Travel Tibet During China's National Golden Week Holiday in 2010

Day 1 (Oct. 1, 2010)

Place & Transport: Arrive in Lhasa.
Today's Activities: the impressive Tibetan Autumn vista from the airport to the city with lined trees in golden leaves and vast barley fields in busy harvest.
Meals: /
Detailed Itinerary: Take morning flight to Lhasa, upon arrival, be greeted by local guide at airport and be presented with traditional Tibetan White Scarf to wish you good luck! After photo at airport, board on the coach and transfer back to hotel, you will enjoy the spectacular scenery and the typical Tibetan villages on the way. Plan on taking it slow the rest of today, so you can adjust to the altitude. Remember to drink plenty of water and get plenty of sleep for the long journey ahead.

Day 2 (Oct. 2, 2010)

Place & Transport: Home-Hosted Visit/Having Lingka/Monks Debate in Sera
Today's Activities: enjoy the recreational holiday leisure in Tibetan daily life, share their happiness, learn their customs and enjoy their cuisine.
Meals: B,L,D
Detailed Itinerary: Any travel company can show you famous monuments, but how many can take you right into native homes? Teach you local handcrafts? We can and do. Today you will walk into a local family, learn how Tibetans turn the yak dung into a good fuel, or how they gather in the harvest. You won't just be a spectator-you'll be a participant in local life as you try your hand at new activities. For example, learn how to make the Tibetan staple foodstuff Tsampa, the buttered tea, etc. After enjoy the Tibetan food made by yourselves, we will go to the outskirts beside Lhasa River to have "Lingka" with the locals. Having Linka is one of the most ordinary leisure ways in Tibet, during the holiday, people gather together to the park, riverside or grove, drink the barley wine or buttered tea, eat the air dried meat and other traditional Tibetan food, singing and dancing. Be there, everyone is both the actor and the audience. After the leisure time, we will drive to Sera Monastery, catch the famous debate session of the monks in this beautiful monastery which is also called "the court of wild rose". In the evening, if you would like, the guide will take you to taste the wild edible fungi hotpot, a delicacy you seldom can enjoy in your country.

Day 3 (Oct. 3, 2010)

Place & Transport: Potala Kora/Barkor Bazzar/Jokhang Temple/Firework Display/Pub Culture
Today's Activities: Lhasa highlights escorted tour leads you to a refreshed understanding of its religion, culture and craft.
Meals: B,L,D
Detailed Itinerary: Get up early in the morning, we will wind the way up through the Potala, the holy land and landmark of Tibet. Join into the "Potala Kora" with the local pilgrims, a popular kora encircles the holy Potala, passing by an almost continuous circuit of prayer wheels, chortens (stupas), rock painting and Lukhang Temple. It will take you around 40 minutes walking, but it's well worth following to know more about the locals, please do remember always to proceed clockwise. After the kora, have a visit inside Potala, the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. When outside of Potala, we will drive to Barkor Bazzar. Let yourself be swept around the Barkhor, Lhasa's fascinating medieval pilgrim circuit and a big free market with its prolific stalls for selling local specialties. In Thangka Art Village you could learn the Thangka-painting. And then join the shuffling, murmuring pilgrims around the shrines of the Jokhang to visit the spiritual heart of Tibet. As night falls, we will go back to Potala Square to share the holiday happiness with the natives, enjoy the fabulous night scene of the holy palace, the buildings are ornamented with colored lanterns, compete with the sparkling beauty of the fountain. In the holiday, there will be a grand display of fireworks and Tibetan sing and dance show. Then idle away your time in a famous Tibetan bar such as Makye Ame or Gonla Meadow to experience the different Tibetan pub culture, rewarding yourself with the relaxing time spent with other convivial mates, getting to know each other and sharing the days' events.

Day 4 (Oct. 4, 2010)

Place & Transport: Short Hiking/Yamdrok Lake/Samding Monatery/Karola Glacier/Gyantse City
Today's Activities: Be part of Tibetan nature, hiking with your reflection in the turquoise holy lake of Yamdrok Yumtso, far in distance is the Karo-la glacier.
Meals: B,L,D
Detailed Itinerary: In the morning drive to Nangartse along the Kyichu River, on the Kamba La (4.796 m) have a fantastic view of the holy lake Yamdrok (4441 m), one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the largest habitat of waterfowls in south Tibet. Get off the car nearby the lake, have a short hiking there around 1 to 2 hrs, you could have a closed touch with the holy lake, enjoy the fresh air in the nature, it is a good chance to escape from the noisy city and relax completely. And the most interesting thing is that you can visit the exclusive monastery where the master is a female while her followers are monks, named as Samding. Then drive along the Nyang Qu River forward to Gyantse. On the way have a stop near Karola glacier, after a short hiking around 30 mins, you could meet Karola Glacier face to face. The Karola Glacier is quite close to the road, a breathtaking view of it is an unforgettable experience. Upon arrival in Gyantse, check in and have a rest. After dinner, a short hiking to Gyantse Dzong, shot the sunset there, it is worth the stiff climb to its upper limits. There is amazing views of Gyantse, the monastery compound at the end of town and the surrounding Nyang-chu Valley.

Day 5 (Oct. 5, 2010)

Place & Transport: Pelkor Chode/Pala Manor/Bicycle Tour/Free Market
Today's Activities: A short stroll in the Pala Manor brings you back to an age when Tibet was still under feudal serfdom, explore by bicycles, every possible trail in Shigatse.
Meals: B,L,D
Detailed Itinerary: Have a tour to Pelkor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa in the morning, then a ten-minute drive will take you to Pala Manor, a place that will give you an insight into the lifestyle of the wealthy landowning people who once lived in this area. And then head to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet and also the seat of Panchen Lama. After check in the local hotel, the guide will take you to explore this city by bicycle or rickshaw. It is a good place to hang out. After that, you can relax with you travel mate with a beer or a cup of buttered tea in the Tenzin Hostel while gazing across at the ruins of the Shigatse Dzong fort. In front of the Tenzin Hostel is a good place to pick up souvenirs, such as prayer wheels, rosaries and thangkas. There are also dozens of souvenir and craft shops along the pedestrian-only street.

Day 6 (Oct. 6, 2010)

Place & Transport: Tashilumpu Monastery/Tibet Gang Gyen Carpet Factory
Today's Activities: Panchen Lam's seat and learn how to weave carpet.
Meals: B,L,D
Detailed Itinerary: Panchen Lama's original seat Tashilumpu monastery is also a highlight of Tibet and is Shigatse's foremost attraction. After visit it, we will head to Tibet Gang Gyen Carpet Factory. It's fun to visit just to look around as women work on the carpets, singing as they weave, dye, trim and spin; you are free to take pictures. After lunch drive back to Lhasa, a farewell dinner and a Tibetan traditional singing and dancing evening party end this tour in joy.

Day 7 (Oct. 7, 2010)

Place & Transport: Finish this unforgettable tour.
Today's Activities: Leave Tibet on train with breathtaking landscape along the highest rail in the world, tour services end and Tibet welcome you back forever.
Meals: /
Detailed Itinerary: Take train to Chengdu. Tour ends.