Tibet Tours

This festival is known as “Monlam Chemo” in Tibetan. It is the grandest religious holiday in the year for Tibetans. Tsong khapa, organized  a great prayer meeting in the Jokhang Temple to commemorate Sakyamuni in the first month of the Tibetan Calendar. This festival begins on the 3rd day of the first month. Monks from the various monasteries and Buddhists from various places gather in Jokhang Temple and hold various religious activities. The Great Prayer Festival ends with the ritual of expelling evils.

Contains:

1. Religional culture and architecture: Potala palace, Norbulingka, Sera monastery, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor bazaar.
2.Tibetan culture: Tibet Museum, Tibetan flavor dinner with dancing and singing, Tibetan arts/handicrafts such as Thangka, Tibetan carpets, etc.
Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrive in Lhasa and rest for acclimatization

Be greeted and offered a white scarf (called Hada) in a Tibet traditional way which brings you good luck. Have a rest for the acclimation after arrive Lhasa city.

Meals : D
Accommodation: Tibet Hotel or other class hotel

Day 02: Sightseeing in Lhasa city: Potala palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Bazaar

This morning, visit Potala Palace. It is more than 3,700 meters above sea level and it is the highest palace in the world! At the top the palace called golden roofs, you can have a bird-eye view of the whole of Lhasa. In the distance there are undulating mountain ranges, the beautiful Lhasa River, tracts of fields, tree-shaded villages and the glistening Jokhang Temple.

Afternoon, visit Jokhang Temple, it is the first built during the period of Sontsan Gambo in the 7th century, features Buddhist prayer wheels, reclining deer, golden sutra streamers. You’ll find that many Pilgrims pray before the monastery.

Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation: Tibet hotel

Day 03: Sightseeing in Lhasa: Tibet Museum and Sera monastery

Visit the Tibet Museum in the whole morning, you will have a vivid impression about Tibetan culture and civilization in your mind. Right after lunch, drive to Sera Monastery, there you can enjoy the exciting lection debating of Lama.

Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation: Tibet hotel

Day 04:Lhasa—Yamdrok Lake-Airport

Drive to airport after breakfast, you can visit Yamdrok lake if you take the flight in the afternoon on the way. Yamdrok lake is one of the three most sacred lakes in Tibet. NOTE: the last day may be changed due to the schedule.

Meals : B, L

Tibet in October, when it is the most beautiful autumn scenery. But recently, the general feeling of people in Tibet, yet cool autumn comes, the cold of winter has begun to arrive early.

“In the past are going to mid-November, only wear cotton, but now this time not wearing a coat or sweater, it will not cold. This year winter seems to Tibet much earlier than ever before.” In Lhasa a taxi driver, says Mr. Zhang has been ten years.

11 am and more, walking in the streets of Lhasa, is already nearing noon even though the time the sun surrounded by people still wearing a heavy jacket, sweater, or even cotton-padded jacket, down jacket. Barkhor Street, the number of shop owners who went out into the sun, basking in the sun for heating. Street on the eight profiles, about 30 meters to more than a dozen stalls all uniform replaced by the Tibetan winter tourist souvenirs, such as Tibetan Yang Piao, or felt robes and so on. Karma stall told reporters that the National Day holiday is over, it gets cold, they all put on the Tibetan winter. Now one day it will sell about 20 pieces.

In general, beginning and ending time each winter in Tibet is from December to February next year. Tibet Bureau of Meteorology senior engineer Zhang Climate Analysis Section of Nuclear true that Tibet is now shifted from the fall winter season in this conversion process, there will be alternating cold and warm air mass conditions. The last few days in Tibet weather is cold, people will feel from his own body on the feelings are not winter has come, or is not particularly cold winter this year, and so on. In fact, with the temperature change, said one day into a season now, so is not science. From the current climate of view, this is a normal temperature changes generated seasons and will continue for some time, does not mean that Tibet has been ahead of the advent of winter.

At present, domestic and foreign media have hot discussion in the “Millennium arctic” phenomenon, weather experts have warned that Europe may face as “a case of the Millennium,” the new low-temperature, China and other Asian regions spared, which is caused in the community Great response. However, the National Weather Service recently rejected this view, saying that “once in the millennium winter” no basis in science. But by “La Nina” effect this year, our winter will be relatively large range of temperature change, some areas may periodically strong cooling process.

Zhang said the nuclear so, identify the month of the season except winter in Tibet, the wet and dry climate is one of the bases. Changing the climate in Tibet, the four seasons is not particularly clear. So often in wet and dry, the seasons are divided into winter and summer months. Winter is from November to April next year’s summer months from May to October. The Tibet region, 80% of the precipitation occurred in summer, winter precipitation is relatively small. So it is obvious that the dry winter, more humid summer. Recently is seasonal stage, sometimes rainy night at the situation, it is normal.

In the past rainy season, rainy night in Lhasa not only during the day are often drizzle. This is 3,700 meters above sea level Solar City “Lhasa” is rare. Zhang nuclear really explained, although such a change, but from analysis point of view, the climatic characteristics of Lhasa, more rain at night has not changed, the main precipitation is still concentrated at night. In recent years, the global impact of climate change, the climate in Tibet will be some more or less changed, but the perceived change is not necessarily abnormal, but probably within the normal range of a wave change.

Tibet Weather Bureau Meteorological Centre of Ecology and Agricultural Society Weekly Experts said the fundamental due to the current crop harvest is completed in Tibet, but also into the hay on the grass, so the strong cooling or winter coming, little effect on agricultural and livestock production in Tibet.

The Ngari Plateau, formed millions of years ago due to the rising of Kunlun Mountains and the orogenic movement of Himalayas Mountains, is called the “roof of the world”. The early history of Ngari civilization dates back to the periods of Zhangzhung Kingdom, Tupo Kingdom, Guge Kingdom, and so forth.

Ngari is the cradle of the ancient Zhangzhung Culture and the homeland of the Tibetan religion of Bon. Zhangzhung Kingdom (from 2nd to 7th century) was founded in the western part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as early as the 2nd or the 3rd century. During the 7th century, Liyifu, the King of Zhangzhung Kingdom married Semaka, daughter of Trison Detsanm, King of Tupo Kingdom (629 A.D～842/846 A.D), thus starting the alliance between Zhangzhung Kingdom and Tupo Kingdom. However, Prince Semarka’s marriage ended up in divorce. Then Tupo Kingdom waged a war on the Zhangzhung Kingdom and dethroned Liyifu. In 644, Tupo conquered Zhangzhung by force.

In 846 (or 842 according to some historic records), Glang Darma, the last King of Tupo, was killed. After his death, fierce fights for the throne broke out in Tupo. The imperial courts also suffered attacks from the populace and slave uprisings. Gyide Nyimagun, a grandson of Glang Darma, ran away to Zhabyran of Yangtung (Zhada County today) and married Melhu, daughter of a local official of Yangtung. They built the Gukanisong Castles in the eastern part of Gar of Burang, which became the center of Ngari. Gyide Nyimagun became the King of Ngari. To avoid repeating lessons of his ancestors, he divided the Ngari region into three parts and let his three sons to rule over them. The eldest son Ribagun occupied Moyu, which centered on Leh of current Kashmir. Ribagun later became the leader of Ladakh (the present Indian Kashmir). The second son Zhaxi Deguan held Burang, an area centering on the current Burang County and became the local leader. The youngest son Dezogun occupied Zhabyran, an area centering on the current Zhada County. For the first time in the history of Ngari, the “three Ngari kingdoms”, Ladakh Kingdom, Burang Kingdom and Sanga Kingdom, were formed.

Later, Dezogun founded the Guge Kingdon in Guge (the present Zhada County). In 1076 (the Fire Dragon Year according to the Tibetan calendar), under the sponsorship of Dezogun, a Grand Summons Ceremony was held in the Tholing Monastery, which was 20 km away from the Guge Palace. During this Ceremony, senior monks from Tibet and Dokang Region [Do means Amdo, kang means Camu, the Dokang region is the area of the present southern Qinghai, the Chamdo Prefecture in Tibet and Garze region in Sichuan] discussed rules of the Tibetan Buddhism and passed on religious doctrines. This Ceremony was historically significant in the history of Guge Kingdom and the development of the Tibetan Buddhism.

As the Guge Kingdom became more and more mighty, the Burang and Ladakh Kingdom acknowledged allegiance to it. At that time, Guge Kingdom was famous in the whole Tibet, even the central Asia. When Guge Kingdom was at its prime period, the Tibetan Buddhism culture thrived. The quality of the entire nation was also developed. Nine skills, toxophily, stone bumping, jumping, walking, swimming, rassling, talking, writing and calculating were popular for men to practice at that time. What’s more, fossicking, smelting, pottery making, foundry, construction design, painting, sculpting and printing skills had developed to a high level.

In the 1730s, the King of Ladakh took over the control of the Guge Kingdom and occupied Guge, Burang and Rutog for nearly half a century. In the 1780s, Ladakh’s army were defeated by the Mongol-Tibet army dispatched by the 5th Dalailama. From then on, the politics, economics and transport of Ngari centered in Gargunsa (Gardakh) until Ngari was liberated peacefully in 1952 [Gar is located 120 km southwest to the present Shiquanhe Town, the capital city of Ngari. Gar is made up of two places: Gargunsa (meaning the winter barracks, also the living place in winter) and Garyar-sa (meaning the summer barracks, also the living place in summer)].

Located on the north bank of Shiquanhe River, the upper Indian River, Shiquanhe Town was built first in 1964. It is not only the center of politics, economics and culture of Ngari, but also an important juncture of the transport from Xinjiang toTibet.

It is cold and dry in Ngari and it seldom rains. There is a major difference the day and night-time temperatures in the area with an altitude of above 5,000 meters. In August, the average temperature during the daytime is above 10 degrees. But it is below zero during the night. In Ngari, it is high in the north and south and low in the middle. It is relatively warm in the south in Burang and Zhada County, which are the major farm belt in Ngari. It is cold and dry in the area around Shiquanhe Town in the north.

Highway transport is the main transport in Ngari. There are four roads leading to Ngari. One is the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway. The road starts from Yecheng, Xinjiang, and winds south 1,179 kilometers to the Town of Shiquanhe, the capital city of Ngari Prefecture. The road stretches through 10 snow-capped mountains of the Kunlun Ranges. It is the highest road in the world. Almost 1,000 km of the road is at an elevation 4,000 meters and 130 km of the road at an elevation of 5,000 meters. However, due to the harsh circumstances, it is still a difficult journey to Ngari along the road.

The beginning part of the second and third road is a same road, which starts from Lhasa and stretches west along the China-India highway. The road joins the Xinjiang-Tibet highway (the Yecheng-Lhaze part) until it enters the Ngamring County, where the road divides into the so-called northern and southern route: the 1,750 km long northern route [Coqen-Sang (the Sangsang District in Ngamring County) road to Coqen] passes Gerze, Ge’gyai and finally reaches Shiquanhe Town; the 1,300 km long southern road starts from Lhaze, passes by Zhongba and reaches Burang (the Lhaze-Burang Road) (The road passes Mt Kailash and Mapham Yutso Lake region and winds west, passes Mentu and reaches Shiquanhe Town).

The road condition of the southern road is better. There are no regular buses. It is only possible to travel by taxi or hitchhiking. It is a much longer distance to take the northern road and the road condition is worse. But the road passes by the Yamzhou Yumco Lake. [The lake, called the “jade lake” in Tibetan, is located in Zamar Lung Village, Baidi Township, Nanggarze County of Lhoka (Shannan in Chinese) Prefecture of Tibet. It is known as one of the “three sacred lakes” (Lhomo Namco Holy Lake, Mapham Yutso Lake and Yamzhou Yumco Lake are called as the “three sacred lakes” in Tibet). Being the largest inland lake at the northern foot of the Himalayas, Yamzhou Yumco Lake is at an altitude of 4,441 meters, with an area of 678 sq. km. The lake is 30 meters deep on an average, with the deepest part being 59 meters.] It is necessary to pass a 340-kilometer long part of the old road to reach the lake. The road condition is quite bad. However, when tourists reach the Kamba La mountain pass, it is spectacular to have a birds-eye view of the lake and it’s worth visiting.

Both the northern and the southern roads run through the depopulated area and the grasslands, the gobi, swamps and deserts.

The forth road, the Amdo-Shiquanhe road starts from Amdo in Nagqu of Tibet, passes through the Chiangtang grassland and stretches west. The road joins the above-mentioned northern road at Dongco and leads to Shiquanhe. Due to the poor road condition, the poor supply of oil, food and medical equipment along the road, and the harsh climate, the road is only available in August and September.

The Ngari diet belongs to the system of Chiang cuisine.

The Chiang cuisine refers to the diet of the pasturing area on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. The major materials are cheese, cow hoofs, acidophilus milk and ghee. Generally, only one kind of material is used for a diet, which then has the nature flavor. Chiang cuisine tastes salty, light, fresh, sour and delicious. The Chiang food can help people adapt themselves to the cold climate of the plateau.

It is expensive for tourists to have dinner in Ngari. A bowl of noodle costs 10 RMB. Many of the restaurants serve Sichuan food. Tourists are usually asked to go to the kitchen to have a look and order their meals. Burang County has a relatively low altitude and a better climate, so there are more vegetables there. There are several Xinjiang restaurants opened by Xinjiang people at Shiquanhe Town.

Due to the poor conditions along the way to Ngari, tourists should also take along with them some food, such as honey, condensed milk, spices, ship biscuits, canned food, chocolate, fruits (apples), vegetables (such as carrots, cucumbers), drinking water, instant noodles, hams and so forth.

Located in the western Tibet Autonomous Region, Ngari Prefecture borders India, Nepal and Indian Kashmir and is contiguous with Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, to the north and Xigaze, Tibet to the south. Ngari has a total area of 310,000 sq. kilometers, accounting for one forth of Tibet.

Ngari is known as the “roof of the roof of the world” and the most “Tibetan” part of Tibet. Ngari averages 4,500 meters. It’s the place where the Himalayas, the Gangdise, the Kunlun Mountains and Karakorum Mountains meet. There are great mountains, beautiful lakes, vast grasslands and spectacular snow mountains in Ngari. Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarova in Ngari are symbolized as the “Sacred Mountain and Holy Lake” of the Buddhism and are the spiritual center of Buddhists.

Ngari Prefecture has the largest area, but the lowest population in China, with a density of only 0.23 people/sq. km. Of the 69,000 people, 66,000 are Tibetan, and 85% of the population are peasants and herders.
Ngari Prefecture administers 7 counties, namely Burang, Shiquanhe (Ger), Ge’gyai, Gerze, Coqen, Zhada and Rutog, 106 townships and 359 villages. Burang, Zhada, and Rutog, in the southwestern and middle parts of the prefecture, engage mainly in agriculture, supplemented by animal husbandry, while Coqen, Gerze and Ge’gyai, in the east, engage purely in animal husbandry. Shiquanhe Town, which is 4,200 in elevation and 1,655 kilometers from Lhasa, is the capital town and the center of politics, economics and culture in Ngari.

Ngari Feature
First, making the pilgrimage to Mt. Kailash (Gang Rimpoche in Tibetan) is a spectacular experience. Mt Kailash is deemed the spiritual center of Buddhism, Hinduism and the indigenous religion-Bon. Gang Rimpoche means the “treasures of the snow mountains” or the “sacredness of snow”. It is said to be the place where the Buddhist patriarch Sakyamuni conducted the rites and it is the Sumeri Mountain in the Buddhism. It is also the temple of God Siva in Hinduism.

Second, visiting the sacred Lake Manasarovar (Mapham Yutso in Tibetan) surrounded by snowy peaks is also magnificent. There are over 80 rivers and 60 lakes in the prefecture.

Third, exploring the man-made tunnel through the mountain ruins of Guge Kingdom is interesting. Guge Kingdom is famous for its murals, sculptures and stone inscriptions. Forth, appreciating the well-preserved frescos in Donggar Village and Rutog County is also great.

Fifth, Ngari is rich in its local culture and folk customs. There are some famous Buddhist monasteries in Ngari.
The population and the administrative division.

Itinerary ideas

It’s not possible to fly internationally into Tibet, so most likely you will come from China. One of the best ways to travel in is by train. The train starts in Beijing, but you can also hop on in Xian or Chengdu. Once in Lhasa you’ll want to spend a few nights here to acclimatise to the altitude. After that a great route is to travel along the friendship highway into Nepal. Along the way you’ll see some of the best sights that Tibet has to offer, including Gyantse, Shigatse and Sakya. It’s also worth deviating off the friendship highway for a night near Mount Everest – be sure to get up early to watch the sunrise!

If you’re not keen on travelling into Nepal, you could travel along the friendship highway to Sakya and Everest Base Camp then head back to Lhasa via Shigatse and Nam Tso.

National Parks

A must-see national park has to be Qomolangma National Nature Reserve, home to the Tibetan side of Mount Everest. Access to the Park is almost always by jeep and you’ll be set back around 10 per person and 45 per vehicle in entrance fees. There is one guest house with very simple, but cosy accommodation (think squat toilets and no showers) and also nomad-style tents a little closer to base camp.

Another National Park in Tibet is Yarlong River National Park, which contains the world’s largest canyon, the Yalung Zangbo Canyon. The park is not on the general tourist radar and is relatively uninhabited.

City Guides

Lhasa – The capital of Tibet, there is plenty to see and do in Lhasa. As the most accessible part of Tibet, there are tons of restaurants, hotels and shops which all cater for travellers. A visit to Lhasa would not be complete without a trip to the awe-inspiring Potala Palace. The admission fee is steep and the restrictions high, but it’s well worth the hassle! Another must-see is the Jokhang Temple, which is almost constantly frequented by Buddhist pilgrims from all over Tibet and China. Step inside and soak up the spiritual atmosphere.

Just outside Lhasa are the Drepung and Sera Monasteries. Be sure to head to Sera just after 3pm and you’ll witness the monks debating. You’ll most likely need to spend a fair few days in Lhasa to acclimatise to the altitude anyway, so if you’re feeling a bit templed out, head to the kora circuit around the Jokhang temple for stalls galore.

Shigatse – The second largest city in Tibet, Shigatse also has a fair amount on offer for tourists. The most important site is the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas and a highly important site for Tibetan Buddhists. The city itself is quite small, so it’s easy to have a wonder around and check-out the market stalls by yourself.

Gyantse – Gyantse remains one the least Chinese-influenced cities and has a rich cultural heritage. Most sites can be seen on foot although taxis are available. Must see sites include Pelkor Choede Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum, situated in the same complex. Kumbum in particular has a very Nepalese feel. If you have some free time and fancy getting off the regular tourist trail, head up into the hills and visit the Gyantse Nunnery. A tiny Buddhist nunnery littered with prayer flags and huge prayer wheels, it has an incredible community feel.

Tibet Tours – Top 10 Experiences

Exploring the old backstreets of Gyantse
Soaking up the spiritual atmosphere in Lhasa’s Jokhang Temple
Watching the monks debating at Sera Monastery just outside Lhasa
Visiting Everest Base Camp
Travelling along the Friendship highway by jeep
Overlooking the azure-blue waters of Yamdrok-Tso
Sampling yak meat momos
Climbing the steps of Gyantse Kumbum
Visiting the Potala Palace in Lhas
The smell of yak-butter candles at Drepung monastery

Bamboo sailing through karst mountains. Discover Tiger Leaping Gorge. Try an ice mountain horseback trek and stay at home with the Tibetans. We’ll help you build your very own China adventure.