D1

Arrival in Lhasa

D2

Rural Lhasa

D3

Urban Lhasa

D4

Lhasa → Yamdrotso Lake → Karola Glacier → Gyantse → Shigatse

D5

Shigatse → Tingri → Rongphu Monastery → EBC

D6

Everest Base Camp → Peikutso Lake → Gyirong

D7

Gyirong → Rashuwaghadi → Kathmandu

D8

Kathmandu

D9

Kathmandu → Patan → Bhaktapur → Kathmandu

D10

Departure from Kathmandu

    D1

Arrival in Lhasa

- / - / D

Highlights: ✔Acclimation of Tibetan Plateau ✔Explore and get the vibe of Lhasa

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Lhasa bids you a warm welcome to its exotic traditions and centuries-old heritage. Your friendly Tibetan guide and driver will greet you at Lhasa Airport or Railway. Afterwards take a lovely private drive to your hotel in Lhasa city. The rest of the day is free for you to rest and acclimatize the high altitude.

    D2

Rural Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Norbulingka Park ✔Sera Monastery ✔Tibetan Medicine Institute

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

This morning, we visit Norbulingka Park, at the bank of the Kyichu River, in the western suburb of Lhasa city. Norbulingka, meaning「treasure park」in Tibetan, was the summer palace of the successive Dalai Lamas. Covering an area of 360,000 square meters, Norbulingka is the biggest man-made garden in Tibet.

Afternoon, visit Sera Monastery at the foot of Tatipu Hill in the northern suburb of Lhasa city. It is beautiful with cobbled alleyways, temples and colleges. The highlight of visiting Sera Monastery will be watching monks debating inside the sandy courtyard behind the main temple. From Monday to Saturday, hundreds of red-robed monks assemble in small groups and practice their debating skills.

Afterwards, visit a Tibetan Medicine Institute to learn about the magical and mysterious traditional Tibetan medicine.

    D3

Urban Lhasa

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Potala Palace ✔Jokhang Temple ✔Barkhor Street ✔Yak Museum of Tibet

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Today's we visit Potala Palace, the winter palace of Dalai Lamas. It was now a museum and World Heritage Site. The building measures 400 meters east-west and 350 meters north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3-metres thick, and 5-metres thick at the base.

After lunch, visit Jokhang Temple in Lhasa Old Town. Tibetans, in general, consider Jokhang as the most sacred and important temple in Tibet. Inside you can see the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni at the age of twelve. Outside, you can see pilgrims making prostrating in its courtyard.

Barkhor Street in Lhasa Old Town is a very ancient round street surrounding Jokhang. It was paved by hand-polished stone boards. Various shops and stands are on every corner of Barkhor. It’s the best place to buy souvenirs. Tibetans coming from all over China, are often seen circumambulating here alongside with tourists.

At last, visit Yak Museum of Tibet to learn about the very special nature of yaks and its importance to Tibetan culture.

    D4

Lhasa → Yamdrotso Lake → Karola Glacier → Gyantse → Shigatse

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Yamdrotso Lake ✔Karola Glacier ✔Pelkor Chode Monastery with Gyantse Kumbum

DIST. 360km/7hrs

In the morning, drive along Southern Friendship Hwy via Khamba-la Pass (4700m), where you will have your first glimpse of Yamdrotso Lake (4400m). It is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and there are spectacular views of the huge massif of Mt Nojin Kangtsang (7191m) in the distance.

Shortly, the drive leads you to Karola Glacier, about 300 yard of walk from the highway. At Simu-la Pass (4280m), you can hang prayer flag to make a little wish.

Next, you will arrive in Gyantse (3980m), the third largest city in Tibet, to visit its Pelkor Chode Monastery with Gyantse Kumbum. This 32m- high chorten, with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and its crown-like golden dome, is covered with murals in its interior, hence the name「100,000 images stupa」.

Drive further along the Southern Friendship Hwy via the fertile Nyang-chu Valley to Shigatse (3480m), the second largest city in Tibet.

    D5

Shigatse → Tingri → Rongphu Monastery → EBC

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Rongphu Monastery

DIST. 360km/7hrs

In the morning, get your Alien’s Travel Permit (allowing you to further your journey into Tibet in addition to your Tibet Entry Permit) done in Shigatse, which takes about 30mins. Drive to Lhatse (3950m). Further along the road, and you will pass Tropu-la Pass (4540m) and Gyatso-la Pass (5248m). Shortly afterwards, you enter into Qomolangma (Everest) Nature Reserve. A winding drive up to Pang-la Pass (5050m). The views here are stupendous on a clear day, and feature a huge sweep of the Himalaya range, including Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Gyachung and Cho Oyu. Pass by a zigzag section of the road before arrive at Rongphu Monastery (4980m), the highest monastery in the world. Spend the night at the nearby Everest Base Camp.

    D6

Everest Base Camp → Peikutso Lake → Gyirong

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Everest Base Camp ✔Peikutso Lake

DIST. 350km/8hrs

Get up early to watch sunrise at Everest Base Camp (5200m) with Mt Everest (8844m) unobstructed in the background. Drive to Peikutso Lake (4590m), where you will have stunning views of snow-capped Mt Shishapangma (8012m) and the Langtang Range bordering Nepal to the south. Afterwards drive to the border town of Gyirong (2700m) on the bank of Gyirong River.

    D7

Gyirong → Rashuwaghadi → Kathmandu

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Enter Nepal from Tibet China

DIST. 175km/9hrs

Drive in the morning to Gyirong Port, where Chinese Immigration office and Nepali Customs are established on each side of the Resuowa Bridge. Clear customs and get Nepal visa on arrival, which is USD 25 per person for 15 days, at your own expense. Now you emerge at Rashuwaghadi, the Nepali side of the border. Your Nepali driver will there to transfer you to Kathmandu. The ride takes about 9hours along narrow and twisting mountain road.

    D8

Kathmandu

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Kathmandu Durbar Square ✔Pashupatinath Temple ✔Bodhnath Stupa ✔Swayambhunath Stupa

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Full day sightseeing around Kathmandu city. First, head to the traditional heart of the old town, Kathmandu Durbar Square (Royal Square), where the city’s kings were crowned and ruled. Here you will see: the pagoda-style Hindu temple, Pashupatinath Temple, constructed in 1696.  Bodhnath Stupa, from its whitewashed dome to its gilded tower painted with the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha. Swayambhunath Stupa, a perfectly proportioned monument rising through a whitewashed dome to a gilded spire, from where four faces of the Buddha staring out across the valley in the cardinal directions.

    D9

Kathmandu → Patan → Bhaktapur → Kathmandu

B / L / D

Highlights: ✔Patan Durbar Square ✔Patan Museum

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

A lovely excursion day outside Kathmandu city to Patan, located just across the Bagmati River. Like Kathmandu, Patan also boast its Patan Durbar Square (Patan Royal Square), which are full of temples, statues, and palaces. One of the must-seen is the Patan Museum. As a traditional center of handicrafts, Patan is a great place to purchase jewelry, Buddha statues and masks, etc.

Next, head to Bhaktapur, the City of Devotees, in the east corner of Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur are full of pagodas and temples that comprise some of the finest religious architecture in the country. Afterwards, deliver you back to your hotel in Kathmandu. The ride takes about 50mins or so.

   D10

Departure from Kathmandu

B / - / -

Highlights: ✔Homeward Bound

DIST. 50km/1.5hrs

Your 10 days overland tour visiting both Tibet and Nepal comes to an end today. Say farewell to your Nepali guide and driver at Kathmandu Airport as you prepare to fly home with wonderful memories.