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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.
Activity: Trekking
Destination: Makalu
Country: Nepal
MAKALU BASE CAMP TREK (Lodge Trek)
The Makalu Base Camp is a lodge-to-lodge trek. And, on this trek, participants get up-close with the fifth highest mountain in the world – Mt. Makalu (8,485m). The lodges are quite basic so we will carry some food to supplement what’s available at the local lodges. Furthermore, we will also carry tents so you may opt to sleep in tents in some of the places.
Eric Shipton was the first outsider to have trekked in the region in 1950’s. Consequently, the Shipton Pass on this trek was named after this English explorer. The trek starts in a relatively lower elevation which is home to Rai’s, Gurung’s and Tamang people. Ascending slowly, the trek follows a trail through the beautiful Makalu Barun National Park which is home to diverse flora and fauna. Past the Barun river are the spectacular granite rocks and waterfalls. Finally, the villages near the Base Camp are home to the Sherpas.
This trek is challenging and requires crossing of several passes (though lesser than 5,000m). From Base Camp, you have the option to climb to a view-point which offers a panorama of Everest (8,848m), Lhotse (8,516m) and Baruntse (7,129m)
The trek begins with a flight to Tumlingtar. You then trek to the Base Camp and return on the same trail. The trek ends with a flight out to Kathmandu from Tumlingtar.
The Makalu Base Camp Trek is a private trek for a minimum of two participants. We do NOT nickel-and-dime on services – inclusions and exclusions are clearly listed in cost details. Some companies will advertise trips for very low prices but they have a lot of exclusions that is usually not clear. With over 30 years of experience, most of our trekkers are either repeat clients or referrals. We employ the most professional and friendly staff. We are also proud to give back to our community through our giving arm – 3 Summits For Nepal – managed by Crystal Mountain Treks staff. Contact us to learn more…
Activity: Trekking
Destination: Kanchenjunga
Country: Nepal
KANCHENJUNGA TREK (Lodge Trek)
This Kanchenjunga trek is a lodge-to-lodge trek which visits both the North and South Base Camps and allows participants to get up-close with the third highest mountain in the world. Check out our Kanchenjunga Base Camp Tent trek too if you are interested in a longer camping trek. We will carry some food to supplement what’s available in the local lodges. We will also carry tents so you may opt to sleep in tents in some of the places. A shorter program would be to only visit the North Kanchenjunga Base Camp at Pangpema.
Kangchenjunga is a sacred mountain and the word Kanchenjunga literally translates to “Five Great Treasures in the Snow.” There are five peaks within the Kangchenjunga range. And each peak is believed to be a repository of different treasures: gold, silver, gems, grains and sacred texts. Consequently, in due reverence, the first summiteers stopped a few meters short of the summit in 1955. However, today’s climbers no longer follow this practice. On this trek, we will be trekking through a Beyul. The purpose of beyuls is to provide sanctuaries for people seeking refuge from social and religious persecution. Read some facts about the Kanchenjunga region here.
We have built five schools in the region through our giving arm 3 Summits for Nepal. We’d be glad to organize a visit for you to these schools.
The Kanchenjunga Trek is a private trek for a minimum of two participants. We do NOT nickel-and-dime on services – inclusions and exclusions are clearly listed in cost details. Some companies will advertise trips for very low prices but they have a lot of exclusions that is usually not clear. With over 30 years of experience, most of our trekkers are either repeat clients or referrals. We employ the most professional and friendly staff. We are also proud to give back to our community through our giving arm – 3 Summits For Nepal – managed by Crystal Mountain Treks staff. In the Kanchenjunga region, we have built four schools and two girls hostels. On this Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek, we will have the opportunity to visit one of the school in Yamphudin. Contact us to learn more…
