Tibet Overland tour
journey across Tibet from Lhasa
journey across Tibet from Lhasa
For centuries Tibet has been a mysterious and timeless land, cut off from the rest of the world by the mighty Himalayan
range. Tibet is the highest plateau in the world with an average altitude in excess of 3500 meters.
This overland tours
takes you to some of the best that Tibet has to offer from
magnificent monasteries to high passes, crystal azure blue lakes, colorful praying flags
and vast expanses of land. It truly is an inspiring experience crossing over the high passes.
On this trip, we will follow the Friendship Highway through some
of the most beautiful and picturesque landscapes on Earth. We spend 3
nights in Lhasa, staying right in the centre of the old city.
This will
allow both plenty of time for acclimatisation and easy access to the
cities main attractions - the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple.
Leaving Lhasa in our Toyota Land Cruiser 4 wheel drive, well travel
through this amazing country. In the towns of Gyantse and Shigatse we
explore monasteries and fully immerse ourselves in the Buddhist culture.
We will pass small Tibetan settlements, nomadic herdsmen
wandering across the wide arid plains and awe-inspiring mountain peaks.
Equally as fascinating is the wealth of cultural interest and we will
have plenty of opportunity to explore this side of Tibet, both in Lhasa
and the other towns we pass through on our journey
Day-1: Kathmandu
Day-2: Kathmandu
Day-3: Fly to Lhasa and get transferred to Tsetang.
Day-4: Tsedang Sightseeing.
Day-5: Drive to Gyantse
Day-6: Drive to Shigatse
Day-7: Sightseeing and return to Lhasa
Day-8: Sightseeing in Lhasa.
Day-9: Sightseeing in Lhasa
Day-10: Fly to Kathmandu
Day-11:
Depart Kathmandu
End of services
Day-1: Arrive Kathmandu and transfer to Hotel.
Day-2: Full day Guided sightseeing around Kathmandu valley.
Day-3: Fly to Lhasa and get transferred to Tsetang.
A China Southwest Airline flight which departs Kathmandu in the mid - morning will take you over the Himalayas in what must be one of the most spectacular flights to Gongar airport, 90km from Lhasa. You will be met here by your guide and then proceed to Tsetang where you will have rooms reserved for you at the Tsetang Hotel. Rest of today will be at leisure.
Day-4: Tsedang Sightseeing.
Your tour of Tibet will begin with the palace of Yambulakhang which was built by the first Tibetan king Nyatri Tsenpo in the second century BC. Local folklore has it that the king was descended from heaven. Later, we will see the Tradruk Temple.
Day-5: Drive to Gyantse
Travelling by jeep along the Friendship Highway we cross the Khamba La (4794m) and continue westwards over another high pass the Karo La (5045m) with incredible glacial views. We spend the night in a Hotel at Gyantse. [261km]
Day-6: Gyantse to Shigatse (3900m)
After an early morning tour of some of the Gyantse Dzong (14th Century fort) and the Kumbum, a large stupa, we head off on a short 90km drive to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. In the afternoon we will explore the area, local monasteries and market. Overnight at the Hotel. [90km]
Day-7: Sightseeing and return to Lhasa
After breakfast, you will go to Tashilhunpo monastery. This is the official seat of the Panchen Lama, second in importance to only the Dalai Lama. The monastery itself was built in1447 by Gendun Drup and once housed upward of 3400 monks. Of particular interest in the monastery is the nine-foot statue of Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future. In the afternoon you will drive back to Lhasa.
Day-8: Sightseeing in Lhasa.
After breakfast, you will go to the Potala Palace. The palace of the Dalai Lama a treasure of Tibetan culture was, till 1965, the seat of both religion and politics in Tibet and quite possibly, the singularly most important building in all Tibet. It was built in the seventh century by Tsongtsen Gampo as a fort and later renovated by the fifth Dalai Lama in the seventeenth century to its present specifications. Your next stop will be Norbulingkha, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama, which was built, in the eighteenth century.
Day-9: Sightseeing in Lhasa
Today you will see the Drepung monastery. This is the largest monastery in the world and once housed 10,000 monks and nuns. It was built in 1419 and the second, third and fourth Dalai Lamas lived and were entombed here. Your next stop will be the Jokhang Temple. This is the holiest shrine in Tibet and houses a golden statue of the Buddha, which was brought to Tibet by the Chinese princess "Wen Chen". You then stop off at Barkhor Bazaar outside the Jokhang monastery. This is a bustling flea market and is, generally, the place to buy souvenirs.
Day-10: Fly back to Kathmandu
Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Kathmandu, remainder of today at leisure
Day-11: Depart Kathmandu
End of services