One Day Lhasa Highlight Tour

Day 1 Tibet ( L )

Itinerary: One day Lhasa highlight tour to visit Potala Palace, Norbulingka (the Summer Palace for Dalailama) and Sera Monastery with lunch. (Private vehicle and guide)

You will be picked up from your hotel then start the tour.

We will go on a full day visit firstly to the Potala Palace. It is the greatest monumental structure all over Tibet. This ancient architectural complex is considered as a model of Tibetan architecture. Located on the Red Hill in Lhasa, it is 3,700 meters above sea level and covers an area of over 360,000 square meters. The palace has 13 stories, and is 117 meters high. In 641, Songtsan Gambo, ruler of the Tubo Kingdom, built the Potala Palace for Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty, whom he was soon to marry.

Another spot we will see today is the Sera Monastery.It is around 5 km north of central Lhasa, which was, along with Drepung, one of Lhasa's two great Gelugpa monasteries. Its once huge monastic population of about 5000 monks has now been reduced to several hundred.

Then we will visit Norbulingka Park; Norbulingka meaning "Jeweled Garden", the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lamas. The gardens are poorly tended and the palaces themselves are something of an anticlimax, especially as most rooms are currently closed to the public.

After the tour you will be transfered back to your hotel and finish the tour today.