Nepal and Tibet Tour (11 Days)

Your tour starts as you arrive at the airport in Kathmandu. Upon your arrival we will greet you with a traditional garland (floral wreath worn around your neck). This is our way of saying welcome to Nepal. You will then be transferred by private car to your hotel to settle in. You might choose to go for a walk around after some rest and later in the evening we will organize a welcome dinner at an excellent traditional Nepalese Restaurant.

In the morning after having breakfast you will drive to Bodhnath. Bodhnath is the largest stupa of Nepal. Around the octagonal base of stupa there are 108 images of Buddha where prayer ceremonies of Buddhist Lamas are taking place since over 2000 years. Then you will proceed to visit the temple of Pashupatinath which is Nepal’s most important Hindu pilgrim site on the banks of the Bagmati River. The temple of Pashupatinath is dedicated to god Shiva. In the afternoon proceed for a half day sightseeing tour of Patan city. Patan was the second largest town in the valley but it has been absorbed into Kathmandu. After visiting Patan you will proceed to visit the Swayambhunath. The stupa at Swayambhunath is the most important and oldest site of Buddhist worship in Nepal. Swayambhunath Stupa is famous for the eyes of Buddha which seem to be observing the world from all 4 directions.

After breakfast it’s time to fly to Tibet. You will be driven to Kathmandu airport to catch your flight. It’s a one hour flight over the highest mountain range in the world. Your guide and driver will meet you at the airport with a warm Tibetan style welcome ceremony by presenting you Khata (scarf) and will escort you to Lhasa. On the 2-hour drive, you’ll enjoy the heart-stopping views along the Yarlong Tsangpo River. After checking into your hotel, we highly recommend you have a rest to acclimatize yourself to this high altitude city. If you’re feeling up to it, take a visit to the Tibet Museum, which is not only a source of information and inspiration for Tibetans themselves, but also educates visitors from the world on the unique culture. If not you will see this place tomorrow.

We begin our sightseeing of Lhasa today. The overwhelming Potala Palace is your first stop. As the symbol of Tibet, it was built in 641 AD and was the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. Impressive Tibetan architecture, huge golden Buddha statues, red-robed lamas and devoted pilgrims all make it a must-visit. The Norbulingka Palace is the summer palace of the Dalai Lama and also our next stop. This incredible building houses what is considered to be the largest man-made garden in Tibet. Next, we visit the Tibet Museum, the official museum of Tibet, which has a permanent collection of around 1000 artefacts related to the cultural history of Tibet.

After breakfast we visit Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Bazaar. Drepung Monastery, which was built in the 14th century, is believed to have sheltered around 10,000 monks in the past but now only houses a few hundred. The history, culture, and religious beliefs of the Tibetan people are strongly concentrated and centred in this marvellous monastery. Sera Monastery is a preserved monastery of white-washed walls and golden roofs. Jokhang Temple is another important sacred site which unravels more deep-seated mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism. We further stroll through Barkhor Bazaar (market). With its open air stalls, shops and crowd of pilgrims, it is the nerve centre of Lhasa.

Today, we take a scenic drive to Gyantse. On the way we cross the Khamba La Pass (4,794m) with a brief halt to savour the beauty of the Yamdrok Tso (Turquoise Lake), one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet and the beautiful Nazin Kang Sang glacier (7,252m). Next we arrive at The Karo La Pass (5,045m). From our vehicle, we can enjoy views of huge glaciers before reaching Gyantse. In Gyantse, we visit the Khumbum Stupa, Phalkot Monastery and Gyantse Dzong (Fortress), which is one of the best preserved Dzongs in Tibet

After breakfast, we drive towards Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. On the way, we visit Shalu Monastery. Founded in 1040, Shalu Monastery is known for its beautiful and ancient mural paintings. Next, we continue to Shigatse. We visit the popular Tashilhunpo Monastery which holds both historical and cultural importance for being founded by Gendun Drup, the First Dalai Lama in 1447. After sightseeing in Shigatse we will have the rest of the day free for resting, which will help us with acclimatization and the next day’s long drive.

We leave Shigatse this morning on our journey to Rongbuk. On the way, we visit the Sakya Monastery which is the ancestral temple of the Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. We continue driving towards Rongbuk. We visit the Rongbuk Monastery, which is located at the foot of the mighty Mt Everest and is the highest monastery in the world. While here, we also enjoy the stunning mountainous scenery all around us. Overnight in Rongbuk.

We leave Rongbuk in the morning to visit Everest Base Camp (5,250m/17,220ft). On our way, we enjoy spectacular views of high mountains like Cho Oyu (8,201m/26,906ft), Shishapangma (8,013m/26,289ft) and, of course, the mighty Everest (8,848m/29,028ft) also known as Mt. Chomolongma in the Tibetan side. Today, we accomplish one of the major highlights of our trip, reaching the base camp of Mt. Everest. It’s a 16km round trip to Everest Base Camp. The base camp itself is dry and barren, but the view of Everest is spectacular. After spending some quality time at the base of Mt. Everest we make Zhangmu our next destination. On the way, we cross the Lalung La Pass (5,124m/16,068ft), Shung La Pass (5,200m/17,056ft) and Nyalam Pass (3,800m/12,464ft), all of which offer enchanting views of the surrounding Himalayan peaks. We further drive downwards towards the fertile vegetation of Zhangmu on the Nepalese border.

Hotel in Zhangmu- B

Note that on rare occasions due to bad weather or political riots the local government may close down the road to the Everest base camp for safety reasons and without prior notice.

A few kilometres drive from Zhangmu, is Friendship Bridge. This bridge links Nepal and Tibet over the Bhote Koshi River and brings us to Immigration Control in Kodari. Here we are expected to complete some custom formalities. Your Tibetan guide will leave you here. It’s a short walk across the bridge in Nepal where a Third Eye Adventure representative will be waiting for you. After around 4 hours of driving through deep valleys, we reach your hotel in Kathmandu. Join us for a farewell dinner tonight and to celebrate your trip

Our agency’s representative will greet you at your hotel with private car and offer you a Khada (scarf). Wearing a Khada means good luck and protection. Afterwards they will drop you to the airport. Farewell from Nepal.