Tibet · China

EASTERN TIBET SACRED JOURNEY

From lakeside meditation to Lhasa's artisanal traditions

Wellness Retreat · 5N6D

A holistic healing journey from the emerald holy lake of Basomtso to the city of faith — purification in nature, then revitalization through mindful craft and ancient Tibetan wellness.

RouteBasomtso → Lhasa
Duration5N / 6D
Highest StayLhasa 3,700 m
StaysSongtsam Linkas
BookingPrivate · price on request

Design Philosophy

From outer to inner, from nature to culture

"A thorough cleansing from the outer world to the inner self — natural meditation at the holy lake, mindful craftsmanship in the holy city."

This journey artfully constructs a dual path of purification. At Basomtso, lakeside hiking promotes physical vitality while singing bowl healing and sacred incense calm the mind and spirit. Upon reaching Lhasa, purification deepens into cultural focus: the deliberate strokes of Tibetan calligraphy and the repetitive concentration of making Tsa-tsa guide the heart into a tranquil, meditative state.

Dual sacred purification双重圣境净化

Natural meditation by the emerald lake and forests of Basomtso, then mindful craftsmanship in Lhasa — a progression that completes a cleansing from the outer world to the inner self.

Ancient wellness wisdom古法养生智慧

The Tibetan butter therapy, rooted in ancient wisdom for deep detoxification and nourishment, meets the scientifically formulated LA MER high-altitude repairing SPA — cultural heritage blended with modern efficacy.

Tibetan medicine throughout藏医疗愈元素

From Tibetan herbal foot baths to crafting medicinal vajra hammers, the journey is infused with Tibetan medicinal elements, forming a holistic body-mind revitalization program adapted to the high-altitude environment.

Craft as meditation匠心心流体验

Tibetan incense making, Thangka painting, calligraphy with a bamboo pen, and Tsa-tsa clay sculpture under a local intangible-cultural-heritage inheritor — repetitive, focused creation that carries the heart into flow.

The Songtsam way松赞式照料

Native guides as cultural mediators, self-owned linkas built in respect of local nature and community, and a private fleet suited to Tibetan roads — Songtsam is the world's exclusive commercial operator of the new Land Rover Defender.

Trip Highlights

What makes this journey

Lakeside purification at Basomtso

·Hike the holy lake's kora trail through oak forest, snow peaks mirrored in the water
·Return across the lake by boat, passing pilgrims at prayer
·Views of Jieqing Nalagabu, the 'Burning Flame' snow peak, from your linka
·Singing Bowl Meditation and handmade Tibetan incense on arrival day

Award-winning Tibetan wellness

·Tibetan Butter Deep Nourishing Body Treatment (80 mins) — a Destination Deluxe Awards 'Top 10 Global Wellness Treatment'
·Highland yak-butter warm oil massage and detoxifying barley tsampa scrub
·In-room Tibetan Herbal Foot Baths that ease altitude adaptation
·60-minute LA MER Repairing Facial formulated for plateau skin

The mindful crafts of the holy city

·Tibetan Calligraphy — from alphabet to scripture with a bamboo pen
·Tsa-tsa clay Buddha casting with a local ICH inheritor
·Thangka painting as a brush-by-brush meditation
·Tibetan Medicinal Vajra Hammer Making to soothe travel fatigue

Lhasa, heart of Tibet

·The Potala Palace atop Red Hill, pearl of the Roof of the World
·Homage to the 12-year-old Shakyamuni statue in the Jokhang Temple
·The pilgrim flow of Barkhor Street, old Lhasa's living memory
·3 nights at Songtsam Linka Lhasa with private guide and vehicle

Stays

Two Songtsam linkas, lake to holy city

2 nights at Songtsam Linka Basomtso (3,480 m), on the bank of the holy lake facing the 'Burning Flame' snow peak, then 3 nights at Songtsam Linka Lhasa (3,700 m), your calm garden base in the city of faith.

Built in respect of local nature, culture and community

Holy lake viewsSpa & meditation spacesLocal hostsGarden retreat in Lhasa

Itinerary

6-Day Itinerary

Eastern Tibet Sacred JourneyTIBET · CHINA

Altitude profile

Highest point 3,700 m · gradual ascent for acclimatization

DAY 1

Arrival at Basomtso — Incense Making & Singing Bowl Meditation

Land at Nyingchi Mainling Airport, meet your Songtsam driver and check into Songtsam Linka Basomtso at 3,480 m, with lunch at the hotel. Set on the bank of Basomtso Lake, the linka offers a stunning view of the holy lake and sacred mountains — on a clear day, the precipitous snow peaks of Jieqing Nalagabu, known as 'Burning Flame', sparkle in the sunlight to the north, and the surrounding villages keep alive the cultural traditions of the Gongbu Tibetan people. In the afternoon, join a Tibetan Incense Making session: for thousands of years Tibetans have safeguarded this fragrance with sturdy hands and devout hearts, and shaping the incense yourself is a peaceful first immersion in the culture. After dinner, a Singing Bowl Meditation uses the resonance of sound to release physical and mental stress and draw you into deep relaxation.

Songtsam Linka Basomtso on the holy lake
Tibetan Incense Making
Singing Bowl Meditation

No hiking today · 3,480 m altitude

Terrain: arrival + lakeside + wellness
Transport: Private transfer from Nyingchi Mainling Airport, about 3 h scenic drive
Meals: Breakfast: not included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Basomtso (3,480 m)

DAY 2

Lakeside Hiking, Thangka Painting & Herbal Foot Bath

After breakfast, drive to the trailhead and stroll leisurely along the lakeside path, winding through oak forest with the azure lake glistening between the branches. On a clear day the snow-capped mountains stand reflected in the water, and you may encounter local pilgrims performing the kora around the lake, offering prayers as they walk. The hike ends with a boat ride back across the holy lake to the hotel. After lunch, settle into a Thangka Painting session — this ancient Himalayan art form is a heritage of faith and a spiritual practice; no painting skill is required, only reverence, and each delicate brushstroke becomes its own small meditation. In the evening, after dinner, an in-room Tibetan Herbal Foot Bath promotes blood circulation and oxygen supply, easing altitude adaptation while relaxing feet tired from the trail.

Basomtso lakeside hike through oak forest
Boat ride on the holy lake
Thangka Painting
Tibetan Herbal Foot Bath

4 kmDistance+100 mAscent−100 mDescent3,480 mMax altitude

Terrain: lakeside trail + oak forest + boat ride
Transport: Short drive to the lakeside trailhead, boat return to the hotel
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Basomtso (3,480 m)

DAY 3

To Lhasa — Tibetan Calligraphy & Butter Body Treatment

After breakfast, the journey continues to Lhasa as the views outside gradually transform from mountain forests to villages and towns along the Lhasa River Valley. Arrive in the holy city and check into Songtsam Linka Lhasa at 3,700 m, with lunch at the hotel. The afternoon's Tibetan Calligraphy experience blends tradition with art: from the Tibetan alphabet and the structure of strokes to transcribing classic scriptures with a bamboo pen, every brushstroke carries the depth and tranquility of the culture, whether you are a beginner or practiced hand. After dinner comes the journey's signature ritual — the Tibetan Butter Deep Nourishing Body Treatment (80 mins), a full-body warm oil massage with highland yak butter followed by a detoxifying tsampa-powder massage, recognized among the 'Top 10 Global Wellness Treatments' by the Destination Deluxe Awards. The spa takes two guests at a time; larger parties are scheduled in batches, with tonight or tomorrow available.

Scenic drive along the Lhasa River Valley
Tibetan Calligraphy experience
Tibetan Butter Deep Nourishing Body Treatment (80 mins)

No hiking today · 3,700 m altitude

Terrain: scenic drive + river valley + calligraphy
Transport: Private drive Basomtso to Lhasa along the Lhasa River Valley, about 5 h
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Lhasa (3,700 m)

DAY 4

Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple & Barkhor Street

After breakfast, proceed to the Potala Palace. This pearl of the Roof of the World stands majestically atop Red Hill, bearing witness to the changing tides of Lhasa's history; step inside the sacred palace and, through an insightful interpretation of its humanistic heritage, trace the ebb and flow of Tibet's past while uncovering its most precious treasures. After lunch at the hotel and a short rest, head to the Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street. 'First came the Jokhang Temple, then the city of Lhasa' — in the hearts of locals, this is where spirituality and daily life blend seamlessly, the sacred city's original starting point. Follow your Songtsam guide to pay homage to the life-sized statue of the 12-year-old Shakyamuni Buddha enshrined in the temple, then drift with the pilgrims along Barkhor Street into the frozen memories of old Lhasa. Guests who could not take the butter treatment yesterday enjoy it after dinner tonight.

Potala Palace
Jokhang Temple & the 12-year-old Shakyamuni statue
Barkhor Street kora

3 kmDistance+100 mAscent−100 mDescent3,700 mMax altitude

Terrain: palace + temple + old town kora
Transport: Short drives within Lhasa; sightseeing on foot
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Lhasa (3,700 m)

DAY 5

Vajra Hammer Making, Tsa-tsa Craft & LA MER Facial

The morning is devoted to Tibetan Medicinal Vajra Hammer Making — time-honored healing wisdom refined through centuries of practice. The herbal hammer you craft can be used at any point of the journey to soothe the fatigue of long travel and high altitude, easing back and muscle aches with every gentle strike. After lunch at the hotel, take part in Tsa-tsa Making, part of an intangible cultural heritage conservation program: under the guidance of a local ICH inheritor, you mold miniature clay Buddhas and stupas, gaining insight into the exceptional craftsmanship and artistic value of this traditional Tibetan art. The evening closes the wellness arc with a 60-minute LA MER Repairing Facial Treatment — iconic repair formulas in generous dosages, the exclusive Ocean Rhythm Massage Technique and full-course thermal-infused care, leaving skin strengthened against the plateau environment. The facial takes up to two guests at a time; larger groups enjoy staggered appointments.

Tibetan Medicinal Vajra Hammer Making
Tsa-tsa Making with an ICH inheritor
LA MER Repairing Facial Treatment (60 mins)

No hiking today · 3,700 m altitude

Terrain: wellness + crafts + spa
Transport: Activities at the linka; no long transfers today
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Lhasa (3,700 m)

DAY 6

Departure from Lhasa

Morning light and breakfast are both gentle gifts. Take a final unhurried breakfast at Songtsam Linka Lhasa and let the journey settle: the emerald stillness of Basomtso, the scent of the incense you shaped on the first afternoon, the warmth of yak-butter oil, the deliberate strokes of bamboo pen and Thangka brush, and the small clay Tsa-tsa made under an inheritor's patient eye. The vajra hammer travels home in your luggage, a portable remedy for tired shoulders and a reminder of the plateau's practical wisdom. When it is time, your Songtsam driver transfers you to Lhasa Gonggar Airport for the onward flight — the close of a healing arc that moved from outer to inner, from nature to culture.

Slow linka morning
Transfer to Lhasa Gonggar Airport

No hiking today · 3,700 m altitude

Terrain: departure + transfer
Transport: Private transfer to Lhasa Gonggar Airport, about 1 h
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: not included; Dinner: not included

Cost Details

What your journey covers

Included

Stay & meals: 2 nights Songtsam Linka Basomtso (3,480 m) and 3 nights Songtsam Linka Lhasa (3,700 m)
Breakfasts, lunches and dinners at the hotels as per itinerary, from arrival lunch to departure breakfast
Wellness programme: Tibetan Butter Deep Nourishing Body Treatment (80 mins) and LA MER Repairing Facial Treatment (60 mins)
Singing Bowl Meditation, Tibetan Incense Making, in-room Tibetan Herbal Foot Bath
Thangka Painting, Tibetan Calligraphy, Tibetan Medicinal Vajra Hammer Making, Tsa-tsa Making with an ICH inheritor
Experiences & transport: Private Songtsam guide and dedicated vehicle throughout
Basomtso lakeside hike with boat return across the holy lake
Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street visits
Airport transfers: Nyingchi Mainling Airport arrival, Lhasa Gonggar Airport departure

Not Included

Not included: - Flights to Nyingchi and from Lhasa
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Anything not listed — the exact scope, including Tibet Travel Permit handling, is confirmed in your personalized Songtsam quotation; pricing for this wellness journey is fully on request

Difficulty

Trip Expectations

A gentle, spa-anchored journey — the real consideration is sustained altitude of 3,480–3,700 m, and the programme is built around it.

Highest stay

3,700 m (Lhasa)

Activity level

Easy — leisurely lakeside hike

Longest drive

Basomtso → Lhasa river-valley day

Altitude

The whole journey lives between 3,480 m and 3,700 m, so take the first afternoon gently. The programme actively supports acclimatization: Tibetan herbal foot baths promote blood circulation and oxygen supply, the butter body treatment relieves high-altitude dryness and fatigue, and the vajra hammer you craft can be used any time to ease aches. Travelers with serious heart, blood-pressure or respiratory conditions should consult a doctor first.

Activity

The only hike is a leisurely lakeside stroll along Basomtso's kora trail through oak forest, finishing with a boat ride back to the hotel. Everything else — palace and temple visits, calligraphy, Tsa-tsa and incense workshops — moves at an unhurried, contemplative pace with rests built around hotel lunches and spa evenings.

Weather & packing

Plateau UV is intense year-round: bring high-SPF sunblock, sunglasses and a brimmed hat. Mornings and evenings are cold at 3,700 m even in summer, so pack warm layers and a windproof jacket. Comfortable walking shoes suffice for the lakeside trail and Barkhor Street's flagstones; loose clothing serves the meditation and spa sessions best.

About the Area

Basomtso, Lhasa & the Songtsam way

Basomtso is one of eastern Tibet's holy lakes, an emerald sweep of water held between forested ridges and snow peaks in the Gongbu Tibetan heartland of Nyingchi. Pilgrims circle its shores on kora, prayer flags stream from the little island monastery, and on clear days the 'Burning Flame' peak of Jieqing Nalagabu sparkles to the north. From here the road follows the Lhasa River Valley westward, as forests give way to barley villages and finally to the holy city itself — the Potala Palace on Red Hill, and the Jokhang Temple around which, as locals say, the city of Lhasa first grew.

Songtsam has ventured deep into the heart of Yunnan, Tibet and Sichuan, building each of its hotels in remote areas of breathtaking beauty, constructed in respect of local nature, culture and environmental standards and blending into the surrounding landscape and communities. Most Songtsam guides are native to the area, serving as mediators of Tibetan culture as much as travel hosts.

The journey runs on Songtsam's own motorcade — vehicles chosen for the challenging road conditions of Tibetan areas, in global strategic partnership with Jaguar Land Rover; Songtsam is currently the world's exclusive operator of a commercial fleet of the new Land Rover Defender. Self-owned hotels, trusted guides, bespoke routes and a professional fleet together create a home away from home in the distant corners of the globe.

Journey details

Eastern Tibet Sacred Journey — Basomtso & Lhasa 5N6D

A holistic healing journey from a sacred natural lake to the city of faith — lakeside hiking, incense making and singing bowl meditation at emerald Basomtso, deepening into Tibetan calligraphy, Tsa-tsa craft and the award-winning Tibetan Butter Body Treatment in Lhasa.

This is a holistic healing journey that travels from a sacred natural lake to the city of faith. The itinerary begins at the emerald lakes and forests of Basomtso, where lakeside hiking, Tibetan incense making and singing bowl meditation facilitate initial purification and energy renewal amidst nature. The journey then continues to Lhasa, where this cultivated tranquility is channeled into deeper cultural immersion: hands-on Tibetan calligraphy and Tsa-tsa making, the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, and traditional Tibetan wellness treatments infused with ancient wisdom — including the Tibetan Butter Deep Nourishing Body Treatment, recognized among the 'Top 10 Global Wellness Treatments' by the Destination Deluxe Awards. You stay 2 nights at Songtsam Linka Basomtso (3,480 m) on the bank of the holy lake and 3 nights at Songtsam Linka Lhasa (3,700 m), progressing from outer to inner, from nature to culture.

Route: Nyingchi (Mainling Airport) → Basomtso → Lhasa
Stops: Nyingchi · Basomtso · Lhasa
Departure city: Nyingchi
Suitable for: Couples · Solo travelers · Wellness seekers · Culture lovers
Highlights: Dual sacred purification — lakeside meditation at holy Basomtso, then the mindful craft traditions of the holy city of Lhasa · Tibetan Butter Deep Nourishing Body Treatment (80 mins), a Songtsam SPA signature recognized among the 'Top 10 Global Wellness Treatments' by the Destination Deluxe Awards · Lakeside hiking through oak forest along Basomtso's kora trail, returning to the lodge by boat · Hands-on heritage: Tibetan incense making, Thangka painting, Tibetan calligraphy, and Tsa-tsa clay sculpture with a local intangible-cultural-heritage inheritor · Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street with a Songtsam guide · 60-minute LA MER Repairing Facial Treatment formulated for plateau skin · 5 nights in Songtsam's own linkas — 2 on the bank of Basomtso lake, 3 in Lhasa

Before you book

Included: 5 nights' accommodation: 2 nights Songtsam Linka Basomtso (3,480 m) and 3 nights Songtsam Linka Lhasa (3,700 m) · Meals as per itinerary — breakfasts, lunches and dinners at the hotels, from arrival lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 6 · Full wellness programme: Tibetan Incense Making, Singing Bowl Meditation, Tibetan Herbal Foot Bath, Thangka Painting, Tibetan Calligraphy, Tibetan Medicinal Vajra Hammer Making, Tsa-tsa Making with an ICH inheritor, Tibetan Butter Deep Nourishing Body Treatment (80 mins) and LA MER Repairing Facial Treatment (60 mins) · Guided experiences: Basomtso lakeside hike with boat return, Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street · Private Songtsam guide and dedicated vehicle throughout, including arrival pick-up at Nyingchi Mainling Airport and departure transfer to Lhasa Gonggar Airport
Excluded: Flights to Nyingchi and from Lhasa · Travel insurance · Personal expenses and gratuities · Anything not listed in the itinerary — the exact scope of services, including Tibet Travel Permit handling, is confirmed in your personalized Songtsam quotation
Booking notes: Tibet Travel Permit is required for all foreign travelers and can only be arranged through authorized travel agencies — Songtsam assists with the application. Allow at least 30 days before departure. · Pricing is fully on request: Songtsam quotes this wellness journey individually by travel date and party size. Submit an inquiry and your consultant will confirm a tailored quotation. · High-altitude journey with stays at 3,480–3,700 m. Not recommended for travelers with serious heart, blood-pressure or respiratory conditions; the gentle pace, herbal foot baths and spa programme are designed to support acclimatization. · Spa treatments (Tibetan Butter Deep Nourishing Body Treatment, LA MER Repairing Facial) accommodate up to two guests simultaneously; groups of three or more are arranged in batches or staggered sessions.