7-Day Lhasa, Nyingchi, and Bome Tour

Lhasa era uno de mis sue?os y con la organizacion de China Highligts todo ha sido genial. El guía Yeshin ha sido lo mejor, muy resolutivo, nos ha ayudado en todo lo que hemos necesitado, además de ser muy divertido, lo hemos pasado muy bien. Si van a Lhasa este guía es perfecto. Totalmente recomendable.

We went to Lhasa through China highlights and stayed there for 3 days. It was a fantastic experience. We flew to Lhasa from Shangri-La in a two-hour flight. Before arriving, our permit and passport were checked several times as we are foreigners. The permit and the arrangement were done by China Highlights. As soon as we arrived, our tour guide Marry welcomed us with white silk scarfs and handed us countless fruits and two oxygen cylinders. From our room on the sixth floor of the Snow Mountain Hotel, we had a view of snow-covered mountains. The room had an oxygen supply and a humidifier. At first, walking just a couple of steps felt like we were about to fall asleep felt so dizzy. We were gasping for breath. We didn't have the courage to do anything, just sat in a chair, looked at the mountains and snow peaks, ate fruits, and slept. If we ate something, our heart rate would shoot from 90 to 140. We managed to sleep, thanks to the oxygen. We woke up feeling refreshed. At 9 AM the next morning, we set off with Mary in that huge car. Our first stop was the Drepung Monastery. This ancient monastery, over six hundred years old, is located 12,700 feet above sea level. As a result, our hearts and legs were protesting. We had to walk two kilometers and climb 400 stair steps. The monastery, the assembly hall, thousands of thangka paintings, countless Buddhas, Mahakali, Tara – all combined in room after room. Photography inside was prohibited. Marry provided able guidance to us and explained the history. After visiting Drepung, we drove to Norbulingka, which is the Dalai Lama's summer palace. There are three palaces and temples there. First, we visited the third Dalai Lama’s palace, then the thirteenth Dalai Lama’s, and finally the fifth to seventh Dalai Lama’s palaces. After touring the summer palace, it was around 1 PM. We went to a Nepali restaurant and had an Indian thali. After a long time, we had a meal truly enjoyed. From 2 PM to 4 PM, we visited the Sera monastery. First, we watched a debate between two lamas. One lama sat while another senior lama asked questions. If the answer was correct, they clapped loudly. If it was somewhat correct, they clapped softly, and if it was wrong, they just rubbed their hands together. There were 30/40 pairs of lamas busy in debating. After the debate, we visited the monastery that didn't have much elevation change, but there were about 100 of stairs and we had to walk another two kilometers. Each monastery spanned an area of about 10 to 12 square kilometers, almost like a small town. By 4 PM, I had seen everything for the day. Next morning at 9 o’clock, we set off in a car from the hotel to visit the Potala Palace. When we arrived at the base of the Potala Palace, we saw a lot of people. Now, it was the time to show our tickets and permits. After passing through multiple security gates, we entered the palace area around 10 a.m. The climb began—400 feet up. The view of the palace atop the mountain was incomparable: some parts were red, some black, and some white. The walls, made from rose branches mixed with yak dung, coloured in red, looked like velvet. Our guide, Marry, explained that the rose branches were very strong and significantly lighter than stone. This palace is repainted every year, and to paint the upper parts, the wall is doused with paint from above. There are numerous stairs to climb, and we were panting after each few steps. Of course, this is because we're at 12,600 feet above sea level, and our stamina is limited. No more breathlessness, but now, my legs could barely keep going. Slowly, with many breaks, we made our way up. As we climbed, we saw the snow-covered peaks of mountains. We took pictures as we went up . Before I knew it, we had reached the top. Next came the inside tour. No more pictures, because photography is prohibited inside the palace. Marry, our guide, told us that there are 999 rooms in the palace, but we were allowed to see about fifty of them, and that was only with special permission. We began viewing room after room—some were Buddhist temples, others were dedicated to Mahakali or Indian guru Padmasambhava, and some had thousands of Buddha statues. Bodhisattva were very prominent here, symbolizing knowledge and devotion. What I learned about the Bodhisattva is this:"The thousand-handed Bodhisattva is a Buddhist symbol of love, capable of taking the extraordinary form of eleven heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand hands to help all who seek her aid." We also saw the Dalai Lama’s residence, the place where he would meet visitors, many murals, many tankhas, and more. People were lighting lamps, chanting "Om Mani Padme Hum," and prostrating on the ground. Tibetans offer money to the deities and Buddha. Among the offerings, I even saw a 100-rupee note from India, amid many Chinese currency notes. We saw three mandalas, made from 500 kilos of gold and countless gems, with lamas meditating in front of them. We visited the tomb of the Dalai Lamas and the golden pagoda. This palace contains 3,700 kilos of gold and a large number of precious stones and gems. The palace, which dates back to the 7th century, was rebuilt during the reign of the subsequent Dalai Lama. Initially, Dalai Lama resided in the Drepung Monastery, but later, the Potala Palace became his residence and office. At 1 p.m., we began the slow descent. Our body was giving up, but somehow, we managed to reach the bottom. We got into the car and went to the Lhasa Namaste Restaurant. After eating juice, naan, potato-cabbage, and dal makhani, I regained some strength. Next, we visited the Jokhang Temple. The Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet, was founded around 647 CE by King Songtsen Gampo to house the Jowo Rinpoche, a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha brought to Tibet by his Nepalese queen, Princess Bhrikuti. We saw Shakyamuni's temple, Bodhisattvas, Buddha, Manjushri Buddha, various Yamarajas, deities, numerous thankas, and murals. The top of the temple glistened with golden water." By 3 p.m., our tour was over. Next, we visited Barkhor Street. We explored many old shops and, after walking around, became tired. We went to a Tibetan shop to try butter tea. Tibetans mix butter, tea, and salt, stirring it for a long time before drinking it. We didn’t like it, so we switched to Tibetan milk tea, which was much better. Our Lhasa expedition came to an end. We were exhausted. Next day, we return home, back to our old life. Lhasa will remain a cherished memory in our hearts. hanks t Marry and China Hightlights for providing such a memorable trip..

We had an amazing experience with Lobsang as our guide, photographer, negotiator, and simply a pleasure to be around. He was very knowledgeable about everything Lhasa and surrounding area. We highly recommend Lobsang.