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There is hardly a world traveler who has not dreamed of experiencing Tibet – a barren mystical highland inhabited by hardy people While visiting Tibet can be challenging, its stark beauty — not to mention the altitude — never lets you forget you have traveled to a very different place. In Tibet, our adventure begins in the historical Yarlung Tsangpo Valley. We’ll spend one full day exploring the Samye Monastery — also known as the cradle of the Tibetan civilization —and its surrounds. We’ll continue to the once forbidden city of Lhasa, once the seat of the Dalai Lama. We’ll explore this fabled city and its unique sites and its surrounds for a few days while our bodies acclimatize to the high altitude of the Tibetan Plateau. From Lhasa we’ll travel overland by four-wheel drive Toyota Landcruiser, accompanied by our Tibetan guide who will help us understand modern Tibet through the prism of its complex past. We will visit Gyantse, a quaint Tibetan town. Here we’ll explore the Kumbum stupa – the largest stupa in the world. Next, we continue to Shigatse, home to Tashilhunpo, the largest functioning monastery in Tibet and the seat of the Karmapa Lamas.
Highlights
| Day | Description | Overnight | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival in Kathmandu or Beijing | Kathmandu/Beijing | 1,340m/4,300ft |
| Day 2 and 3 | Exploring Kathmandu/Beijing | Kathmandu/Beijing | 1,340m/4,300ft |
| Day 4 | Fly to Lhasa | Lhasa | 3,656m/11,975ft |
| Day 5 | Explore Lhasa | Lhasa | 3,656m/11,975ft |
| Day 6 | Explore Lhasa | Lhasa | 3,656m/11,975ft |
| Day 7 | Drive to Gyantse | Gyantse | 4,025m/13,210ft |
| Day 8 | Explore Gyantse | Gyantse | 4,025m/13,210ft |
| Day 9 | Drive to Shigatse | Shigatse | 3,845m/12,615ft |
| Day 10 | Drive back to Lhasa | Lhasa | 3,845m/12,615ft |
| Day 11 | Fly to Kathmandu | Kathmandu | 1,340m/4,300ft |
| Day 12 | Final departure |
You could start this trip either in Kathmandu or Beijing. Our representative will meet you on arrival and transfer you to your hotel. (No meals)
Two days of sightseeing in Kathmandu/Beijing. Sites to visit in Kathmandu include Bodhnath, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath and the three palaces in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan. If visiting via Beijing visit the Great wall, the Forbidden city and the Temple of Heaven.
Overnight Hotel. (3 star)
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Fly to Lhasa. If flying from Nepal, you would fly over the Himalayas just right of Mt. Everest and is about 1 hour 25 minutes. Arriving in Lhasa, settle into your hotel near Barkhor square. It’s best to relax and avoid exerting yourself to avoid the negative effects of altitude sickness. You may go for a relaxed stroll around the square.
Overnight Kyichu. (3 star)
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Visit Potala Palace, the official residence of the Dalai Lama until he fled to India after the Chinese invasion. The palace has over a 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and 200,000 statues. Continue to Sera Monastery, one of the three major Gelukpa temples along with Drepung monastery. A highlight is watching the monks practicing their debating skills in the monastery courtyard. Overnight Hotel. (Breakfast)
Drive a few hours outside of Lhasa to Ganden Monastery and Drak Yerpa. Ganden Monastery is a large monastery complex that once housed over 3,500 monks. The Drak Yerpa monastery is located on the side of a hill at over 14,000 ft. Packed lunch with be served. (Breakfast and Lunch)
Distance: 260 kms/162 miles
Drive southwest towards. First, you cross the 4700 m/15,000 ft. Kamba La Pass arriving at Yamdrok Tsho at and elevation of 4447 m/14,500 ft. Then arrive at Karo La Pass at around 5000 m/16,400 ft.
From the Karo La Pass, descend to Gyantse. (Breakfast and Lunch)
In Gyantse, a hilltop military fort called the Gyantse Dzong dominates the skyline. It is one of the best preserved “dzong” (fortress) in Tibet. Below this fort is the tall Gyantse Kumbum Stupa. This stupa, the largest in Tibet, neighbors the Pelkor Monastery and was built in 1427. (Breakfast and Lunch)
The short drive from Gyantse to Shigatse takes around 2 hours and passes through fertile plains where wheat and barley are grown. Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet and is the former capital of the traditional Tibetan region of Tsang. Shigatse is a modern city with a population of over 100,000.
The main attraction in Shigatse is the Tashilhunpo Monastery. Tashilhunpo is one of the 6 main monasteries of the Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism and was founded in 1447. Before the Cultural Revolution there were more than 4000 monks in residence here. Now there are around 700. Tashilhunpo Monastery is the home monastery of the line of Panchen Lamas, the most influential line of lama’s in Tibet after the Dalai Lama. There is an easy 1.6 kilometer/1 mile pilgrimage circuit lined with prayer wheels that goes around the outside of the monastery that is well worth hiking. (Breakfast and lunch)
Drive around 5 hours back to Lhasa. (Breakfast and Lunch)
Return flight to Kathmandu. Free day in Kathmandu with a final farewell dinner. (Breakfast and Dinner)
Final departure transfer to the airport. (Breakfast)
Per person price (valid until December 31, 2020)
5 or more persons: US$1,900 per person
Single supplement: US$300
Extra: Kathmandu to Lhasa to Kathmandu airfare
Contact us for prices for smaller group size
All airport transfers, Sightseeing in Kathmandu/Beijing as indicated in the itinerary and entrance fees to monuments, 3 star hotel accommodations, Meals as indicated in the itinerary and Tibet Travel permit.
Your international airfare, Nepal Visa, Meals not indicated in the itinerary, Tips and gratuities, Personal equipment (a suggested list will be mailed to you), Travel insurance (Required), Other expenses of a personal nature
YES, it is possible to customize this trip to include more days in Tibet. Please contact us for more information.
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