SCHEDULE AND COST:

Dates: February 26 – March 4, 2025

The program is linked with an expedition to China from March 5 to 14, 2025.

Duration: 7 days / 6 nights

Number of participants: 7 – 12

Cost per person:
– 2 390 USD, for 11 – 12 participants, or
– 2 550 USD, for 9 – 10 participants, or
– 2 690 USD, for 7 – 8 participants.

Everything is included, except for:
– round-trip flight tickets to Lhasa,
– Chinese visa (the cost of a single-entry visa is about 30 USD),
– medical insurance,
– partial lunches and dinners.
Estimated cost of the flight Moscow – Lhasa – Moscow: 800 – 900 USD.
Estimated cost of the Lhasa – Beijing flight: 400 – 550 USD.

Single supplement: 300 USD (available throughout the route).




TRAVEL PROGRAM: tour to Tibet China

Day 1. February 26, 2025. Arrival in Lhasa.

Meeting at Gonggar Airport with a guide and transfer to the hotel, which takes less than an hour.
Upon arrival, accommodation at the hotel. To ensure optimal conditions, we recommend taking some time to rest after the journey, avoiding smoking and alcohol, drinking plenty of water, and eating more vegetables, fruits, meat, and eggs.

Meals: no
Accommodation: Tangka Hotel 4* or similar

Recommended flights to Lhasa:
- Sichuan Airlines, departure from Moscow on February 24 at 21:55, transfer in Chengdu 20h 20min, arrival in Lhasa on February 26 at 10:45, or
- any other flight arriving in Lhasa on February 26 before 12:00.


Day 2. February 27, 2025. The Potala Palace and the heart of the Jokang demoness.

After breakfast transfer to the Potala Palace. This is a royal palace and Buddhist temple complex in Lhasa, Tibet. It is located on a high hill overlooking the city.
The palace was the main residence of the Dalai Lama until the fourteenth Dalai Lama fled to India after the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959. Today, the Palace of Potala is a museum that attracts many tourists every year.
After lunch, we will visit the Jokang Temple 大昭寺 - one of the most sacred Buddhist temples in Tibet and the most revered place in Lhasa. Jokang is a majestic building with gold roofs and walls, decorated with frescoes and precious stones. Inside the temple there are many statues, altars and other religious objects. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. By visiting this temple, we will continue the story of King Songtsen Gampo, who initiated the construction of the complex in 639 AD.
The wife of the Tibetan king, Wencheng, from the Tang Dynasty, explored the area using geomancy, a technique belonging to Feng Shui. This technique is based on observations of natural terrestrial phenomena and can be considered knowledge from the fields of astronomy, astrology, medicine, bioenergetics, and landscape studies. The aim of geomancy is to choose the most suitable location for buildings or burials.
The princess identified the location of the future temple as the body of a giant demoness. The lake represented her genitalia, and her heart was where the Potala Temple now stands. The king ordered the lake to be drained and a temple built in its place, as well as stupas and monasteries surrounding it to protect the demoness and keep her from harming others. He believed that the temple buildings would keep the demoness's evil at bay.
Return to the hotel.

Meals: breakfast
Accommodation: Tangka Hotel 4* or similar


Day 3. February 28, 2025. Visiting a Tibetan family and celebrating the New Year

After breakfast, we will visit a Tibetan village where we can spend time with the locals and attend the festival. On the first day of the New Year, the Tibetans wake up early, wear new traditional clothes, make offerings at the altar, and begin celebrating. We are looking forward to attending a cooking class to learn how to make Tibetan dishes and, of course, the festive dinner. We will also try homemade barley beer and Tibetan tea.
We will sing and dance with the Tibetans to celebrate the New year. On the first day of the new year, it is a tradition to gather with the whole family and eat Guthuk, a noodle soup with different fillings, such as yak meat, white radishes, dried cheese, homemade noodles, onions, beans, tomatoes, and spinach. Some families even make a vegetarian version.
This soup is not just a meal, but a way to predict the fortune for the coming year. The ingredients in the soup symbolize different aspects of life, such as strength, prosperity, and happiness.
Then we will walk around the village and watch the locals celebrate. They will be expressing their faith and joy in different ways, including singing, dancing, and lighting fireworks.
During the first few days of the holiday, many Tibetans visit monasteries and temples. Notice the variety of traditional clothing. This time, people from different parts of Tibet come together, dressed in their finest traditional attire and jewelry.

Meals: breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Tangka Hotel 4* or similar


Day 4. March 1, 2025. Drak Yerpa Temple complex and Sera Monastery

Today, we will visit some unique shrines in Lhasa. After about 30 minutes of driving, we will arrive at the Drak Yerpa Temple complex. This place is located at an altitude of about 4500 meters above sea level and known for its natural beauty and spiritual significance.
In Drak Yerpa, there are ancient caves where Tibetan yogis and Dalai Lama meditated.
The concept of "terma" is central to Tibetan Buddhism. It is believed that Shakyamuni Buddha and Guru Rinpoche (also known as Padmasambhava) understood that their contemporaries were not yet ready to fully comprehend all the Buddhist teachings. Therefore, they left behind "terma", which are texts, relics, and revelations for future generations to discover. These terma can be found in various forms, such as stones, meditation experiences, or dreams. The spiritual significance of a location is determined by how many terma have been found there.
This is similar to the tradition in Christianity of recording the places and dates of appearances of saints. For example, in Portugal, there is a town called Fatima, where there are periodic appearances of the Virgin Mary. Therefore, for all Catholics, it is one of the most sacred places of worship.
This complex is associated with King Songtsen Gampo, the first ruler of Tibet. Legend says that King Songtsen and his two wives stopped here for meditation. Inside the cave, they discovered the baths, which are self-developing symbols of Buddha's body, speech, and mind. There are also many thermal springs around Yerpa, including the famous Sera ritual dagger. The cave is one of three significant places for spiritual development.
Next, we will visit Sera Monastery - an important center of Buddhist study. The monastery’s architecture is impressive: high white walls decorated with prayer flags, majestic buildings of temples and educational rooms. It is famous for its lively debates among monks. Monks discuss Buddhist philosophy in an engaging and dramatic manner. These discussions are an integral part of Tibetan monastic education.
Finally, we will return to the hotel.

Meals: breakfast
Accommodation: Tangka Hotel 4* or similar


Day 5. March 2, 2025. Drepung and Samye monasteries

Moving to another sacred place for Tibetans, Drepung 哲蚌 or Jabung, is the largest Buddhist monastery and university of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also a place of pilgrimage and was considered one of the three great monasteries with courtyards throughout Tibet and beyond.
Founded in the early 15th century by one of Tsonkapa’s closest pupils. Until the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959, it was the largest Gelug School monastery. After the destruction in the course of anti-religious campaign in the middle of the 20th century, the monastery was restored.
Today, Drepung continues to function as a Tibetan Buddhist education center. Monks are trained here, religious ceremonies and rituals are held.
Next, we will visit Samye 桑耶寺, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet. Located on the north bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River (also known as the Brahmaputra), the monastery's territory is laid out in a mandala-like design. Here, we will see various styles of architecture, not just Tibetan but also Indian influences. In the center is the main temple, surrounded by eight smaller temples dedicated to Bodhisattvas such as Avalokiteshvara, Vajrapani, Manjushri, and Maitreya. Additionally, there are four large stupas and 108 smaller stupas located around the site.

Meals: breakfast
Accommodation: Tangka Hotel 4* or similar


Day 6. March 3, 2025. Sacred Yamdrok lake

Breakfast at the hotel.
We will go to the sacred lake Yamdrok lake - one of the three main lakes of Tibet, which is located at an altitude of about 4,488 meters above sea level. The lake is located in a remote and hard-to-reach area, which makes it even more mysterious and attractive for pilgrims.
The lake has a round shape and is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in Tibet. Its waters are famous for their purity and transparency. Around the lake you can see many Buddhist stupas and prayer flags.
For the Buddhists, Yamdrok is a sacred place. It is believed to have special spiritual properties and can bring good fortune and blessing to those who visit.
Return to hotel.

Meals: breakfast
Accommodation: Tangka Hotel 4* or similar


Day 7. March 4, 2025. Return from Lhasa

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport.

Meals: breakfast
Accommodation: no

Recommended flights from Lhasa to Moscow:
- Sichuan Airlines, departure from Lhasa on March 4 at 16:20, transfer to Chengdu 22h15min, arrival in Moscow on March 5 at 20:00, or
- another flight at any time on March 4.

Recommended flights from Lhasa to Beijing:
- Tibet Airlines, departure from Lhasa on March 4 at 09:30, arrival in Beijing on March 4 at 13:25 (an additional night at the hotel will be required).
- China Eastern Airlines, departure from Lhasa on March 4 at 16:00, transfer in Xi'an 3h 40min, arrival in Beijing on March 5 at 00:10, or
- another flight at any time on March 4.