Overland Trip to Shigatse A spectacular flight over Mt. Everest, and blue mountain lakes on the high Tibetan plateau, brings you to Lhasa. Spend three days absorbing the sights and sounds of this ancient city before embarking on an overland trip to Shigatse, Tibet's second largest city. Later, drive south to Gyantse, staging point of the old caravan trade route to India, then head back east towards Lhasa by way of scenic Yamdrok Tso or Turquoise Lake.
ITINERARY:
Day 01 - Kathmandu Arrive Kathmandu & check into hotel.
Day 02 -Kathmandu Spend the day sightseeing kathmandu
Day 03 - Lhasa Take a spectacular flight over the Himalayas to Lhasa. On arrival check into hotel.
PM Take a short walk to Norbulingka or “Jewel Park”, one of the most relaxing and pleasant parts of Lhasa.
Day 04 - Lhasa AM Your first full day in Lhasa begins with a visit to the Jokhang and the Barkhor market place. Located in the very heart of Lhasa, the Jokhang is the focus of devotion for pilgrims from all over the country.
PM Sera Monastery on the outskirts of Lhasa is the afternoon’s focus. Also a vital center of religious activity, it is one of the best preserved monasteries in Tibet. Tour the debating courtyard in a corner of the monastery shaded by ancient trees, where monks areformally examined in an age old tradition of philosophical debate.
Day 05 - Lhasa AM Visit the imposing Potala, perched high above Lhasa on “Marpori” or red mountain. Twelve storeys high and consisting of more than 1,000 rooms, it dominates the Lhasa skyline. The view of the holy city from the roofs is unforgettable.
PM Visit Drepung, Tibet's largest monastery located 8 kms west of the city. Renowned as a great centre of learning it attracted the best and the brightest and in its heyday housed a staggering 10,000 monks, making it the largest monastic institution in the world.
Day 06 - Lhasa Spend the extra day in Lhasa at leisure.
Day 07 - Shigatse Drive 3 1/2 hrs on the northern route to Shigatse, traversing two high passes with brief stops at the Dagshuga ferry and the incense making water-wheel at Nyingbo county. Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet, is the seat of the Panchen Lamas and capital of Tsang province. Check into hotel on arrival.
Day 08 - Gyangtse Visit the Grand Monastery of Tashi Lhunpo, a vast spread of buildings in brown and ochre, built in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama. A rewarding feature is the 3km pilgrims walk around the monastery where views of the city and the ruins of Shigatse Dzong can be seen.
PM Depart Shigatse for Gyantse, staging point for the caravan trade routes to India and Sikkim further to the south. Dominating the town and visible for miles around, the great fort at Gyantse. Visit Gyantse’s Palkhor Choide monastery and the Kumbum Stupa with its seventy interlocking chapels.
Day 09 - Lhasa/Gongkar Leave Gyantse and return to Lhasa /Gongkar on the southern route past scenic Yamdrok Tso Lake. Cross the high Karo La and Khamba La passes from where there are unsurpassed views of Yamdrok Tso and high mountain glaciers. Continue to Lhasa through alpine pasture dotted with grazing yaks. Check into hotel on arrival.
Day 10 - Departure Board plane for Kathmandu.
Day 11 - Departure Depart Ktm/or extension
N.B.Trips to Tibet operate between April thru October only
Rates
Package Type
2-5 Persons
6 or more
Air Fare
First Class
$1384
$1114
$1770
Tourist
$1262
$992
$1770
Hotels In order to make the travel experience more convenient and confortable, we have selected the following hotels in the various stops.
Cities
First Class
Tourists
Lhasa
Lhasa Hotel
Hotel Shambala or similar
Tsedang
Hotel Tsedang
Hotel Friendship
Gyangtse
Hotel Gyangtse
same
Shigatse
Hotel Shigatse
Hotel Gongjorling
Zhangmu
Hotel Zhangmu
same
Cost includes Accommodation in Tibet with breakfast, all transfers, sightseeing with English speaking guide, Tibet (Chinese) normal visa.
Cost does not include Three nights hotel accommodation while in Kathmandu, expense of a private nature i.e. laundry, drinks, telephone calls, meals (unless specified), insurance, visa fees, airport taxes, Tibet (china) urgent visa fee US$ 35, excess baggage charges and all manner of gratuities. A surcharge of US$87 per person to use Toyota land cruisers 4WD from Lhasa to Nepal border based on maximum 4 persons per land cruiser in case of bad road condition.
Special Intructions: All Tibet tours depart Kathmandu on Saturday s or Tuesdays. Passengers must arrive in Kathmandu at least 2 days before departure in order to process your Tibet permit. At the end of the tour allow for an additional day in Kathmandu.
Additional 3 Night Accomodation in Kathmandu
First Class Hotel
Shangrila Hotel or similar
$220 /person
Twin room
Standard Hotel
Tibet Guest House or similar
$95 /person
Twin room
Optional Tours Based on minimum of two persons- Costs are per person
Bhutan
4 nights/5 days
$1360
Glimpses of the Himalayas ( Darjeeling/Sikkim )
4 nights/5 days
$995
Chitwan Jungle Safari
3 nights/4 days
$385
Mountain Flight ( closeup views of the Himalayas )
$135
NOTE: Airfares quoted are estimates only and are based on West Coast departures (Los Angeles or San Francisco). A High season surcharge of $200 will be charched for departure during the following months:
June-July-August & December 1- January 15.
A spectacular flight over Mt. Everest, and blue mountain lakes on the high Tibetan plateau, brings you to Lhasa. Spend three days absorbing the sights and sounds of this ancient city before embarking on an overland trip to Shigatse, Tibet's second largest city. Later, drive south to Gyantse, staging point of the old caravan trade route to India, then head back east towards Lhasa by way of scenic Yamdrok Tso or Turquoise Lake.
