10 days tour of Lhasa, Yarlung Tsangpo Valley & Everest

Ex-Kathmandu/Chengdu/Beijing/Kunming

Day 01:  KATHMNANDU-GONGAR-TSEDANG
Transfer to airport to connect CA 408 KTM-LXA flight. Upon arrival meet & transfer to hotel. En route visit Mindroling Monastery.

Day 02: TSEDANG-LHASA

Explore Yarlung Tsangpo Valley, the cradle of Tibetan civilization. Visit Samye Monastery, the first monastery built in Tibet by king Trisong Detsen under the guidance of Padmasambhava & Yumbulakhang, the first castle built for a Tibetan  king. Continue drive to Lhasa.

Day 03: Lhasa
This morning, we tour Potala, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama & listed as a world heritage site and Drepung Monastery, the biggest monastic university of Tibet.

Day 04: Lhasa
In the morning, we visit Norbu Linka, the summer palace for the Dalai Lama. In the afternoon, we cover Jokhang – the “central cathedral”, Barkhor – the bustling market in the heart of old Lhasa with its narrow streets whitewashed stone homes, window and the Tibetan Medical Centre.

Day 05: Lhasa / Gyantse        
Driving out of Lhasa, this long journey (8 hrs) takes you through the vastness of the Tibetan Plateau, past the turquoise lake Yamdrok and over Kampala(4794m) and Karola (5010m) Passes. After 261km, we arrive at Gyantse at 3950m, a pastoral town which is still left pretty untouched by modern expansion.

Day 06: Gyangtse / Shigatse
Visit Kumbum Stupa (an oversized chorten of over 100,000 images) & the adjoining Palkor Choede Monastery. & continue a short 90 km drive to Shigatse at 3900m. En route visit Shalu Monastery.

Day 07: Shiigatse / Sakya
Morning we visit Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, one of the biggest Gelukpa monastery & the seat of Panchen Lama. Tashi Lhunpo has one of the world’s largest 9 storey bronze statue of Maitriya, the future Buddha.
Afternoon we drive to Sakya Monastery, the seat of Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism. O/N Sakya Hotel.

Day 08: Sakya / Rongbuk
We head off the main overland route and the road rise steeply up the foothills of the Himalayas via Pangla Pass to arrive at Rongbuk Monastery, the world’s highest monastery situated at 5200m, just below the Rongbuk glacier. En route visit Sakya, the seat of the Sakyapa School of Tibetan Buddhism.    Overnight at Rongbuk.

Day 09: Rongbuk / Nylam
After another magical sunrise over Everest & an excursion to Everest Base Camp, we drive on to Nylam. From the barren landscape of the Tibetan Plateau, you cross the mighty Himalayas and are greeted with the greenery of the foothills. Overnight at Nylam Guesthouse.

Day 10: Nylam / Kathmandu
We drive the last stretch of the Nepal-Tibet Highway to Zhangmu. Cross the Friendship bridge and you are back in Nepal – Kodari. Drive back to Kathmandu and check into your hotel

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