(12 Night 13 Days )
With an average altitude in excess of 3600m, Tibet can truly be described as the roof of the world. Lying to the north of the great Himalayan range which separates it from its neighbors India, Nepal and Bhutan, much of the country is high-altitude desert. With its spectacular mountain scenery and rich Buddhist culture, Tibet is a remarkable place to visit. On this trip, we will fly to Lhasa first and on return follow the Friendship Highway (920km) through some of the most amazing landscape on Earth. We’ll pass small Tibetan settlements, nomadic herdsmen wandering across the wide arid plains and awe-inspiring mountain peaks. Equally as fascinating is the wealth of cultural interest and we will have plenty of opportunity to explore this side of Tibet, both in Lhasa and the other towns we pass through on our journey to Kathmandu.
We spend 3 nights in Lhasa,. This will allow both plenty of time for acclimatization and easy access to the city’s main attractions – the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple. Leaving Lhasa in our Land Cruiser 4WD, we’ll travel through this amazing country, staying in the traditional hotels Tibet has to offer. In the towns of Gyantse and Shigatse we explore further monasteries and fully immerse ourselves in the Buddhist culture. Inspiring landscapes and mountain views combined with its rich Buddhist history and culture, make visiting Tibet a truly unforgettable experience.
Main attraction is Everest Base Camp- The Tibetan name for Mt. Everest is “Mt. Quomolangma” which literally means “The Third Goddess”. Towering 8848 meters in the middle section of the Himalaya in Tingri County, Shigatse, Mt. Quomolangma teems with snow-capped peaks and glaciers. It has four peaks above 8000 meters and 38 peaks above 7000 meter, thus is reputed as the Third Pole on the Earth. Glaciers of modern era are located at the foot of the mountains, deep caves and snaking ice rivers present a magnificent view around the Quomolangma.
ITINERARY
Day 01: Kathmandu ( It must be Thursday or Sun or Tue )
Arrive Kathmandu. Meet at the airport and transfer to hotel. The tour manager will give pre-tour briefing. Rest of the day is leisure. O/N at Hotel.
Day 02: Full day tour of Kathmandu Valley.(B)
Sightseeing of Pashupatinath Temple- the most sacred of the Hindu temples in Nepal dedicated to lord Shiva, built in 1696. Boudha Nath Temple- the worlds largest stupa; a sight of great reneration to the Buddhist. Swayambhunath temple – the oldest Buddhist shrine. Looking east from here, one can see the entire Kathmandu valley spread out below. And lunch break in Kathmandu durbar square. – The temple of the Living Goddess and the old Royal Palace. Finally, visit Kasthamandup – a temple built from a single tree from which the Kathmandu derives its name.And then transfer to Hotel.
Day 03: FLIGHT KATHMANDU – LHASA (B)
Transfer to the airport for flight to Lhasa. This one hour Trans Himalayan Flight will give you an opportunity to have an aerial view of the Mt. Everest and other Himalayan Peaks (weather permitting). Arrival at Gonggar airport & after clearing immigration and customs it will be a one hour drive to cover the 55 km. to Lhasa which is situated at a altitude of 3650 meters (13,000ft). Upon arrival we check in at the Hotel
Day 04 :Explore Lhasa (B)
Visit Potala palace- gold roofed palace built in the time of fifth Dalai Lama. And explore Jorkhang temple- spiritual center of Tibet founded in 7th century by the King songtsen Gompo and then continue to Barkhor- a colorful market. Finally vivit Norbu Lingkha the summer palace of Dalai lama. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 05:Explore Lhasa (B)
Excurssion tour to Drepung- is the largest monastery in Tibet which was founded in 1416. Then continue to Sera Monastery- one of the great institution of Gelugpa Sect. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 06: LHASA – GYANTSE 267 km (B)
, 6-7 hour, you begin your overland adventure with a full day drive to Gyantse. Along the way you cross the Kamba la (4794m) and the Karo la pass (5010m), both grant spectacular views. After the Kamba la you come to Yamdrok tso, also known as the Turquoise lake. You’ll want to have your camera ready. Altitude 3900 m.
Day 07: GYANTSE – SHIGATSE 94km,(B)
2 hour , this will be a busy day. In the morning visit Gyantse stupa,Palkhor chode , Kumbum( an oversized chorten of 100000 images) and monastery followed by a two hour drive to Shigatse. Here see the giant Buddha in the famous Tashilumpo monastery. The seat of the Panchen Lama. Altitude 3800 m.
Day 08: SHIGATSE –LHATSE-SHEGAR,(B)
279km,the journey today brings you over two high passes with fine views. For lunch we stop in the small town of Lhatse. Depending on how much time we spend during the morning in Shigatse we might stay overnight in SHEGAR. Altitude 4350 m. / 4000m.
Day 09: SHEGAR – ROMBUK, (B)
begins with the Tsho La (4500m) and ends with the spectacular view of Mt. Everest from Rombuk monastery. Relax tonight and stroll around the monastery. Altitude 5050m., hotel
Day 10: Explore Everest :- Rongbuk-EBC-Rongbuk (B)
visit Everest base camp and explore surroundings. Overnight at Rongbuk Hotel.
Day 11: ROMBUK – ZHANG MU(B)
get up early morning and drive to Zhangmbu via Tingri.
Day 12: ZHANGMBU-KATHMANDU,(B)
Tibet team drops you to the border at around 10 Am Nepal time. At that time we will be there to pick you up. Cross the border and finish Nepal side immigration formality and then drive to Kathmandu(114km). Overnight at Hotel.
Day 13: Kathamndu-Home(B)
Departure Transfer
