Tibet Nepal Tours

Day 1: Arrive in Chengdu

NOTE: Transfer via flight arranged by Eyes on Nepal. Arrive in Chengdu (Flight arrival time/Flight numbers are to be advised).

Welcome to Chengdu – home of giant pandas! Upon arrival, your personal guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day will be free for you to relax and explore.

Day 2: Chengdu - Lhasa

NOTE: Transfer via train (Soft Sleeper seat) arranged by Eyes On Nepal. Today you will be free until your guide escorts you to the railway station for your train to Lhasa.

Day 3: On the train

Today, you’ll travel on the world’s highest altitude railway: Qinghai-Tibet railway. Whilst traveling to Tibet by train takes much longer than by plane, you will be able to witness thousands of miles of the most stunning landscapes in the world, rolling by outside your window.

Tips for today:

• There are battery charging accesses on the train, but make sure you have a socket adapter
• Only Chinese food is served aboard, including breakfast (10RMB), lunch box (25RMB), self-selected meal (from 38RMB).

Day 4: Lhasa Arrival

Welcome to the roof of the world! You will be picked up from the train station, then escorted to your hotel in Lhasa city in the comfort of your own private vehicle. After arriving at your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the local area and acclimatise yourself to this high altitude city at the top of the world.

Tips for today:

• Go for a walk to acclimatise to the high altitude, but avoid strenuous activity immediately upon arrival
• It’s better not to have a shower today
• Hydrate yourself and eat more fruits
• Rest well

Day 5: Lhasa

• Take the challenge of climbing up to Potala Palace (3,650m above sea level) and get a great view of Lhasa’s urban areas. There will be great photographic opportunities along the way up as you will have a great view of the traditional Tibetan architecture. Hear the story of the Dalai Lamas and see chapels that the Dalai Lamas studied, rested and worked in. Pass former Dalai Lamas’ graves which are decorated with treasure beautiful treasures.
• Continue your tour to Jokhang Temple, which is within walking distance from Potala Palace. It is considered the spiritual center of Tibet. You will see many pilgrims worship within or nearby the temple. Enter the first floor of the temple and absorb the religious atmosphere. You will see pilgrims  donating butter oil to keep the lights burning for Buddha. While learning more about Buddhas and Lamas than you will gain a feeling for the vast history of Tibetan Buddhism. You may also hear red-robed Lamas praying. Walk up to the roof of the temple, take some pictures of the gold roof and enjoy the beautiful sunshine of Lhasa while observing pilgrims praying in front of the temple.
• Finally, join locals in a traditional pilgrimage route by taking a relaxing walk in a large circular path around Jokhang Temple at Barkor Street. The street is filled with pilgrims taking part in religious activities, and street venders selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods and religious items. If you like, you can also ask your tour guide take you for a visit to a Thangka workshop to marvel at the fabulous Thangka art work. There are cafes along the street as well. You can relax and enjoy the life in Lhasa in a lazy afternoon.

Tips for today:

• Wear hat and sunglasses to prevent ultraviolet radiation, but remember to remove them when visiting the monasteries.
• Taking photos is usually not allowed in chapels inside monastery
• Remember to bring your passport. You need to show your passport when entering Potala Palace.

Day 6: Lhasa

• After breakfast, we will drive you to the Norbulingka Park, the former summer palace of Dalai Lama. Explore the beautiful gardens and experience one of the most holy sites in Tibetan Buddhism while soaking up the rich history. Next, visit the Drepung Monastery, which was once the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery housing 10,000 monks in its heyday. Learn about the lives of Tibetan monks.
• Your tour ends at Sera Monastery, where you will get the chance to experience “Buddhism Scriptures Debating”. These debates are unique to Sera and are quite famous. Enjoy the debates!

Tips for today:

• Obey Buddhist manners and talk appropriately
• Feel free to ask your tour guide questions about Buddhism
• Don’t forget to bring your sunglasses and sunblock

Day 7: Lhasa - Gyantse

Today you will be transferred from Lhasa to Gyantse (6.5-hours drive). En route, you’ll stop to see Yamdrok Lake, one of three most famous holy lakes in Tibet. For Tibetans, this is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and the home of the “wrathful deities”.

The scenery of turquoise blue water in the lake with the reflection of the surrounding snow-capped mountains is awe-inspiring. After arriving at Gyantse, you will tour Pelkor Monastery to admire fancy frescoes, statues and sculptures. We will spend the night at Gyantse.

Tips of today:

• Wear warm clothing to protect yourself from the cold and wind
• The road conditions from Lhasa to Gyantse via Yamdrok Lake is good
• Feel free to ask your driver to stop so you can stretch your legs or take some photos

Day 8: Gyantse - Shigatse

After breakfast, drive about 2.5 hours to Shigatse. After lunch, you will visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the seat of Panchen Lama and one of the largest functioning monasteries in Tibet, as well as the oldest and largest Gelugpa Monastery in Tibet.

Here you will see a giant statue of Future Buddha, the largest one of its kind on earth, decorated with precious pearls, turquoises, corals and ambers. Stay overnight at Shigatse.

Tips of today:

• The road condition is fairly good so the 90km drive from Gyantse to Shigatse is pleasant. Please do not hesitate to tell the driver if you want to take a break to stretch your legs or take photos on the way.
• Obey Buddhist manners and talk appropriately when visiting Tashilhunpo.

Day 9: Shigatse - Sakya Monastery - Tingri

Today you’ll drive to Tingri and stay here overnight. En route visit Sakya monastery. In the 13th century, the monastic town of Sakya emerged as an important center of Buddhist scholarship. With Mongolian military support, the Sakya lamas became rulers of all Tibet.

Sakya Monastery, built in 1268, is a massive fortresslike compound with high defensive walls in the southern section of the monastery. There are a lot of historical articles in the monastery, among some of them are: Imperial certificates, gold signets, crowns, and clothes given by the Yuan Dynasty emperors.

Sakya monastery has over 84,000 Tibetan scriptures and books on astronomy, medicine, calligraphy, and history.

Tips for today:

• If you are particularly interested in history or architecture, it may be worthwhile to do a bit of research in preparation for this visit
• The landscape along the road is amazing

Day 10 Tingri - Rongbuk Monastery:Day 10 Tingri - Rongbuk Monastery

• Although it’s just 100km from Tingri (Shegar) to Rongbuk Monastery (altitude: 4,980m), it takes about 4 hours since the cracked winding roads demand great caution. But the views are stupendous on a clear day and features a huge sweep of the Himalaya range including peaks over 8,000m, Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Gyachung and Cho Oyu. When you finally get to the Base Camp, the first sight of the mighty Everest will be stunning. All the hardship you bear along the way will be well worth it. The best time to watch Mt. Everest is in the early morning and late evening, when the sun is rising or setting, bathing Everest in light.
• Visit Rongbuk Monasteryi which is located at the foot of Mount Everest, and has earned the title of the world’s highest monastery standing at 4,980 meters high. Accommodation at Tent or Guest House near to Rongbuk Monastery.

Tips for today:

• Bring a decent amount of food and drinks for the long drive
• Bring a warm and thick coat for the low temperature in Everest
• Avoid strenuous activity

Day 11 Rongbuk Monastery - EBC - Zhangmu :Day 11 Rongbuk Monastery - EBC - Zhangmu

• Get up early to catch the stunning sunrise on the peak of the world. After breakfast, drive the remaining 8km to visit Everest Base Camp where you can get a better view of Mt. Everest.
• Drive via Old Tingri and enjoy the panoramic views of snow-capped Himalayan Range on the way to Zhangmu. Zhangmu is quite close to Nepal and about 350km from Mt. Everest.

Tips for today:

• Sunrise starts at about 6:30 am to 7 am
• Be well prepared for the long drive on the road

Day 12: Zhangmu - Kathmandu

After breakfast, we will drive you to the border of Nepal and China. Your overland trip to Kathmandu ends here.

Tips for today:

• Our service will end at the border of Tibet and Nepal. Contact Eyes On Nepal for itinerary and program in Nepal.
• NOTES: The Nepal and China border has remained closed til today – 7/11/2016. Kindly write to us to get the latest information.