Pick up from Gonggar airport, after finished immigration formalities it takes about 1 hour 30 minutes drive along 93 km road leading to Lhasa. It is advisable to rest in Hotel.
Today, you will visit the important places of Lhasa. The overwhelming Potala Palace is your first stop. As the symbol of Tibet, the Palace was built in 641 AD and the winter palace of Dalai Lama who is Tibet’s pope. Impressive Tibetan architecture, huge golden Buddha statues, red-robed lamas and devoted pilgrims all make it a must-visit. Later, you will visit the age-old Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet, and walk the special circular pilgrim route as local followers always do at the Barkhor Street.
After breakfast, you will tour the charming Norbulingka Park, which is known as "the Summer Palace of Tibet", and then come to Drepung Monastery, an ancient temple once housed 10,000 monks in its heyday. You tour ends at Sera Monastery. Built in 1419, the monastery is one of the three largest monasteries in Tibet and famous for its Buddhism Scriptures Debates.
Drive to Gyantse via Yamdrok Tso. In the morning, your guide and driver will accompany you to Gyantse (250 km, 5 hours approx.), a town lying to the south of Lhasa City. On the way there, you will visit one of the holiest lakes in Tibet, a pilgrimage site, The Yamdrok Yumtso Lake, which is compared as “the fairyland in heaven” by Tibetans. You will also have view of the Karola Snow Mountain. On reaching, transfer to the hotel.
In the morning, visit Kumbum Stupa and Phalkor Chode Monastery. The Phalkor Monastery, the only monastery that houses monks from different sects (Gelupa, Sakyapa and Kahdampa) in harmony. Phalkor also features its Bodhi Stupa or Kumbum Stupa, which consists of hundreds of chapels in layers, housing about a hundred thousand images of Buddha, so it is called Myriad Buddha’s Stupa as well. The Gyantse Town is located 100km southeast of Shigatse. It takes about 2 hours to drive from Gyantse to Shigatse. Before checking in to the hotel, visit Tashilunpo Monastery. It is the seat of Panchen Lama. Each year, there is a display of a gigantic thangkas of Buddha will on its Thangka Wall. Beside the trove of thangkas, its murals and other religious and artistics treasures certainly will impose an indelible impression upon visitors. You will also pay a visit to the New Palace of Panchen.
Tingri is a town in southern Tibet which is situated 250 km far from Lhasa. About 5 hours long drive, you will reach to Tingri. It is in Tingri County, Shigatse Prefecture with a population of around 523. It is often used as a base by mountain climbers preparing to ascend Mount Everest or Cho Oyu.
Drive to Rongbuk in the morning. You reach Mt. Everest Base Camp today. Rongbuk is the home of the highest Monastery in the world, which is located 8 kms from Everest Base Camp. There are magnificent views up the valley of Mount Everest and Cho-Oyu which can be seen from the guest house.
Today is a free day and you may hike to Everest Base Camp as optional tour.
Drive to Nyalam by over crossing the Lalung La Pass (5,050 m); enjoy the magnificent view of the Mt. Cho Oyu (8,201 m) and Mt. Sishapagma (8,212 m). The distance between Rongbuk and Nyalam is 300 km and it takes 8 hours by drive.
Drive to Kodari in the morning. Start 35 Kilometers downhill from Nyalam to Zanghmu, the altitude dramatically decreases by 1300 meters in approximately 1.5 hour. Since Zhangmu is the exit point, we will follow the custom clearance, immigration & check post clearance formalities both on Tibet and Nepal border. Continue drive to Kathmandu by private vehicle. After immigration formalities at the Nepal / China border, we drive to Kathmandu which is 144 km far and takes about 5 hours of drive. On reaching, end of our arrangements.
