Highlights of Tibet
 |
 |
The overland drive from Lhasa to Kathmandu (or vice versa) over the highest road in the world promises to be an experience of a lifetime! Tibet is an ancient land with a rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes and is the spiritual home of the Dalai Lama. Among the highlights is a visit to the mt. Everest Base Camp.
| Tour price: | U$ 1540  |
| Single supplement: | U$ 200  |
| Duration: | 10 days |
| Overnight: | Hotels/ guest houses |
| Meals: | Breakfast |
| Start point: | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| End point: | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Countries: | Nepal, Tibet (China) |
| Visa/ Permit info: |  |
| Included: | |
| Group dates: | |
Itinerary
Day 01: Kathmandu / Lhasa flight.
You will be transferred to the airport for your flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa. This one hour Trans Himalayan Flight from Kathmandu will give you an opportunity to have an aerial view of the Mt. Everest and other Himalayan Peaks (weather permitting). Arrival at Gonggar Airport should be around 13:30 local time. After clearing immigration and customs it will be a two hour drive to cover the 96 km to Lhasa which is situated at an altitude of 3650 meters (13,000ft). Upon arrival you will meet your Tibetan guide transferrd to your hotel in Lhasa. Check in and relax (acclimatization). Overnight in Lhasa.
When you arrive in Lhasa you might have a little headache or even feel a little uncomfortable due to the altitude, but within hours (depending on the person and their physical condition) you should feel fine again. This is because Lhasa is at an altitude of 3650m and while Kathmandu is only 1300m.
Day 02: Sightseeing in Lhasa- Potala Palace/Sera Monastery
Our tour begins with a visit to Potala Palace and Sera Monastery with an experienced tour guide. The Potala Palace used to be the Dalai Lama's winter palace with a history dating back to the 7th century. There are two sets of Palaces in Potala: the White & the Red Palaces. The 15th century Sera monastery is famous for the "monk debates" which take place nearly every day of the week. The monks gather each afternoon to debate Buddhist teachings and philosophy. Overnight in Lhasa.
Day 03: Sightseeing tour of Drepung Monastery, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Bazaar.
In the morning you will have a guided tour to the largest monastery in Tibet, Drepung monastery. In the afternoon you will visit Jokhang temple and experience the Barkhor Bazaar, an old market square where you'll see wily Chinese and ancient Tibetans bargaining for goods. Overnight in Lhasa.
Day 04: Sightseeing in Lhasa: Tibet Museum & afternoon free
In the morning you will visit the Tibet Museum. Officially inaugurated in October of 1999, the museum houses a rich collection of prehistoric cultural relics including Buddha statues in different postures, imperial jade seals, gold albums, gifts granted by emperors, colorful Thankas and various printed Sanskrit and Tibetan scriptures. You can also see a variety of folk art such as unique Tibetan handcrafts, costumes, jewelry, and adornments made of gold, silver, and jade as well as some fine Chinese pottery. In the afternoon, you will be free to walk around or go shopping in the traditional markets. Overnight in Lhasa
Day 05: Drive to Gyantse via Yamdrok Lake.
After an early breakfast we hit the road for an 8 hour drive to Gyantse, crossing the Karo la pass (5010m) and Kamba la pass (4794m). Leaving the Lhasa valley behind, we cross the Brahmaputra River (the holy river) and the pass over the Kamba La to the South. En route you will see Yamdrok Tso, also known as the Turquoise Lake. You'll want to have your camera ready. The Karo la climbs between two lofty mountains, Nozing Khang Sa (7223m) and Ralung (6236m) before you reach Gyantse. Overnight in Gyantse.
Day 06: Sightseeing & drive to Shigatse (3900m/12792ft)
Gyantse prides itself on Gyantse Dzong and Kumbum. Gyantse Dzong is a historical fort built in the 14th century and overlooks a the Gyantse and surrounding Nyang Chu Valley. Kumbum has a large gold domed 35m high chorten (stupa) and houses several chapels and Tibetan Buddhist murals. The word Kumbum means 100,000 images in Tibetan. After enjoying and exploring Gyantse, you will take a 90 km drive to Shigatse. Shalu monastery built with Han, Tibetan and Indian style architecture is about one and half hour away from Gyantse on the way to Shigatse. After a brief observation of the monastery the drive continues Shigatse- the second largest city of Tibet. Overnight in Shigatse.
Day 07: Drive to Sakya, visit Natang Monastery- 150km
We start the day with a city tour of Shigatse. After some sightseeing we visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery - a major attraction and one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet. We continue our way along the Friendship Highway amidst picturesque landscapes, passing through the small town of Lhatse and the Gyamtso La pass at 5220m. You will also visit the Natang Monastery and the Sakya Monastery. In Sakya’s great library you can see the largest book in the world- written in gold. In the evening time we reach Shegar. As the route opens into the plains, many monasteries and nomadic herder camps become visible en route to Sakya. Overnight in Sakya.
Day 08: Drive to Rongbuk (5050m/ 16564ft)- Explore Everest Base Camp (5250m/ 17,220 ft)
Leaving Sakya, we head South and cross the Pang La pass at 5150m/ 16890ft. After covering about 190 km, you eventually reach Rongbuk from where you get spectacular views of Mt. Everest- the highest mountain in the word!The program for today is to explore the area around the Mount Everest Base Camp. You will also visit the Rongbuk Monastery, a Buddhist pilgrimage site founded in 1902 by a Nyingmapa Lama in an area of meditation huts that had been in use by monks and hermits for over 400 years. Hermitage meditation caves dot the cliff walls all around the monastery complex and up and down the valley. Many walls and stones, carved with sacred syllables and prayers line the paths. Overnight in Rongbuk.
Day 09: Drive to Zhangmu (2300m/7,544ft)- 245 km
If the weather was bad on day 8, there will be time early in the morning to explore the Everest Base Camp and to watch the sun rise over Mt. Everest. We head back out to the Friendship Highway and continue the drive to Zhangmu. We travel through Tingri and cross the Lalung La pass at (5124 m/ 16068 ft), the Shung La pass at (5200 m/ 17056 ft) and the Nalyam Pass (3800m/12464 ft) which offers enchanting views of the surrounding peaks of Shishapangma, Cho Oyu, Menlungtse and Gauri Shanker. Overnight in Zhangmu.
Day 10: Drive up to the Friendship Bridge (Nepal/ Tibet border). End in Kathmandu
After breakfast we willl drive from Nyalam to the Kodari Border (Nepal/ China Friendship Bridge) where a representative will be waiting to take back to you Kathmandu. This is a scenic drive along the Bhote Koshi River with lots of waterfalls in the mountains. When you get closer to Kathmandu, you will see the fascinating mountain views of Langtang, Ganesh Himal and Gaurishankar in the distance. Some parts of the road are not very good, but the ride will become smoother the further you decend from the Kodari border. Overnight in Kathmandu. (accommodation not included).
Please note: This tour can easily be combined with our Highlights of Nepal tour and/ or the Mount Everest Base Camp Trek
to have a look inside a Buddhist monastery in Tibet
to see Team ShapShap Travel at the Mount Everest Base Camp
Interested in this tour? 
or 
