arrowleftBACK

5 Days Lhasa to Samye Small Group Tour

Tour Outline: Lhasa - Samye Monastery - Brahmaputra Valley - Lhasa

  • Overview
  • Itinerary
  • Date & Price
  • Service Inclusion
  • Enquire Now

Trip Overview

The 5-day short visit to Samye is quite suitable for those who love Tibetan Buddhism but lack time to tour Tibet. Covering the landmark building in Lhasa - Potala Palace, the Buddhist center - Jokhang Monastery, the two Gelug monasteries - Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery, the first monastery to have the three Buddhist jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha - Samye Monastery, besides, the tour will lead you to explore the local charm of Barkor Street. Surely, the rustic and plateau landscape will make you refresh and full of energy.

  • Best Time to Visit

    All year round

  • Physical Demands

    Very leisure tour; light physical demand for the high altitude

Day by Day Itinerary

Expand All|Close All

Day 1: Arrival in Lhasa

Welcome to Lhasa! The tour guide will meet you at the airport to get to the hotel where you stay. On the way to the hotel, you will be accompanied by the upper stream of the Brahmaputra River and Lhasa River. Certainly, there are also snow-capped mountains, enchanting lakes, and yaks.

Then, when arriving in Lhasa, you should have a rest in your room to acclimatize yourself to this high altitude. If time and energy are full, you can wander to the Potala Square to appreciate the fountain show and the urban nightscape.

Notice:
In order to get acclimatized to the high altitude in Tibet and avoid the altitude sickness, especially the first-visit to Tibet, you should have a good sleep in your hotel. Do not rush to visit attractions inside Lhasa city.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Day 2: Lhasa Tour - Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street (B, D)

Jokhang Temple

Jokhang Temple

Barkhor Street

Barkhor Street

After your delicious breakfast, you will start your Tibetan Buddhist journey today. Certainly, the Potala Palace, reputed as the landmark of Tibet, must be the first site. It is enclosed with the White Palace and the Red Palace ancillary buildings of the Potala Palace which rise from Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa Valley (3700m). The most valuable burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet are housed inside.

Having a lunch, you will continue to visit the "spiritual heart of the city" and the most sacred monastery in Tibet - the holy Jokhang Monastery. The monastery is located at Barkhor Square in Lhasa, in general, considered as the most important and sacred monastery by Tibetan. In fact, it is packed with pilgrims from four corners to pray. Therefore, not only will you see the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni at the age of twelve, also the pilgrims making prostrating in front of Jokhang Temple.

After visiting the monastery, you can stroll along the Barkhor Street surrounding the monastery where you can take part in the pilgrimage to do kora, a religious circle around a building or mountains, or wandering to buy some Tibetan handicrafts and so on.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Day 3: Lhasa Tour - Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery (B)

Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery

Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery

Today, you will go on basking in Tibetan Buddhism. Drepung Monastery, as the beginning site of today’s journey, is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. It is founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples, also the biggest monastery among Tibetan Buddhist buildings. Here, we will offer you an opportunity to visit the biggest monastery kitchen, and enjoy the rock paintings, then, the tour guide will lead you to see Buddhist Sculpture Carving workshop near Drepung Monastery.

In addition, after your meal, continue to visit another Gelug monastery in Tibet - Sera Monastery. As we all know, the highlight of touring Sera Monastery is to watch an excellent Monks Debate lasting from 3 pm to 5 pm. Then, you can explore the Choding Khang which is the hermitage located just behind the Great Assembly Hall (on the hill slope of Sera Utse).

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Day 4: Lhasa - Samye Monastery - Lhasa (B)

Samye Monastery

Samye Monastery

The Panorama of Samye Monastery

The Panorama of Samye Monastery

Finishing your breakfast, the full-day tour to Samye Monastery will set out along the Brahmaputra River. The monastery, the first monastery that can help take the tonsure in Tibet, is about 290km away from Lhasa, which is located on the foot of Rahab Mountain. The design is composed of three different styles of Tibetan, Han, and Hindu architectures, it is also called Three Styles Monastery. There are three Buddhist jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha in Samye Monastery, therefore, it appeals to lots of pilgrims and visits.

In actual fact, the scenery along the road between the Samye Monastery and Lhasa also don’t let you down. The vastly alpine meadow, the blue and clear sky, the meandering river, the snow-capped mountains, and the scattering rustic houses, all decorate commendably the landscapes in your eyes. After your visit, we drive back to Lhasa, if time permits, you can wander and pack your luggage.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Day 5: Depart from Lhasa (B)

In the morning, after the breakfast, our tour guide will meet you to go to the airport, then, you will leave Lhasa to step on the plane for your flight home.

Date & Price

loading

MAY 2025

SMTWTFS
    010203
04050607080910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

JUNE 2025

SMTWTFS
01020304050607
08091011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930     

Service Guide

Price Inclusions
  1. Tibet Travel Permit and all the other travel documents needed in Tibet;
  2. Group-shared transportation to the destinations and sites listed in the itinerary; ranging from 7 seats Van to 22 seats tourist bus depending on the group size;
  3. Lodging: Comfortable Hotel Accommodations (not include single room supplement. If you are a solo traveler, you need to share one room with another tourist (same sex in most cases); if you prefer to stay in one room by yourself, you will have to pay the single room supplement. And the exact price depends on market fluctuation in high and off season of Tibet tour. For the exact price, please refer to your travel consultant.)
  4. Experienced English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide;
  5. Entrance ticket fees for all the sight spots listed in the itinerary;
  6. Welcome Dinner in local restaurant when group members meet in Lhasa. Meals as specified in the itinerary;
  7. First aid kit;
  8. Service Charge & Government Taxes;
  9. Arrangements include planning, handling, operational and communication charges;
  10. A coverage of 300,000RMB Chartis travel insurance
Price Exclusions
    1. International and domestic flight/train to Lhasa (Note: we accept the domestic flight/train tickets booking to Lhasa from other cities in advance, check the updated ticket availability and cost with your travel consultant);
    2. Meals that are not specified in the itinerary (Averagely a meal in the 3rdpole region cost 3~15USD per person in Tibet Autonomous Region);
    3. Tips and gratuities for the trip leader and driver;
    4. The expense of a personal nature like alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone call, etc;
    5. Optional activities and excursions not specified in the itinerary;
    6. China Entry visa fees;
    7. Tips to tour guide and driver, you are suggested to tip them 7 USD/day in total;
Itinerary Alteration

Once we receive your tour deposit, which is followed by signing the contract, your reservation is secured with legitimacy. Our staff will reserve the accommodation, vehicle, site tickets, meals and more, and pay the deposit for our suppliers. So if you want to alter to another itinerary, you need to cover the deposit we've paid, while no service charge is needed if you make some changes on the itinerary you booked.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you cancel the tour beacuse of your personal issues, you will be liable to pay cancellation charges that are bounded by 3rdpoletour.com cancellation policy as follows:

1.) If you cancel the tour more than 30 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 10% of the total land cost per person;
2.) If you cancel the tour 15-30 days prior to your trip start date, 20% of your total land tour cost will be forfeited as a cancellation fee.
3.) If you cancel the tour 7-15 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 30% of land cost.
4.) If you cancel the tour 7 days prior to your tour start date, you will forfeit 50% of land cost.
5.) If you fail to show up or cancel at your scheduled arrival time without prior notice or later than that, you will forfeit 100% of the land cost.

If the tour has to be cancelled because of the natural disaster or the government restrictions that is beyond both parties control, we will charge only USD50 per person, this is just the service fee and larbor fee during the preparation. This is a rare occurrence!

The cancellation fee charged by 3rdpoletour.com will be kept under your name (person who contacted us) for a usable period of 2 years. Within the applicable period you can use it for next time or you can kindly pass your authority to any of your family, friends or colleagues to use by booking a tour with 3rdpoletour.com. A certifying email from you is necessary to pass the cancellation fee to others, but it is only applicable for private group.

Interested in This Tour?

Make an online enquiry, our professional travel expert will contact you within 24 hours. You can also tailor this trip to your own interests.

Enquire Now

More Recommended Trips

Contact Us for Your Dream Tour Now

Your are enquiring for

5 Days Lhasa to Samye Small Group Tour

Price from

USD 630p.p

Travel Details

Preferred Departure Date

Hotel Standard

--Choose Hotel Class--

Number of Adults ( over 12 yrs old)

2

Number of Children (2-11 yrs old)

0

More Travel Idea

Contact Information

Your Full Name

Country

Choose a country

Email

Instant Message Contact

Skype
Submit Cancel
3rdpoletour.com
3rdpoletour.com