Lhasa (3,650m)
LhasaLhasa was and still is, the religious, cultural & economic center of Tibet. Places of interest include the Potala, the 13 storey, 1,000 room palace of the Dalai Lama; the monasteries of Drepung & Sera, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, Norbulinka; and the Jokhang, the holiest shrine in Tibet. The circular Barkhor Street with innumerable shops & wayside peddlers intermingle with the devotees walking clockwise around the Jokhang infusing the magic that is Tibet.

Potala Palace
Potala PalacePotala Palace, located on the red hill, was built in 640 A.D. during the reign of Songtsen Gompo. The original Potala Palace was destroyed in the 9th century but was rebuilt in the 17th century during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama. It is best viewed from outside, where one can observe the different aspects & moods of its sophisticated design. The architectural wonder stands 117m high, has 13 stories and over 1,000 rooms. The most poignant areas are the roof terraces housing the Dalai Lama’s residences, the large courtyard & the spectacular multi–storied interior atriums that extend upwards to the roof terraces. It is replete with ancient artifacts; the sacred statue of Arya Lokeshwara, ornate burial Chortens of the Dalai Lamas, galleries and chapels noted for their murals, the intricate three-dimensional Mandala & much more.

Norbulinka
Norbulinka means “the jeweled garden” is the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. This large complex of small palaces like Gesang Palace, Jianse Palace and Daktanmiju lies within a walled garden that covers 360,000 sq. mts. The whole garden consists of two main parts – Norbulinkha at the western area & Jianselingka at the eastern area. It has fascinating murals in excellent condition, superb Mandalas & frescoes.

Sera Monastery
Sera means hail stone in Tibetan language. Set at the foot of the Wudu hill to the north of Lhasa city, Sera comprises of a great sutra chanting hall, a college and 32 sections that covers 114,964 sq. mts. Founded by Jamchenchupje in 1419, Sera was famous for its fighting monks, who spent years perfecting the martial arts.

Jokhang Temple
JokhangJokhang temple was built in 647 A.D and is the spiritual center of Tibet and the holiest destination for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. It houses the sitting statue of Sakyamuni, when he was 12 years old. From dawn till dusk, one can see an astounding display of chanting, prostrating pilgrims circumambulating the temple. Hundreds of faces, ornaments, clothes & colors swirl round in a gigantic whirlpool of religious fervor.

Drepung Monastery
It is located at the foot of the West Valley Mountain (Gyephel-Ou-Tse) about 10 kms from Lhasa. Drepung Monastery was built by Jamyang-Choje Tashi-Phiden in 1416 AD. Drepung is one of the six largest monasteries of the Gelupa sect & comprises of six main temples: Ganden Palace, Tsochen, Ngakpa, Losaling, Gomang & Dyeyang. The main relics in these temples are image of Maitreya, Yamantaka, Mitrukpa, Sutrakangyur with golden letters, Thankas, Silk scrolls (which are very precious & are rarely seen in the world), various gilded statures, Buddhist scriptures & countless other cultural relics. There are monastic colleges for the study of Philosophy & one for the practice of Tantric Buddhism. The monastery covers an area of over 20, 000 sq. mts.

Ganden Monastery
This great monastery lies about 45km east of Lhasa. Situated at 4500m in a bowl-like amphitheater, Ganden was the first Gelugpa monastery and has remained the main seat of this major Buddhist order ever since. It was founded by Tsongkhapa, the revered reformer of the Gelugpa order. This monastery was the first one built by Tsong Khapa, founder of the Gelung (yellow) Sect of Lamaism, in the 15th century. Ganden is probably the best choice for one monastery excursion outside of Lhasa, with its stupendous views of the surrounding Kyi Chu Valley. A day trip outside of Lhasa is well worth the trip. From this monastery perched on a hillside you can also get amazing views of your surrounding environment.

Yarlung Valley
In the trace of origins of Yarlung Valley, the Monkey Cave on Mt. Gongpori tells us that Yarlung is the origin of the Tibetans. The stone wares unearthed from Traduk & Yartu further confirm that the Yarlung is the cradle of Tibetan civilization. Over several thousands of years, Yarlung culture, as an important component of Tibetan culture, has had an impact on the history of Tibet & the country as a whole. The Yarlung people have created their own unique folk culture including marriage ceremonies, funeral arrangements, rites, clothing, food, tattoo & farming that depicts a full picture of the good nature of the people of the plateau.

The Yarlung River
YarlungThe Yarlung River descends from the beautiful snow- capped Yarla Shangpo Mountain, irrigating the fertile land through which, it passes. The Yarlung people have lived generation after generation on this piece of land with glorious flowers in spring & sweet fruits in autumn.

Shigatse (3,900m)
Shigatse is most famous for its Tashilumpo Monastery – the seats of the Panchen Lama, who is regarded as the reincarnation of the Buddha of Endless Enlightenment. Items of interest inside this monastery built in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama are: the relics of Sakyamuni, the Hall of Maitreya & a mind-boggling collection of Thankas, frescoes & statues. There is a bustling ‘free’ market at the foot of the ruins of the Shigatse Fortress, where one can buy local handicrafts, embedded with coral & turquoise, Tibetan draggers, Chinese porcelain & yak butter.

Tashilumpo Monastery
Founded by the first Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa in 1447 is one of the four “Yellow hat Sect” monasteries of Tibetan Buddhists. The monastery comprises of congregation hall from 5th to 9th century Panchen Lama’s stupa and chapels, the golden stupa of 10th century and the big Maitreya statue of the Buddha in gold & copper alloy. It occupies an area of 300,000 sq. mts.

Gyantse (3,572m)
GyantseGyantse is a small agricultural town famous for its woolen carpets & the Phalkor Chorten. Amongst the Lamasery & the fort, this unique structure built in 1414 AD consists of five stories representing the five steps to enlightenment, topped by thirteen rings, which symbolize the stages of advancement towards Buddhahood. There are 108 halls inside, each with frescoes & Buddha shrines, the frescoes showing a strong Indian influence. Before 1959 traders coming from Kalimpong & Gangtok used to enter Tibet through Yandong and then to Gyantse, en route to Lhasa.

Samye Monastery
Established in the mid 8th century and covering an area of 25,000 sq. mts, Samye Monastery is located in Zhang county on the northern bank of the Yarlung Zhangpo river. The three–storey building was built in Han, Tibetan & Indian styles. It was the first formal monastery in Tibet.

Khumbum Chorten
Khumbum ChortenThis stupa was one of the eight Buddhist stupas known as Tashi Multi stupa that stood 42m high & was said to have 108 cells containing venerable mural paintings & holy images amounting to 1,00,000 pieces of art. The Chorten is located in Gyantse.

Xegar (4,350m)
Xegar is a new Chinese commune built at the foot of the ruins of Xegar Dzong and is 7 km from the main highway. With a population of about 3,000 inhabitants, its importance lies in the fact that it is the center of this large and remote country and also a base from where expeditions to Mt. Everest & other peaks are launched from the Chinese side.

Zhangmu (2,350m)
Zhangmu, better known by its Tibetan name Khasa, is a small settlement clinging to a hillside 10kms inland from the Friendship Bridge across the Bhotekoshi river which serves as the border with Nepal. After the closure of the China/India border from Gangtok, Zhangmu has become the major trading post between Tibet & Nepal. The hills around Zhangmu are heavily wooded with innumerable waterfalls in the summer & frozen ‘icicles’ during the winter.

Mount Kailash & Mansarovar
Mount KailashMt. Kailash claimed to be the apex of the Hindu religious axis is also one of the highest mountain in Tibet at 6,656m and the holy Lake Mansarovar at 4,700m lies closeby. Visitors can opt to make the trip by surface to Kailash either via Kodari on Nepal/Tibet border or on foot through remote west Nepal. The walk around Mt. Kailash takes around three days while two days are required for Lake Mansarovar. The best period to make this tour is May through October.

Everest Base Camp:
The Tibetan name for Mt. Everest is "Mt. Quomolangma" which literally means "The Third Goddess". Towering 8848.13 meters in the middle section of the Himalayas in Tingri County, Shigatse, and Mt. Quomolangma teems with snow-capped peaks and glaciers. It has four peaks above 8,000 meters and 38 peaks above 7,000 meter, thus is reputed as the Third Pole on the Earth. Glaciers of the modern era are located at the foot of the mountain, deep caves and snaking ice rivers present a magnificent view around the Quomolangma area.

Guge and Zandra Kingdom:
Ruins of the Guge Kingdom - Guge Kingdom established in 842AD, used to be very prosperous. But it was suddenly destroyed in 1650, leaving almost no traces. Its mystical disappearance has long been a puzzle until today. The ruins are highly valued for Tibetan history, culture, arts and religious study.

Zanda & Tholing Monastery- Tholing and neighboring Tsaparang are the ruined former capitals of the ancient Guge Kingdom of Western Tibet. Apart from the monasteries, chortens and palaces at Tholing and Tsaparang the whole area is remarkable for its amazing eroded scenery, cut through by the Sutlej River on its way to the subcontinent. The monastic complex at Tholing was founded in early 11 century, was once Western Tibet's most important monastic complex.