Tibet cultural tour

Tibet cultural tour is created to those nature and culture lovers who are keen to explore the unique culture and nature of the ancient land.  This cultural tour is combined with central Tibet's famous monasteries and the main tourist destination's ancient cultural sites including Gyantse's Khumbum and Palkhor monastery, Shigatse's Tashilumpo monastery and Lhasa's Potala, Norbulingkha, Jokhang, Barkhor, Derapung and Sera monastery.

  • Tibet cultural tour
  • Tibet cultural tour
  • Tibet cultural tour

During the Tibet cultural tour you will gain a general idea about the mysterious Tibetan Buddhism, culture, architecture, nomadic people, history, etc. If you are eager to visit the monasteries of Tibet and looking for information to guide you, then you are at the right place. Here you will find everything you want to know about the ancient land before actually paying a visit to it. Tibet cultural tour provides information on Tibet's history, architecture and structures. If you have enough time during your trip and are ready to explore more Buddhist attractions around, then there are a number of options provided for you. After finishing the Tibet cultural tour, you can travel to mainland China or Kathmandu by a flight or train.

Due to the strict travelling rules imposed by the Tibetan government, travelers are not allowed to make any independent tour inside Tibet. So, once you complete the package tour, you will come back with one of our guide. The trip Itinerary for Tibet Cultural tour created by Alpine Eco Trek is provided below.

Trip Itinerary

Tibet Cultural Tour – short itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Lhasa

Day 02: Sightseeing in Lhasa, visit Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple & Bharkhor Market

Day 03: Sightseeing in Lhasa, visit Derapung Monastery and Sera Monastery

Day 04: Lhasa to Tsurphu Monastery then to Yangbachen hot spring and back to Lhasa

Day 05: Lhasa to Ganden monastery and Tridum nunnery

Day 06: Tridum to Drigun Til Monastery and back to Lhasa

Day 07: Lhasa to Samey Monastery and to Yumbu Lhakhang then Tsonge Tomb

Day 08: Tsedang to Gyantse via Yamdruk to tso Lake

Day 09: Gyantse to Shalu Monastery and to Shigatse (Tashilumpo Monastery).

Day 10: Shigatse to Shakya Monastery back to Shigatse

Day 11: Drive from Shigatse to Namtso Lake

Day 12: Namtso to Reting Monastery then back to Lhasa

Day 13: Final departure from Lhasa

Tour Cost: Please contact us and let us know the number of members in your group, the category of hotels you would like to stay with and any other special desires and requirements of yours. We will be glad to quote you the price as per your requirements.

Tour Guides:

 We can provide the equipment and infrastructure along with the dedicated, multilingual leaders, guides, and drivers needed to make your trek, pilgrimage, or cultural tour of Tibet a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience!  Alpine Eco Trek is the pioneer in Tibet tours and treks. Its dedicated team has gained long experience in tourism and hospitality specializing in Tibet tours, Treks and mountain overland tours. During your time in Tibet you will be accompanied by an English speaking Tibetan guide who will not only act as an interpreter but will also provide a valuable insight into the Tibetan culture and way of life.

Hotel and Accommodations:

Now, Lhasa has many five stars hotels; there are so many nice and standard hotels in Lhasa, Gyatnse and Shigatse. We can organize any kinds of hotels and guest houses as per your requirements. Please be noted that the facilities and services along Friendship highway and out of the Lhasa city are still very basic. Read more

Transportation:

Lhasa, Tibet is now connected with the Railways network with mainland China. From any parts of mainland china you can take the amazing train journey to Lhasa which takes about two days to reach the capital. Roads and highways in Tibet are pretty much in condition now! Normally we use 4WD jeep, Van or minibus to carry tourists and trucks for kitchen logistics and equipments.

Food:

While you are in cities you can get verities of good meals but while you are on a trek or along the highways there are less varieties and not so good food so it is advised to bring some dry food of your own all the time. Due to the high altitude you may feel not so hungry or lose your appetite which is common symptom of altitude, no worry and try to eat as much as you can. You need more energy while you are in the high altitude areas. Many travelers suffer from diarrhea in Tibet, so please be careful with the varieties of food and try to have some light meals with more soups and tea.  Please avoid eating raw food like vegetable salads, etc… always try to eat well cooked meals and drink only boiled or sealed packed mineral water.

High Altitude Sickness in Tibet

What is High Altitude Sickness?
High altitude sickness, also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), or altitude illness, is a pathological condition at high altitude which is caused by the combination of reduced air pressure and lack of oxygen. An altitude above 3000 meters is usually defined as high altitude, and most places in Tibet are higher than this level. Therefore, AMS is one of the biggest challenges when travelling in Tibet. Read more

Detail Itinerary

Tibet Cultural Tour – Detailed itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Lhasa
Upon your arrival at Lhasa's Gonggor airport or train station you will meet and greeted by one of our expert Tibetan guides and transfer you to Lhasa. Upon reaching Lhasa check into hotel and take rest. It is highly advisable to acclimatize for rest of the day due to Lhasa's altitude. Overnight at hotel.

Day 02: Sightseeing in Lhasa, visit Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple & Bharkhor Market
After breakfast, we will start our day with the visit of Potala Palace which is a valuable treasure of the city of Tibet.  It's a remarkable palace that contains private quarters of the Dalai Lama as well as numerous grand state rooms and many important chapels. The Palace existed here since the 5th or 6th century, but the present Palace was constructed in the 17th century in replacement of the old one. After visiting Potala palace we will visit Jokhang Temple and Bharkhor bazaar. Overnight at hotel.

Day 03: Sightseeing in Lhasa, visit Derapung Monastery and Sera Monastery
After breakfast, today the whole day we will be busy visiting the world famous monasteries. First, we will visit to Sera Monastery which is the best-preserved monasteries in Tibet. Within its whitewashed walls and golden roofs, several hundred monks live and study here. After lunch, we will visit Drepung Monastery which was once home for over 10,000 monks. Drepung Monastery is still a beautiful sight to visit. Incredibly it was one of the few sights to escape the Cultural Revolution without widespread damage. If time permits, we will also visit Norbulingka palace, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. Overnight at hotel.

Day 04: Lhasa to Tsurphu Monastery then to Yangbachen hot spring and back to Lhasa
Today we will wake up early, enjoy early breakfast and head towards Tsurphu Monastery from Lhasa. The monastery was founded in 1159. In the 8th century, the Buddhist mystic Padmasambhava predicted that Tsurphu would be the center of activity for a series of Karmapas, religious leaders who would liberate inconceivable numbers of sentient beings. It is the proto-monastery of the Kagyu order, one of Tibetan Buddhism's four major sects. We then continue our journey to Yangbachen to visit hot springs and beautiful surroundings. You can enjoy a bath at the hot spring and drive back to Lhasa by late afternoon. Overnight at hotel.

Day 05: Lhasa to Ganden monastery and Tridum nunnery
After enjoying hot breakfast we will proceed towards Ganden monastery. This monastery is located on Wangbur Mountain, on the southern bank of Lhasa River in Tagtse Country, 47 kilometers from Lhasa City. This monastery stands as a religious, artistic, political and cultural artifact managed to being preserved by the National Key Cultural Relic Preservation scheme in 1961. Then we visit Tridum Nunnery which is set in a beautiful valley with numerous hermitages and caves in the surrounding hills. Overnight at hotel.

Day 06: Tridum to Drigun Til Monastery and back to Lhasa
Starting our day, we will visit Drigun Til Monastery which is located in Drikung region of Central Tibet which was found in 1179. The monastery played very important role in both religion and politics, but was destroyed in 1290 by Mongol troops under the direction of a rival sect. The monastery was rebuilt and regained some of its former strength. The monastery was destroyed after 1959, but has since been partly rebuilt. After visiting this monastery we will drive back to Lhasa. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07: Lhasa to Samey Monastery and to Yumbu Lhakhang then Tsonge Tomb
After having breakfast, a short drive from Lhasa takes us to Tsedang where we can visit the Samye Monastery, Yumbu Lhakhang palace and Tsonge Tomb. Overnight at hotel in Tsedang.

Day 08: Tsedang to Gyantse via Yamdruk to tso Lake
Beginning our adventure, today we drive to Gyantse via Yamdrok where we will get an opportunity to visit the famous Gyantse Kumbum as well. Along the way we cross over the Kamba la and the Karo la passes with spectacular views. Then we drive to Gyantse, where we will visit the Pelkor Chode monastery and Khumbum Stupa. Overnight at hotel.  

Day 09: Gyantse to Shalu Monastery and to Shigatse (Tashilumpo Monastery).
Today, there will be an arrangement for us to visit Shalu monastery first and then to Shigatse to visit Tashilumpo Monastery. We can also see the monks of this monastery nice looking with their home-made traditional shoes. Overnight at hotel in Shigatse.

Day 10: Shigatse to Shakya Monastery back to Shigatse
After spending few times here in Shigatse we then drive to Sakya and visit Sakya Monastery, which is the main monastery at Sakya-Pa. We then hike around the monastery and then drive to back to Shigatse. Overnight at hotel.

Day 11: Drive from Shigatse to Namtso Lake
Leaving Shigatse on a Van or 4WD, we drive to the Northern route along the Yarlung Tsangpo River. From Traduka, we change the road to Shug-la pass and see the beautiful valleys, villages and mountains home to nomads. From here we drive to Yangpachen, where you can relax in the natural hot spring pool. We then drive to Damxung, on the way you will see Mt. Tanggu la (7500m) and drive through grasslands to Namtso. Overnight at Namsto Lake.

Day 12: Namtso to Reting Monastery then back to Lhasa
Starting our day with a nice breakfast at guest house, we will head to the Reting monastery. It is a historically important Buddhist monastery in Lhunzhub County in Lhasa, Ü-Tsang, Tibet. It is also commonly spelled "Radreng."Then we will drive back to Lhasa by the late afternoon. Overnight at hotel in Lhasa.

Day 13: Final departure from Lhasa
After breakfast, our guide and driver will drip you to airport or train station for your onward journey. Farewell the trip.

Cost Includes/Excludes

Service Includes:

  • Airport / Hotel / Airport pick up & drop by private car / van / bus
  • Tibet entry travel permit and Chinese visa
  • All monasteries entry fees
  • Special permit for Namtso, Ganden , Samye, etc….
  • English speaking Tibetan guide during whole trip in Tibet,
  • Sightseeing tour as per above program
  • One hand land cruiser during the overland tour,
  • All accommodation in twin sharing Hotel/Guesthouses inclusive breakfast during the overland drive
  • All government taxes and official expense

Trekking Price Excludes:

  • Any fares of plane or train
  • Lunch, dinner in the cities
  • Travel insurance
    Personal trekking equipments,
  • Tibet Visa fees
  • Any additional expenses caused by reasons beyond our control such as natural Calamities, flight delays, rescheduling or cancellations, accidents etc
  • Tips for guide and support crew (Tipping is appreciated but it is not mandatory)

Why travel with us?

Why travel with us?

Small Group
A Smaller number of people means more attention and better access to the group leader for a more intimate and personalized experience. The primary goal of our trek to the sacred Mount Kailash is to provide our customers with an eco-friendly, well-equipped and well-instructed crew members. A maximum of 20 or fewer pilgrims will be taken for the holy trek at a time. We ensure that the group formed is sufficient for each one of the trekkers to be well attended, as well as large enough to enjoy the journey along with other pilgrims.

Commitment to Safety
The top priority of our company is to provide our valued customers with a strategically approach to their safety and security. Each year we make equal or more efforts to refine the previous operations and work on improving the already existing safety procedures. We make sure the guides and trainers provided to the customers are experienced and knowledgeable in first aid and emergency management. They are also well-trained for any emergency situations that might occur in the higher altitudes or while trekking. However, we request our customers to take precautions beforehand itself, and make precise and necessary food arrangements and give personal hygiene the most preference. Every necessary equipment such as sleeping bags, warm down jacket etc. required for the holy trek will be provided to you. Our customer's health and safety is our prior concern, therefore we carry first aid kits and Portable Altitude Chambers (Gaymow Bag) for any high altitude sickness emergency.

Stress Free Travel
Even tiny hurdles along the way can ruin the excitement of the journey. Alpine Eco Trek aims to minimize almost every hassle and tedium that is most likely to come in the way while trekking. This not only kills the mood but distracts you from admiring the most beautiful parts of the journey. Hence, starting from your arrival day itself, our team fully devote themselves to your service. Our crew members make sure every aspect of the travel including accommodation, transportation, and the food is taken care of beforehand. We make confirmations with every lodges, hotels, private bus and vans for an efficient and reliable service before we start the trek. Every entrance fees for monasteries, palaces, etc. on the way will be included in the itinerary itself and a deluxe van or a regular van will be on standby, giving us the freedom to explore the area if requested.

Quality Service
Compromising the quality of the services that Alpine Eco Trek offers, is never an option under any circumstances. Every trek we organize is an updated version of the previous treks in which we make the necessary changes and reconsider various aspects. From the equipment provided to the travelers, for example, sleeping bags, quality down jackets to the littlest guidance on the trek, every aspect of the trek is precisely focused and worked on, for the comfortable trip of our customers. The main focus is given to the most basic factors of the tourism activities and that is the availability of transportation, comfortable accommodations, and healthy food. The holy trip to Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar requires various equipment which is also taken care by us. We particularly request each of our valued customers to give us their genuine feedbacks on the overall journey to Mount Kailash that helps us monitor our drawbacks and helps design quality operations and adopt approaches useful for a better trek in the future.

Well Trained Staff
We are a firm believer that for every company to run successfully, the internal management and the team must be strong. Hence, we have built a team of professionals who show extreme passion and determination towards their work. We ensure that every customer is accompanied by a well-trained, soft-spoken and an enthusiastic team leader who makes the journey more enjoyable.

Competitive Price
To gain the trust and reliability from any customer, transparency is a must. Therefore, Alpine Eco Trek works on providing the trekkers with an affordable, competitive and transparent cost which remains same for every traveler.

Our Goal
lpine Eco Trek aims to provide the best Himalayan pilgrim travel at the most reasonable price. We believe in building a fine bonding with our customers, keeping quality and reliable services in mind. The mission of our trips is also to offer a wide range of adventure and thrill, covering most the attractions of the region. We take our customers to the most beautiful, worth seeing sites, giving them an insight into the local culture and lifestyle, while also establishing a genuine friendly bond with both, the locals and the crew.

Guidelines& Considerations
Following are some of the guidelines and considerations to make while picking a travel company for your trip:

01) Make sure that the company takes good care of their own staffs and guides by providing them with the necessary equipment, food, proper clothing, along with a good pay for their work. This shows the work ethics of the company and a respect for their staffs. Secondly, observe and be confident on how focused the itineraries provided to you are on promoting the culture and beauty of Nepal.

02) Make sure the company is a certified company and is registered under the appropriate local travel and trekking associations. Also, make sure that it is operating under the laws of the land(s) in which you will travel.

03) Ensure that the travel company you select is experienced and holds an overall knowledge about the local environmental issues of the site you are traveling to. The company should be considerate and sensitive to the issues and should respect the culture, tradition, and privacy of the inhabitants of the region.

04) Make sure that the company gives importance and consideration to the littlest details of the trip such as toilet arrangements, cooking fuel, rubbish disposal, first aid, etc

05) Make sure the company that you choose has an appropriate travel insurance and it abides by the regulations regarding operations of travel and trekking company.

Alpine Eco Trek follows all the above-mentioned guidelines in order to provide its customers with the most trouble free, eco-friendly and safe journey that they desire.

FAQs

Tibet Tours and Trekking Frequently Asked Questions

Question 01: What kind of permits do I need to visit Tibet?
Answer: Normally you will need two kinds of permits for travelling in Tibet: the entry permit (TTB permit) and the Alien's travel permit (PSB permit).

A. TTB permit – Tibet travel permit
When you fly from Kathmandu or any city to Lhasa you will need to show TTB permit (Tibet Visa) when you check in at the airport. Even while buying a flight ticket to Lhasa you need to show this permit.

B. PSB permit – Alien's Travel permit
if you like to visit restricted area you will need to buy an Alien's travel permit issued by PSB of Tibet.

Question 02: How to get Tibet travel permits?
Answer: To get the travel permits, you need to send us below details:
01) Full Name:
02) Sex:
03) Date of birth:
04) Passport number:
05) Nationality

The details you provide us must be exactly the same as on your passport and you need to tell us your profession because journalists and people that are involved in political matters could be revoked ( they need a different procedure to get a permit).

We suggest you to apply your permit at least 25 days prior to your entry date. Please note that if you do not book any tour with Alpine Eco Trek, we can't help you get the permits. No one can provide permit only service. Tibet Tourism Corporation will not issue travel permits to individuals and will direct you to a travel agency like Alpine Eco Trek. We can organize a travel permit to almost anywhere in Tibet but only if you book a package tour with us.

Question 03: What are the essential points about Tibet Travel Permit?
Answer:
A. we can provide Travel permit to all kinds of people except Diplomats, Journalists and Governments officials who should travel to Tibet under the arrangement by the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Government.

B. After issuing a permit, we could help you to buy your air tickets or train tickets.

C. The permit we provide you is a copy, the original will be with guide, in Tibet you are not allowed to bring permit with you and not even allowed to travel to anywhere you want because except Lhasa you need another permit named as Aliens Permit. Otherwise if you are stopped by the police or army you will be sent out of Tibet or have trouble politically and economically. Tibet is still very sensitive destination in Asia. Moreover, the travel agency which helped to get you the permit will also be in trouble. Therefore seriously not any legitimate travel agency could sell you the Tibet Permit if you do not book a tour with them. We don't think so you would like to be in trouble while you are enjoying your hard earned holiday due to a SOLD Tibet permit after you pay a lot of money for the your trip to Tibet.

D. There is a service charge to get the Tibet Travel Permits. And, it takes time, paper work, transportation fee and delivery fee for us to get a permit for you, so Alpine Eco Trek will charge an extra fee for the permits.

Read more

Further Information:
www.kailashtourtrek.com contains as much information as possible about Tibet tours and Treks. However, if you have any questions regarding trip, please feel free to contact us. We answer all enquiries within 24 hours. If you want to book a trip, you can send us an email or contact us directly by phone: 0977 98510 36844 (Ram Kumar Adhikari).

Trip Reviews

100% 5 star based on - 129 reviews from TripAdvisor.
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Trip Facts

Trip Duration: 13 days

Mode of Tour: Overland drive and monasteries visit

Trip starts: Lhasa fly in

Trip ends: Lhasa

Group size: Minimum 1 & Maximum 10 people

Elevation: Nearly 5000m

Transportation: 4WD Land cruiser or mini buses

Note: The best season to do this Tibet cultural tour is from April to December; please try to travel always with a local and direct agent and small group – private departure dates available. All the travelers except Chinese passport holders travelling to Tibet must be in possession of a current passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining.

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