6-Day Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake & Shigatse Tour
TRIP OVERVIEW
A compact central Tibet route that goes beyond Lhasa without pushing all the way to Everest. After the capital’s main monasteries and the Potala Palace, you cross Yamdrok Lake, pass the Karola Glacier and travel through Gyantse’s farming country to Shigatse.
The final sightseeing day is centred on Tashilhunpo Monastery, its kora and Shigatse’s old market before returning to Lhasa along the Yarlung Tsangpo valley.
HIGHLIGHTS
🏜 Lhasa - You will visit Lhasa’s major sites (Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery).
🏞 Yamdrok Lake - You will enjoy the classic view from Kambala Pass, follow the lake shore and visit a local Tibetan farming family along the route.
🧊 Karola Glacier - You will stop below the glacier on the road to Gyantse, where the ice descends close to the highway.
🌾 Gyantse - You will travel through one of Tibet’s best-known barley-growing areas and see a very different side of the plateau landscape.
🏯 Shigatse - You will visit Tashilhunpo Monastery and experience the religious and everyday life of Tibet’s second-largest city.
ITINERARY
Day 1
Welcome to Lhasa
Welcome to Tibet! On arrival at Lhasa airport or railway station, your local Tibetan guide and driver will greet you and present you with a traditional white Khata scarf.
From the airport, the transfer to central Lhasa takes approximately one hour. After checking in, take the rest of the day to relax and begin adapting gently to the altitude.
🏔️ Altitude: 3,650 m
🚗 Distance: Approximately 70 km / 1 hour from the airport
🍽️ Meals: None
🛏️ Accommodation:
Eco: Xinding Hotel Lhasa (拉萨新鼎大酒店) or similar
Comfort: Thangka Hotel, Deluxe Room (拉萨唐卡酒店豪华房) or similar
*Free airport pickup is available at 10:00, 13:30, 16:00 and 18:30. A private pickup can be arranged for approximately RMB 400 if you prefer not to wait or arrive after the last shuttle. Train-station pickup is also included.
Day 2
Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery
Begin your discovery of Tibetan Buddhism at Drepung Monastery, once one of Tibet’s largest monastic institutions. Explore its assembly halls, courtyards and monastic buildings as your guide introduces you to the traditions and daily life of its monks.
In the afternoon, continue to Sera Monastery to watch its animated Buddhist debates. Through emphatic gestures, questions and responses, the monks test their knowledge of Buddhist philosophy using a centuries-old method of study.
This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow travellers.
🏔️ Altitude: Approximately 3,650–3,800 m
🍽️ Meals: Breakfast and welcome dinner
🛏️ Accommodation:
Eco: Xinding Hotel Lhasa (拉萨新鼎大酒店) or similar
Comfort: Thangka Hotel, Deluxe Room (拉萨唐卡酒店豪华房) or similar
Day 3
Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street
Today introduces you to the cultural and spiritual heart of Lhasa. Visit the Potala Palace, the city’s most iconic landmark and the former winter residence of successive Dalai Lamas. Inside, explore historic halls, chapels, murals and sacred treasures while learning about Tibet’s religious and political history.
At Longwangtan Park, below the palace, you may see local residents dancing, exercising or gathering beside the lake. Continue to the Jokhang Temple, Tibet’s most revered pilgrimage site, before joining pilgrims along the traditional route around Barkhor Street.
Finish the experience in a local Tibetan teahouse, where you can enjoy sweet tea and observe an everyday side of life in Lhasa.
🏔️ Altitude: 3,650 m
🍽️ Meals: Breakfast and Tibetan sweet tea
🛏️ Accommodation:
Eco: Xinding Hotel Lhasa (拉萨新鼎大酒店) or similar
Comfort: Thangka Hotel, Deluxe Room (拉萨唐卡酒店豪华房) or similar
Potala Palace entry times are allocated through the official reservation system, so the order of Days 2 and 3 may occasionally change.
Day 4
Lhasa to Shigatse via Yamdrok Lake and Karola Glacier
Leave Lhasa for a spectacular journey across central Tibet. Climb to Kambala Pass at approximately 4,797 metres, where the turquoise waters of Yamdrok Lake unfold below, framed by mountains and distant snow-covered peaks.
Continue along approximately 20 kilometres of lakeshore, stopping at different viewpoints along the way. At a lakeside village, visit a local Tibetan farming family and enjoy lunch in their home—an opportunity to experience rural life beside one of Tibet’s most sacred lakes.
After lunch, travel higher into the mountains to Karola Glacier. At approximately 5,030 metres, the glacier’s immense tongue descends dramatically towards the roadside, creating one of the day’s most memorable landscapes.
Continue past Manla Lake and through the fertile farming valleys around Gyantse, where fields of highland barley turn bright green in summer and golden during the harvest season. Arrive in Shigatse, Tibet’s second-largest city, in the evening.
🏔️ Altitude: Approximately 3,650 m / 5,030 m / 3,600 m
🚗 Distance: Approximately 360 km / 7–8 hours of driving
🍽️ Meals: Breakfast and Tibetan farmhouse lunch
🛏️ Accommodation:
Eco: Shiga-Yangcha Hotel (喜嘎央恰酒店) or similar
Comfort: Qo Mo Lang Zong Hotel (乔穆朗宗酒店) or similar
Day 5
Tashilhunpo Monastery and Return to Lhasa
Begin the day at Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas and one of the most important monasteries in Tibet. Explore its grand halls, Buddhist murals, sacred stupas and impressive gilded statue of Maitreya Buddha.
After visiting the monastery, join local pilgrims on the Tashilhunpo kora. The path climbs gradually around the monastery and offers panoramic views across its golden rooftops and the city of Shigatse.
Continue to Samdruptse Old Market, where shops and stalls display jewellery, clothing, accessories and traditional handicrafts from across western Tibet. It offers a different atmosphere from Barkhor Street and another glimpse into local life.
Later, return to Lhasa through the Yarlung Tsangpo River Valley. Depending on local arrangements, the return journey may be made by road or train.
🏔️ Altitude: Approximately 3,600–3,650 m
🚗 Distance: Approximately 280 km / 5 hours by road
🍽️ Meals: Breakfast
🛏️ Accommodation:
Eco: Xinding Hotel Lhasa (拉萨新鼎大酒店) or similar
Comfort: Thangka Hotel, Deluxe Room (拉萨唐卡酒店豪华房) or similar
Day 6
Depart from Lhasa
Your Tibet journey ends today. After breakfast, the team will accompany you to Lhasa airport or railway station for your onward journey. Thank you for travelling with us, and have a safe journey home!
🏔️ Altitude: 3,650 m
🚗 Distance: Approximately 70 km / 1 hour to the airport
🍽️ Meals: Breakfast
🛏️ Accommodation: None
*Free airport drop-off shuttles leave the hotel at 06:30, 08:00 and 12:00. If these times do not suit your departure, a private transfer can be arranged for approximately RMB 400.
PHOTOS
Get a glimpse of the tour experience!
DETAILS
Price
Tour Prices 2026 (in RMB)
Low Season
January 1 to February 28 and November 1 to December 31
Eco hotel: ¥5,410 (~US$805) | single supplement: ¥700
Comfort hotel: ¥5,860 (~US$875) | single supplement: ¥900
Shoulder Season
March 1 to May 31 and October 11 to October 31
Eco hotel: ¥5,620 (~US$835) | single supplement: ¥750
Comfort hotel: ¥6,270 (~US$935) | single supplement: ¥1,150
High Season
June 1 to July 9 and August 21 to September 19
Eco hotel: ¥5,960 (~US$890) | single supplement: ¥800
Comfort hotel: ¥6,710 (~US$1,000) | single supplement: ¥1,300
Peak Season
July 10 to August 20 and September 20 to October 10
Eco hotel: ¥6,310 (~US$940) | single supplement: ¥900
Comfort hotel: ¥7,160 (~US$1,065) | single supplement: ¥1,500
*USD amounts are approximate and provided for reference only. Payments are based on the RMB price.
Date
2026 Departure Dates
October: 14, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27
November: 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29
December: 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31
2027 Departure Dates
January: 3, 7, 10, 15, 24, 29
February: 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28
March: 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 25, 28, 31
April: 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30
May: 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20, 23, 26, 28, 31
June: 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30
July: 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30
August: 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29
September: 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29
October: 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, 31
November: 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28
December: 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29
Included
- Documents: Tibet travel permit
- Airport pickup and dropoff on given time (Airport Pick-up Schedule: 10:00, 13:30, 16:00 and 18:30; Airport Drop-off Schedule from hotel: 06:30, 08:00, 12:00)
- Transportation: comfortable Tourist Vehicle
- Guide: English-speaking Tibetan local tour guide
- Accommodation x5 nights: See hotels details below. Shared room for 2 persons*
- Meals: Breakfasts x5 (day 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- Meals: Lunch x1 (day 4)
- Meals: Tea x1 (day 3)
- Meals: Dinner x1 (day 2)
- Entrance ticket fees for all tourist sites listed in the itinerary
- Oxygen: Oxygen bottle provided during the tour if necessary
-Insurance: travel accident insurance
⚠️ * If you’re traveling solo, we’ll help pair you with a roommate whenever possible. If no match is available, a single-room supplement applies (see price above).
Hotels
Eco hotels:
Lhasa > 拉萨新鼎大酒店 Xinding hotel (or similar)
Shigatse > 喜嘎央恰 Shiga-Yangcha Hotel Shigatse (or similar)
Comfort hotels:
Lhasa > 拉萨唐卡酒店豪华房 Thangka hotel (or similar)
Shigatse > 乔穆朗宗酒店 Shigatse Qo Mo Lang Zong Hotel (or similar)
Excluded
- Flight or train to and from Tibet
- Meals not mentioned in "included" (most meals are about 30-100rmb/meal)
- Tips to tour guide and driver
- Single Room Supplement
- Personal expenses
Cancellation Fee
- Between booking and 15 days prior to departure: 500rmb
- Between 14 and 5 days prior to departure: 2000rmb
- Between 4 and 1 days prior to departure: 50% of the price
- On departure day or no-show: 100% of the price
Cancellation Policy
If severe weather creates a safety risk, or a government restriction makes the trip impossible to operate, we will cancel the affected tour and refund the tour prepayment. Flight and train cancellation charges are not covered and must be handled directly with the airline or railway provider.
Important Notes
If the Tibet Travel Permit is not approved, or a change in government regulation means the trip cannot operate, the tour prepayment will be refunded. M2Adventure does not cover cancellation fees for flights or train tickets.
Important Information
Permit: Foreign travellers need a Tibet Travel Permit. M2Adventure handles the application process; passport and China visa documents must meet the current requirements.
Altitude: This itinerary reaches about 5,030 m on the road to Shigatse. The first days in Lhasa are designed to allow time to adapt before travelling higher.
Potala Palace: The visiting time is allocated through the official reservation system, so the order of the Lhasa days can change.
FAQ
Do I need a Tibet Travel Permit?
Yes. Foreign travellers need a Tibet Travel Permit to enter Tibet. M2Adventure handles the application as part of your tour arrangements once your booking and documents are confirmed.
Is the entire tour conducted in English?
Yes. The guided programme is fully in English with a professional local Tibetan English-speaking guide. Your guide travels with the group and provides cultural and historical explanations throughout the journey.
Which hotels are used in Lhasa and Shigatse?
You can choose between Eco and Comfort accommodation. Typical hotels include:
Lhasa Eco: Xinding Hotel Lhasa (拉萨新鼎大酒店) or similar.
Lhasa Comfort: Thangka Hotel, Deluxe Room (拉萨唐卡酒店豪华房) or similar.
Shigatse Eco: Shiga-Yangcha Hotel (喜嘎央恰) or similar.
Shigatse Comfort: Qo Mo Lang Zong Hotel (乔穆朗宗酒店) or similar.
The exact hotel depends on seasonal availability within your selected category.
What kind of transportation is included?
You will travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned tourist vehicle with an experienced local driver. The vehicle size depends on the final number of travellers.
How high does this tour go?
The journey reaches approximately 5,030 metres near Karola Glacier. The itinerary begins with several days in Lhasa at around 3,650 metres before travelling towards Yamdrok Lake and Shigatse.
Is this tour physically demanding?
There is no trekking, but the tour includes walking at palaces and monasteries, some stairs and a long overland journey. Most travellers with a reasonable level of mobility can participate, although activity feels more tiring at high altitude.
Why choose the six-day tour?
This itinerary goes beyond Lhasa without travelling as far as Everest Base Camp. It combines Tibetan culture with Yamdrok Lake, Karola Glacier, Gyantse, Shigatse and Tashilhunpo Monastery in a relatively compact trip.