Tibet in Depth

Home > Xizang > Tibet in Depth

Tibet in Depth

★★★★★

4.9/5 435 Latest reviews

Tour Code: ODY-CN-306

Destination: Lhasa, Shigatse, Tingri, Ngari Prefecture, Naqu

Duration

16 Days

Tour Type

Private & Bespoke

Tour Style

In-Depth

About This Trip

Get away from the congested tourist attractions and have an in-depth tour of eastern Tibet. Beyond the Buddhist culture, you can find the plateau’s breathtaking mountains and tranquil lakes. Visit Lhasa’s top attractions, including the Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace. Enjoy the sacred Yamdrok Lake, Lake Manasarovar, and Namtso’s magnificence. Gaze in awe at the Zhada Earth Forest National Geopark’s scenery. Travel through Ngari Prefecture’s vast, uninhabited areas.

Itinerary Summary

DAY	PLACE	HIGHLIGHTS
1 – 3	Lhasa	Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Monks Debate Experience in Sera Monastery, Trekking Tour around Lhasa
4	Lhasa – Shigatse	Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Kumbum Stupa
5	Tingri County	Mt. Everest
6	Tingri County – Saga County	Lake Paiku
7	Saga County – Darchen	Lake Manasarovar
8	Zanda County	Zhada Earth Forest National Geopark
9 – 10	Shiquanhe	Ngari Prefecture
11 – 12	Gerze County – Nyima County	Zhari Namco, Tangra Yumco
13 – 14	Nyima County – Damxung County	Namtso
15	Yangbajing	Hot Spring Bath
16	Lhasa	Departure

Itinerary

Welcome to Tibet, the Roof of the World with an average elevation of 4,380 meters! Whether you arrive in Lhasa by plane or train, our professional guide will welcome you outside the arrival hall. Later, take the private transfer to your hotel and check in. The rest of the day is yours to adapt to the plateau environment.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Standing highly on the Red Mountain for hundreds of years, the magnificent Potala Palace and its predecessor is always the symbol of Tibet and even the whole Tibetan Buddhism world. Climbing the steep stairs up, the distinctive architecture itself, the solemn and mystical religious air, the precious artistic treasures inside, and the spectacular view from the top will deeply shake your heart.

Proceeding to the holiest Jokhang Temple, filled with the scent of Yak oil candles and pilgrims from all over China, you will get a better understanding of the religious faith of the Tibetan people. At the end of the tour, walk around the nearby Barkhor Street to observe the locals going about their daily lives and seek some souvenirs.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

You might be able to adjust to the high altitude and enjoy the next adventure by taking a short trekking tour around Lhasa. Beginning in the Pabonka Hermitage, the excursion will proceed to the Trashi Choling Hermitage before descending to the Chupzang Nunnery.

Visit the Sera Monastery next, which is renowned for its Buddhist “Monks Debate” activities. It is fascinating to see monks in red robes congregate and argue over Buddhism philosophy and their teachings in exaggerated motions, even if you can’t comprehend what they’re saying.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Set out for Shigatse today with several stopovers on the way. The first is at Yamdrok Lake, a coral-shaped lake that appears in varying shades of blue on a sunny day, followed by the Karola Glacier – the closest glacier to the highway in Tibet. The last is the Kumbum Stupa inside the Palcho Monastery, Gyantse County.

Upon arrival in Shigatse, spend some time visiting the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the largest one in Shigatse.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Proceed to the Rongbuk Monastery after breakfast. As the car moves along National Road 318, a scenic way that gathers the most and best landscapes in China, majestic and virgin snow-capped mountains will come into your sight time and again, including Mt. Everest at altitudes of more than 8,000 meters if on a clear day.

After arrival, take pictures with the highest peak on the earth and then rest in the nearby hotel.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Continue your journey to Saga County after breakfast. On the way, you will have a chance to see the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas again. Drive through the alpine pastures and make a short stopover at Lake Paiku, the best place to enjoy the beauty of the Shishapangma, the lowest among the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 meters above the sea level. Tonight, you will stay at Saga County.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

This morning, along the way to Ngari Prefecture, you will enjoy different landscapes, from snow-capped mountains and blue lakes to vast deserts. Make a stopover at Lake Manasarovar, where you can overlook the sacred Mount Kailash to its north and visit the lakeside Jiwu Temple. Close to the borders of India and Nepal, this area is a worship place for believers of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon. So, don’t be surprised if you see the pilgrims on their devotional journey circling the lake and the mountain. After the tour, head to Darchen for the night.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Along with the beautiful plateau scenery, you will reach Zhada Earth Forest National Geopark today. The flat top of the mountain that has been cut into parallel and orderly deep shallow gullies by nature seems like a work of art gifted to man. You may feel like being on another planet while moving through the geopark in the car. Later, visit the ancient Guge Kingdom Ruins rising abruptly from the river bank. Just a few hundred meters from the ruins is the Tholing Monastery with a history of more than 1,100 years.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

After breakfast, drive about 7 hours to Shiquanhe, the main town of Ngari Prefecture, with stopovers en route for break and photography. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and take a good rest.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Today you will drive into the heart of Ngari Prefecture, a vast, uninhabited wilderness with numerous lakes. It’s a long journey taking around 13 hours, during which you will be rewarded with a paradise of the unique wildlife in the Tibetan Plateau, such as Tibetan wild donkeys, Tibetan antelope, and wild yak.

Arrive at Gerze County in the evening, check into your hotel, and have a good rest.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Continue your journey in the northern Tibetan prairie. Out of the window are stunning landscapes, beautiful lakes, and wild animals free rambling in their natural habitats. After about 7 hours of scenic land journey, you will reach Coqen County for the night.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Today, another 7 hours drive will take you to Nyima County. On the way, you will pass through Zhari Namco (a salt lake with the most graceful shoreline) and Tangra Yumco (the holy lake of the Bön believers). Upon arrival, check into your hotel and rest.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Continue with a 9-hour drive through the boundless prairie to Baingoin County. It is an area that has too many lakes of different sizes and provides shelter for wildlife. You may encounter herds of Tibetan wild donkeys, Tibetan antelopes, and so on. After arrival at your hotel in Baingoin County, check in and rest.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Proceed with a 4-hour drive to Namtso, along with Yamdrok Lake and the Manasarovar that you’ve visited in the past days are the three holy lakes in Tibet. Lying sacredly at an elevation of 4,718 meters, the so-called Heavenly Lake is also a divine pilgrim location for Tibetan Buddhists.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Today you can take a bath in a hot spring in the town of Yangbajing. It would be a unique experience to dip in the hot springs water and watch the snow mountains in the distance. Later, head to Lhasa, hotel check-in, and rest.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Time to say goodbye. Your tour guide will await you at the hotel lobby at the appointment time and escort you to the airport or railway station.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Gallery

Why Choose Inner Mongolia Jiuhong Travel Service Co., Ltd.

12-Year TripAdvisor Award

Travellers’ Choice winner every year since 2013

No Commission Shopping

Zero shopping stops, zero pressure, zero hidden agendas

100% Private

Every tour is exclusively yours — no strangers, no shared buses

Expert Local Guides

Licensed, English-speaking guides with deep local knowledge

Real reviews from real travellers

u003cemu003eu003cemu003eI highly recommend Inner Mongolia Jiuhong Travel Service Co., Ltd. The team is very easy to work with, has excellent ideas and the guides are knowledgeable and easy to be with. Very solid itineraries and execution — flexible, high quality, and great value for money.u003c/emu003eu003c/emu003e
James T.
Verified · TripAdvisor
u003cemu003eu003cemu003eWe visited both Xi’an and Shanghai under Jiuhong’s arrangement and received the same first-class service in both cities. The guides were knowledgeable, flexible, and happy to discuss all aspects of modern China — giving insights difficult to obtain elsewhere. Strongly recommended.u003c/emu003eu003c/emu003e
Greenfly
Couples · Verified · TripAdvisor
u003cemu003eu003cemu003eWe had a wonderful action-packed day. Fei Fei was amazing — her knowledge was very impressive and she was a real pleasure to be with. This was certainly the highlight of our stay in this beautiful city. Thanks so much.u003c/emu003eu003c/emu003e
Ludovic V.
Couples · London, UK · Verified · TripAdvisor

How It Works

Step 1

Tell us your tour ideas
Complete our inquiry form

Step 2

Discuss with a travel specialist
Customize your itinerary

Step 3

Securely book your tour
Confirm when you’re satisfied

About This Trip

Itinerary Summary

Itinerary

Gallery