Tibet Highlights Tour

Pick-up from airport or train station, and escort you to hotel for check-in. Free time on the rest of today for you to rest and acclimatize.

Travel Tips：
1. Take anti-AMS medicines ahead of a week before your trip.
2. Please avoid strenuous activity for the first few days. For first time visitors, it’s common to get different degrees of high altitude sickness. Drink more waters, have fresh fruit and plenty of rest will help to prevent the sickness.
3. A first aid kit including aspirin, antibiotics and AMS medication is highly recommended.
4. Photographic Gears:
①. Section of Lens: It’s better off choosing zoom lens. The 17-35mm/70-200mm lens is able to meet different photography needs. 50mm standard lens with large caliber can be used to shot portraits or low light scenes, converters to the wild animals, remote snow-capped mountains and glaciers.
②. Please take a backup camera in case of the blackout in some places, due to the poor infrastructures in Tibet.
5. Best time to go: May - June, September - October

Have a close-up view of the immense religious structure and masterpiece of Tibetan architecture – Potala Palace. Then move to the Jokhang Temple, an ancient temple dating from the 7th century. You can see many pilgrims worship within or nearby the temple. Also take a relaxing walk walking  at Barkhor Street, a place crammed pilgrims joining in religious activities and street venders selling various Tibetan goods and religious items.

Shooting Tips:
1. In summer, the best time to photograph Potala Palace is 4:00pm-5:00pm, while in other seasons, morning and night. Shooting from the viewing platform in the white pagoda of the palace, you can get a panoramic images. Potala Palace in the early morning is quite mystery with the heavy aromatic perfumes rising on all sides in spirals of smoke from censers. Additional fee is charged for grabbing photos inside the Potala Palace, where many exquisite chapels and a golden roof stand.
2. Jokhang Temple is the great place to shoot pilgrims worshipping and real Tibetan people. Walk up to the second floor and take images of the golden roof and enjoy the beautiful sunshine of Lhasa. Late afternoon is the best time to photograph.
3. Barkhor Street is the ideal place to take photos of Tibetan people’s “real life”.

After breakfast, drive about 2 hours (120 kms) to Yamdrok Tso Lake, the highest freshwater lake in the world. On the way, you can visit Karola Glacier. Afterwards, drive to Palkhor Monastery, taking near 2 hours (140 kms). And you can see the Zongshan Castle in distance. Later of the day, you’ll be driven to Shigatse (1.5 hours, 150kms) and escorted to hotel for check-in.

Shooting Tips:
1. Gangbala Yamaguchi (5200 meters above sea level) offers you a panoramic view of the Yamdrok Tso Lake. Wide-angel lens and standard lens are both available for overall views. Long-focus lens can shoot a part of the lake. Kindly note that there’s much wind at the mountain pass, you should erect the tripod stable. The lake road away from Langzika County can help you get close-up photos of the lake.
2. Summer is the best time to shoot Yamdrok Tso Lake. Green grassland, flowers in bossom, along with turquoise blue water display beautiful landscapes.
3. Annual July is the best time to shoot Gyantse. From Karola Glacier to Smila Mountain, harmonious natural scenery in valleys comprised of barley, rapeseed and villages, is along all the way.
4. Nestled at mountains, the red wall of Palkhor Monastery winds ups and downs, seeming to be a curve, creating beautiful patterns of light and shade in the low angle of the sun. Why not snap charming photos in front of the temple? Or explore traditional Tibetan culture in an old street lying on the north side of the temple entrance 50 meters.
5. Zongshan Castle features its steepness and majesty. The best position to photograph is on the highway road from Gyantse to Lhasa. Such as in late summer, the photographic images will be very spectacular, with golden yellow fields of barley as foreground.

After breakfast, embark on driving to Rongbuk Kloster, nearly takes you 8 hours (350kms). Time permitting, you can try to make your way to the stunning sunset over Mt. Everest. En-route to Rongbuk Kloster, you’ll come across 4 high mountains capped with snow: Mt. Everest (8848meters), Makalu(8463meters),Lhotse(8516meters), Cho oyu peak(8201meters).

Shooting Tips：
1. Rongbuk Kloster is the best place to photography Mt. Everest. As you take photos, you can choose its Kumbum Stupa as foreground, or the river, 3 kilometers from the Everest Base Camp. This camp is 8 kilometers from Rongbu Monastery, only suitable to enjoy the beauty of Mt. Everest.
2. Due to the low temperature around Rongbuk Kloster, 510 meters above sea level, enough clothes to keep warm are highly recommended. Thick sweater and jacket are needed even in summer, down jacket in spring and fall, as well as gloves and hats with ear-covers.

This morning, take in the stunning sunrise of Mt. Everest at Rongbuk Kloster. Take some unique photos! Later of the day, you’ll be driven back to Shigatse and transferred to hotel.

Shooting Tips:
1. 6:50am in summer, along with 7:20am in spring and fall, is the best time to photograph the sunrise over Mt. Everest.
2. A firm tripod is necessary as there is much wind around Rongbuk Kloster.

Immerse yourself in the fine Tibetan temple buildings at the Tashilhunpo Monastery, which houses world’s biggest bronze statue - Jampa Buddha, 28 meters high. Afterwards, drive back to Lhasa, why not take in the beautiful natural scenery en route including villages, grasslands, clear blue sky, wild animals? Upon arrival in Lhasa, transfer to hotel.

Shooting Tips:
1. At Tashilhunpo Monastery, you can photograph Buddhist temple and Lama. While no photo inside the hall.
2. Do not skip the chance to photograph brilliantly colored, exquisite Mani Stone and mural, which are scattered along the road behind Tashilhunpo Monastery.
3. Why not take in the beautiful natural scenery on the way back to Lhasa, including villages, grasslands, clear blue sky, wild animals?

Today, dive in the beautiful natural views of the famous Sacred Lake of Tibet – Namsto Lake. There are plenty of photography opportunities en route: charming views of immense prairie, herds of yaks and horses, Yangpachen, Tanggula Mountains. Arrive at Namsto Lake, appreciate the sunset, and stay overnight in Namtso guesthouse.

Shooting Tips
1. The scenery of Namtso Lake is subject to the change of time. The wide open spaces, dotted with the tents of local nomads are intoxicating.
2. Besides beautiful views in Namtso, it is also a famous sacred Buddhist place. There is a cave in Tashi Peninsula and many Buddhisim adherents, and you can communicate with them if you like.
3. The platform on Tashi Peninsula is available for you to shoot the amazing long-distance view.
4. The temperature of day and night are quite different. The nights are cold even in summer days. Please take warm clothes, a backup down jacket is highly recommended.
5. Shops and grocers can hardly be found on the way, therefore please bring lots of food and water.

Your Tibet photography tour of a lifetime comes to the end today.

Get up early to photograph the awe-inspiring sunrise over Namtso Lake. Later of the day, drive back to Lhasa. After lunch, you will be transfer to airport or train station for next destination or home.