Day1. April 29, 2024, Monday. Arrival in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Acclimatization and familiarization.
Meet at the airport in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet (3650m above sea level). Transfer to the hotel. A scenic road from the airport to the city with high mountain scenery and views of Tibetan villages and views of the world’s highest river, the Yalutsangbu. The drive will take about an hour.
Lunch and rest of the day at the hotel.
Overnight in a 4* hotel in Lhasa.
Day 2. April 30, 2024, Tuesday. Lhasa Attractions. Potala Palace, Jokang Temple.
After breakfast, a visit to the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas of many generations – Potala Palace. It is a royal palace and a Buddhist temple complex. The palace was built from 641 AD to the 17th century. The palace has 999 luxurious rooms. From here you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of Lhasa. The Potala is the historical, architectural, political and religious center of Tibet. The magnificent halls of the Red and White Palaces, many chapels, and the covered terraces of the Dalai Lama’s residence fascinate with their architecture. Within the palace grounds at the Phakpa Lhakhang temple is a statue of Arya Lokeshwar, sacred to Buddhists. It also houses the Dalai Lama’s personal monastery, religious school, monks’ cells, treasury and store rooms.
Visit to the most sacred temple of Lhasa – Jokang. (17 в.). Pilgrims from all over Tibet come here to worship the sacred statue of Shakyamuni, brought to Lhasa in the 10th century. This is the very first statue of Buddha (Jowo Shakyamuni), which is 2500 years old; it was consecrated by Buddha himself. The temple has 14 separate prayer rooms dedicated to Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug-ba sect, Avalokiteshvara (one of the main manifestations of Buddha), and the famous teacher (guru) Lama Rimpoche. Pilgrims stretch out in front of Jokang Temple. Miracles happen in this temple! The Buddha statue heals people and fulfills innermost wishes. (Dr. Myasnikov shared a story of his life after visiting the Temple: “While visiting the temple, my wife put a small money in front of the Buddha and asked for health and good luck for her son. The next morning (!!!!) she calls me and silently shows me her leg. The ulcers had all healed overnight! I am well aware that this just can’t happen! And when in 2 weeks we landed in Moscow and my son still on the plane turned on his phone, the first e-mail was from the Sorbonne: “we have fallen out of one of the applicants and you are next in line. We’ve accepted you!”….
Walking with pilgrims along Barkhor Street, visiting the old market. Taste Tibetan tea with the locals at a tea house.
After sightseeing, if time permits, you can take a guided tour to a Tibetan handicraft center or a Tibetan traditional medicine center.
Optional: Evening Tibetan cultural show (60 USD).
Overnight in a 4* hotel in Lhasa.
Day 3. May 1, 2024, Wednesday. Lhasa and the surrounding area. Drak Yerpa Cave Complex,
Dalai Lam’s summer residence – Norbulinka Park.
Drak Yerpa cave complex, is located 35 km from Lhasa (4880 m). It is also home to the Drak Yerpa Monastery, founded in the 12th century. It was here that the most famous teachers of Tibet – Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) and Atisha, as well as the king of Tibet – Songtsen Gampo – spent years in meditation. The monastery was also the summer residence of the Gyuto Tantric College. It is one of the three most important monasteries of the Gelug lineage honoring Maitreya Buddha (Buddha of the Future).
After lunch we will walk around the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas – Norbulinka Park. There used to be a healing spring in the place of the present Norbulinka Park. The 7th Dalai Lama Gesang Gyaltsu (1708-1757), who was characterized by poor health, came to bathe in the spring every year in summer. Thus was the beginning of the construction of the park. The park covers an area of 3600 thousand square meters. – It is the largest and highest artificial park in the world and is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
Overnight in a 4* hotel in Lhasa.
Day 4. May 2, 2024, Thursday. Transfer to Gyantse and onward to Shigatse.
The sacred lake of Yamdroktsho. Pelkhor Chode Monastery. Kumbum Stupa.
On the way we will see one of the three Great Lakes of Tibet, Yandroyung-tsho (Yamdroktsho). The high-altitude lake is located at an altitude of 4,488 meters. Formerly a wealthy settlement strategically located at the confluence of several important trade routes. It is known for its mystical properties, predictions and magic. We will see the Korola Glacier and Lake Manak.
In Gyantse, we will visit Pelkhor Chode Mon astery. Pelkhor Chode Monastery was a complex of 15 monasteries of three different traditions, which in itself is a rarity in Tibetan Buddhism. 9 of the monasteries belonged to the Gelug, 3 to the Sakya and 3 to the small Budon tradition, whose main monastery, Shalu, was located near Shigatse. The largest stupa in Central Tibet, Kumbum, is located here. It has five floors, many rooms, statues and altars. “Kumbum” means “thousand” as there are 1000 images of Buddhas, deities and bodhisattvas. As for the statues, most of them were damaged during the Chinese Cultural Revolution but have now been restored. We will also see the outside of the ancient fort, built back in the 14th century. The fort is located in the center of the city and spectacularly crowns a rocky hill several hundred meters high. It was designed as a major defensive fortification on the road leading to Lhasa from the south. Numerous white stone buildings still make an impressive impression: high (5-8 m) and thick (up to 4 m) walls, powerful fortifications, massive buildings. It housed a garrison of 500 men in peacetime.
We’ll visit a traditional barley mill.
Overnight in Shigatze in a 4* hotel.
Day 5. May 3, 2024, Friday. Tashilunpo Monastery.
Visit to Tashilunpo Monasterywhere the Panchen Lamas used to live in earlier centuries. The monastery, which belongs to the Gelupta Sect, currently has 800 monks in training. Tashilunpo is one of the few monasteries in Tibet that has weathered the storm of the Cultural Revolution and still remains relatively intact. It is a real pleasure to wander through its crowded cobbled streets past ancient buildings. The tombs of all the Panchen Lamas and the 13th Dalai Lama are preserved in the temple complex. The main temple houses an ancient statue of the Future Buddha Maitreya, 26 meters high.
After visiting the monastery complex itself, we will make a kora (circumambulation) of this holy place. This is a scenic walk higher up the mountain for about 1-1.5 hours. At the top of the crust you will come across images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas painted directly on the rocks in bright colors.
After lunch, shopping.
Overnight in Shigatze in a 4* hotel.
Day 6. May 4, 2024, Saturday. Transfer from Shigatze to Lhasa
Returning through the Yalong valley back to Lhasa. If time permits, we will visit a water mill for making material for Tibetan incense.
Free time for a walk around Lhasa.
Overnight in a 4* hotel in Lhasa.
Day 7. May 5, 2024, Sunday. Lhasa Walking Tour. Group transfer to Lhasa airport.
Free time in Lhasa. Transfer to Lhasa airport. The flight home.
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