Nepal to Lhasa Overland Tour Itinerary
This tour connects two capitals – Kathmandu in Nepal and Lhasa in Tibet. You start your journey in Nepal, on one side of the Himalayan mountain range, and our guide will meet you at the border, to take you to the other side of the Himalayas. We will begin by traveling to the Everest Base Camp on the Tibetan side to spend one night there. After that, we will head to Lhasa. We will be driving through scenic areas, making stops at Shigatse, Gyantse, Yamdrok Lake and glaciers. Finally, we will reach Lhasa to explore the city and the most important religious and historical places there.
KEY FACTS
Main Attractions: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepung and Sera Monasteries, Barkhor Street, Yamdrok lake, Karola glaciers, Pelkor Chode monastery, Kumbum Stupa,Mount Everest.
Duration: 7 days
Maximum Elevation: 5, 200 m/ 17,060 ft
Best Time to Travel: Year-round
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1 – Arrival in Tibet
Our guide will meet you at the Gyirong border entry point. If you arrive in the morning, we will continue our journey straight to the Everest Base Camp. However, you can spend one night by the border to acclimatize.
Day 2 – Driving to the Everest Base Camp: night by the Everest
Today we will spend a day traveling along Himalayan range and enjoying the sweeping mountain views. When we arrive at the Everest tent camp, we will settle in a tent for the night. Depending on the weather and the time when we arrive, we will visit the Rongbuk monastery, the highest monastery in the world.
Everest Everest from Tibet side with prayer flags
Day 3 – Driving to Shigatse
Depending on the weather conditions on the previous day, we might finish some of the activities today. Have breakfast and head to Shigatse.
On the way to Shigatse, we make several stops on the high passes to enjoy the view on the highest mountain range. If the weather permits, we can see 5 of the “Eight-thousanders”, the mountains higher than 8,000 m / 26,250 ft.
Day 4 – Driving from Shigatse to Lhasa: Yamdrok lake and glaciers
Today we will take some of the most beautiful roads in Tibet to drive from Shigatse to Lhasa.
First, we will make a stop at Gyantse. In Gyantse, we will visit the Pelkor Choede monastery and the Kumbum stupa, the largest stupa in Tibet.
We will continue driving towards the Karola glaciers. The ice peaked mountains are the source of water for rivers in Tibet. They are covered with ice and snow throughout the year.
Our next stop will be by Yamdrok lake. It is one of the holy lakes in Tibet, and it is famous for its turquoise color water.
Finally, we will cross the Kamba la pass (almost 4,800 m/ 15,750 ft) overlooking the valley, before reaching Lhasa.
Day 5 – Lhasa city tour: Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple
We are visiting the two most important religious sites in Tibet.
The Potala Palace was the seat of the Dalai Lamas since the 7th century. First, the guide will take you to the Chak Pori hill to take photos of the majestic Palace. After that, we will go inside and spend approximately 1.5 – 2 hours there. You will see many of artifacts.
In the afternoon you will have lunch.
If time permits, you can walk around the Potala Palace and joins many Tibetans.
After that, we will walk towards the Jokhang temple. It was build in the 7th century to display the Jowo Shakyamuni Statue of the 12-year-old Buddha the time before the enlightenment. The statue was created at the time when historical Buddha lived. It is elaborately decorated with gold, jewels, and precious stones.
After visiting the temple we recommend you walking around Bakhor street.
The view on the Living Quarters of the Dalai Lama in the Jokhang Temple View on Potala Palace from Jokhang Temple Barkhor Square in front of the Jokhang Temple in Tibet Potala Palace seen from the Chak Pori Hill
Day 6 – Lhasa city tour: Drepung and Sera Monasteries
We are visiting the two most important monasteries in the capital.
First, we will visit Drepung monastery which once was the biggest monastery in the world with over 10,000 monks living there. It was the residence of Dalai Lamas before the Potala Palace was built.
We have lunch after the visit.
In the afternoon we are visiting Sera Monastery. It was founded by Tsongkhapa’s disciple in the 15th century. Nowadays it is famous for monks debate that you can witness. Debates are a very important part of learning and understanding Buddhism. Monks gather in the courtyard in the shade of trees to refine their knowledge.
Day 7 – Lhasa to Airport/Train station
Please prepare in advance for departure. It takes approximately 1 hour to drive to the airport and 30 minutes to reach the train station. We will arrive at the airport 3 hours before your departure flight if you are traveling to Nepal, and 2 hours before any domestic flight takes off.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
INCLUDED
EXCLUEDED
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A beautiful and exciting journey, starting in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet and going to the Everest Base Camp. The tour visits Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera, Drepung and Tashilhunpo monasteries, Kumbum Stupa, Yamdrok Lake and Karola glaciers.
Both group and private tours are available
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This private tour takes you from Lhasa to Yarlung Valley and Samye Monastery. The Yarlung valley is the birthplace of Tibetan civilization. You can see Yumbulakhang, an ancient fort and the first surviving building in Tibet. After that, you will visit Samye, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet.
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This tour starts in Lhasa. We will stay there for 2 days to explore the capital and acclimatize. After tha,t we will head to the center of attraction in Himalayas – Mount Everest. We will spend a night by the highest mountain on a planet and continue driving through majestic mountain ranges, alongside rivers and waterfalls to the border between Tibet and Nepal.
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