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This is One of the most popular ways to savour Tibet and for many the perfect way to fulfill what has been a long awaited pilgrimage to the hidden land of Tibet. With its highlands and passes beyond the higher Himalayan ranges of Nepal, Tibet provides outstanding vistas along with spiritual experiences among some of the most hardened and weathered people in the world.
The journey begins with a fabulous flight through the heart of the Himalayas from Kathmandu to Lhasa. Three days are spent in Lasa exploring the many historical sites including a visit to the – Potala Palace which is regarded as one of the most beautiful architectural buildings in the world.Our journey back to Kathmandu overland by 4 wd Land Cruiser is broken up by stop offs at ancient monasteries and monuments on the way. For visitors with limited time this tour can be reduced to 7 nights eight days but by doing so makes the experiences a lot more hectic and the experience more diluted.
- Fabulous Mountain flight
- Visit many of the most important sites in Tibet
- Fabulous overland scenery
- A journey to Everest Base Camp
- Holy Lake Yamadroke-Tso
- Buddhist Heritage at its best
A Himalaya Heart representative will welcome you at the airport and take you to the hotel where we will talk about the trip in more detail. This is an opportunity for you to ask any question you may have. The rest of the day is free to relax and explore
We explore three culturally diverse and visually stunning temples around Kathmandu We begin. High on a hilltop above Kathmandu at the magnificent Swayambutinath (“Monkey Temple”), used by both Hindus and Buddhists, and known for its many holy monkeys! Along the banks of the Bagmati River lies Pashupatinath, a temple devoted to Lord Shiva. It is the most important Hindu site in Nepal and pilgrims from all over the world come to show their faith.Away from the city centre is the peaceful and impressive Bodhnath Stupa. Every day thousands of people descend daily to show their devotion and respect.
One of us from Himalaya Heart will drop you to TIA for trip departure to Lhasa with your Tibet Permit and Visiting Visa papers.You fly with China Air in the mornin.It is a spectacular 70 minutes over the Himalayas between Mt. Everest and Mt. Kanchenjunga.On arrival in Tibet our agent will welcome you at Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA) with a 4WD vehicle for the comfortable drive 60km to Lhasa and assist you to check in at your confirmed accommodation with BB Plan.Lhasa is situated on the north bank of Kyi-chu River and in the Tibetan language means “Place of the Gods”. Rest is important today as you acclimatize to the rarefied atmosphere of this high altitude city.
Start today’s Lhasa exploration with a visit to the – Potala Palace which is regarded as one of the most beautiful architectural buildinsg in the world. You will climb up the palace along the zigzag stone paths with white-and-red walls to the top of the palace where you can not only appreciate the exotic Tibetan-style architecture, but also get a great view of Lhasa’s urban areas, then walk into the inner space of Potala Palace to explore the stately chapels and learn about the history of the palace. We then move on to Jokhang Temple which is considered the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Each day,thousands of pilgrims come from all overTibet to the temple to worship Lord Buddha. The temple is also known as the “house of Buddha” because it keeps the precious Jowo Rinpoche, a life-sized (5 foot/1.5m) image of the Shakyamuni at the age of 12. The last sitewe visit today is the famous Barkhor Street. It is a circular and wide street encircling the Jokhang Temple. The local people like to circle the street several times usually in the late afternoon as a daily tradition of pilgrimage. The street also has many shops selling a wide variety of traditional Tibetan goods, religious items and handcrafts.
After breakfast, you make a visit the beautiful Norbulingka which used to be the former summer palace of Dalai Lamas in the ancient times. It is now is a public park. It is famous for its Potrang, the private palaces of former Dalai lamas built in grandiose Tibetan architecture style. From here you drive several kilometers to the western outskirts of Lhasa to visit Drepung Monastery. Drepung, in Tibetan, means “prosperity”. Since its establishment, Drepung Monastery has always been one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. In its heyday, there were more than 10,000 monks living and and studying in the monastery. Throughout its history, many important and famous Tibetan leaders have studied there , especially the Dalai Lamas. In fact Drepung Monastery is respectfully known as the “Mother School of Dalai Lamas”.
In the afternoon, you visit another famous monastery in Lhasa – Sera Monastery. It is famous for “Buddhist Debates”. As a daily routine, the monks gather in a courtyard, and debate on the Buddhist doctrines with supplemented gestures, which is thought to help to facilitate better comprehension of the Buddhist philosophy to attain higher levels of study. After enjoying the “Buddhism Debating” it is back to the city. The rest of the time is free.
Today, after having breakfast we leave Lasa for the drive to Gyantse (3950m) The journey is around 260km and it takes about seven hours to reach our destination. It is quite a spectacular drive and also scenic we cross the Kamba La (4794m) and Karo La (5010m) in between these two high passes the road follows along passing a long the beach of the beautiful holy emerald Lake Yamadroke-Tso with the good view of snowcapped mountains to the south. Overnight accommodation on a BB Plan is at a hotel/lodge in Gyantse.
After having breakfast we visit Khumbum Stupa (Chorten) and Phalkor Monastery at Gyantse before the drive to Shigatse (3900m).It is a lot shorter today around 90km so within two hours you reach Shigatse where we visit one of the oldest Panchen Lamas’ Tashilhunpo Monastery accommodation on a BB bases at a Hotel. Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet.
From Shigatse we head towards Tingri Shegar to be prepare ourselves for the drive to Rongbuk to explore Mt. Everest Base Camp the next day. It is around a 200km drive and it takes around 4 hours. Your overnight accommodation on a BB basis at a hotel/lodge in Tingri.
Today we have a long drive of around 337km rom Tingri to Nyalam which should take approximately 7-8 hours where we overnight on a BB at a hotel/lodge in Nyalam.
Leave early in the morning for the drive to the Kodari Border, approximately two hours. After completing the immigration formalities, we cross the border then drive for a further four to five hours back to your hotel in Kathmandu. Overnight Hotel.
Today is free to relax perhaps some more sightseeing or just walking the bustling Bazaars.We often arrange an evening meal.
It is time to move on we hope you have had an enjoyable journey.One of our team from Himalaya Heart will transport you to the airport or assist you with your onward arrangements.arrangement
1. Where is Tibet?
To the Tibetan people and to foreigners familiar with Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, Tibet encompasses the entire Tibetan Plateau where the Tibetan people are native to. This includes all counties of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), 95% of the land area of Qinghai province, southwest Gansu, northern Sichuan, western Sichuan and far northwest Yunnan. Traditionally Tibet was divided into specific regions such as U, Tsang, Kham, Amdo, Ngari, Kongpo and Gyarong. In all of my writings, I refer to all of the Tibetan Plateau as being “Tibet” as that is what the majority of Tibetan people do as well.
2. Is there a difference between Tibet and the Tibet Autonomous Region?
Yes, there is a major difference in these two terms. The term “Tibet” refers to the entire Tibetan Plateau where the Tibetan people are native to. This includes all of the different regions listed above in #1. The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) refers to only 50% of the land mass of the Tibetan Plateau. Parts of Tibet are spread across 5 provinces and regions of southwestern China. Don’t let the lines of a Chinese map confuse you. Tibet is a much, much larger area than just the TAR. Roughly 60% of the Tibetan people live outside of the TAR in other regions of Tibet. The terms “Tibet” and “Tibet Autonomous Region” mean two very different things.
3. Which areas of Tibet require an organized tour?
All areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region require all foreign travelers to be part of an organized tour with a Tibet travel agency, that includes travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver (no private vehicle needed if you are just staying in Lhasa). The Tibetan prefectures found in Qinghai, northern Sichuan, western Sichuan, southwest Gansu and northwest Yunnan are (usually) open and do not require travel permits or a tour guide.
4. How can foreigners go to the TAR without an organized tour and tour guide?
You can’t. Unless you are a student at the Tibet University or have a work permit and resident visa for the TAR, you cannot go to the TAR without being on an organized tour. There are NO exceptions! Foreign travelers MUST be part of an organized tour that includes permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle with a driver.
5. Do I really need to have a tour guide if I am only going to Lhasa?
Yes, absolutely. Before the events of March 2008, foreigners did not need a tour guide if they were in Lhasa or traveled along the route connecting Lhasa to Mt. Everest Base Camp and the Nepal border. Since March 2008, major changes have happened regarding travel regulations for foreigners in the TAR. Now, everyone MUST have a tour guide each day, even when in Lhasa.
6. Is arranging travel to the TAR difficult?
No, once you separate the facts from the fiction regarding travel to the TAR, arranging travel is actually very easy.Himalaya Heart actually does almost all of the work arranging your tour.If you want us to organise a customised tour all you do is decide the route you want to take and exchange emails with us.
9. Can I stay in the TAR after my tour is finished?
No, your travel permit is only valid for the duration of your tour. Once your tour is completed, you have to leave. Normally, the travel agency that you use will either book your flight/train ticket departing Lhasa or will ask for you to show your outgoing ticket. If you decide to lie and stay in the TAR after your tour is over, you could cause the agency you used to get in huge trouble. They could even lose their business license forcing everyone out of work. Read the following link for more details:
18. What kind of vehicles are used in the TAR?
In years past, the most common vehicle used in the TAR was the Toyota Land Cruiser. However, the past 8 years many of the roads in the TAR have improved dramatically so that full-sized vans are also commonly used. Most of the roads in the Yarlung Valley as well as the Friendship Highway are now entirely paved. Even the road to Mt. Kailash is now paved over 98% of the way. Now, more and more travel agencies are using more fuel-efficient vans and smaller 4 Wheel Drive vehicles.
23. What are the temperatures like in Tibet?
Tibet, including the regions of Kham and Amdo, is a huge area covering over 1/4 of the land mass of China. It is larger than most countries. Because of its size, Tibet has varying climates and temperatures. Some areas of Tibet indeed are extremely cold, while others can actually be quite mild during the summer. Winter time is generally quite cold across Tibet with some regions, parts of Amdo in particular, being deathly cold.
In general, most travelers to Tibet go between April and October. During this time, most of Tibet is relatively mild. Most people are surprised with how warm (and even hot) Lhasa and the Yarlung Valley can get during the summer time. In early September 2010 I took the train to Lhasa and in my compartment, there were 3 Chinese tourists going to Lhasa for the first time. They were all convinced that Lhasa was going to be -10C with heavy snow!! They were all wearing clothes as if they were going to summit Everest! You can only imagine the look on their faces when we arrived in Lhasa and it was +25C with lots of sunshine!! Tibet is a cold place, especially in the winter, but it is still probably warmer than you think. The region in and around Lhasa is one of the mildest regions in all of Tibet.
