12 Days Tibet Nyingchi Tour from Hong Kong

Fly from HK to Chengdu. As you arrive in Chengdu, our local guide will be expecting you at the airport. Later, the guide will escort you to your hotel.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

In the morning, the guide will pick you up to visit Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center. Morning is pandas' feeding time; you will visit both adult and baby panda houses and watch them eating fresh bamboo.

Then, drive about 2 hours to visit Leshan Giant Buddha. The Giant Buddha is a sitting statue of Maitreya, 71 meters high, and is the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. You can walk along the boardwalk on both sides of the Giant Buddha to get close to the Buddha, or take a boat to enjoy the panoramic view of the Giant Buddha.

Stay overnight in Chengdu.

In the morning, take a flight from Chengdu to Nyingchi. After arrive in Nyingchi, visit Great Cypress Nature Reserve Area, located 15 kilometers southeast of the Bayi Town. Here, you can see a 2500-year old king cypress, which is about 50 meters tall.

Then, head to Lulang Forest. Lulang Forest is a typical plateau mountain meadow. It is composed of dense spruce and pine trees with a uniform meadow in the middle. The streams meander in the meadow, and villages are dotted. Like the meaning of its name in Tibetan, a place that will make you forget your home, the beauty of Lulang Forest make you unwilling to leave

Stay overnight at Bomi.

Today, drive to Ranwu Lake. It is a dammed lake formed by alpine landslides and mudslides. The lake is 3850 meters above sea level and covers an area of 22 square kilometers. The famous Laigu Glacier is lies on the north of it. The meltwater of ice and snow is the plenty wellspring of Ranwu Lake.

Stay overnight in Ranwu.

Get up early to enjoy the sunrise of Ranwu Lake. Don't forget to record this wonderful moment with your camera. Then go to the famous Midui Glacier. It is the lowest glacier in the world, and has the most beautiful scenery on the glacier. Because it is not known by many people, it still maintains its original beauty. It was voted as one of “Six Most Beautiful Glaciers in China” in 2005.

Stay overnight at Bomi.

After breakfast, head for the Niyang River. Niyang River is a major river in south-west Tibet and the longest tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. It stretches 307.5 kilometers with an elevation of 5,000 meters above sea level. Niyang River, means “the tears of the fairy” in Tibetan language.

Then leave for the dock to ride the barge. There are the dense primeval forests and continuous snow mountains on the both sides. You can enjoy Qujiaowu Temple, Fozhang dene along the way. And you can take a special trekking tour to Mount Namcha Barwa.

Stay overnight at Bayi.

Today, you will drive from Bayi to Lhasa. On the way, make a stop at Darksum-tso Lake. It is located in Gongbo’gyamda County. Covering 26 square kilometers, Darksum-tso Lake surrounded by snow-capped peaks and virgin forest.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, you will first visit the Drepung Monastery, the largest monastery in Tibet that once housed over ten thousand monks. Here, you'll explore the Coqen Hall, where your guide will provide a detailed explanation of the Tibetan Buddhist worldview and narrate the stories of renowned figures in Tibetan Buddhist history.

Additionally, you'll tour the Loseling College (or an equivalent) within Drepung Monastery to understand monks' practices and studies. Exploring their dormitories will offer insight into their daily routines and living conditions.

In the afternoon, the tour proceeds to Sera Monastery, established in 1419 and long regarded as a significant Buddhist seminary. Here, you'll observe the renowned monk debates, a highlight of Sera Monastery. Your guide will provide a comprehensive explanation of how these debates aid monks in acquiring knowledge and advancing through academic degrees.

After today's sightseeing, enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow members.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

After breakfast, your guide will accompany you to visit the magnificent Potala Palace, where you'll stand atop its heights and gaze down upon the city of Lhasa. Your guide will narrate the life and tales of the successive Dalai Lamas within the Potala Palace and meticulously introduce the various halls and treasures housed within its walls.

Once you've explored the grandeur of the Potala Palace, your next stop will be Longwangtan Park nestled at its base. This tranquil spot offers a unique vantage point to admire the majestic Potala Palace and partake in traditional Tibetan cultural experiences.

In the afternoon, you'll head to the sacred Jokhang Temple—the heart of Tibetan faith and life. Within the temple resides the rare and revered 12-year-old statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, an image so lifelike that it resembles seeing the Buddha in person. Around the temple is Barkhor Street, where you can take a clockwise kora, witnessing how local Tibetans practice their Buddhist beliefs.

Following this, your guide will take you to the liveliest indoor Tibetan tea house in Lhasa, where you can enjoy Tibetan sweet tea with locals. Your guide will join everyone, sharing insights into the social relations and daily leisure life of Tibetans.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Today, you'll visit Namtso Lake, one of the 'Three Holy Lakes in Tibet,' to admire the serene lake and the stunning backdrop of snow-capped mountains.

Following breakfast, your journey will take you northward through the vast and expansive Damxung Grassland, a pastoral region bustling with herds of cattle and sheep and located closest to Lhasa.

During the journey, as you ascend the 5,190-meter-high Laken La Pass, a panoramic view of Namtso Lake will unfold, resembling an emerald jewel set amidst the northern Tibetan landscape. Descending from the pass, you'll reach Namtso Lake, covering an area of 1,920 square kilometers and considered one of Tibet's three sacred lakes.

Following your guide, you'll reach the lakeshore and trek to Tashi Dor Island for a closer panoramic view of the lake. Standing here, the vista mirrors an expansive blue ocean. Under the warm sun, cattle and sheep leisurely graze, while the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains peacefully overlook the vast expanse of the northern Tibetan grasslands. Occasional passing trains stir the air, lending the pure plateau a radiant brilliance.

Subsequently, your guide will lead you on a lakeside hike to marvel at mystical stone columns, peaks, meditation caves, and Buddhist sacred sites. If you wish, linger at Namtso Lake, savor warm sweet tea at a lakeside teahouse, or witness the magnificent sunset.

Later, your guide will transfer you to spend the night at Damxung.

Today you will return to Lhasa from Damxung. After breakfast, you will first visit Chimelong Monastery, the largest nunnery near Lhasa, where you'll encounter a community of devoted female practitioners. 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 you will go to Tsurphu Monastery, the seat of the Karmapa branch of the Kagyupa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Situated in a beautiful valley, Tsurphu Monastery holds historical significance as the foundation site of Tibet's reincarnation system for living Buddhas. It's here that the first Karmapa, a revered figure in Tibetan history, was born. The monastery houses numerous precious artifacts, including the unique relics of the 16th Karmapa, a revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism.

In the summertime, local Tibetans gather for a ‘Linka outing’(Tibetan-style picnic) in the valley of Tsurphu Monastery. If time allows, you may join them for a a pleasant lunchtime, or dine at the monastery's restaurant.

After lunch, you will begin your return journey to Lhasa.

Warm 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.

Today your guide will transfer you to the airport or train station and help you get on board. Please confirm your departure flight or train details in advance with your guide. The tour ends.