Lasha Tour

After breakfast, you board a one-hour flight from Kathmandu International Airport to Gonggar Airport in Lhasa. This is one of the most scenic flights in the region, giving you stunning aerial views of the Himalayan ranges before landing in the capital city of Tibet. Upon arrival, a local Tibetan representative will warmly welcome you and transfer you to your hotel.
Gonggar Airport is located about 62 km from central Lhasa, and the drive offers your first glimpse of the vast Tibetan landscape. Since this is your arrival and acclimatization day, you will spend the rest of the day resting at your hotel to adjust to the high altitude.
In the evening, your tour guide will brief you about the complete 4 Nights 5 Days Lhasa Tour itinerary and explain the major sites you will be visiting in the coming days.

Today is your first full day of exploration in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and you’ll be visiting some of the most culturally important sites in Lhasa. After breakfast, your guide will take you on a city tour that highlights the spiritual and historical heart of Tibetan Buddhism.

Your day begins with a visit to the iconic Potala Palace, one of Tibet’s must-see landmarks. Named after Mount Potalaka, the mythical home of Avalokitesvara, this magnificent structure stands between Drepung and Sera Monasteries. The palace served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lama from 1649 to 1959 and is admired for its intricate paintings, carvings, and sacred relics. With 13 stories, over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines, and nearly 200,000 statues, it truly reflects the depth of Tibetan culture. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, Potala Palace is now a museum attracting visitors from all over the world.

After exploring Potala, you continue to Norbulingka Palace, located about 3 km west of Potala along the Kyichu River. Known as the “Treasure Garden,” Norbulingka was once the summer residence of the Dalai Lama. Spread across 3.6 square kilometers with lush meadows, trees, and beautifully designed buildings, it is considered the largest and most well-preserved manmade garden in Tibet. The palace complex also houses around 30,000 cultural relics that reflect Tibet’s artistic and historical heritage.

Next, you will visit Drepung Monastery, once the largest monastery in the world. Built along the mountain slopes and slightly away from the city, Drepung was home to more than 10,000 monks in its prime. Despite its age—approximately 1,300 to 1,400 years old—many parts of the monastery remain remarkably well-preserved, offering an authentic glimpse into traditional monastic life.

This full day of sightseeing gives you a perfect introduction to the cultural, religious, and architectural wonders of Lhasa.

After breakfast, you begin your full-day sightseeing tour of Lhasa, exploring some of the most significant spiritual and cultural sites in the city. Your first visit is to Sera Monastery, located about 5 kilometers north of central Lhasa. Known for its beautiful Tibetan Buddhist architecture, Sera Monastery was once one of the largest and most influential monasteries in the region, home to more than 5,000 monks. It is also closely linked to the Sherpa community of Nepal. According to historical accounts, early settlers of the eastern Nepal Himalayas worshipped at Sera Monastery, and the term Sherpa is believed to come from “Ser” (worshipper of Sera) and “Pa” (people). This makes the monastery an important spiritual connection between Tibet and the Himalayan communities.

Next, your guide takes you to the sacred Jokhang Monastery, one of Tibet’s most important pilgrimage sites. Located in the heart of Old Lhasa, the monastery is beautifully adorned with prayer wheels, golden sculptures, and symbolic decorations. Here, you’ll see countless devotees performing Kora, the ritual circumnavigation around the temple for spiritual merit. Jokhang is also historically significant as it houses one of Tibet’s most treasured relics—the golden Shakyamuni Buddha statue, gifted by Chinese Princess Wen Chen upon her marriage to Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo.

To complete your day, you stroll through the vibrant Barkhor Market, the busiest marketplace in Lhasa. This bustling market is filled with locals shopping for daily essentials, traders in traditional attire, and stalls offering Tibetan handicrafts, prayer items, jewelry, carpets, and souvenirs. It’s a perfect place to experience local life up close and pick up meaningful keepsakes.

After enjoying the lively atmosphere of Barkhor, you return to your hotel for some rest and relaxation to end the day.

Today is your final day of sightseeing in Lhasa, and you have the option to either enjoy a relaxing free day or join an excursion to explore one of the region’s major spiritual sites. Most travelers choose to visit Ganden Monastery, also known as Ganden Namgyal Ling, one of the three great Gelugpa university monasteries along with Sera and Drepung. Founded in 1419 by the renowned Tibetan philosopher Je Tsongkhapa, Ganden Monastery sits dramatically on the ridge of Wangbur Mountain at an elevation of 4,300m, about 40 km from Lhasa. Its hilltop setting offers sweeping views of the surrounding valleys and rural landscapes.

The monastery’s name itself carries deep meaning—Ganden refers to Tushita Heaven, believed to be the dwelling place of the future Buddha, Maitreya, while Namgyal Ling means Victorious Temple. Inside the complex, you can explore more than two dozen chapels and see large Buddha statues, sacred manuscripts, and artefacts linked to Tsongkhapa. Key highlights include the Sedrung, which houses Tsongkhapa’s tomb; the Tsokchen Assembly Hall, where large prayers are held; and the Ngam Cho Kang, the room where Tsongkhapa once taught his disciples.

If you prefer an alternative cultural experience, you can visit Men-Tsee-Khang, the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute. Established in 1916, this institution carries forward Tibet’s 2,300-year-old tradition of healing. Spread across nearly 10 acres and staffed by hundreds of practitioners, it showcases classical Tibetan medical practices such as pulse diagnosis, counselling-based healing, and preparation of herbal remedies. You can walk through different departments covering internal medicine, orthopaedics, pediatrics, surgery, and more.

Another interesting stop is the Tibetan Medicine Factory, founded in 1964. This factory combines ancient medicinal knowledge with modern production techniques. It produces over 350 herbal medicines that are exported across the region and known for their effectiveness in treating hypertension, heart issues, digestive disorders, paralysis, ulcers, and other chronic conditions. A short tour here gives you insight into how traditional Tibetan healing continues to evolve in the modern era.

After completing your optional excursion, you return to your hotel and enjoy a relaxing evening in Lhasa before concluding your journey the next day.

Today marks the end of your 4 Nights 5 Days Lhasa Tour. After breakfast, your guide or local representative will escort you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport according to your flight schedule. The drive takes around an hour, giving you one last chance to enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the Tibetan plateau.

During the flight back to Kathmandu, you can once again admire the stunning aerial views of the Himalayan ranges stretching across Tibet and Nepal. Upon landing at Tribhuvan International Airport, a representative from our team will receive you and transfer you to your hotel. From here, we will proceed with the remaining services or any further travel arrangements as per your earlier plan or mutual agreement.