Destination: China

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Tibet: Lhasa & Around

TWO WEEKS

The area around Lhasa offers an excellent range of monasteries, both popular and remote, and no travel permits are required. Nam-tso offers a glimpse of the nomad life of the north. This route gives a good look at Tibet in a short time. Then fly out of Lhasa or travel overland to Nepal.

The chief goal of travellers is of course Lhasa itself, the focal point and spiritual heart of the Tibetan nation. There is enough to see in and around the city to keep you busy for at least a week. Highlights include the World Heritage Sites of the Potala and Jokhang Temple and wandering around the Barkhor pilgrimage circuit. The huge monastic institutions of Drepung and Sera lie on the edge of town, and Ganden Monastery is an easy and fantastic day trip away.

There are plenty of excursions to be made from Lhasa and no permits are required for these trips. A three-day return trip can take you to the stunning lake Nam-tso, giving you a break from peering at Buddhist deities, though you should allow at least a few days in Lhasa to acclimatise before heading out here. Add a day and return via the splendidly isolated Reting Monastery to avoid backtracking.
Add on another couple of days and you can visit atmospheric Drigung Til Monastery and Tidrum Nunnery, both to the east of Lhasa. You can visit these two directly from Reting or on an overnight or three-day excursion from Lhasa.

You could spend a third or alternative second week travelling on public transport to Shigatse and Gyantse. Gyantse in particular deserves a couple of days to visit the famous stupa and fort. Hire a Land Cruiser and you can do a loop, travelling via Yamdrok-tso, following the first couple of days of the Lhasa to Kathmandu itinerary. With a Land Cruiser you could probably also squeeze an overnight stay at Samye into your week.