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Tibet Overland (ADD-ON to Nepal tour) - 10 Day/9 Night Itinerary
Day 1
Leave for Tibet tour (Kathmandu - Zhangmu / Naylam). We start our day with an early morning drive to Kodari, having breakfast along the way at Dhulikhel. We will have to complete immigration and custom formalities in both borders; Nepal and Tibet. The night will by spent in Naylam / Zhangmu .
Please remember the guesthouses in Tibet are quite simple, especially until Xegar.
Day 2
Zhangmu - Lhatse
Early morning drive to Xegar. There are a couple of attractions such as The Ruins of Dzongs, and of course, along the way we can see beautiful mountains including Mount Everest. We have to go through a high pass about 5200 meters (16,683 feet) named Nayalu -La. We will need to try to drink at least 3 liters of water each day while we are in Tibet. Sorry, the road is bit rough, but the views are phenomenal. We spend the night in Xegar / Lhatse.
Day 3
Lhatse to Xigatse (3900m/12,795ft).
Xigatse (shighatse), is the City the house of the Famous Tashi Lhunpo Monastery with its golden roof, the seat of the Panchen Lama until his death in 1989. We spend the night here is Xigatse.
Day 4
Xigatse-Gyantse (3950m/12,959ft)
We will have time in the morning to see the Tashi Lhumpo It has three big Temples with golden Pagoda. One of the temples has a statue of the forthcoming Buddha 13 ft. wide and 26th ft. in height. This is a wonderful example of the Tibetan rich architectural and cultural heritage with hundreds of monks walking around chanting Om Mane Padme Hum for World Peace. We will then drive to Gyantse and visit to the Kumbum Stupa, a temple with three distinct styles of architecture: Nepali, Chinese, and Tibetan. It also has 108 rooms housing 108 different statues of deities. The Gyntse Dzong has a British war museum decorated with many old weapons, statues and great stories. The night will be spent in Gyantse.
Day 5
Gyantse - Lhasa (3650m/12,045ft.)
Another scenic drive through the Karo La Pass and Kamba La Pass with a very good view of the Yamdrok Tso Lake. Then we will cross the mighty Brahmmaputra River to arrive in Lhasa! This is where we will spend the night.
Days 6-7
Two full days of touring in Lhasa: In the mystical capital of Lhasa, there is ample time to explore the former home of the Dalai Lama, Potala Palace, Tibet's world famous resplendent landmark with over 1,000 rooms and 10,000 shrines, and with over 3500KG gold in its golden roof. There is also Jokhang, Tibet's holiest temple with its priceless statues and frescoes, and the Norbulinka, or Summer Place, from which the present Dalai Lama fled in 1959. Jokhag is the oldest temple, and houses the statue of an 11-year old Buddha, which was given to Tsrongchang Gompo in the 7th century by the family of her Chinese queen. We will take you to Sera and Derphung Monasteries around Lhasa. And shoppers must visit the Barkhor: a bustling bazaar in old Lhasa, which is right on the pilgrim's circumambulating route around Jokhang. You will be laden with souvenirs and memories of Tibet.
The Potala Palace: The palace is located north of the middle section of Beijing Road. Lhasa is not a big city. It is sandwiched by two mountains from north side and south side. The Potala Palace is built on the highland and is 115.703 meters high with many stairs. People have to walk step by step to the top. The Potala Palace was built at the time of Songtsan Ganmpo in the 7th century. In the 17th century the 5th Dalai Lama expanded the palace to its present size. At that time, it became the Dalai Lama's living and working place. He first combined the Religion and the politics, unifying the Tibet to its greatest extent. The main construction is divided into two parts: red and white palaces. It includes living quarters, temples, stupas, and monk dormitories. The countless cultural relics in the palace are of priceless value.
The Jokhang Temple: There are a great number of local Tibetan people around here. They either pray with hands and knees touching the ground or by walking around the Jokhang Temple. Walking around the Jokhang Temple is said to it bring prosperity and peace to one’s whole life. Most of them come from the remote villages or mountainous areas and they perform a pilgrimage here once a year.
The Jokhang Temple was built by King Songtsem Gampo (617-650). He was the 33rd king of Tibet. He was the leader of the Tubo (or Tibetan) Kingdom. He actively promoted Buddhism in Tibet. During his reign, Tibet achieved great progress in social innovations and realized the integration of Tibet for the first time. Before he built the Jokhang Temple, he had built the Little Jokhang Temple for one of his two wives -- Princess Wen Cheng who came from the Tang Dynasty. His other wife was Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. Jealous of her, Princess Burikuti asked Gampo to construct a Jokhang for her as well. Therefore, in 647, the big temple was built. Later it was repaired and expanded many times in Ming and Qing dynasties. After visiting the Jokhang Temple, you can walk around the temple along the famous Barkgor Street.
Barkhor Street: The Barkhor is the oldest street in Lhasa as well as the center of old Lhasa and remains very traditional. It is a place where Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts are assembled. Walking around the Jokhang Temple is said that it can bring prosperity and peace to one's whole life. The street is lined a huge number of shops selling various kinds of souvenirs and Tibetan crafts.
Sera Monastery: Sera Monastery is built on the slope of the Tatipu Mountain. It was named "Sera" due to the fact that lot of roses were once found on the mountains. "Sera" in Tibetan Language means "rose". It has an assembly hall and three colleges. Sera is most famous for the Llamas debating activity, each afternoon from 3:00 pm. The Sera Monastery is dedicated to the Gelugpa or Yellow Hat Sect, a branch of Tibetan Buddhism, founded by Tsong Khapa. Jamchen Chojey, one of Tsong Khapa's disciples built the monastery in 1419 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The Gelugpa or Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism studies Buddhist doctrines by using a slow but systemic process. As a part of their study, Lamas must take part in debates to further their learning and get to more advanced levels of study. The debating traditions in the Sera Monastery are unique among the three famous monasteries in Lhasa. Everyday, debates are practiced by the Lamas in the monastery. It is a battle of words, and they further their efforts by using a variety of gestures involving their whole body.
Day 8
Today we will take an excursion outside the city to he Ganden Monestary to see the sky burial site on the kora. This is one of the great three university monestaries of Tibet. It s full name means, continent of completely victorious happiness. We will spend the better part of the day touring this site and learning about the University and it s history.
Later we will return to Lhasa. The drive is 70km and takes about 1.5 hours.
Day 9
This is our final day in Lhasa. You will have the choice to visit the School for Blind Massage or take some time to wander about on your own and immerse yourself in this historical city.
Day 10
We fly back to Kathmandu and then you are on your own! If necessary, we help you arrange a hotel or transport to the airport.
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