9 Days Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Everest Namtso Group Tour
Overview
Available languages
216 hours
Mobile ticket
This well-designed tour will help you to discover most of the wonders from Lhasa to Mt Everest and Lake Namtso. The tour starts with the top holy sites in Lhasa such as Potala Palace which is the landmark of Tibet and Jokhang temple, an ancient temple holds the highest position in Tibetan Buddhism. Then you will head to Gyantse and Shigatse for an adventure tour and get close to Lake Yamdrok and a great many of other attractions on the way. The sunrise at Everest Peak could be a spectacle not to be missed and it may be an unforgettable memory in your life time. The beautiful Lake Namtso and wonderful Yangpachen hot spring are waiting for you on your way back.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Book at least 12 working days ahead of time if you want to join in a group which has booked by other tourists.
We accept Solo traveler but remember to book more than 50 days in advance.
If you need to book a tour which starts less than 12 days, please contact us as quickly as possible so that we can try our best to arrange everything for you.
All the docs & info for Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (TTB) need you to provide 12 working days before your Tibet tour begins. Otherwise, we will charge you an extra about 50~80 US dollars/permit.
The price of the tour may increase and a visiting to some tourist sites may cancel due to any Force Majeure Event. GTT reserves the right to change attractions and the itinerary order.
Extra fee will be charged for Single Supplement service. If someone shares your room later, the cost will be returned to you.
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What‘s Included
Travel Agency Liability insurance
Experienced local English-speaking guide
Drop-off from your hotel to Lhasa Gonggar Airport at 8:30 am, 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm on the last day;
Breakfast provided by hotels
7 Nights in a three/four-star hotel (two shares a room), 1 Nights at a guesthouse or a nomad tent
Pick-up from Lhasa Gonggar Airport to your hotel at 9:30 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on the first day;
Lhasa Railway Station transfer at all times on the first & last day;
Government Tax
Vehicle with Travel license including parking and gas fee
Tourists travel insurance
Personal expenses
Optional sights
Flight or Train
Anything not listed in INCLUSIONS
What To Expect
Day 1 Arrival In Lhasa (3680m)
Accommodations
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3 stars or 4 stars hotel
Pick up and transfer to the hotel.
Day 2 Lhasa Sightseeing
Accommodations
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3 stars or 4 stars hotel
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Drepung Monastery (Zhebang Si)
Our guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel in the early morning and then drive to visit the Drepung Monastery which is located at the foot of the Mountain Gambo Utse, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the western suburb of Lhasa, the Drepung Monastery is known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1416 by Jamyang choge, one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples.
Tibet Museum
In the afternoon you will first visit the Tibet Museum. Here you can see life scenes, exquisite clothing, house architecture, and festival customs, etc. to explore the special and mysterious Tibetan customs.
Norbulingka (Precious Stone Garden)
Then you will visit Norbulingka, which is a typical Tibetan-style royal garden, the summer resort of the Dalai Lama.
Lhasa Sightseeing
Accommodations
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3 stars or 4 stars hotel
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Potala Palace
Today's tour will begin to visit the famous world heritage Potala Palace. It’s situated on the Red Hill of central Lhasa; Potala Palace is the highest ancient palace in the world, reaching 3,767.19m (12,359.55ft) at the topmost point. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.
Jokhang Temple
In the afternoon, take an easy visit to Jokhang Temple in the center of the Old Lhasa city. Jokhang temple is the most sacred temple in all over Tibet and it is always bustling with earnest local pilgrims. After you visit the temple you have time to walk around the Barkhor street which is the one of the most devotional circuit which is the crowded central market of Lhasa since long time ago, in the early days it was the most famous local market but now it has changed into the tourist gift shopping center.
Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse (3840m), 360km, Approx 7hrs
Accommodations
Stay overnight in Shigatse, 3 stars or 4 stars hotel
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Yamdrok Yumtso Lake
From Lhasa to Gyantse is about 264km, you will pass by Khamba-la Pass (4794m), where you will be amazed by the breathtaking glimpse of the holy Yamdrok Lake with its turquoise color and snowcapped Mt. Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance.
Karo La Glacier
About two-hour-distance away from Yamdrok Lake is Karola Glacier. It isn’t a big glacier, but the white glacier is spectacular from the highway, and it is close enough (about 300 yards) to walk from the highway.
Palkhor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa
Arriving at Gyantse, you will visit Kumbum stupa and Palkhor Choede monastery. This magnificent multi-door structure is the largest stupa in Tibet, which is not only architecture but also has old sculptures and paintings all around its inner walls. Then head to Shigatse via the fertile Nyangchu Valley, a wide agricultural plain where colorfully decorated yaks and horses are used by Tibetan farmers.
Shigatse -Tingri –EBC(5100m), 350km, Approx. 7hrs
Accommodations
Stay overnight in Nomad Tent(Dorm Bed)
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Qomolangma National Nature Preserve
In the morning, you will leave Shigatse to Lhatse, a small town located 150 km from Shigatse, and you may have lunch in a local restaurant. After a short rest, you will go ahead to Tingri. You will pass Tsola Pass(4600M), and Gyatsola Pass(5248M). In the late afternoon, you enter Mt. Everest National Nature Reserve.
EBC-Shigatse
Accommodations
Stay overnight in Shigatse, 3 stars or 4 stars hotel
Qomolangma National Nature Preserve
Breakfast is not included this morning. You will understand why when you’re at the spot. Tibetan breakfast, such as noodle, zanba, etc. cost CNY 30. You are highly suggested to bring along some cookies, instant coffee. etc. on your own. When you get up, you will see a striking view of luminous peaks highlighted by the sun and definitely, which is the best time to get some nice shots of the Everest sunrise. After sightseeing, you will drive back to Shigatse and enjoy the fabulous view along the way
Shigatse – Lhasa, 280km, Approx 5hrs
Accommodations
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3 stars or 4 stars hotel
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
In the morning, drive to visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery which is founded by the First Dalai Lama in 1447, the monastery's structure was expanded by the Fourth and successive Panchen Lamas. Tashilhunpo is the seat of the Panchen Lama since the Fourth Panchen Lama took charge in the monastery, and there are now nearly 800 lamas. After that, you’ll drive back to Lhasa.
Lhasa- Namtso(4718m)- Lhasa, 370km, Approx. 6hrs
Accommodations
Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3 stars or 4 stars hotel
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Lake Namtso
In the morning, we drive to the holy Namtso lake along the highway. On the way to Namtso, you will have a far view of NyenchenThanglha Snow Mountain. Enjoy the view of the vast grassland and spectacular natural scenery. You'll arrive at Namtso Lake after passing NagelaPass(5150m), it covers a total area of more than 1900 square kilometers, being the second largest salt lake in China. At an elevation of 4718 meters, it is also the highest altitude salt lake in the world, the furthest depth being more than 33m. Besides, you can enjoy the view of Qinghai-Tibet Railway with snowy mountain background; while standing at the famous Nagela Pass, you can see the stunning view of holy Namtso Lake. In the afternoon, you will do a leisure trek around Tashi Island. Then we will drive back to Lhasa.
Lhasa Departure
Food and Drinks
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Your tour ends today. Your guide and driver will drop you at the Lhasa airport or railway station for your next stop.
Options
3-star Hotel Stay
In this option, you will enjoy the 3* economy class accommodation.
Pickup included
4-Star Hotel Stay
In this option, you will enjoy the comfortable class accommodation.
Pickup included
Reviews
21 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Wonderful holiday with a very responsive and good tour company
WanderingParomita,
Oct 20, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We just completed a 10 day tour with the company. Communication was prompt and clear from the start. We spent time exploring Lhasa, Shigatse, the EBC, Namtso Lake and some additional monasteries on the last day. The hotels and guest houses were very good, in fantastic locations and met our expectations. Our guides (Dhargye and Lobsung) and drivers were friendly, helpful and courteous - we felt well looked after. Help was available at odd hours too when I needed help with getting a baggage lost in Frankfurt to Lhasa. Overall a fantastic well organised trip with a professional company. Happy to recommend and will use them again if in Tibet!
Brilliant and outstanding !
152smrithis,
Oct 20, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our trip to Tibet was the most amazing one ! We had started communicating with Merry long before and she answered everything and made us feel comfortable. She arranged short tours for us in Chengdu and Xining as we had a long layover before we took the Qinghai Tibet railway to Lhasa. The tickets for that was also all sorted by Merry in the soft sleeper class we wanted. We did a 10 day Lhasa trip with one day being a private tour. Our guides Lobsang and Dhargye were simply superb ! Linda h was full of life and so passionate about the Tibetan culture. The stories were fascinating. Dhargye took care of us for most of the trip making us feel so safe and comfortable. The driver Tenzing was so cool and positive. We went to the EBC where I got low on oxygen and every help was provided by Dhargye. Also when we landed in Lhasa our baggage hadn’t arrived from Frankfurt. But despite that, Merry and Beatrice made sure they spoke to the staff at Chengdu airport to get our baggage to Lhasa as soon as possible. Great Tibet Tour is a wonderful company and I am so happy with their services. I plan to come back to Tibet in a few years time and I shall definitely use them again ! Tibet truly has my heart and soul !
Great experience with The Great Tibet Tour!
cltey2021,
Oct 5, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I really enjoyed my first trip to Tibet with The Great Tibet Tour - our tour felt like a private tour and we certainly have chosen the right time to visit Tibet (avoiding local school holiday times). The pre-planning was quite extensive in terms of flight booking, travel permit, visa, deciding on the exact tour itinerary and downloading the correct apps for local use - all made easier with communication with Beatrice, the tour operator. Beatrice is contactable and very responsive on WhatsApp, WeChat and emails. She answered all our questions promptly and provided a lot of reassurance. The tour schedule is reasonably timed. It may be helpful if the schedule for pit-stop towns en route to ascending to Everest Base Camp (EBC North Base Camp - Tourist Base Camp) could have been more relaxed (or an extra day fitted in) to help with adaptation to higher altitude. Saying that, most of the tour groups by another companies seemed to follow the same schedule. The last day tour to Namtso was quite tiring for me as it was an 8 hour round trip and the actual time spent in Namtso was less than 1.5-2 hours. This was after more than 1 week of touring - might be best to see Namtso in another trip unless one is extremely keen on seeing as much as possible (it is a beautiful sacred lake!). Our Tibetan tour guide Lobsang is very knowledgeable, trustworthy, patient and friendly. He is fluent in 3 languages including English and Mandarin. He taught us about the Tibetan culture, customs, nature and Buddhism. He looked after us very well, ensuring we are comfortable at all times, guided us through check points seamlessly and nothing is too much trouble if we ever need help. Our driver Palnor is an extremely careful driver. Never did I think that I would not need any motion sickness tablets on the hair pin loops roads! His driving skills is second to none - very skillful manoeuvring and smooth driving. He ensured we had a comfortable journey each time. The other points worth mentioning - hotels are 3 stars and clean (the Lhasa hotel is very strategic in location, however the deco is quite dated, carpets very old and air conditioning non existent). Bottled water is provided at all times. Admission fees included in the price of the tour. Overall, I am a very happy customer and have already recommended the Great Tibet Tour to my family and friends!
Tibet experience
jinghuas,
Aug 16, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00I really like the tour agent and our tour guide. They are all very nice, helpful and offer assistance at anytime I asked. I was sick and my guide even took me to a local hospital for medicines 10pm. But it better to install wechat and whatsapp to communicate with them though. Google , Facebook does not work in China. The hotels are good, clean and comfortable. Outside public facilities are little challenging. You may need 10 wipes per day. Hope it will change better soon. The road, train are quite convenient, local people fix block road immediately once having any rock blocking road issues, very impressive.
Tibet - a Land of Contrasts
naganllm,
Apr 25, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Merry, travel consultant has been helpful in local travel arrangements and hotel accommodations outside of the actual tour. A trip to Tibet is an unforgettable adventure, filled with both highlights and challenges. The picturesque landscapes were a sight to behold. The snow-capped peaks, Mount Everest and the lakes were picture perfect moments. Tibetan architecture, ancient traditions and cultural attire were intriguing. The high elevation can be very challenging. The climate is harsh with cold temperature. Remote areas lack adequate amenities. Driver [Tashie] and Guide [Dashiq] - hope I spelled their names correctly? were excellent, always caring and accommodating. Restaurants and eating houses were mixed, The guide always sought out the best for us. Mount Everest was the highlight of the trip. It was also challenging due to the altitude. Sleeping quarters were in tents at base camp. Ablutions were basic and traditional. One can never totally prepare for a Tibetan experience. In conclusion, Tibet leaves an indelible impression on one’s mind and heart.
Great Tibet Tours from Lhasa to Nepal and Bhutan
Susan M,
Nov 11, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Do not book with this company it is the worst with respect to being honest about travel times from one location to another and flight bookings. Road travel times were underestimated or not mentioned. The day we travelled from Tibet to Katmandu it took over 11 hours but yet their comment was just that we were “transferring from one country to the other”. The roads we travelled on were full of potholes, with no guard rails and it was a hair-raising experience! We had arranged (in July) for our October flights from Bhutan to Katmandu to be booked for a morning flight arriving from Bhutan into Katmandu by noon and we had subsequently booked a flight out of Katmandu to Shanghai in the early afternoon. The travel agent Cherry failed to book a morning flight as promised (by email in July) and we therefore didn’t arrive into Kathmandu until mid afternoon (we subsequently had to cancel our flight to Shanghai and book a later flight. We suffered a airline change fee of $650 CDN per person )for both my husband and I) and since we had to change our flight and take an overnight flight to Shanghai we were charged for an extra hotel night in Shanghai (which we were unable to cancel.) When informed of this Great Tibet Tours only offered to pay $190 US for their error. They admitted their mistake, but were not customer service focussed and did not seem to care once they had our money.
Great & memorable trip to Tibet
pandrist0011,
Sep 23, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We enjoyed the perfect organized tour. Lhasa with the palace, monasteries and walking streets and the view of the Mt. Everest were the highlights of the tis wonderful tour. But not to forget the ride on the Yak. The tour guide Lobsang was excellent during the entire trip. He is extremely knowledgeable about the history, culture, Buddhism and food of Tibet. He gives excellent insides with a lot of details, shows the best photo places, recommends the fight local food. Beside this he is very friendly, flexible and joyful. Just perfect. The driver as well was always helpful. Communication before the trip started was excellent and all the questions answered in the right way. The only minor negative point was the rather small van for the size of our group and windows of the van very low what made it difficult to enjoy the landscape. All in all a wonderful experience in Tibet! Peter
A great insight into Tibetan culture
Samantha C,
Sep 18, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Just got back from a 10 day trip with Great Tibet Tour. Our trip consultant, Catherine, was helpful and responsive with my initial questions, booking, and permit process. During the trip itself, Lobsang was an excellent guide. He's extremely knowledgable, having had 15 years experience as a guide. His insights into the local culture, Buddhism, landscape, food etc. were neverending. There was no question he didn't have the answer to, plus he was just a fun person to be around. He also wanted us to have the best experience possible - pointing out things like a sky burial site in the distance, asking if we wanted to stop by a local market not in the itinerary, or giving us the choice to change our plan slightly to save us money (staying at a nicer hotel further out that had their own hot springs vs. staying at a central hotel and paying 198RMB for a public hot spring). Our group was made up of a mixture of people on the 7 day tour and the 10 day tour. This is understandable, but it did mean that our bus was slightly uncomfortable (being filled to the max), until the 7 days was over. In terms of itinerary, it's the same as what most other agencies offer. Personally, I'm not sure that Namtso Lake was worth the extra time and money over the 7 day trip, but I did enjoy the scenery and hot springs there. Lhasa and EBC were definitely the highlights for me, as well as the scenery to and from Shigatse.
Memorable trip
Lubeng98,
Aug 10, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I would like to say that my tour arranged by GTT is one of the memorable trips in my life. Tibet is a mysterious place and people there are very welcoming. I choose to take a train to Tibet from Chengdu. The 36-hour train journey is unbelievable. I enjoy the scenery along the way especially the scenery from Xining to Lhasa. I would recommend taking the train starting from Xining rather than Chengdu. It will save much time and can appreciate the most highlights. This trip including all my favorite attraction, Potala Palace, Yamdroktso Lake, Everest Base Camp, and Namsto lake. I took photos of the majestic architecture, deep starry sky, and blue lake. I feel very lucky to have accomplished my goal to Tibet at the age of 60 years old. It was great to have you as my tour operator, I will recommend your agency to my friends.
Great Tibet Tour
Joan1111111,
Jul 27, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband and I just had a 10 Days Lhasa EBC and Namtso Lake tour with Great Tibet Tour . It was a great experience! We booked the trip with Catherine. She helped us every step of the way. Whenever I had a question, she replied back quickly. Our guide is Duga, and our driver is Pubuciren. They did great job on the trip. Duga showed us many aspects of Buddhist religion, culture and Tibet history. There were long drives on the road. They arranged time so that we were always at scenic view with best whether possible. It was breathtaking when we saw Mount Everest and lake Namtso under perfect whether condition. Thank you all for the wonderful journey! Joan
From $1,443.00
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