11 Days Tibet Photography Tour

Arrive in Lhasa and rest for acclimatization. As some travelers may suffer from altitude sickness, it is necessary to have a good rest on the first day.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Shoot the majestic Potala Palace at sunrise and sunset. The best shooting time is around 6:50 am. Photographers must get up around 5 o’clock and get to Chakpori, and the best photography place is Potala. Potala Square is also a great shoot spot.

Photographers can visit Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street to take some photos of pilgrims or local life before taking sunset pictures at the Potala Square around 8:45 pm.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Potala Palace is always the No.1 attraction for travelers visiting Tibet.
• View Jokhang Temple from the rooftop

Shoot Lhasa city and Lhasa River at sunrise. Photographers are advised to get up at 5:00 am and drive to the outskirts of Lhasa for wonderful sight of the whole Lhasa city and Lhasa River at sunrise (around 6:50 am).

Then, they can proceed to visit Norbulingka, Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery in the afternoon.

They can shoot lamas’ life, traditional Tibetan buildings and paintings at these sites.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• Get up early to shoot the great Potala Palace at sunrise.
• Dramatic monk debate in Sera Monastery

Shoot beautiful sceneries on the way from Lhasa to Shigatse. Famous sites are Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glaciers and Gyantse Dzong. The best place to shoot the lake is Khambala Pass, where visitors can get a bird's-eye view of the turquoise lake.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

• Yamdrok Lake at Gampala Pass, where you can get a marvelous bird's-eye view of the lake.
• The Karola Glacier is so close that you will appreciate a spectacular view of the white glacier contrasted with blue sky.

Shoot Tashilhunpo and Sakya monasteries. Photographers are advised to visit the two most important monasteries in Shigatse area.

Stay overnight in Tingri.

• Tashilhunpo Monastery, the home of Panchan Lama
• Sakya Monastery with Mongolian architectural style

Get up early to shoot the sunrise over Himalayas and the sunset over Mt. Everest. On the way from Tingri to Everest Base Camp (EBC), photographers can take fantastic pictures of Himalayas at Gyatsola Pass (5260m) and Pangla Pass (5200m), and then shoot the magnificent Mount Everest at sunset at EBC if the weather is good.

Stay overnight in Everest Base Camp.

• If you are lucky enough, you can see the Mt. Everest from Gyatsola Pass.
• If the weather is good, you can shoot the magnificent Mt. Everest.

Shoot Mt. Everest at sunrise. Both the sunrise and the sunset are the highlights of the tour to Everest Base Camp. Rongbuk Monastery is also a wonderful place to take photos of the world’s highest peak.

After breakfast, photographers are recommended to drive back to Shigatse.

Stay overnight in Shigatse.

• Drive along the zigzag road to Everest Base Camp
• Rongbuk Monastery, the higest monastery in the world

Shoot Yarlung Tsangpu River. Driving back to Lhasa along Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway, photographers can take pictures of beautiful Yarlung Tsangpu, Tibet's biggest river.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

• A bird view of Yalong Valley
• Appreciate the stunning scenery of Yarlung Tsangpo River en route

In the morning, drive from Lhasa to Lake Namtso, one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and also the highest saline lake in the world. On the way, you can see snow-capped Nyenchen Thanglha Mountain Ranges and lots of nomads and their tent with grazing yak and sheep densely-populated on the flourishing grassland (in summer). Besides, you can enjoy the view of the Sky-Road Railway with snow mountain background; while standing at the famous Lagenla Pass(5190m), you can view the stunning vista of holy Namtso Lake.

Then we can enjoy our time doing a leisurely trek around Tashi Dor Island and along the lakeshore. Drive back to Damxung. (For environment protection, the Lakeshore guesthouses were close by the government.)

Stay overnight in Damxung.

• Take photo with Tibetan Yak at holy Namtso Lake
• Meditate at the shore of Lake Namtso

After breakfast, we will first visit Chimelong Nunnery (Phyirmil Lung Nunnery). Roam over the peaceful small nunnery and get an idea of different Buddhist studies in Tibet, you may also spot a sky burial site (Tibet funeral site) in the distance.

Then, we can go to Tsurphu Monastery, the seat of the Karmapa branch of the Kagyupa order of Tibetan Buddhism.  Here, you can learn more about the ‘Black Hats', the Karma Kagyupa school of Tibetan Buddhism. In the summertime (June to September), we can also go for a ‘ Linka outing’ (Tibetan-style picnic) in the small village at the foot of the hill of Tsurphu Monastery.

Finally, we will drive back to Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today’s Cultural Tips: Sky burial is a funeral practice commonly seen in Tibet. The corpse will be disposed of and later devoured by vultures. In Tibetan Buddhism, sky burial is believed to represent their wishes to go to heaven. Only family members of the dead can attend the funeral.

• Tsurphu Monastery is the seat of the Karmapa branch of the Kagyupa order of Tibetan Buddhism.
• The nun preparing the butter lamp at Chimelong Nunnery

Depart from Tibet. If photographers take a train out of Tibet, they will have opportunities to take photos along the world’s highest railway, Qinghai-Tibet Railway.