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highlights
Lhasa’s sacred temples, mighty palaces and stunning monasteries

Savor momo dumplings, sip yak butter tea, watch traditional dances and meet Khampa horsemen in Gyalthang

Optional extension to Lijiang, World Heritage Site

highlights

First Class Option

The Kyichu Hotel, one of the oldest Tibetan-owned boutique hotels in Lhasa, in walking distance to the Barkhor and Potala Palace.
Songtsam Hotel set at the foot of Songtsam Lama temple in Gyalthang, a Tibetan home beautifully renovated as a boutique hotel with a traditional library and coutyard café.
Zen Garden Hotel in Lijiang (optional extension), an elegant property with a tranquil garden in the historic Old Town.

Deluxe Option

The Brahmaputra Grand Hotel in Lhasa, a 5-star property combining elements of traditional Tibetan architectural style with all the modern comforts.

Banyan Tree Ringha Resort, a lavishly appointed hideaway featuring individual 2-story Tibetan chalets in a serene valley outside Gyalthang, with a teahouse, spa and sweeping views of the snow-capped Himalayas.
Banyan Tree Lijiang (optional extension), exquisite Naxi-style villas set below mist-covered mountains.



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Armenia & Karabagh
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Sacred Monasteries on the Roof of the World

new trip Tibet Private Journey

Experience a cultural journey into the heart of Tibet, from Lhasa’s peerless monasteries to the Shangri La world of Gyalthang on the eastern edge of the Himalayas, where you discover traditional Khampa culture. Along the way, meet monks in their monasteries, Tibetan nomads on pilgrimage paths, and Khampa villagers in their magical homeland.

Below is an Itinerary-in-Brief. To view a complete Detailed Itinerary, Download Full Itinerary or Email our Area Specialist

Itinerary-in-Brief

Days 1-3
Lhasa

In Tibet’s sacred city, join pilgrims who gather at the candle-lit altars of the Jokhang, holiest of temples, and walk the Barkhor kora (pilgrimage route). Visit with monks at Sera Monastery, explore the extraordinary Potala Palace, and discover the Norbulingka, official summer residence of the Dalai Lamas. Hike with your guide to a hilltop hermitage for spectacular vistas of the Lhasa Valley.

Day 4
Samye, Tsethang and the Yarlung Valley

Tibet’s oldest monastery is 8th century Samye, set between the legendary Tsangpo River and beautiful dun-colored hills. Samye was built to represent the Buddhist cosmos, its 108 chapels surrounding the massive central chanting hall. In the Yarlung Valley, birthplace of the Tibetan dynasty, explore Yumbu Lakhang, Tibet’s first palace, and see a precious thangka painting protected in 7th century Trandruk Monastery.

Days 5-6
Gyalthang, Heart of Kham

Fly to Gyalthang, a historic trading post and enclave of Tibetan culture on the eastern edge of the Himalayas. This is the heartland of the Khampa people, with their age-old traditions as swashbuckling horsemen and caravan traders. Meet the welcoming Khampas in their homes, and walk up to Ringha, a sacred 13th century temple on a hill. At Sumtseling Monastery, join monks for morning prayers, sip tea with a high lama, and enjoy a fascinating guided exploration of this remote monastery including areas typically closed to tourists.

Days 7-8
Kunming

Join your guide for a stroll in the quaint neighborhood on the shores of Kunming’s Green Lake and savor a dinner of Yunnan specialties. Depart on Day 8.


Optional Lijiang Extension
Days 7-10

From Gyalthang, journey to Tiger Leaping Gorge, where the mighty Yangtze courses between two grand mountain ranges, forming one of the deepest gorges on earth. The glorious World Heritage Site of Lijiang, nestled beneath the protective gaze of Jade Dragon Mountain, is the ancient capital of the matriarchal Naxi people. Explore cobblestone lanes of Lijiang’s Old Town, and Naxi villages where life has remained unchanged for centuries.

Tour Costs

First Class Option
Land Cost: $3595 per person double occupancy
Single Supplement: $350

Deluxe Option
Land Cost: $4195 per person double occupancy
Single Supplement: $875

Internal Airfare: $365 (subject to change)
Optional Lijiang Extension: from $1595
Groups of 6 or more: Call for details

*Prices valid through 2008
Includes all land transportation and private guides throughout

When to Go

May through mid-October

Route Map
   
 

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