Discover Tibet's Cultural Origins
This 8-day tour including Tsedang, Shigatse, and Lhasa will bring you to the birthplaces of Tibetan culture to find out where all that is now seen as "Tibetan" is from and how Tibetan Buddhism come into being.
Starting from Tibet's four firsts: king, palace, temple, and farmland, you'll then travel to a holy lake, a beautiful glacier, and the world's deepest canyon — Tibet's awesome landscape is another facet of its culture. Visit four monasteries representing four main sects of Tibetan Buddhism. Then you'll be ready to read the most splendid chapters of Tibetan history and culture in the Potala Palace.
During this tour, you will experience Tibet with Buddhism's six sense bases: eye, ear, tongue, nose, body, and mind.
Tsedang, Shigatse and Lhasa Tour Map

Tour 'Wow' Points
Eye : See Tibet's First Palace and Greatest Palace
Discover the origins of Tibetan history in Yumbulakang Palace, and unlock stories of the mysterious Dalai Lamas in the Potala Palace.


Ear : Hear the Chants or Debates of the Monks
Admire the architectural beauty of Tashilunpo monastery: its golden roof, red walls, and white pagodas. Get to know the relationship between Dalai and Panchen lamas and witness a monks' class in the late afternoon, which is usually missed by tourists.


Tongue : Taste a Cup of Tibetan Sweet Tea to Experience Daily Life in Lhasa
Step into Tibetan life in the less-touristy corners of Barkhor Street. Explore a local market where the local people do the daily shopping, and sit in a peaceful nunnery for a cup of the sweet tea that's loved by locals.


Nose : Smell the Fragrance of the Tibetan Incense
Visit a small village that is famous for Tibetan Incense. Experience incense stick making and let the fragrance brings you a peaceful moment.


Body : Experience a Local Tibetan Family's House and Farming Work
Discover Tibetan folk customs when you walk into the living room of a local family's house. Listen to the hosts talking about their daily life. Help Tibetan people with their farming work, such as seeding, cutting barley, or hanging barley on racks.


Mind : Experience a Meditation in a Hermitage of the Oldest Tibetan School
Visit a monastery hidden on a cliff with amazing scenery around it. Discover the caves where the Buddhist masters meditated, and let your mind tune in to their legacy.


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Lhasa techo del mundo
![]() 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. more
May 2025, Sandra E
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REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE AT LHASA
![]() 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.. more
May 2025, DPMALLIC
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High level experience at High altitude.
![]() 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. more
Apr 2025, Steve S
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Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests.
Your private driver and guide will meet you at the airport. Sit back in a comfortable vehicle and enjoy a trouble-free transfer to your hotel.
Visit the first palace of Tibet: Yumbulakang Palace and listen to stories of the first king of Tibet in context. The barley field at foot of the palace's hill is the first piece of farmland that fed the local Tibetans, and it has been used generation after generation since.
Visit Samye Monastery in the afternoon. It is the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery that had a Buddha, dharma, and monks. It's establishment was the most important milestone in the development of Buddhism in Tibet. Its four pagodas in different colors are a unique feature.
Explore the Chimpu Meditation Centers where the Buddhist masters meditated. Experience a meditation there yourself if you would like to.
Drive from Tsedang to Shigatse. Along the way you will visit holy Lake Yamdrok and enjoy the beautiful Kanola Glacier. Visit a local Tibetan farmer's house and be treated to Tibetan butter tea. Experience their farming work, such as cutting highland barley.
Explore the most mysterious monastery — Sakya Monastery (seat of the Sakya "Multi-colored" School) — in the morning. The murals on its yellow walls, the woman ghost statue tied by iron chains, and the mysterious sutra wall are the highlights you should not miss.
Visit splendid Tashilhunpo Monastery (base of the Gelug "Yellow Hat" School) in the afternoon. Figure out the relationship between Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas. Catch the chants and debates of the monks in the late afternoon if you are interested in them.
Drive along the Yarlung Zangbo Canyon to Lhasa. Enjoy the marvelous scenery on the way. See plateau lakes, rivers, snowy mountains, and traditional Tibetan villages. Stop at a small village that is famous for Tibetan incense making. Experience producing hand-made Tibetan incense.
Pilgrimage to the Potala Palace. Prepare to enjoy the resplendent chambers, exquisite wall paintings, and the stories about the most famous king of the Tubo Kingdom and the Dalai Lamas.
Have a walking tour in the afternoon. Visit Jokhang Temple and explore Barkhor Street including its local market, admire traditional Tibetan architecture, and take afternoon tea in peaceful Ani Tsangkhung Nunnery.
You will visit two less touristy monasteries today. Talk with a monk in Tsurphu Monastery (seat of the Kagyu "Black Hat" School) to get to know how the "living Buddha" reincarnation is believed to work.
And finally explore a small and quiet hermitage of the Nyingma "Red Hat" School, Drak Yerpa Monastery, which is located on a cliff with great scenery.
Note: If you are not interested in covering the monasteries of all four schools, you can replace Tsurphu Monastery with Sera Monastery, which is closer to Lhasa city and famous for its monk debates, or Ganden Monastery, which has a magnificent building group.
Your guide and driver will take you to Lhasa's airport or train station on time for your departure.
Hotel Selection
—the Icing on the Cake
Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.


Price includes:
- Tibet Travel Permits
- Private air-conditioned business car with big windows and ample space
- English speaking local guide
- Activities, hotels, and meals listed in the itinerary
- 24/7 helpline for while you are traveling
Tour code: xz-5