Day 1 Arrival in Lhasa
Morning: Arrive at Lhasa Railway Station or Lhasa Gonggar Airport. Your tour guide or staff will greet you with a sign and present a khata (a traditional Tibetan greeting).
Afternoon: Drive to your hotel in the city center for check-in and rest.
Day 2 Lhasa - Potala Palace - Jokhang Temple - Barkhor Street
Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, drive to the Potala Palace (a National 5A-level scenic spot and a World Cultural Heritage site). Visit this 7th-century palace-style building and explore its precious artifacts and historical context.
Lunch: Own expense.
Afternoon: Proceed to the Yaowang Mountain Observation Deck and take photos at the spot where the 50-yuan banknote was featured.
Visit the Jokhang Temple (built in 647 AD, a Tibetan Buddhist temple housing a life-size golden statue of the 12-year-old Sakyamuni).
Start the City Walk (an ancient circumambulation path) along Barkhor Street, walking alongside pilgrims and experiencing the local life and religious atmosphere.
Evening: Return to the hotel for dinner.
Day 3 Lhasa - Mila Mountain Tunnel - Millennium Xiuba Castle - Nyingchi
Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, drive through the Mila Mountain Tunnel to the Millennium Xiuba Castle. Legend has it that over 1,600 years ago, Songtsen Gampo built this complex of castles, a symbol of his rule, to facilitate military communication and garrison defense.
Noon: Lunch at your own expense.
Afternoon: Continue along the Lhasa-Nyingchi Expressway to Nyingchi, enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Niyang River along the way.
Evening: Arrive in Nyingchi, check in to your hotel, and have free time at your own leisure. Dinner at your own expense.
Day 4 Nyingchi - Basongtso (Lake Island) - Lhasa
Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, drive to Basongtso (National AAAAA-level Scenic Area and National Forest Park). 'Basongtso' means 'green water' in Tibetan and is a renowned sacred lake in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Morning: Take a boat to Basongtso (Lake Island). Circumnavigate the island and admire the interwoven scenery of snow-capped mountains, lakes, and forests. Known as 'Little Switzerland' for its diverse seasonal scenery and collection of rare plants, the scenic area boasts a unique blend of scenery.
Noon: Lunch at your own expense (you can enjoy local wild mushroom hotpot near the scenic area).
Afternoon: Return to Lhasa along the original route.
Evening: Arrive in Lhasa and check in to your hotel. Dinner at your own expense.
Day 5 Lhasa - Yamdrok Lake - Karola Glacier - Palkor Monastery - Shigatse
Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, drive to Yamdrok Lake (675 square kilometers, 4,441 meters above sea level). Enjoy the stunning scenery of the azure waters contrasting with the surrounding snow-capped mountains along the circular road.
Noon: Lunch at your own expense (Tibetan noodles can be enjoyed at a local restaurant near the lake).
Afternoon: Drive along the circular road to Karola Glacier (the eastern source of the Nianchu River, one of Tibet's three continental glaciers).
Arrive in the heroic city of Gyantse and visit Palkor Monastery (built in 1427, featuring a unique architectural style known as 'a pagoda within a pagoda, a pagoda within a temple').
Drive to Shigatse, the administrative center of Tsang.
Evening: Arrive in Shigatse and check in to your hotel. Dinner at your own expense.
Day 6 Shigatse - Tashilhunpo Monastery - 'Princess Wencheng' Performance - Lhasa
Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, visit Tashilhunpo Monastery (founded in 1447, one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and the seat of successive Panchen Lamas), admiring its magnificent architecture and exquisite art collections.
Noon: Lunch at your own expense (you may enjoy Shigatse grilled lamb chops nearby).
Afternoon: Return to Lhasa via the highway, passing through the Yarlung Zangbo Gorge.
Evening: Arrive in Lhasa and check in to your hotel.
Watch the 'Princess Wencheng' live performance (approximately 90 minutes, featuring over 800 actors), which tells the historical story of the marriage between Tang Dynasty Princess Wencheng and the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo over 1,300 years ago.
Afterwards, return to the hotel for dinner.
Day 7 Lhasa - Departure
Morning: Breakfast at the hotel, then unpack your luggage.
Depending on your return flight/train schedule, your guide and driver will transfer you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport or Lhasa Railway Station.
Check in for your flight/train and depart Lhasa, concluding your 7-days Tibet tour.
