Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour
- Duration:
- 6 Days
- Price:
- From USD810
- Route:
- Lhasa - Gyantse - Shigatse - Lhasa
- Season:
-
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
- Tour Type:
- Group Tour
- Group Size:
- Max 12
Overview
This is a golden route that covers Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse, the cultural centers of Tibet. You will experience Tibetan Buddhist culture in different regions, explore the tranquil turquoise water of Yamdrok Lake, admire the glacier-draped Karola pass, grand Gyantse Kumbum with 100,000 Buddhist statues inside, and impressive Tasilump Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama.
| Day | Route | Attractions & Activities | Accommodation | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival in Lhasa (3,650m) | Pick up and transfer to the hotel | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | |
| 2 | Lhasa Sightseeing | Drepung Monastery, Tibet Museum, Norbulingka | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
| 3 | Lhasa Sightseeing | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
| 4 | Lhasa- Gyantse- Shigatse, 360km, Approx. 6hrs | Yamdroktso Lake, Karola Glacier, Pelkor Chöde Monastery | Shigatse, 3★/4★ | B |
| 5 | Shigatse - Lhasa, 280km, Approx. 5hrs | Tashilhunpo Monastery | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
| 6 | Depart from Lhasa | Send off to the airport/railway station | B |
Daily Itinerary
CollapseTaking a flight into Tibet will give you a panorama of the snowy Himalaya Mountains or 1-2 days of train riding over the high plateau by crossing Tanggula Mountains with beautiful sceneries along the way. Once you arrive, our local Tibetan tour guide and driver will greet you at Lhasa Airport/Railway with a traditional Tibetan white scarf to wish you good luck! And then transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day you will be free to wander around the city on your own but try not to overtax yourself. The first day's well-rest is crucial to acclimatize to the high altitude. Remember to drink lots of water, eat light, and not have a shower if you can help it.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
After breakfast in the hotel, the tour guide will take you to Drepung Monastery, the biggest Tibetan monastery that housed more than 10,000 monks in the past. Drepung means Rice Heap in the Tibetan language. The entire monastery is large in scale and the white buildings cluster and cover the hillsides. It's the highest-ranking monastery in the Gelug Sect.
In the afternoon you will first visit the Tibet Museum. Here you can see life scenes, exquisite clothing, house architecture, and festival customs, etc. to explore the special and mysterious Tibetan customs. Then you will visit Norbulingka, which is a typical Tibetan-style royal garden, the summer resort of the Dalai Lama.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
- Meals:
- Breakfast
Today, you will visit the most famous Potala Palace, which is the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. Potala Palace was the winter palace of successive Dalai lamas. It was built by the 33rd great king of Tibet - Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th Century. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and the meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.
At noon, the tour guide will bring you to a good restaurant to have lunch and have a rest. In the afternoon, you will go to visit Jokhang Temple in the center of the Lhasa old town. Jokhang Temple is the most sacred temple in Tibet and it is always bustling with earnest local pilgrims since the early days. After that, you will take a walk around the Barkhor Street - one of the most devotional circuits as well as a crowded central market of Lhasa. Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the locals are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, it‘s also a must-see place for visitors.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
- Meals:
- Breakfast
We will pass by Gampala Pass (4,790m) on the way from Lhasa to Shigatse and visit Yamdrok Lake, one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. You can see its turquoise color and snow-capped mount Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance. .
Later we will pass and enjoy the Karola Glacier, which looks spectacular from the highway, and it's close enough (about 300 yards) from the highway. Then visit the main monastery in Gyantse - Pelkor Chode Monastery, famous for its exquisite architecture and intact murals and statues.
Stay overnight in Shigatse
- Meals:
- Breakfast
In the morning, we will visit the home of Panchen Lama - Tashilhunpo Monastery, which was founded by the 1st Dalai Lama in 1447. It is a historic and culturally important monastery in Shigatse. It's located on the central hill of the city. The full name in Tibetan of the monastery means "all fortune and happiness gathered here" or "heap of glory". For the trip back to Lhasa in the late afternoon, we will provide you with two solutions which will be decided by Great Tibet Tour.
Option A: Drive from Shigatse – Lhasa;
Option B: Train from Shigatse – Lhasa;
For Option B, the guide will accompany you to take a taxi to Shigatse Railway Station, Then take the train from Shigatse to Lhasa. Upon your arrival in Lhasa, we will arrange for you to be dropped off at your hotel. The taxi & train fare is included in the cost.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
- Meals:
- Breakfast
Today your guide and driver will escort you to the airport or railway station for your next destination. Before your departure, we would appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes evaluating our services either by filling out the feedback form or simply sending us an email when you get back home. Your whole trip has officially ended.
- Meals:
- Breakfast
Cost & Calendar
All prices are in US Dollar / Person
Economic Class (3-Star Hotels)
| 2025-04-01 ~ 2025-05-31 | 2025-06-01 ~ 2025-06-30 | 2025-07-01 ~ 2025-10-10 | 2025-10-11 ~ 2025-10-31 | 2025-11-01 ~ 2026-02-28 |
| USD840 | USD880 | USD930 | USD830 | USD810 |
Comfortable Class (4-Star Hotels)
| 2025-04-01 ~ 2025-05-31 | 2025-06-01 ~ 2025-06-30 | 2025-07-01 ~ 2025-10-10 | 2025-10-11 ~ 2025-10-31 | 2025-11-01 ~ 2026-02-28 |
| USD910 | USD950 | USD990 | USD910 | USD870 |
Schedule
No desired date of departure? Please send us an inquiry and we will try to arrange your tour according to your plan.
Discount Policy
You may only enjoy one of the advantageous policy, not both.
| Option A: | 3 or More from You Join Together | $30 Off / person |
| Option B: | Tour in Apr~Oct |
|
Our Service
INCLUSIONS
* Lodgings: 5 Nights, twin room en suite in 3★/4★;
* Meals: 5 breakfasts & 1 welcome dinner;
* Travel-licensed vehicle according to group size & season as itinerary needed including gas and parking fee;
* Lhasa Railway Station transfer at all times on first & last day;
* Pick-up from Lhasa Gonggar Airport to your hotel at 9:30 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on the first day;
* Drop-off from your hotel to Lhasa Gonggar Airport at 8:30 am, 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm on the last day;
* On Day 5, if GTT decides to use Option B, the hard seat train tickets from Shigatse to Lhasa will be included by GTT;
* Guide: experienced local English-speaking tour guide;
* Attractions: all entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary;
* Permit: Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit;
* Travel Agency Liability insurance;
* Government Tax;
* Express delivery fee of Permit (eg. SF. Express);
* Food & lodgings for guide & driver;
* Oxygen tank for emergency use;
* Two bottles of mineral water per person per day;
EXCLUSIONS
* International flight to and out of China;
* Domestic flight/train to and out of Lhasa; (We can help you book the domestic flight/train ticket at the BEST price. Please contact us for details.);
* If you miss the free transfer schedule due to flight delay or cancelation, then you are required to pay a private transfer from USD 80/vehicle/time;
* Lunch & Dinner are not included but we will recommend some good ones for you according to your requirements. Usually, it takes 5-15 USD per person for each meal;
* While the gratuity for guide and driver is NOT mandatory, it is expected. Based on their service, you can tip them on the last day of the tour. You are suggested to tip each of them 8-15 USD/day in total;
* All the commission and tax charged by PayPal, Bank, and government when making payment. (e.g. PayPal --- 4.4%. Wire transfer --- 2%);
* Personal expenses;
* Anything not mentioned in the Inclusions;
Note
* Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (TTB) usually takes about 12-working-day to apply. If you couldn’t provide the required docs & info on time, an extra handling fee will be charged. Please consult your travel consultant for details;
* We reserve the right to change the itinerary order and attractions in Lhasa;
* If you prefer to book your own hotels over those included in our group tour, please meet the rest of the group at their daily hotel on time. We don’t include the transfers to your hotels;
* We need to pick up and drop off all members of the group on the first & last day from Lhasa Airport/Railway Station, thus there may not always be a guide's presence but a driver;
* Due to the special nature of Tibet travel, any unforeseeable and unavoidable objective circumstances, including but not limited to natural disasters, war, terrorism, riot, civil commotion, strikes, public health emergencies, government action, major traffic jams, delay or cancellation of flight/train, attractions temporarily closed. etc., resulting in a change of itinerary, the increased cost will be paid by travelers; if any attraction visits have to be canceled due to the same reasons above, GTT won't be held responsible for a refund except for certain attraction entrance fees which will be solely decided by GTT;
* Single Supplement: our quote is based on twin rooms. For single travelers, a single supplement is required at the time of booking. If later we manage to match you with another traveler to share the twin room, the single supplement will be refunded;
Thank you for arranging the Tour for me in Chengdu and Tibet. All was running smoothly, including the TTB waiting for me at the Hotel reception. Our Tour guide in Tibet & Lhasa made a lot of beautiful photos of our group. I would be happy to receive it if he can send it to me. ....
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Typically Asked Questions from Our Clients
Asked by Suda***
Hello,
I’d like to book the Tibet tour with your company on 7 Sep. I’m a solo female traveller so I don’t mind to share a room with the other people on the tour. I’m from Thailand so I don’t need a visa to China, but I still need a Tibet permit that I think your company will issue it for me right? And since I booked the tour before 3 months so your company will give a discount for 3%? Would it be possible if I pay for the trip with my credit card or you have any other options for me to pay, please inform :-)
Dear Suda****,
We can arrange your Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group tour starting on 7 Sep and we will try to find another female traveler to share the room with you. We are able to obtain your Tibet travel permit.
And yes, there's a discount of 3% if you book the tour 3 months prior. If you want to use your credit card to pay the deposit, you may need to associate it with PayPal, but the transfer fee is a little bit high, up to 4.4%. Since you are in Tainland, maybe you can transfer the deposit via Alipay or Wechat, which can help you exempt from the transfer fee.
Asked by Anas***
I am travelling from Athens Greece. What is the best way to arrive at Lhasa? Can I be alone in the room? Or at least be paired with another woman?
Dear Anas****,
We can arrange the 6-day Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour for you on 1 August. You can stay in a single room. There's a direct flight from Athens to Shanghai. You can fly from Athens to Shanghai and then fly to Lhasa.
Please note that the original Tibet Travel Permit is required if you are flying to Lhasa. We recommend staying at least one night in mainland China to receive your permit in advance. If this is not possible, we will need to arrange for a local agent to deliver the permit to you at the airport.
Asked by Fran***
Hi there,
I am interested in this tour in Tibet https://www.greattibettour.com/tibet-tour/lhasa-gyantse-shigatse-group-tour-468 . This would be for 2 people, both Spanish. We don’t need Chinese visa, but will require Tibet Visa.
Could you please confirm the following?
- Tour start dates between 20-28 April, as I am flexible beginning the tour within that range of days. Please confirm availability so I can secure my flight in and out of Lhasa.
- Which hotels are included in each city for basic class?
- Could you confirm if the guided visits include shopping stops? I would like to book a tour that avoids them if possible (In other tours I’ve done, visit time is reduced to take tourists one shop nearby so the guide can get commission of sales).
- Is there enough time to secure our visa? What happens if we pay and you don’t manage to receive the visa? Is there any risk?
- Maximum number of people in the group?
DOUBTS WITH THE ITINERARY:
- day 4 – clarification: There is a long list of attractions and I am not clear for which we are stopping and for which we are seeing from the bus, could you please clarify?. I am very interested in visiting Gyantse, will we be taken inside palcho monastery? How long will we have to visit gyantse?
- Day 5: I would like to return from Shigatse to Lhasa in the 19:00 train. Is this OK with the planning?
Finally, I would like confirmation of price including hotels and excluding hotels, in case I book my own hotels.
Dear Francisco****,
We can arrange the 6-day Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour for you. We have a group departure on 24 April, and you can join. I will answer your questions one by one.
1. You can arrive in Lhasa on 24 April and leave Lhasa on 29 April.
2. For 3-star hotels in our group, here's the hotel list we usually use:
Lhasa: Gang-gyan Lhasa Hotel or similar hotels;
Shigatse: Gesar Hotel/Shiga Yangcha Grand Hotel/Hotel Manasarovar Shigatse or similar hotels;
3. Don't worry. Our activities don't include shopping.
4. It usually takes 2 weeks to obtain the Tibet Travel Permit and several days to express it to your hotel in other cities in China. So don't worry, there's enough time to apply for the permit.
5. The max people in a group is 12.
6. You will stop in Gyantse and visit Pelkor Chöde Monastery for 1-2 hours and then go to Shigatse.
7. You will return to Lhasa on Day 5 after you visit Tashilhunpo Monastery by train or tourist vehicle. We can't confirm the exact time.
8. Usually, we use the uniform hotels in a group. If you still want to book the hotel yourself, you can book your hotel in Lhasa city, and the hotel should not be too far from our group hotel, like Gang-gyan Lhasa Hotel. In Shigatse, we will book a hotel for you.
Asked by Ol***
Could you please give me more information about your tour "6 Days Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour"?
What should I do in order to book the tour?
As I understand you company offers local Tibetan guides during the trip, is this correct?
Is there an option to get single room accommodation during the tour, and what is the price?
Could you please also help with internal tickets to Lhasa (e.g.) from Chengdu, what options are available (flights, train) and for what price?
I don't have Chinese visa at the moment and I plan to get it soon (as soon as i understand the dates of the trip).
Most likely I will arrive via Chengdu.
Dear Olga****,
We can arrange the 6-day Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour for you in April. Currently, we have a group departure on 24 April, would you consider joining?
Yes, we will arrange a local experienced English guide. We can arrange single rooms for you and you can pay for a single supplement.
We can help you book the flight or train tickets from Chengdu to Lhasa.
Asked by Stev***
Not sure what I really want to do, but I want to visit Lhasa at the least, travelling starting the week before the National Holiday Week (26th of September start). I'm fine flying to Lhasa, flying to Chengdu then going overland into Tibet, or taking the train. Any help is appreciated.
Dear Stev****,
We can arrange the Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour for you. I suggest you fly to Lhasa from Chengdu because the flight is very cheap now. Up to now, we have confirmed group departure dates on 27 Sep, would you like to join? By the way, please note that there isn't much time left to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit which will take about 12 working days.
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