Nepal and Tibet Tour Offer 2023

The Nepal and Tibet Cultural Tour starts with a direct flight arrival in Kathmandu, the capital city of the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. In Kathmandu, we take relaxing tours in its world-famous medieval villages with the largest assemblages of historical monuments and shrines ever built. These tours are also essential for obtaining Visa to Tibet.

We then take a flight to Lhasa or drive in via Kyirong and visit Lhasa at the end of the tour. You will spend some days in Lhasa visiting the main sacred places such as Jokhang Temple, Potala Palace, and some great monasteries such as Drepung, Sera, and Ganden. On the way to Kathmandu or Lhasa, we stop at major towns of Tibet, the Shigatse and Gyantse, and visit the most important monasteries such as Sakya, Tashilhunpo and Kubum Chorten. The tour also takes us to the Everest Base Camp, one of the most famous mountain bases in the Himalayas! We reach near the basecamp of the Third Pole and admire its grandeur, taking essential photographs of a lifetime memory. Finally, we head back to Kathmandu via road or flight back, where we give an end to our fabulous tour!

Trip Highlights

Trip Profile

Short Itinerary

DAY 01: ARRIVAL IN KATHMANDU 1,350m.

DAY 02: VISIT SWAYAMBHUNATH STUPA / PATAN / BASANTAPUR / ASHON

DAY 3: VISIT PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE / BHAKTAPUR CITY

DAY 04: KATHMANDU / LHASA (BY FLIGHT) / DRIVE TO LHASA

DAY 05: IN LHASA

DAY 06: IN LHASA

DAY 07: LHASA / YAMDROK 4,488m. / SAMDING / GYANTSE

DAY 08: GYANTSE / SHIGATSE

DAY 09: SHIGATSE / SHAKYA / DINGRI

DAY 10: OLD DINGRI / RONGBUK / LO DINGRI

DAY 11: DRIVE TO KYIRONG

DAY 12: KYIRONG / KATHMANDU

DAY 13: FREE DAY IN KATHMANDU

DAY 14: DEPARTURE

Detail Itinerary

DAY 01: ARRIVAL IN KATHMANDU 1,350m.

Our personnel will be waiting at the Kathmandu international airport (TIA) to receive you with a traditional welcome. After checking into the hotel and refreshments, your guide of the circuit will update you about the necessary formalities for your proposed trek. Depending on arrival time, you will have the choice of either visiting nearby shrines or restinging back in your room.

• Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 02: VISIT SWAYAMBHUNATH STUPA / PATAN / BASANTAPUR / ASHON

Breakfast and drive to Swayambhunath. Located on a lovely little hill, Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the fascinating architectural jewels of the world. This Buddhist shrine is said to have been built around 250 b.c. Its main feature, the white dome, is identified with the spotless, pure jewel of Nirvana, and it is crowned by a thirteen-tiered golden spire of conical shape. On the cube at the spire's base is a pair of the Buddha's all-seeing eyes, painted on all four sides. The Stupa stands on a typically stylized lotus mandala base, believed to have surfaced years ago from the lake that initially filled the Kathmandu Valley. From the hilltop, one can enjoy a panorama of Kathmandu and the rest of the Valley. A long stairway reaches the Stupa up the wooded hillside and past statues of the Buddha. But watch out for the monkeys! At the top, you'll see devotees making rounds of the Stupa, spinning the praying wheels as they go. Then we head on to Patan. Patan was once an independent Buddhist city-state and a rival of Kathmandu, from which the Bagmati River separates it. It is also called Lalitpur ("City of the Arts"). The old centre has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Patan boasts a multitude of temples and wonders of art in and around its Durbar Square. We'll visit the Royal Palace, which occupies one side of the square, where works of art have been made from every piece of wood, stone, and metal. We also visit the temple of Krishna, the temple of Jagat Narayan, the Golden Temple and the Temple of Thousands Buddha, among other sites. In the evening, we visit Basantapur, Kathmandu's Durbar Square, the old palace complex (Durbar means "palace"). There admire the multitude of temples and palaces, including the Gaddi Baithak Durbar (a palace constructed in the Rana style in 1908), Basantapur Durbar (the main building of the old royal palace), Kumari Chowk (the residence of the Living Goddess) and Kumari Bahal (where her family resides). All these are located in Basantapur. Some two hundred years ago, a Western visitor wrote that there were more temples than houses and many idols than people in the city. Indeed, Kathmandu boasts one of the largest assemblages of magnificent historical monuments and shrines ever built. Duly recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Kathmandu Durbar Square lies in the city's heart. Locally, it is also called Hanuman Dhoka Palace Square. The fascinating part of this Palace complex is the towering Nine Storey Palace, overlooking the beautiful cityscape and the vast Basantapur Square. In the 1768 A.D., King Prithivi Narayan Shah built a mansion to commemorate his conquest of the Valley is known for intricately carved wooden doors, roof struts and massive lattice windows full of mythical figures. In the evening, we tour Ason Bazaar, an old city centre and market, where one can see and experience a bit of what the Nepalese use in their daily lives. The walk takes us to the hotel.

• Breakfast.
• Accommodation in the hotel.

DAY 3: VISIT PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE / BHAKTAPUR CITY

Breakfast and set off to Pashupatinath temple: Pashupatinath is considered one of the holiest of Hindu shrines. Pashupati has remained the presiding deity of all ruling Nepalese royalty. The precinct occupies an area of 281 hectares. The main temple, displaying a golden tiled roof, is off-limits to non-Hindus. To view the main temple and one of its few main gates, you have to cross the river and climb steps to the terrace lying opposite. Along the way, you may come across Hindu sadhus and Santas there on a pilgrimage. These ghats along the Bagmati River are where the bodies of recently deceased Hindus of the Valley get cremated. The trip takes us to Bhaktapur. Located about 12 kilometres east of Kathmandu, it is the third major city in the Valley. Bhaktapur or Bhadgaon (literally "City of Devotees") is truly a living museum. There is the 55-windowed Royal Palace, the temple of Taleju, the palace of the Kumari, the temple of Pashupati, the main square of Taumadhi Tole, Nyatapola (the temple of the Five Pagoda Roofs, the tallest such in all of Nepal), the temple of Akash Bhairab (the second most important temple of Badhgaon). We will also visit the square of Dha Hateya and the Square of the Potters. UNESCO, as a World Heritage Site, recognizes Bhaktapur. Finalize the tour and drive back to Kathmandu.

• Breakfast.
• Accommodation in the Hotel.

DAY 04: KATHMANDU / LHASA (BY FLIGHT) / DRIVE TO LHASA

Transfer to the airport for the flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa on China Southwest Airlines. This one-hour trans-Himalayan flight will allow you to have an aerial view of Mt. Everest and other Himalayan peaks. Arrive at Gonggar airport at around 1.30 p.m., local time. After clearing immigration and customs, it will be a one hour drive to cover the 90 Kilometres to Lhasa. Arrive at Lhasa and check into your hotel. Lhasa, the Tibet Autonomous Region capital, is located between 290 36'N and 190 06'E at the north bank of Kyichu river, a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo river 3650 meters above sea level. Lhasa has histories of more than 1300 years and has been the centre of politics, economy, culture, and religion in Tibet since ancient times. "Lhasa" in Tibetan means "the land of Gods". In Lhasa, there is a plentiful of scenic spots and historical attractions, among which Potala Palace, a thirteen-story, 1000 room Palace of the Dalai Lama, Norbulingka, the summer Palace of the Dalai Lama, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Jokhang Temple, the holiest shrine of Tibet, and the famous Ramoche temple.

• Breakfast
  • Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 05: IN LHASA

Today we visit Jokhang, Potala Palace and Barkhor Square. Breakfast and pay a visit to the Jokhang Temple, situated in the centre of the old section of Lhasa called Barkhor, built in the mid-7th century AD. It was extended later by successive rulers and has become a gigantic architectural complex. Located in the east and facing the west, Jokhang is a four-storeyed temple with splendid golden roofs. Its architecture features art from the Tang Dynasty and assimilates many features from Nepalese and Indian Buddhist temples. The murals in the temple depict the life stories of historical and religious characters. The temple houses many ancient relics, including statues of King Shrongtsen Gompo, Princess Wencheng, and Princess Brikuti Devi (Nepalese). Princess willow (a tree) and the Uncle–nephew Alliance Tablet. Jokhang is Tibet's spiritual centre and the holiest destination for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. It contained a sitting statue of Sakyamuni when he was 12 years old. We then continue to Potala Palace, one of the most famous architectural works in the Tibetan World, which sits on top of the red hills in Lhasa. It was built in the 7th century after the Tibetan King Shrongtsen Gampo married Princess Wencheng of the Tang court. The Palace was built to provide a court with a place of worship and meditation. In the mid 17th century, it was rebuilt by the 5th Dalai Lama to its present size and became the winter Palace of the Dalai Lamas. The construction took fifty years, from beginning to completion. The Potala Palace is divided into two sections: the red Palace and White Palace. The total height of the Potala is 117 meters spanning thirteen storeys. The length of the Palace from east to west is 400 meters, and the breadth from south to north is 350 meters. The building was constructed with stone and timber with golden roofs. It is a majestic architectural masterpiece. In the evening, we visit Barkhor Street, the holiest pilgrimage site in Lhasa, with innumerable shops and wayside peddlers intermingle with devotees walking clockwise around the Jokhang. There are four huge prayer flags in each corner of Bhakor square, known as Gadhen Dharchen in the northeast, Juyak Dharchen in the west, Kelsang Dharchen in the southwest and Shar Kyaring Dharchen in the southeast. An evening walk (Kora) around the Jokhang Temple with the Tibetan pilgrims is a lifetime experience.

• Breakfast
• Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 06: IN LHASA

Today we visit the Drepung Monastery, situated on the slope of Wuze Hill, five kilometres northwest of Lhasa. It was built in 1416 and is the largest of the monasteries of the Gelugpa sect. It covers an area of 250,000 square meters. In its heyday, it had more than 10,000 monks. After Drepung, we visit the Sera monastery, founded in 1419, the second Gelug monastery of Lhasa and once had 7,000 monks. Its main statue is of Hayagriva, the Horse-headed (protector of the Dharma). In the afternoon, visit the Lhasa museum, which houses a rich collection of cultural relics, including handwritten Tibetan classics, colourful thangkas, music and ritual instruments, unique handicrafts, and pottery. Visitors can gain a feel for Tibet’s history and profound culture and art.

• Breakfast
• Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 07: LHASA / YAMDROK 4,488m. / SAMDING / GYANTSE

Today we drive to Gyantse 280-kilometres. On the way, see the Yamdrok holy lake, Samding Monastery, Nyochen Kangsang, and its glaciers. Yamdroke Lake is one of the biggest and most beautiful lakes in Tibet. We pass by this lake with about a 2-hour drive along its bank. Yamadrok means turquoise in blue during good weather days. Unlike other Tibetan lakes, this freshwater lake is sweet and non-saline, extending for 624 sq.km., in the shape of two pincers of a large scorpion. You can have a short stop on its bank and enjoy photography here. After a short drive, we reach Nagartse, our lunch place. Before lunch, we extend our visit to the Samding monastery, which sits on a ridge above the shores of Yamdrok Lake. This convent was headed by a female incarnate lama, Dorje Phagmo (Diamond Sow). Her name comes from the fact that when the Mongolian army invaded Samding in 1716, Dorje Phagmo changed her nuns into pigs (Phagpa) to save them. After visiting the monastery and having lunch in Nagartse town, we drive toward Gyantse, a small Tibetan town between a monastery and fort rich in agriculture and famous for its wool, carpets, and Kubum stupa monastery. Arrive at Gyantse and check into the rooms. The hotel is located right in the city's heart, allowing us to stroll in and around.

• Breakfast
• Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 08: GYANTSE / SHIGATSE

In the morning, we visit the Kubum Stupa and Palchoe monastery. Phalkor Choide Chorten, with a unique structure, was built in 1414 in collaboration with Newari artists from Nepal & Tibetan artists, with nine storeys, 108 doors, and 77 chapels containing clay sculptures and various murals. The pagoda is said to have 100,000 images, either sculptured or painted, the reason for its name "100,000 Image Pagoda". It is topped by thirteen rings, which symbolize the stages of advancement towards Buddhahood. There are 108 halls inside, each with frescoes and Buddha Shrines. Next to the Kubum Stupa is the Phalkor Monastery, founded by Kedup Je of the Gelugpa sect and Rabten Kunsang of the Sakyapa sect in 1418. The monastery has a special influence over Tibet's Buddhism owing to its unification of three different sects, the Gelugpa, the Sakyapa and Buton sects, in a single monastery. Finalize the visit, and then we continue the drive to Shigatse, Tibet's second-largest city, located 320 km west of Lhasa and 92 kilometres from Gyantse. On the way to Shigatse, one may visit a monastery called Shalu. Shalu Monastery was built around the 10th century by Chetsun Sherab Jungnay. It is renowned as a centre of academic learning and psychic training. Its mural paintings are the most ancient and beautiful in Tibet. Shalu was the first of the major monasteries to be built by noble families of the Tsang Dynasty during Tibet's great revival of Buddhism and was an important centre of the Sakya tradition. Visit Salu monastery and continue the drive to Shigatse. Shigatse situates between 290 02 'N and 880 08'E in the southwest of the Tibet Autonomous Region, where the Nangchu river joins the Yarlung Tsangpo river. Shigatse is the second biggest town in Tibet, and it is the centre of transportation and distribution of agriculture and animal husbandry products from the southeast part of Tibet. Shigatse in Tibet means the "Estate that fulfils one's wishes". Arrive at Shigatse and check into the hotel. In the evening, we pay a visit to its famous Tashilungpo Monastery. This monastery is the biggest Gelugpa monastery in the Tsang region of Tibet. It is located in the town of Shigatse and was founded by Gedun Drup, a disciple of Tsongkapa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect. Gedun Drup is recognized as the first Dalai Lama. It was first built in 1447 and continuously expanded by the successive Panchen Lamas. The most striking image in this monastery is the statue of the giant Maitreya (Future Buddha) erected by the 9th Panchen Lama in 1914. It took four years to build this monumental statue, which stands twenty-six meters high and is composed of 275 kg of solid gold and many things such as pearls, turquoise, coral and amber. The 4th Panchen Lama's funeral stupa, erected in 1662, stands eleven meters high and is covered in solid gold and silver.

• Breakfast
• Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 09: SHIGATSE / SHAKYA / DINGRI

Breakfast and start the journey of the day. Today we visit one of the most valuable monasteries of Tibet, the Sakya Monastery. This monastery is located in Sakya County to the southwest of Shigatse. Sakya Monastery is the principal monastery of the Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Originally, Sakya Monastery comprised both the Northern and Southern Monasteries. In 1073, Khon Konchog Gyalpo, the founder of the Sakyapa sect, built a white palace on a grey clay hill near the northern bank of the Chun Qu River. The locals named the Palace Sakya, which means 'grey soil'. Sakya was the Northern Monastery, but today only its ruins remain. The Southern Monastery was built as a fortress and surrounded by a moat. Construction of the monastery began in 1268, led by Benqen Sagya Sangpo under the charge of Choygal Phakpa, the fifth in the line of descent of the Sakyapa sect. The walls of this monastery are painted in red, white, and grey; the colours represent, respectively, Manjusri, Avalokiteshvara, and Vajradhara. Sakya Monastery is famed as the 'second Dunhuang' due to its vast collection of Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, murals and thangkas. According to statistics, about 40,000 volumes of scripture are housed there. A wooden bookcase which is about 57 meters (187 feet) long, 11 meters (36 feet) high and one meter wide (three feet), has 464 compartments. More than ten thousand texts are in the preserve in the case. The most precious is Burde Gyaimalung, a record of Tibetan religion, history, philosophy, literature, agriculture, and animal husbandry. It is 1.8 meters long, 1.3 meters wide, and 0.67 meters thick and boasts of being the largest scripture in the World. The monastery also houses 21 volumes of Buddhist scriptures written on palm leaves in Sanskrit. Each contains one hundred to two hundred pages and illustrations in four colours. These are the most precious sutras in the World. Sakya Monastery has many murals and thangkas. Most of the paintings are from the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). The most outstanding are the murals that depict the former Sakya ancestors, Phakpa's meeting with Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan dynasty, and mandalas. There are over 3,000 thangkas. The 360 from the Song (960-1279) and Yuan and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties are the most precious. The Main Chanting Hall of the monastery (called Lhakhang Chenpo in Tibetan) is a must-see for all visitors. Covering an area of about 5,800 square meters, the Lhakhang Chenpo can hold about ten thousand monks when they gather to chant sutras together. In the hall are enshrined three Buddhas, the Dipamkara, Sakyamuni and Maitreya, and five Sakyapa ancestors. Forty huge vermilion pillars support the ceiling, four of which are about one meter (three feet) in diameter. Each of the four pillars has its own story. The Kublai Khan bestowed Gyina Sequin Garwa. Chongbo Garwa, Dabo Garwa, and Nabo Chaza Garwa were carried to the monastery by a wild yak (dhong), a tiger, and the God of the Sea. On the hall's second floor are 63 murals of mandalas, the best preserved in the monastery. The monastery also houses historical relics, such as seals, Buddhist figures, porcelain ware, and embroidery from the Song and Yuan dynasties. A black wooden casket which contains a white whelk clarion is the most precious, which was also presented by Kublai Khan. After visiting the monastery, we continue to New Dingri, an old Tibetan settlement with typical clustered Tibetan-style housing at the foot of the small hillock. A short exploration of the village can expose you to a typical and remote Tibetan lifestyle. Right from the roadside of Dingri, you can see Mt. Everest in the southern direction. Today we'll also visit the Shegar village and dzong: a new Chinese commune built at the foot of the ruins of Shegar Dzong, 7 km. from the main road. With a population of 3000, it is the centre of this vast and remote area and a base from which expeditions to Mt. Everest and other peaks get launched.

• Breakfast
• Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 10: OLD DINGRI / RONGBUK / LO DINGRI

Shortly after the departure, turn off the Friendship Highway by the Pang La 5150m pass with incredible views stretching uninterrupted from Makalu to Shishapangma. Below the pass, Everest remains hidden from view, but as we reach the corner of Rongbuk Valley, it reappears more impressive than ever. The real Everest Base Camp lies 10 Kilometre away from the monastery, which is off-limit for non-mountaineering groups. The Rongbuk Monastery, 5000 meters above sea level, is the only monastery located at such an altitude. It is built on the foot of Chomolungma, better known as Mount Everest. A small community of monks and nuns live here compared to other monasteries in Tibet. We enjoy beautiful views of the north face of Mount Everest, have lunch and drive down to Lo Dingri.

• Breakfast
• Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 11: DRIVE TO KYIRONG

Today you drive to Kyirong, which is a newly opened border. The old border was closed due to the earthquake of April 2015. The entire trail is scenic, with views of snow-capped mountains, including Shishapangma, the only 8 thousand meters in China/Tibet. The highest pass that we come over is Gongtang-la 5000m. Stay overnight at the Kyirong hotel.

• Breakfast
• Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 12: KYIRONG / KATHMANDU

We leave Kyirong in the morning and head to the Nepalese border. Your guide and driver will help you pass out from China customs and immigration. On arrival at the border, meet our Nepali Guide and get assistance to fulfil Nepalese immigration formalities and change the cars. From Kyirong, we enjoy driving through the beautiful Nepalese countryside. Finally, arrive and check into the hotel.

• Breakfast
• Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 13: FREE DAY IN KATHMANDU

A free day or optionally take a guided city tour. The trip is over. In the evening we enjoy farewell dinner in one of the best local restaurants in Kathmandu.

• Breakfast.
• Accommodation in the Hotel.

DAY 14: DEPARTURE

Have breakfast and have some relaxing free time for yourself. Our office representative and vehicle will arrive at your hotel to escort you to the airport at the indicated time. Drive to Kathmandu international airport (TIA); seeing off formalities, you go through the immigration and departure.

• Breakfast

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