7 Days Chengdu Lhasa Natural and Cultural Highlights Tour

Welcome to Chengdu, the Land of Abundance and the hometown of Giant Pandas!

Upon arrival in Chengdu, the Land of Abundance, our local guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your downtown hotels.

After checking in at the hotel, you can take a good rest to relieve yourself or explore surrounding areas on your own.

Stay overnight in Chengdu

Insider Tips:
Chengdu has two international airports: Chengdu Tianfu International Airport and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Please make sure to check which airport you're arriving at.

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, also known as Chengdu Panda Base. Morning is feeding time, when pandas are most active. You can see lovely giant pandas eating fresh bamboo and marvel at playful giant pandas in their natural habitat. If you’re lucky, you may also see the cutest baby giant pandas.

After lunch, you will take a 1-hour drive to the Sanxindui Museum in Guanghan. It showcases extraordinary ancient artifacts from the mysterious ancient Shu civilization, including bronze masks, sculptures, and jade relics. You’ll get a unique glimpse into one of China's most enigmatic ancient cultures.

After the visit, you will get back to downtown Chengdu.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

• Closely see the cute giant pandas at Chengdu Panda Base.
• Sanxindui Museum in Guanghan

Today, you are free until you take the flight from Chengdu to Lhasa. Upon your arrival in Lhasa, our Tibetan guide will welcome you at the airport or train station with a traditional white Hada.

You'll then be escorted to your hotel in Lhasa. Our guide will give you a brief overview of the itinerary and provide helpful tips for adjusting to the altitude.

Once you've checked in, take some time to rest and allow your body to acclimate to the high altitude.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Insider Tips:
1. Please double-check the departure airport for your flight to Lhasa.

2. Our local staff will deliver the Tibet Travel Permit to you before you board the flight to Lhasa. Keep the permit safe as it is important for boarding the flight and entering the Tibet Autonomous Region.

• Tibetan tour guide greets you at Lhasa Airport.
• Lhasa River

In the morning, you’ll explore the largest monastery in Tibet - Drepung Monastery, which was once the home to over 10,000 monks. As you walk through the Coqen Hall, your guide will provide detailed explanations of the worldview of Tibetan Buddhism and introduce notable figures in Tibetan Buddhist history.

Next, you’ll visit the renowned Loseling College (or an equivalent), offering a glimpse into the study and life of Tibetan monks. Explore their dormitories to gain insights into the Tibetan monks' daily routines and living conditions.

In the afternoon, you’ll head to Sera Monastery, another of the ‘great three’ Gelug monasteries of Tibet, to witness the famous Tibetan Monks Debate (15:00 - 17:00, from Monday to Saturday). Your guide will intricately explain how Tibetan monks engage in these debates to acquire knowledge and advance in their academic degrees.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• The spectacular vista of Drepung Monastery
• Dramatic monk debate in Sera Monastery

After breakfast, your first stop is the Potala Palace, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Lhasa Old Town. Discover the lives and stories of the Dalai Lamas through history within the palace, and the extraordinary treasures it holds. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.

After touring the Potala Palace, you will visit Longwangtan Park at the foot of the Potala Palace. Here, you can appreciate the majestic Potala Palace from a different perspective and engage in local Tibetan folk activities.

In the afternoon, you will head to the heart of Tibetan religion - the Jokhang Temple. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve. Outside, you can see pilgrims making prostrating in front of Jokhang Temple. Around the temple is Barkhor Street, where you can do kora (a religious circle of a building or mountain) with pilgrims and locals, and explore the old market.

Next, follow your guide to one of the liveliest indoor Tibetan tea houses in Lhasa. Sip traditional Tibetan sweet tea alongside local Tibetans as your guide shares insights into Tibetan social dynamics and daily life.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Tourists are ascending the white palace of Potala Palace
• A Tibetan pilgrim is worshipping Jokhang Temple

In the morning, start the overland journey from Lhasa to Shigatse, which includes visits to Tibet's most beautiful lake, glacier, and charming Tibetan villages.

First, you will drive to Lurila Platform to enjoy a stunning view of the turquoise waters and the Gulha Kangri Snow Mountain.

Then, you will visit the Rutog Monastery and the lonely monk living on the small island in the center of Yamdrok Lake.

For lunch, you will visit a local family restaurant and enjoy the homemade local dishes. You can visit the local village and enjoy a leisure time by the lakeside.

Afterward, you will return to Lhasa via the famous Gampala Pass (4900m). From the Gampala Pass platform, you can see Yamdrok Lake stretching for tens of kilometers like a wide blue ribbon to the foot of Noijin Kangsang Peak (7191m).

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Yamdrok Lake at Gampala Pass, where you can get a marvelous bird's-eye view of the lake.
• Enjoy the fascinating scenery of the holy Yamdrok Lake

Today marks the end of your tour.

Please make sure to verify your departure flight/train details with our guide in advance. And your guide will take you to the airport or train station.

Thank you for choosing Tibet Vista, and we extend a warm welcome for your return to Tibet in the future.

• Big farewell to Lhasa, and may you have a safe and pleasant journey back home!
• Your guide will escort you to Lhasa Railway Station if you depart Tibet by train.