Day 01
SATURDAY : Kathmandu (1300 m) to Lhasa Fly (3650
m) Morning transfer to the airport for the
hour long flight to Tibet. This spectacular
flight, on a China Southwest Airline, takes us
right across the main Himalayan range, and
provides us with magnificent mountain views.
After landing at Gonggar Airport and meeting our
Tibetan guide, it is a further 2-hour drive by
Landcruiser jeep to Lhasa.Lhasa, the holy city,
also the historic capital of Tibet, is situated
on the north bank of the Kyichu River. To the
north lies an impenetrable 5200m range and other
smaller hills lie within the Lhasa valley.
Day 02 SUNDAY
: Sightseeing around Lhasa (3650 m) Monastery : Sera
Monastery is one of the three largest
monasteries of Gelugpa, sits at the foothills of
Tatipu and the next two are Drepung Monastery
and Ganden Monastery which both have longer
histories. Sera, in Tibetan, means "Wild Rose
Garden" since opulent wild rose woods once grew
around it. It was founded in 1419, the site
occupies nearly 12 hectares, comprising the
Tsokchen (Great Hall), 3 tratsangs, and 30
khangstens. Sera Monastery is one of the
best-preserved monasteries in Tibet. A few
hundred monks now live here, while there were
over 5,000 during its heyday. A pleasant outing
is the one and a half-hour hike from the
monastery to Sera Utse, a Tsong Khapa hermitage
perched high on the Phurpa Chowk.
Jokhang Monastery :
Built some 1300 years ago, Jokhang is
probably Tibet's first religious institution.
This temple is considered as one of the holiest
shrines in Tibet. Pilgrims come from all over
the world to pay homage to this temple. Located
in the heart of Lhasa's colorful Tibetan
quarter, Jokhang is the spiritual center of
Tibet and also the heart of Lhasa. Multitudes of
Tibetans circle it while going round and round
the Bakhor, gaining spiritual merit in the
process. The temple was constructed in
celebration of the marriage of Tang princes Wen
Cheng and King Songtsen Gampo. There is a golden
statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni in the temple,
which was brought here by the first wife of
Songtsen Gampo.
Barkhor Bazaar :
The center of the old Lhasa, Barkhor is a
circular street, which is the oldest street in
Lhasa and remains very traditional. It is a
place where Tibetan culture, economy, religion
and arts assemble and a place to which a visit
must be paid. Barkhor is the road which pilgrims
tramped out around Jokhang Temple through
centuries.
Day 03 Monday
: Sightseeing around Lhasa (3650 m) the Potala Palace : The
Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama
since the17th century, symbolizes Tibetan
Buddhism and its central role in the traditional
administration of Tibet. It is built on the red
mountain in the center of the Lhasa valley at an
altitude of 3700 m, the Potala Palace is the
world-renowned symbol of Tibetan Buddhist
culture. The complex, comprising the White and
Red Palaces with their ancillary buildings. It
is the most complex monument ever built in
Tibet, designed to serve diverse functions. It
was where the Dalai Lama resided and where all
ceremonies of state were held. It was also the
seat of Tibet's government, and served as a
fortress in tumultuous times. Potala Palace
serves as a major destination for pilgrims. The
13-storey palace, which stands on the top of Mt.
Putup at about 117m has over 1000 rooms, and
contains riches, sacred images, and the
sumptuous golden tombs of the Dalai Lamas and is
a huge storehouse of Buddhist cultural art facts
Drepung Monastery :
Drepung Monastery, the largest and
richest monastery in Tibet, was founded in 1416
by a disciple of Tsong Khapa under the patronage
of a noble family and later enlarged by the
Fifth Dalai Lama. Drepung, which means rice heap
in Tibetan, lies 8 kilometers west of Mt. Gambo
Utse. The monastery covers a floor space of more
than 200 thousand square meters. At its peak, it
had a registration of more than 10,000 thousand
monks. Many high and learned lamas had studied
here.
Ganden Monastery :
The monastery lies 45 kilometers (28
miles) east of Lhasa. Lying at the mountainside,
it looks magnificent and grand. Tsong Khapa, the
founder of Gelugpa, established it in 1409. A
story says that when Tsong Khapa and his
disciples were selecting construction site a
crow pecked his hat suddenly and dropped it on
the mountainside. Then the monastery was
constructed there in accordance with Buddha's
wish. Ganden monastery is the first Gelugpa
monastery in Tibet.Main structures in the
monastery consist of the Main Assembly Hall (Tshomchen)
and tantric colleges. The hall has 108 pillars
and occupies a floor space of 1,600 square
meters, capable of holding 3,500 lamas. Maitreya
and Tsong Khapa are enshrined and worshiped in
the hall.
Day 04 :
TUESDAY : Lhasa (3650 m) to Kathmandu (1300 m)
fly
In the morning after breakfast, transfer to
airport 02 hrs. Drive-Representative will assist
you. Flight Lhasa/Kathmandu lasts for an hour.
During the flight you will see the various
beauties likeYarlung Tsangpo River, Lake Yamdrok,
Mt. Kanchenjunga (8586m) and Mt. Makalu (8463m)
and Mt.Everest (8848m). It too depends upon the
weather.
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