Day 01One Day Lhasa Tour

Our guide will meet you at 09:00 in the lobby of your own booked hotel. Today we'll visit the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple in the morning. Lunch is on your own arrangement. In the afternoon we'll visit the Sera Monastery and Barkhor Street. After the tour, we will transfer you back to the hotel.

Located on Red Hill in northwest section of Lhasa, Potala Palace was originally built in the 7th century by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo on the occasion of his marriage to Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD). This architectural complex is an integration of palace and monastery in both the traditional Chinese and Tibetan styles. It consists of the Red Palace and the White Palace. The Red Palace is the central part of the complex, whose main buildings include the stupa halls of the Dalai Lamas, the scripture hall, and the Buddha hall. The White Palace is located on either side of the Red Palace like two wings and was once the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas and offices of the local Tibet government. The palace nowadays is a symbol of Lhasa and a “must see” for visitors to Tibet. During the peak seasons, make a reservation before visiting.

Jokhang Temple is located in the heart of Lhasa's old city. With a history of over 1300 years, it enjoys a high status among Tibetan Buddhists. Its architecture is a mixture of Tibetan, traditional Chinese, Nepalese and Indian styles and is a masterpiece of Tibetan religious architecture. Inside the temple, one can see thousands of votary lamps glittering day and night with incense burning continuously. Crowds of devoted men and women lie flat on their stomachs to worship. The temple also preserves many delicate Buddha statues and colorful murals.

Sera Monastery is one of the three most famous monasteries in the city. Located at the foot of Tatipu Hill and 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) north of the urban area, it is surrounded by willow woods and many small monasteries. As it has been enlarged several times over the years, the layout of the monastery is not well organized. However, its construction is not rambling and in a good order, making it a fully functional religious town. The main buildings include Coqen Hall, Zhacang (college) and Kamcun (dormitory). The monastery preserves thousands of Buddha statues and lots of colorful murals. The most famous Buddha statue is Hayagriva. Another highlight here is the debating of Buddhist doctrines, which rarely takes place in other monasteries.

Located in Lhasa's old city, Barkhor Street is a famous business center and site for circumambulation (the act of walking around a sacred object) with a history of about 1300 years. It is paved with hand-polished stones. Along it are stores and shops in traditional Tibetan style selling handicrafts, snacks, and local specialties like prayer flags, prayer wheels, prayer beads, Buddha scriptures, Thangka (religious paintings on cloth), Tibetan knives, barley wine, and dried beef. In the center of the street is a giant burner with incense burning all day long. The circumambulation here is one of the most important circumambulations among Tibetans. Every evening at a certain time, pilgrims in various clothes suddenly walk strictly clockwise along this ring road as if they had received a silent order. They come from northern Tibet, southern Tibet or even beyond Tibet.

Meals: No meals, advice freely available