If you want to travel to Tibet around June, Gyantse Damar Festival is a must for you to experience. This festival is held in the fourth month of Tibetan calendar( or June in solar calender) and it can be accessed easily as it overlaps the hot Tibet travel route. You can see the entertaining horse racing, and archery performance and other celebration events.The celebration is expected to last for a week.
In this tour, tourists will visit major monasteries in Lhasa and head to enjoy the well-known Gyantse-Shigatse loop during which you can join the Damar festival.
Day 1: Arrive in Lhasa
Upon your arrival at Lhasa airport or train station, you will be greeted by your Tibetan guide and escorted to your hotel in Lhasa.
Then check in at the hotel, and have a good rest to acclimatize the high altitude.
Stay overnight in Lhasa.
Day 2: Lhasa Tour – Potola Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street
In the morning, we are about to visit the famous Potala palace and explore the grandest of this myriad chapels, and you will experience its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens (stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, thangkas, combinations of mandala, etc.
In the afternoon, we will tour the holist temple in Tibet, the Johkang Temple, built during Songtsen Gonpo’s reign by princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty, 647 A.D, and its famous Barkhor Kora (circling around Jokhang temple and Barkhor street) and bargain with vendors for Tibetan souvenirs on Barkhor street.
Stay overnight in Lhasa.
Potala Palace, at the top of the hill in central Lhasa city, is always the No.1 attraction for travelers visiting Tibet.A Tibetan pilgrim is worshipping Jokhang Temple
Day 3: Lhasa Tour – Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery
Today, you will visit two important monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera. Drepung monastery was situated at the foothill of a mountain and was once home to 10000 monks and Ganden podrang in Drepung was famous for its role as the governmental centre during the fifth dalai lama and later was moved to the famous Potala Palace during the fifth dalai lama.
After having lunch, we continue to visit Sera Monastery founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa’s disciple Jamchen Choeje. The most attractive scene is its monk debate held in the debating courtyard mostly around 3 – 5 in the afternoon.
Stay overnight in Lhasa.
Day 4: Visit Yamdrok-Tso Lake and Pelkor monastery in Gyantse
Drive across Kambala Pass to the dazzlingly turquoise green Yamdrok-Tso Lake, one of the three great holy lakes in Tibet. After having an eyeful of the stunning scenery, move on to Gyantse, one of Tibet’s most traditional towns. En route you will also enjoy spectacular vistas of Karo-la Glacier roadside at 4960m.
Another important attraction for today is Pelkor monastery, a walled monastery complex in Gyantse. Pelkor monastery is also known for its Kubum, a 35m-high chorten (stupa) with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and its crown-like golden dome.
Stay overnight in Gyantse.
Day 5: Enjoy Gyantse Damar Festival and Nomads’ Trade Fair
Our focus of today is to enjoy the annual Gyantse Damar Festival lasting from April 15 of Tibetan calendar. Considered to be one of Tibet’s most traditional festivals, it offers us a chance to experience Tibetan Buddhism and folklore in an intimate way. Locals from the 19 townships in the Gyangze County gather to celebrate the festival, which also attracts people from everywhere.
Tourists can enjoy wresting, horse racing, shooting contest, etc. It is not only a folk festival but an exchange with a theme of promoting economy through cultural events like exchanging goods in the trade fair etc.
During the festival, nomads will drive their horse carts to bring their families to the annual festival. Some are fond of races, some like to watch performances, while still others will set up stands to sell home-made sweet milk dregs and other products. But most people will stay in their own tents and enjoy themselves until nightfall.
As tourists explore the exotic trade fair, you can also taste highland Tibetan delicacy and collect exquisite handicrafts and other souvenirs.
Stay overnight in Gyantse.
Day 6: Gyantse to Lhasa via Shigatse
First follow the Nyang River northwest for an hour or so to Shigatse. On the way , we will stop to tour Shalu Monastery renowned as a center of scholarly learning and psychic training, and its ancient and beautiful mural paintings.
Later, we are going to visit Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of Panchen Lama (Tibet’s second highest incarnation).
After lunch, start our drive back to Lhasa along the Sino-Nepal Highway for roughly four hours.
Stay overnight in Lhasa.
Day 7: Depart Lhasa
Departure transfer to Lhasa airport for flight to onward destination.
| Place | Night (s) | 5* Hotels |
| Lhasa | 03 | Shangri La |
| Gyantse | 02 | Gyantse Hotel |
| Lhasa | 01 | Shangri La |
– Welcome with fresh flower garlands.
– Meet assist at the airport and hotels.
– 06 nights hotel accommodation.
– Daily breakfast and Dinners.
– Tibet travel permit.
– All transfers, sightseeing, excursions by private AC vehicle as per the program.
– Local English / French / German / Italian / Spanish / Chinese / Russian speaking guides during city tour, sightseeing and excursions.
– Entrance fees to the monuments as per the program.
– 01 Yoga class during the tour.
– All taxes.
– Tips
– International Air Fare
– Visa Fees
– Travel Insurance
– Personal expenses and drinks.
– Accommodation in good hotels.
– Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
– Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost.
– Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
– A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
– If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
– Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
– In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
– In Asia, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
– While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
– Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
– In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.