat school. If the time permits, it is worthwhile to do a Lingkor, monastery outer Kora.
- Day 10: Drive to Gongkar airport and fly back.