Five Days Tour: Tibetan Village Homestay

Total Fair From $500 per person

ITINERARY IN SHORT

  • Day 1: Arrival and pick up, either, at the Gongkar airport or at the Libu train station in Lhasa
  • Day 2: Lhasa sightseeing: Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Market and Potala palace.
  • Day 3: Lhasa sightseeing: Drepung and Sera monastery.
  • Day 4: Ganden monastery. Hikking to Drushi village
  • Day 5: End of tour. Your tour guide will arrange transportation to either the Gongkar airport or the Libu train station in Lhasa

Important notice when you visit the Potala Palace

 

To protect the Potala Palace, a limited number of tourists can go inside. The palace is made of clay and wood, and has become very fragile over the years, thus it is very easy to damage it if too many tourists enter at the same time. Visiting time inside the Palace is restricted to no more than two hours. Due to crowding conditions, tickets are very limited, especially during the summer high season. Sightseeing may also be changed from morning to afternoon, or switched from one day to another according to the situation or the space available.

Please be flexible to this possibility.

  1. Please bring your passport

  2. Tickets should be booked one day in advance

  3. The visit cannot be scheduled ahead of time, the ticketing officer will let your tour guide know when there is availability

  4. You should be at the first security checkpoint one hour ahead of the scheduled time of visit, if you are late then you will not be allowed to re-book a ticket for one week

Services included and excluded in this tour


The following 15 services are included:

  1. Payment for Tibet travel permit and all other necessaries permits to Tibet

  2. All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary

  3. Meals as specified in the itinerary.

  4. Local tour Transfers, 5-29 seats comfortable tourist vehicle to accommodate Group Size.

  5. Professional English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide

  6. Comfortable hotel accommodations

  7. In reference to your hotel accommodation: you will need to share a room with another member but if you prefer to be by yourself, you will need to pay a single room supplement.

  8. Breakfast in hotels

  9. Arrangements including planning, handling, operational and communication charges.

  10. Welcome Group dinner at a local restaurant in Lhasa.

  11. Transportation between Lhasa Gongar airport or train station and your hotel.

  12. Welcome dinner is only possible in Group tours after your arrival in Tibet.

  13. Tibet Handy Map

  14. Drinking water at the tour bus during travel

  15. Shared oxygen tank inside the tour bus
The following 6 services are excluded:

  1. International flight in and out of China

  2. Domestic flight/train in and out of Lhasa. (We can provide you the domestic flight/train ticket booking service at the BEST discount price, please contact our travel experts for further details.)

  3. Lunches and dinners are not included. The cost is usually about $3-15 per person per meal in TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region).

  4. Personal expenses, like laundry, phone call, snacks, soft drinks (please avoid alcoholic beverages during your Tibetan trip), optional tour activities, etc

  5. Tips to your tour guide and driver

  6. Travel insurance covers trips cancellation cost in emergency evacuations, due to bad weather condition, avalanche, or natural disasters

The total fare for Tibetan Village Homestay

  1. Price: From $500 per person

  2. Tour Type: Join-in small group with fixed departure date

  3. Trip Level: Max 6-12

  4. Group Size: Easy – suitable for all level of fitness, family with kids and senior groups.
  • Day 1: Arrival and pick up, either, at the Gongkar airport or at the Libu train station in Lhasa
  • Day 2: Lhasa sightseeing: Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Market and Potala palace.
  • Day 3: Lhasa sightseeing: Drepung and Sera monastery.
  • Day 4: Ganden monastery. Hikking to Drushi village
  • Day 5: End of tour. Your tour guide will arrange transportation to either the Gongkar airport or the Libu train station in Lhasa

Itinerary in Detail

Day 1

Your tour guide will welcome you, either at the airport or at the train station. The distance from the airport to Lhasa is about 70km, approximately 1:30 hrs. drive. The distance from the train station is only 25km, about 30 minutes’ drive. After that, he will provide you with some necessary instructions about your tour arrangements in Lhasa.
We will accommodate you at the Three Starts hotel or you own choice of hotel.

Day 2

Visit Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Market and Potala Palace
Today is your first day on the high plateau and some of you may have a headache. This is very common for all travelers because of the high altitude, so drink enough water and avoid strenuous activity during this first few days to help you adjust to it.
In the morning our guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you on a visit to the Jokhang Temple which is the center of the holy city of Lhasa. Jokhang temple is one of the most sacred temples in Tibet and has always been bustled with earnest local pilgrims. After that, you will have time to walk around the Barkhor Street, one of the most devotional circuit as well as the most crowded central market in Lhasa. In the old days, it was the most famous local market but nowadays it has evolved into a very touristic gift shopping center. You will be impressed by the crowds of local pilgrims doing prostration in front of the temple, especially during the winter months.
In the afternoon you will visit the Potala Palace, the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. It was built by 33rd King Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th century and, later in the 17th century, rebuilt by the 5th Dalai Lama. Since then, it served as the home to the Dalai Lama and his government. Walking though the long steps is quite challenging, but it is worthwhile to leave your footprints in the spiritual palace on God’s compassion, listed in the world heritage.
We will accommodate you at the Three Starts hotel or your own choice of hotel.

Day 3

Visit Drepung and Sera monasteries
This morning we will visit Drepung and Sera Monasteries Deprung monastery is one of the world’s largest monasteries, housing more than 10,000 monks. It was the residence of the Dalai Lama prior to moving to the Potala Palace. Destruction has taken place at different times, but you can still fully enjoy it. You can walk through numbers of narrow and twisted lanes of monks’ apartments, which are more like a typical village.
This amazing day will end with a visit to the Sera Monastery. It was built in the 15th century by the Jamchen choji Sakya Yeshi who was a disciple of Tsongka pa. The monastic colleges in Sera house several hundred monks from different parts of Tibet. The famous Buddhist philosophical debates among the monks takes place every afternoon except on Sundays. Continue acclimatizing to the new altitude and alleviating your jet lag the rest of the day.
We will accommodate you at the Three Starts hotel or another hotel of your choice.

Day 4

In the morning, we’ll drive for about an hour and a half to Ganden Monastery, located to the east and about 70 km from Lhasa.
Ganden monastery was founded in 1409 by Tsongkhapa, who was the revered reformer of the Gelugpa order, the monastery was the first Gelugpa monastery and it has been the main seat of this major Buddhist order ever since. If you are running out of time in Lhasa, Ganden monastery is probably your best choice to visit. You will climb the Ngarong Lhaka, south of Ganden, where you’ll enjoy superb views over strands of the braided Kyi-chu Valley. Along the way and there are usually large numbers of pilgrim offering prayers flag, rubbing holy rocks and prostrating themselves along the path.
Then we will hike, about 4 hours, from Ganden to Drushi village, offering you a great experience to Tibetan village life. The Drushi village has a rich history of more than 700 years, dating back to when Tsongkapa founded Ganden monastery. This beautiful village provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in Tibetan culture, as well as to enjoy a variety of activities such as trekking and horse-back riding. You could also enjoy a visit to a farmer’s house and taste home-made barley beer, butter tea and other local treats to experience the life of a Tibetan family.
We’ll end the day taking you back to the hotel in Lhasa.

Day 5

End of tour. Your tour guide will arrange transportation to either the Gongkar airport or the Libu train station in Lhasa

Important notice when you visit the Potala Palace

 

To protect the Potala Palace, a limited number of tourists can go inside. The palace is made of clay and wood, and has become very fragile over the years, thus it is very easy to damage it if too many tourists enter at the same time. Visiting time inside the Palace is restricted to no more than two hours. Due to crowding conditions, tickets are very limited, especially during the summer high season. Sightseeing may also be changed from morning to afternoon, or switched from one day to another according to the situation or the space available.

Please be flexible to this possibility.

  1. Please bring your passport

  2. Tickets should be booked one day in advance

  3. The visit cannot be scheduled ahead of time, the ticketing officer will let your tour guide know when there is availability

  4. You should be at the first security checkpoint one hour ahead of the scheduled time of visit, if you are late then you will not be allowed to re-book a ticket for one week

Services included and excluded in this tour


The following 15 services are included:

  1. Payment for Tibet travel permit and all other necessaries permits to Tibet

  2. All entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary

  3. Meals as specified in the itinerary.

  4. Local tour Transfers, 5-29 seats comfortable tourist vehicle to accommodate Group Size.

  5. Professional English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide

  6. Comfortable hotel accommodations

  7. In reference to your hotel accommodation: you will need to share a room with another member but if you prefer to be by yourself, you will need to pay a single room supplement.

  8. Breakfast in hotels

  9. Arrangements including planning, handling, operational and communication charges.

  10. Welcome Group dinner at a local restaurant in Lhasa.

  11. Transportation between Lhasa Gongar airport or train station and your hotel.

  12. Welcome dinner is only possible in Group tours after your arrival in Tibet.

  13. Tibet Handy Map

  14. Drinking water at the tour bus during travel

  15. Shared oxygen tank inside the tour bus
The following 6 services are excluded:

  1. International flight in and out of China

  2. Domestic flight/train in and out of Lhasa. (We can provide you the domestic flight/train ticket booking service at the BEST discount price, please contact our travel experts for further details.)

  3. Lunches and dinners are not included. The cost is usually about $3-15 per person per meal in TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region).

  4. Personal expenses, like laundry, phone call, snacks, soft drinks (please avoid alcoholic beverages during your Tibetan trip), optional tour activities, etc

  5. Tips to your tour guide and driver

  6. Travel insurance covers trips cancellation cost in emergency evacuations, due to bad weather condition, avalanche, or natural disasters

The total fare for Tibetan Village Homestay

  1. Price: From $500 per person

  2. Tour Type: Join-in small group with fixed departure date

  3. Trip Level: Max 6-12

  4. Group Size: Easy – suitable for all level of fitness, family with kids and senior groups.