Tibet Lhasa – Kathmandu via Everest Base Camp

Detail Itinerary

• Day 1Kathmandu to Lhasa (3,650m/11,972ft) Today you will be embarking on an amazing adventure. Your flight leaves Kathmandu at midday and you will be arriving in Lhasa in the afternoon. On arrival you will be transferred to your hotel where you can spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring the local area. We will have a welcome dinner tonight where you will be familiarized with the itinerary and be introduced to local cuisine. Overnight in Lhasa.
• Day 2Full Day sightseeing in Lhasa Today you will have a full day tour of Lhasa. We visit the beautiful Potala Palace, once the seat of the Tibetan Government and also the winter home of the Dalai Lama. It is a magnificent architectural wonder some 13 stories high and is the iconic sight in Lhasa. From here there are wonderful views over the entire city and you can visit the private quarters of the Dalai Lama. We also visit the Norbulingka Palace, this was formerly the summer home of the Dalai Lama. Here you will see the largest man made garden in Tibet. After this we visit the Tibet Museum which houses a collection of artifacts relating to the cultural history of Tibet. Overnight in Lhasa.
• Day 3Full Day sightseeing in Lhasa Today we continue our sightseeing tour of Lhasa. We visit the Drepung Monastery which is one of the three most important monasteries of the Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. It was once home to some 10,000 monks but is now reduced to a few hundred. We also visit the Sera Monastery which with it’s white washed walls and golden roofs is another of the important monasteries of the Gelugpa and is an impressive sight. We visit the Jokhang Temple, a 1300 year old temple that is the spiritual heart of Tibet. As a very important spiritual pilgrimage place you can see pilgrims prostrating themselves outside. The golden Buddha here is the most revered in all of Tibet. The Barkhor Bazaar (market) nearby is the heart of Lhasa with it’s open air stalls, shops and crowds of pilgrims. Overnight in Lhasa.
• Day 4Lhasa to Gyantse (3,950m / 12,956ft) 5-6 hours Our road trip starts today with a drive to gyantse. We cross the Khamba La Pass (4794m) and stop to visit the stunning Yamdrok Tso Lake, nestled between the grey and green mountains this is one of the 3 sacred lakes of Tibet and shines a deep turquoise color when the sun is shining. We view the beautiful Nazin Kang Glacier (7252m) before crossing the Karo La Pass (5045m) enjoying the stunning mountain and glacier views before arriving at Gyantse. On arrival we visit the Khumbum Stupa and the Palkor Choede Monastery next to it. This is a very famous giant architectural stupa and is the only Nepalese styled stupa in Tibet. It was started in the 14th Century by the 1st Panchen Lama and is an important place for the Sakyapa (yellow hat) order and pilgrims. We also visit the Gyantse Dzong or Gyantse Fortress, a stunning sight located high on a hill above Gyantse city on a rocky hilltop. Overnight in Gyantse.
• Day 5Gyantse to Shigatse (3,900m / 12,795 ft) 2 hours Today we drive to Shigatse which is the second largest city in Tibet. Here we visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery which was founded by the first Dalai Lama in 1447 and is the seat of the Panchen Lama. It holds great significance and is one of the 6 major monasteries of the Gulugpa tradition in Tibet. After some sightseeing in Shigatse the remainder of the day is free for rest and acclimatization. Overnight in Shigatse.
• Day 6Shigatse to Rongbuk (5000m / 16,400ft) via Sakya 8-9 hours This morning we leave Shigatse heading to Rongbuk. We visit the Sakya Monastery, built in 1073 it is named after the grey earth typical of the region and until 1959 served as the seat of the Sakya Order. From here we drive onto the Rongbuk monastery, spectacularly located at the foot of Mt Everest and is one of the highest monasteries in the world at around 5000m. Overnight in Rongbuk.
• Day 7Rongbuk to Shangmu (2300m / 7,544ft) via Everest Base Camp 5-6 hours Leaving Rongbuk this morning we enjoy the spectacular views of the mountains such as Cho Oyu (8201m), Shishipangma (8013m) and Mt Everest (8848m) all among the highest in the world. Mt Everest, known at Chomolungma in Tibetan being the tallest peak in the world. After spending time at the barren base camp surrounded by enormous peaks we continue on our journey to Zhangmu. Along the way we cross the Lalung La Pass (5124m), the Shung La Pass (5200m) and the Nyalam Pass (3800m) all of which offer amazing views of the Himalayan peaks. Then it’s a descent from the Tibetan Plateau which is in the barren rain shadow into the lush greenery found on the Nepalese side of the border. Overnight in Zhangmu.
• Day 8Zhangmu to Kathmandu (1350m / 4428ft) 4-5 hours On our final day it is a short journey from Zhangmu to the border crossing at Kodari where we bid farewell to our Tibetan guide before continuing on for another 4 hours of driving before arriving at our final destination in Kathmandu. Overnight in Kathmandu.
• Day 9Departure Day Today is the end of your journey with us, you may choose to spend some time sightseeing in Kathmandu or to follow on with another tour, or we can escort you to the airport for your onward journey.