Name: Escape to Lhasa
Brand: WildChina
SKU: 1

Lhasa’s name means “Place of the Gods.” As you tour the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple under a sky so big and so close it feels like you could turn and walk straight up into it, you’ll understand both the name and what has kept travelers coming back for centuries.

About this Journey

An image of Lhasa lives in the imagination. Of imposing, white palace walls, endless blue skies, and spinning prayer wheels; of an ancient capital city in the clouds. A city to more than tour – one to absorb, to cherish. Lhasa is truly that city – where you will witness a traditional debate between monks, picnic on the shores of Yamdrok Tso Lake, hills rolling into panoramas on the far shore, and meander the stalls and stores at Barkhor, touring a world of silver and silks. Escape to the capital in the clouds, the Place of the Gods. Escape to Lhasa.

What we love

Enjoying a picnic lunch on the banks of holy Yamdrok Tso Lake while surrounded by softly sloping mountains
Exploring gilded Jokhang Temple, considered the most sacred temple in Tibet
Crafting your own Tibetan thangka painting, depicting profound Buddhist narratives under the personal tutelage of a master.

Map

Itinerary

Day 1Arrive in Lhasa

Your WildChina journey begins as you arrive in Lhasa, Tibet’s high-altitude capital, where your local guide will greet you, help you check in to your hotel and let you acclimate to the altitude • Spend the remainder of the evening at your leisure resting up for your journey ahead.

Day 2Lhasa

Begin the day visiting the oldest and holiest Tibetan Buddhist site, Jokhang Temple, where you have the opportunity to join the morning pilgrims in the traditional kora • Afterward, take to Potala Palace, perched atop Lhasa’s Red Mountain and undoubtedly the grandest building in Tibet • Spend the remainder of the evening at your leisure.

Day 3Lhasa

Start the day at the lesser-known Pabongka Monastery, where local legend claims that the land surrounding the Pabongka Monastery was home to two divine tortoises, a male and a female, which now exist in the form of two granite boulders at this lesser-known monastery • After the visit to the monastery, we will take a short 30-minute hike to the Chupsang Nunnery • After the hike, fuel up with lunch at the sera Monastery, which is now home to over 500 student monks, where you may get to experience monks debating Buddhist texts • Join a master painter to learn the religious, political, and social context of Tibetan thangka painting, and have the opportunity to recreate your very own thangka • Spend the remainder of the evening at your leisure.

Day 4Lhasa

After a nutritious breakfast, we will head to the sacred Yamdrok Lake, where you can enjoy views of Mount Donang Sangwari • Weather permitting, we will stop and have a picnic by the lake • Next, discover Ganden Monastery, which is composed of white buildings nestled in the hollow of a mountain ridge, where you’ll encounter dramatic views of snowcapped mountains towering in the sky with a river lying far below • Return to Lhasa and spend the rest of the day at your own leisure, perhaps browsing the handicraft stalls of Barkhor.

Day 5Depart from Lhasa

In the morning, spend some time at your own leisure before your WildChina guide escorts you to the airport and helps you check in for your flight home.

Hotel

The St. Regis Lhasa Resort

5 star

In close proximity to the Potala Palace, the St. Regis Lhasa Resort offers an unparalleled experience, seamlessly blending world-class luxury, eco-conscious design, and profound Tibetan cultural elements.

Photos

Details

What’s Included

Services of an English-speaking WildChina guide
Accommodation based on double occupancy with breakfasts included
All overland transfers with private chauffeur and in-transport refreshments
Private chauffeur service to and from airport at start and end of your trip
Domestic flights and trains, as noted in the itinerary
All admission fees and activity expenses, as noted in the itinerary
Meals as noted in the itinerary with complimentary drinking water

What’s Excluded

International and domestic flights, domestic trains, plus relevant taxes
Chinese tourist visa, which is required for most foreign passport holders
Travel and medical insurance
Meals, apart from those included in the itinerary, and alcohol
Expenses of a personal nature
Excursions and activities not included in the itinerary
Discretionary gratuities for guides and drivers

Next Steps

How do I book this tour?

Please use the inquiry form on the right-hand side of this page or email info@wildchina.com to get started. One of our travel designers will be in touch accordingly to start the process of planning your custom China trip!

What is the payment schedule?

1.Deposit

Once you are ready to book, a $500 USD per person planning fee is required to begin reserving your arrangements. This will go towards your total trip costs and will be taken off your final balance amount.

2. Full payment:
Full trip payment will be requested 60 days prior to departure. If you’re booking within 60 days of your departure, you may be asked to pay make the full payment straight away.

Payments can be made via credit card, bank transfer, WeChat or Alipay.

What is your cancellation policy?

See our full booking conditions here.

Why WildChina

We’re on the ground with you

Our team of advisors will design every detail of the trip with you through close consultation, then orchestrate your entire journey while on the ground. We’re in the same time zone as you, so we can fulfill requests and handle issues without a hitch. With over 40 staff in Beijing and an expansive network of operational partners across the country, we have the manpower to ensure your journey is safe, reliable and comfortable from beginning to end.

Your trip, your way

Flexibility is our highest-ranking compliment. We pull off journeys for pioneers with a 6-hour layover to Hollywood’s elite, and everywhere in between. Our team regularly pulls off unprecedented logistical feats; nearly any time frame or budget is within our realm. No matter how you wish to experience China, we are here to bring that dream to life.

We embody passion

WildChina guides are carefully handpicked for their knowledge and charisma, then meticulously trained to maintain our exceptional service standards. They are expert storytellers and passionate natives of the regions where they guide, having the perfect combination of local insights and service know-how to bring you seamless once-in-a- lifetime moments all across China.

The little things, the big picture

Supporting inspired local economies allows you to experience the soul of the destination, while also protecting and cultivating China’s artisanal culture. From watching artisans hand make shoes in Yunnan, to picking organic vegetables for dinner on a local farm in Fujian, our tours are designed to showcase and protect China’s heritage, both natural and human.

Escape to Lhasa

Have questions?