Day Tour: Tibet Drepung and Sera Monasteries

Sightseeing  :  China  :  Xizang (Tibet)  :  Lhasa  :  Cultural Tours

This Tibet day tour is designed for you to explore two monastries, Drepung Monastery (Ganden Palace) and Sera Monastery, of the three most important monasteries in Lhasa in one day. Drepung Monastery is the largest monastery in Tibet and the home monastery of Dalai Lama. Sera Monastery is famous for the monks’ debate at 3pm-5pm daily. At 9:30am, your tour guide will meet you at the lobby of GangGyan Hotel, Lhasa and escort you to Drepung Monastery, one of the Three Greatest Gelug Monasteries of Tibet founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choge who was one of Tsongkhapa's main disciples. Ganden Palace (Drepung Monastery) was used as Dalai Lama's Palace in the Drepung before permanently relocated to Potala Palace. The grand monastery was built along the mountains covering over 656,168 square feet (200,000 square meters). With numerous mansions and zigzagging alleys, the monastery looks like an impressive city itself.

In the afternoon, continue to Sera Monastery. It is also one of the Three Great Gelug monasteries of Tibet but was founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey, another main disciple of Tsongkhapa's. Highlight of Sera Monastery is the debate of monks at around 3pm to 5pm daily except Sundays.You will be transferred back to GangGyan Hotel, Lhasa by 5:30pm where this tour concludes.