Lhasa is the capital city in Tibet, which is situated 3,650m. above sea level. Potala is the highest elevation’s palace in the world, which is known as the roof of the world. Potala palace was built by King Songtsen Gampo 637 B.C., later rebuilt by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th Century. The palace is 130 m. above Lhasa city. The palace is built with three meters thick stone walls, 13 floors and more than 1000 different rooms. Today you can visit Potala as a state museum. Paying the entrance ticket, every tourist and pilgrimage can visit as official time. The palace will be closed on Sunday and government holidays in Tibet.
In Buddhism there are three major groups: Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. In the Vajrayana Tibet Buddhism, there are four different groups Buddhist religion’s Schools (Monasteries) in Tibet. Nyingma, Gyaluk (yellow hat) Kagyu and Sakya. These all-religious monasteries you can visit during the trip at central Tibet.
The age doesn’t make any difference for this trek, between 17 to 70 years, anyone can do this trip if you are physically fit and healthy. If someone is seriously injured or sick, the only option is rescue by jeep. The rescue is quite expensive, everyone needs to buy travel insurance from their own country.
This trip will be starting from Lhasa end at Kerung Nepal border as itinerary. Our Lhasa agent will provide comfortable tourist standard
vehicles, Jeep for small groups, van for middle groups and Bus for big groups. During the trip all the hotels or Guest houses accommodation with breakfast and dinner with hot drinks. Lunch will be on the way at a good restaurant.
| Best season | May to November |
| Duration of trip | 12 days Tibet + Nepal. |
| Maximum elevation | Khamba la pass 4,000m. |
| Group size | 4 to 18 persons |
From Kathmandu airport, about one-hour trans Himalayan flight to Lhasa Gonggar airport. During the flight, you can see a spectacular view of above 8,000m. peaks Mt. Everest, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, Karakoram range and southern parts of Tibet. Upon your arrival at Lhasa Gonggar airport, our Tibet representative will welcome you with Tibetan tradition Khatak. Lunch at Gongkar in Tibetan restaurant. After lunch drive to Samye monastery. Overnight accommodation at the Guest house check in the room. Buffet dinner at the restaurant of the guest house. Your tour guide will brief you about tours and other necessary information about Tibet.
After breakfast at the Guest house, visit the Samye monastery. Samye is the first and oldest monastery in Tibet, which is known as the mother monastery of the Nyingma Buddhism. The monastery was built by king Trisung Detsen, held by Guru Rimpoche (Padma Sambawa) at the bank of the Brahmaputra river. The monastery itself has a very interesting story and beautiful architecture. Around the main monastery there are four different: White, Red, Green and Black colour’s stupas with different subjects. Your guide will explain to you about the monastery and stupas. Nowadays there are around 300 monks at Samye monastery.
After lunch drive to visit Samye Chembu and Amanu, at the mountain. Which are the main places of Guru Rinpoche. After visiting all these Holy sites back to Samye Guest house. Buffet dinner at the restaurant.
After breakfast, walk to visit Habu Ri near Samye monastery and back to the guest house, check out the room and drive back to Lhasa. En-route visit Yumbu Lhakhang, Traduk and Mindurling monastery. Lunch at Traduk, drive onward via Gongkar airport to Lhasa at the star hotel as your booking. Welcome drinks at the reception check in the room, buffet dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.
After breakfast at hotel, visit Tibet’s most sacred Jokhang monastery, located at the heart of the ancient town of Lhasa, it was built in the 7th century by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo’s queen Bhrikuti princess of Nepal. The monastery is three stories high, inside the monastery at ground floor you can see the most sacred beautiful golden statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. Nowadays there are around 70 monks.
After Jokhang, walk to visit another sacred Ramuche Cho. Lunch near the Potala palace at Chinese restaurant. After lunch, visit the Potala palace. The palace was built by king Songtsen Gampo 637 B. C. after it was rebuilt by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. The palace is 130 m. above Lhasa city. The palace is built by three meters thick stone walls, 13 floors more than 1000 different rooms with two different colours. The White Palace was mainly used for government administration and the Red colour palace was mainly used for religious functions. Inside the palace are numerous chapels, including those containing reliquary stupas of the successive Dalai Lamas which are richly decorated in gold, silver and semi-precious stones. Today you can visit the Potala palace as a state museum. Paying for the entry ticket, every tourist and pilgrimage can visit as official time, the palace will close Sunday and other government holidays in Tibet.
Afternoon sightseeing at ancient Bhakor street market. Dinner at Tibetan restaurant at Bhakor, back to the same hotel.
After breakfast, 7 km. Drive to Drepung monastery, Drepung is the largest monastery in Tibet, built in the 15th century by Jamyang Choeje, one of the disciples of Tsongkapa. The monastery is located up a hill. There are four main colleges with numerous small chapels and house chapels, known as Khangtsen in Tibetan. Nowadays there are around six hundred monks at this monastery. Near Drepung there is a sacred Neachung Lhamu, a monastery which you can visit at the same time.
After visiting Norbulingka summer palace, drive to sera monastery. Sera monastery was founded in the 15th century by Jamchen Choeje who is another famous disciple of Tsongka pa, Sera is the second largest monastery in Tibet. There are three colleges with numerous chapels and house chapels. The most attraction to visit this monastery is to see the monks debating, which is held from 3:00 to 5:00 Pm. Monday to Saturday.
After visiting the Sera and monk’s debating drive back to the hotel, buffet dinner at hotel’s restaurant.
After breakfast at your hotel, about 60 km. drive along the Lhasa river at beautiful Tibetan villages, the monastery at the mountain. Ganden is the six biggest Gelukpa monasteries and it is the mother monastery of the Yellow hat school. Where you can see the golden seat of the Dalai lamas. From Ganden you can see a beautiful view of valleys and mountains.
After visiting the Ganden monastery, drive back to Tsurphu H.H. Karmapa’s monastery which is 70 km. away from Lhasa. Lunch at Ganden or Tsurphu your guide will decide and inform you. The 1st Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa founded the Tsurphu Monastery in 1189, which became the main residence of the Karma Kagyu school. Tsurphu monastery’s Buddha statue was the largest one-piece statue in Tibet.
After breakfast, check out the room, drive about 260km. from Lhasa to Gyantse town, which is the nearest border (Nathula pass) with India Sikkim. On the way you will drive through high passes Kamba la, Karo la and Singi la. You can see the beautiful Holy lake Yamdork Tso, which is known as Turquoise lake in Tibet. Lunch stop at Yamdrok. Drive onward to Gyantse star hotel as your booking, check in room, after short rest walk to visit Palkhor monastery and Kubum. Kumbum stupa. This monastery was built in the 15th century by Rabten Kunsang and the first Panchen Lama. After visiting the monastery and stupa back to the hotel for buffet dinner.
After breakfast, at the hotel check out room, drive about 90 km. Gyantse to Shigatse. Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet, which is the home of H.H. Panchen Lama. En- route visit Shalu monastery. Drive to the star hotel as your booking, check in the room after a short rest and visit Tashilumpo monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama. Tashilhunpo monastery was built in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama. After visiting the monastery, back to the hotel for a buffet dinner.
After breakfast, check out the room, visit the Norbulingka palace of Panchen lama. Drive from Shigatse to Sakya monastery about 150km. check in the room at the hotel or guest house. After a short rest visit Sakya monastery, which is a very famous and old monastery in this region. There are a lot of historical articles in the monastery, among them are found a lot of the imperial certificates, gold signets, crowns, over 10,000 volumes of Tibetan books on astronomy, medicine, calligraphy, and history. Inside the monastery you can see several old Buddhist texts, huge juniper tree’s pillars and many other interesting things.
After breakfast, check out the room, drive from Sakya to the old Tingri for lunch, from this place you can see the first view of Mt. Everest. After lunch drive to Zha Rongbuck check in room at the Guest house. Visit the famous monastery of Trulshik Rinpoche, which is the highest elevation’s monastery in the world. From Rongbuk there is a high pass (Nangpa la) border with Nepal. Still many Tibetan people cross the border with Yaks to sell different Chinese goods at Namche Bazaar during August to October.
After breakfast check out the room, drive from Rongbuck to Kerung about 260 km. After the old Tingri follow friendship highway through Piku Tso. Today you can have a spectacular view of Sisapangma and other Tiber Himalayan peaks. After lunch at Piku Tso, drive to Kerung town, check in at the hotel as your booking. Buffet dinner at the same hotel’s restaurant. After dinner Tips for Tibetan guide and drivers.
After breakfast check out the room, drive 27 km. to the border. Check out Tibet visas and customs at Chinese post, cross the friendship bridge. Our vehicle and representative will be waiting for you, drive to check in Nepalese visas at immigration and customs, After lunch at the border 150km. drive to Kathmandu. Afternoon you will arrive at Kathmandu, star hotel as your booking, welcome drinks at reception check in room. Farewell Nepali typical dinner with culture program. After dinner, back to the hotel. Complete the trip.
