Tibet Autonomous Region

Tibet, also knowns as many other romantic and mysterious names including Shangri-la, the land of snows, the mysterious Buddhist Kingdom, The Lost land is locked away in it’s mountain fastness of the himalaya, has exercised a unique hold on the […]

Tibet, also knowns as many other romantic and mysterious names including Shangri-la, the land of snows, the mysterious Buddhist Kingdom, The Lost land is locked away in it’s mountain fastness of the himalaya, has exercised a unique hold on the imagination of the west. For adventurers and travelers, it is the land of perfection which offers the best opportunity to reach up on high mountains, vast grassland and deep spiritual mind. 

Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, is located in U-Tsang. This central region of Tibet, which averages above 3600m, is home to the Potala Palace, Mt. Everest, holy lakes, medicinal hot springs, and many of the most famous monasteries in all of Tibet. Lhasa is one of the best places to get a glimpse of modern Tibetan life, while just outside the city many farmers and nomads persist in their traditional lifestyles. While most tourists visit Lhasa in the summer, the winter is an opportune time to see the colorful Tibetan capital. During the winter, pilgrims from all over Tibet flock to Lhasa to visit holy sites and enjoy the (relatively) warmer weather.

Yamdrok Lake in Tibet

Central Tibet

Potala Palace 

This incredible architecture of Tibet is named after the Mount Potalaka, the sacred mountain abode of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The greatest monumental structure in all of Tibet. The Potala Palace is 13 stories high and holds countless treasures in its many rooms. Built in 637 AD, the Potala has been home to the Dalai Lama lineage for more than a thousand years. More info…

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Drepung Monastery | Nechung Temple

Drepung Monastery is located 7km northwest of Lhasa city on the Gephel Utse ridge. Drepung Monastery was funded in 1416 by Jamyang Choje Tashi Palden, one of the Tsongkhapa’s foremost disciples.  This monastery houses more than 10.000 monks in it’s peak in 1641. Although there are just over 500 monks at the present day, but it is still the one of largest monasteries in Tibet.  More info…

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Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery་  is located on the northern outskirt of Lhasa City. The monastery was founded  by Je Tsongkapa’s disciple Jamchen Choje Sakya Yeshe of Tse Gungtang at the base of Mountain Purcbuchok in 1419. Even before this time, Tsongkapa, The founder of Gelug pa order in Tibetan Buddhism and his foremost students and disciples has established hermitages in the ridge above Sera Utse. More info…

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Namtso Lake 

Namtso Lake  also known as “Heavenly Lake” is located to the north of Lhasa and east end of Changtang Plateau.  It’s the second largest salt lake in Tibet after Qinghai Lake / Lake Kukunor in Qinghai Province. Namtso Lake offers the beautiful vista of Tibetan Plateau you can imagine, the crystal clear lake is surrounded by the snow caped mountains and vast grasslands. More info…

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Tedrum Nunnery / Tidrum Nunnery

Tedrum Nunnery also spelled as Tidrum Nunnery is a Tibetan nunnery close to the Drigung Til monastery, It is about 13 km northwest of the monastery. And about 110 km from Lhasa. Tidrum nunnery is located in a beautiful hill between two valleys with numerous hermitages and caves in the surrounding hills. More info…

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Monasteries on Lhasa to Kathmandu Overland Road

When you travel to Tibet, you will see there are many monasteries in your tour. This is because first of all almost all Tibetan are believer of Buddhism, so it’s the best place to learn and experience culture and religion of Tibet. Secondly  pilgrimage site is the foundation of tourism in Tibet. Tibet open to tourists in 1985. There is no tourism industry before then, but we do have pilgrimage sites where pilgrims travel from one pilgrimage site to another for centuries. More info….

Yumbulhakhang Palace

This is Tsethang’s second best places to visit. It is located 6 km south of Tsethang. The resplendent hilltop Yunbulhakhang Palace is reputably a reconstruction of Tibet’s oldest building. It is also stated when Nyatri Tsenpo emerged as the first king of Tibet in 127 BC he was escorted to Mount Tashitseri, the ”the hill of Gods” by his Bon followers and this first palace Yumbulhakhang was established on its summit.  This is also suggested by the theme of murals depicted inside the second floor of this building. More info… 

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Samye Monastery and Chapori

Samye is Tibet’s oldest monastery, boasting over 1200 years of history. Nestled in a scenic valley, Samye is an important pilgrimage location shaped like a mandala. After visiting Samye, drive down through Tsetang to the Yarlung Valley and visit Yumbulakhang, a historic palace perched atop a craggy hill. If you extend the trip to two days, explore nearby monasteries or hike up to Chimpuk Hermitage (also known as the Guru Rinpoche caves) near Samye Monastery

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Chimphu Meditation Caves

Chimpu or Chimphu hermitage cave is one of the most sacred place in Tibet. It is said to be the Indian master Guru Rinpoche’s speech. This is where the Indian Master taught the Twenty-Five Disciples and where numerous disciples had profound realizations. Today, there are still over 50 or more yogis, men and women, living  in the cave and doing retreat. More info… 

Yamdrok Yumtso Lake 

The Sacred Lake Yamdrok Yumtso (4441m), means “ the lake of Turquoise”,   situated around 100 km to the south of Lhasa. The paved road from Lhasa to Gyantse  ascends to  Kamba-la (4700m)  pass. From the summit of Kamba-la,  a stunning vista view appears before you:  one side of the mountain is the bending  of  Yurlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra River)  valley and the other side is the  Yamdrok lake, a freshwater lake which lies few hundreds meters below the road and the snow capped mountain  Nojin Kangsang (7191m) in a distance.  More info…

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Gyantse

Gyantse Dzong was situated in the middle of Old Gyantse town, Rising up on a hill top. It is solid old fortress or old place for the local Kings of Gyantse from 13^th century onwards. It was a strategic place which made some tough resistance for the British arm invasion in 1903.  It is the tallest building in Gyantse which offers spectacular view from all the direction of the town. More info…

Rawok Lake / Ranwu Lake

Ranwu Lake Rawok Lake, named Ngan-tso in Tibetan, it is located in the Ranwu town, Chamdo Prefercture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, about 127 kilometers from Bome county in the west and 90 kilometers from Baxoi County in the east. It is ranked as the largest lake in eastern Tibet, lies on the edge of National Road 318. More info…

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Draksumtso Lake / Basumtso Lake

Draksum Tso, a holy lake surrounded by green, forested mountains and snow capped peaks. The site is known for its spiritual connection to a semi-mythical ruler of the Kham region and Guru Rinpoche. Walking across a floating bridge to Tsodzong Island, visit Tsodzong Monastery.

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If you have any questions regarding destinations in Tibetan Autonomous Region, please send us an email at: info@snowliontours.com