Today is the return journey to Lhasa along the classic route.
After breakfast, we depart from Shigatse for Gyantse. We will visit the Pelkor Chode Monastery. It’s a rare Tibetan Buddhist monastery where Sakya, Gelug, and Kagyu traditions coexist. It enshrines over 100,000 exquisite Buddha statues and murals, which is a veritable "museum" of Tibetan religious art.
Leaving Gyantse, we’ll arrive at the 5,020-meter-high Karola Glacier. You could hike close to the glacier's edge while feeling the chill air from the Quaternary Period and listening to the sounds of melting ice and snow.
Then we’ll head to Yamdrok Lake. We will stop at multiple vantage points, including Lurila Viewpoint. We’ll step into the homes of local farmers living by the lakeshore, tour their households and taste a delightful farmhouse lunch. Luckily, you may witness the impressive moment when the setting sun dyes the lake surface and the Mount Nojin Kangsang golden-red.
In the evening, we return to Lhasa. As the shape of the Potala Palace reappears in the twilight, this journey back concludes perfectly with blending pagoda art, glacial wonders and holy lake beauty.