Nepal and Tibet Tour Package

Unfortunately, we only have two full days to explore the wonders of Lhasa. Today, we will create the most beautiful memories of the Tibetan state, which has survived more than two thousand years and is currently throbbing in the bosom of its big brother China.

The destinations for this day are the Potala Palace, Barkhor street, and  Jokhang Temple. In the evening, we will see all of this again while wandering through the pedestrianized streets of the beautifully lit city.

Our tour first goes to the Potala Palace, the center of Tibet’s history for 1400 years. It used to be the settlement for winter of all the Tibetan rulers since the 7th century. In the 17th century, it became the seat of the religious administration, the Dalai Lama.

The massive walls of the Potala Palace rise from the Red Hill in the epicenter of the Lhasa Valley at an elevation of 3,700 meters.

The main ceremonial hall is located in the White Palace, with the Dalai Lama’s throne, private residences, and a reception hall on the top floor, at a height of 170 meters. The palace has 698 wall paintings and houses a large collection of nearly 10,000 painted scrolls.

Now, we will go to the Jokhang Temple- the most ancient Buddhist temple in Tibet. Its oldest parts were erected by Songtsen Gampo, the first king of unified Tibet, in 652, on the occasion of his marriage to the princesses Bhrikuti of Nepal and Princess Wencheng of China.

First, we will arrive at the huge ceremonial square in forefront of the main gate of the temple, Barkhor Square. From here, we will enter the interior through the main entrance of the Gompa complex.

Then we will move on to Barkhor Street which is not really a street, but a Buddhist pilgrimage site, with a huge ceremonial square in the middle and a great shopping street at the same time.

The Barkhor, which dates back more than 1,000 years, encircles the Jokhang Monastery. Here, we will observe pilgrims from all over the world and their sometimes strange behavior and customs. By late afternoon, the street scene changes. Chairs come out of the shops to dry and the whole Barkhor turns into a colorful night market.

Everything that can be found in a night market is available here, but the real bang is the street food and the huge selection of food and sweets from all over China.

Our today’s program will take us a little further from the city of Lhasa and is none other than the largest monastery and religious studies university complex in Tibet.

The tour after our breakfast will guide us to Drepung Monastery founded in 1416. It quickly expanded its spiritual influence and became one of the holiest monasteries in the Tibetan regions.

It worked constantly to encourage the study of Buddhism. Throughout the history of the Buddhist college, many significant Tibetan leaders including the Dalai Lamas studied here.

Before the Dalai Lama fifth transferred to the Potala Palace, Drepung Monastery was the political and all-Buddhist religious center of Tibet.

Our next visit today will take us to the Sera Monastery which translates as Wild Rose in the local tongue. We will climb a little higher around 3700 m above the river valley.

From here we can enjoy a dizzying view of the city and the valley. The first buildings of the Sera monastery were built here in 1419. Soon after its opening, a religious studies college system was opened in it, which is still operating today.

The busy daily life of the monastery, the many colorful buildings and the artistic crafts painted on the walls or hanging there, the beautiful interiors suggest a truly exciting and pleasant visit.

For a remarkable end to our Lhasa tour, we will wander around the night market and hunt for some gifts.

We are now well adapted and after enjoying two days in Lhasa, we will begin our drive across the Himalayas on the famous Friendship Highway. The trip heads southwest and crosses the 4797 m Kampala Pass which is our final farewell to Lhasa.

From the pass, there is a magnificent view beyond the turquoise, scorpion-shaped lake, Yamdrok Tso. It is traditionally one of Tibet’s four sacred lakes (along with Nam Tso, Lhamo Lhatso, and Manasarovar), and

here we drive along the lake for the next few hours.

We may be lucky enough to see herds of yaks on the way up to the Karo La pass 5,010 meters, which comes close under the impressive peaks of Ralung (5399 m) and Nojin Kangsang (7191 m).

The road now dives down from the high mountains and before arriving

Tibet’s fourth largest city Gyantse at 3,950 m altitude. It is a glorious traditional Tibetan town located north of the Nyang Chu River.

In Gyantse, there is, among other things, the beautiful Pelkor Chode Monastery. The stuffed animals above the monastery gates symbolize the mounts on which the gods arrive here to serve.

The calling card of Gyantse is the multi-colored Kumbum stupa (1000 images of Buddhas, deities, and bodhisattvas) 32 m high. Here is a typical Nepalese stupa, symbolizing the worship of the main elements of the universe: Earth-Water-Air-Fire-Ether.

The stupa rises like a crown above four images of eyes that look in all four directions.

Now a 1.5-hour short road will take us to Shigatse- the second important and largest city in Tibet where we will dine and rest.

Before starting our journey toward Rongbuk Monastery, we will first go for a small tour of the Tashilhunpo Monastery translated as Auspicious Sumeru Monastery.

Perched at Tara Mountain (Drolmari Peak) base in Shigatse, it is the biggest monastery Shigatse and home to the Panchen Lama. The Gompa was established in 1447 by Gendun Drup. He was the student of Tsongkhapa, father and creator of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

The hall of the Gompa has the sculpture of Shakyamuni Buddha while the scultpure of 4^th Dalai Lama and Gendun Drup surround it’s two sides.

Once the visit is over, we will take the road that will take us to the Rongbuk Gompa and Everest Base Camp. The long Friendship Highway will take us along the landscape that more and more turns like in a postcard. Crossing the 4950 m high Tropu La Pass we will reach the small shepherd town of Lhatse.

From Lhatse, we will move on to tackle the 5200 m Gyatso La Pass aka Lhakpa La Pass. The phenomenal view of the Everest opens up from the Pass. The peaceful journey now takes us to Shegar which today is known as New Tingri.

A few km further, we will be met by the Chinese checkpoint. Here, Chinese soldiers will check our authorizations and passports. Then we will leave the Friendship Highway and march south and thus begin the

long and hard stretch of dirt road (almost 100 km) that will take us to our destination.

A few more km of hard climb will take us to the top of the 5150 m Pang La Pass where extraordinary spectacle appears before our eyes. A vast glimpse of the Himalayan chain, snow-capped peaks over 8000 m: Makalu (8485 m), Lhotse (8516 m), Cho Oyu (8188 m), Shishapangma (8027 m), and then Qomolangma, the Tibetan name for the highest peak in the world, Everest at 8848 m.

The road now moves downward toward the Rongbuk Monastery with Everest towering in front of it. With an altitude of 5100 m above sea level, this monastery is much more than a spiritual pilgrimage destination.

Early at dawn, we will travel on the route to the Everest Base Camp. The route is only 21 km long so we can either hike or take a bus or some horse cart to reach EBC at 5200 m. The Everest appears to be ever closer and more imposing lit up by the first light of the sun.

We will then head straight back to our tent hotel for a hot breakfast and get ready to drive to Gyirong aka Kerung border between Tibet and Nepal.

We will drive and cross once more the Pang la Pass and continue over the large Tibetan plains of Tashi Dzong to Tingri. The Friendship Highway will then lead us past the beautiful waters of Lake Pelku. We will then march to Dzongka then the downward road will eventually take us to Gyirong.

We will begin our drive to Gyirong Port via Jilongzhen after having breakfast in the early morning. We will then cross the border and drive the good 60 km into Nepal.

On the Nepalese side, the border check is at Ghatte Khola near Timure in Rasuwa. Here, we will take care of the final formalities and drive on a mountainous dirt road towards Syabrubesi. After getting out of Rasuwa, we will travel to the major towns of Trishuli and Nuwakot.

We can explore the old royal kingdom of Nuwakot for a while then get on the road once again for around 4 to 5 hours to reach Kathmandu. After a drive through the tumultuous streets, we will settle in our hotel.

After breakfast in Kathmandu, we will get on with the sightseeing tour of Kathmandu city. The first stop is Kathmandu Durbar Square which is the cultural world heritage site and the true center of Nepal.

It is home to the royal palace, many public institutions, temples of the most important Hindu deities, and Buddhist holy places. The buildings surrounding the square and the small streets starting from here are full of shops, and fairs are often held here. There is also Kumari Ghar, the home of the living goddess Durga.

Then our guide will take us to another Heritage Site of Pashupatinath Complex- one of the most important holy places for the Hindu religious communities of Nepal, the true spiritual heart of Nepal.

We will wander along the Bagmati River bank and see a ceremonial cremation and the release of the ashes into the river- a funeral custom of Hindus.

We will then continue to Swayambhunath Stupa-  the second most important site of Buddhism in Nepal. Listening to the muttering of traditional mantras and the drumming of prayer drums, we can wander for a long time among the many buildings and shrines on the hill of the stupa.

The scene of our last program in the afternoon is Boudhanath, one of the most wonderful spiritual centers in Kathmandu. The most beautiful, in fact, will be seen in the radiant light of the late afternoon sunlight.

In the morning, we will undertake a beautiful ride out of the valley over the Thankot pass along the Prithvi Highway to the Trisuli river where we see lots of small villages and sometimes people on a rafting trip.

A Mugling Naraynghat Highway will then guide us through the lush jungles towards Bandipur. The Ramkot Ridge and Manakaman Temple of goddess Durga can be a beautiful site to stop for some exploration.

The showcase of exquisite Begnas and Rupa Lake indicates we are soon approaching Pokhara. We will install in our hotel room and prepare to spend two nights here.

In the evening, we will take a pleasant boat ride on Lake Phewa. The ancient Tal Barahi temple located on the island of Phewa is also worth our visit. It is a two floored pagoda style temple built in respect to Goddess Varahi, another form of Goddess Durga.

Then, the Lakeside will be our next stop for evening relaxation. A lakeside promenade, an amusement park, the contemplative little lakeside cafes, local restaurants, and discotheques offer us many entertainment opportunities.

Attention

As an alternative to the lengthy road journey, you can also take a brief flight to Pokhara lasting only half an hour at an extra price.

Today’s program presents a prestigious journey to the International Mountain Museum of Pokhara. No wonder as three of the world’s ten highest mountains above 8,000 meters are located within a 50-kilometer radius of the city. Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, and Manaslu border the valley to the north. This museum stands as a tribute to this rich legacy.

We will then advance to Devi’s Falls- an extremely special and spectacular natural wonder. The subsiding water of the Pardi Khola stream originating from Phewa Lake carves a 500-meter-long underground tunnel in the rock bed of the lower basin and disappears there.

This natural phenomenon gives Patale Chango (Devi’s Falla)  its Nepali name.

We will then move on to World Peace Stupa/ Shanti Stupa. It is a Buddhist pagoda-style monument located on top of a hill outside the city with a magnificent view of Lake Phewa and the mountains. In addition to the wonderful panorama, the sunrises and sunsets from here are also unforgettable.

We will complement our today’s travel with the world’s most amazing Himalayan sunrise from Sarangkot. Getting up before dawn, we will either take a short walk of about 2 to 3 hours or take a car towards the Sarangkot Viewpoint.

The first light of the sun slowly creeps down the mountainsides of Annapurna, and its companion along with Machhapuchhre, Dhaulagiri, Gangapurna, Manasu, and Lamjung.

After walking to our hotel and repacking our stuff, we will again tie our seat belts to drive to Chitwan. The driving journey takes along once again the Prithvi Highway and further out to the Terai and its lively small towns and open forest with changing views.

In the middle of the afternoon, the famous Royal Chitwan National Park is reached bordered on north by the Narayani and Rapti Rivers. On the east, the Parsa Wildlife Reserve surrounds the park while India encircles it on the south.

Our day today, from early morning until late at night, is all about the wonderful nature! We will engage in an early morning jungle odyssey in Chitwan National Park. The park is particularly famous for its fearsome yet beautiful creature the Royal Bengal Tiger, and Gharial crocodile along with the one-horned rhinoceros.

We can take a jeep ride or climb an indifferent elephant or walk to explore the sensational jungle atmosphere of the park. The sounds of nature, the monkeys talking to each other, the mysterious sounds of deep forest, one-horned rhinos, and tigers (if our Karma helps us) will be an unforgettable treat.

Then a short visit to Hattisar, the elephant breeding and training center is also on our program. We can see how the elephants prepare for their work, and learn about their daily life and habits.

Meals: Breakfast

From the warm lowlands of Chitwan, we will return to Kathmandu. It is a beautiful 6-hour drive through the best of Nepal. In the afternoon there is arrival in Kathmandu and the hotel. You can explore on your own the beautifully crafted Patan Durbar Square or take a wonderful walk in the Garden of Dreams in Thamel.

An eventful program has come to an end today and it’s time to turn home. We will be by your side to see you off at the Airport.