TIBET OVERLAND JOURNEY: Adventure around world highest plateaus
Tibet Overland Tour Package takes travellers to Lhasa , the forbidden city that has been the heartland soul of Tibet for centuries and is still a city of wonders. While exploring Tibet, you'll encounter an old Buddhist culture, impressive surroundings, rare cities, hidden valleys, artistic monasteries, intimidating people, and more. Furthermore, explore the majestic towering Potola palace in the Lhasa skyline which was the residence of the Dalai Lamas. Given that 90% of Tibetans practise Buddhism, you can also witness the Buddhist custom.
This 12 days tour starts from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. We then take a private jeep ride to Kerung, a newly opened border between Nepal and China, before heading to Lasha. The drive follows a winding road to Dhunche and Syabrubesi which is located in the Langtang Himal region of the Rasuwa district. At Syabrubesi village, the air turns cold as the drive passes between the enormous Ganesh and Langtang Himal peaks. A short drive from here follows dirt roads passing several nice villages before arriving at the border between Nepal and China/Tibet.
We walk to the entrance of Tibet to complete the visa formalities, and our Himalayan Forever Tibetan guide will be waiting there to receive you. We finally enter the Tibetan soil through Kyirong, an area located beyond Ganesh and Langtang Himal. Spend some time at Kyirong, before heading towards Tibetan vast windswept country that offers jaw dropping views of snow-capped peaks. The drive continues towards the north, close to Mt. Shisapangma, and reaches the Friendship highway of Nepal and Tibet named Shegar. This route offers amazing views of Mt. Cho-Oyu and Mt. Everest towards the east. From Shegar, we travel to Gyatsho-La pass, the highest point of our Tibet Overland Tour. Our journey goes downhill through Larze town and then reaches Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet after Lhasa.
Shigatse is a lovely city filled with beautiful golden terraces and a large Tashilumpo Monastery Complex. This region is spiritual hub for Buddhist from all over Tibet, and is home to his holiness Panchen Lamas.Drive from Shigatse and head to another city of Gyantse, where we visit the famous Kumbum Stupa.The road trip continues as we head for the renowned city of Lhasa, our ultimate destination. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of Turquoise Lake and the Yamdrok Tsho on the way to Lhasa, as we drive through Khamba-La. Enjoy a spectacular panorama of the Tibetan vast plateau and snow peaks, then head down to Kyuchi valley where Lhasa city is located.
The majestic Potala Palace is the main attraction of Lhasa and this city offers an exciting tour of several famous monasteries. This is a place of great cultural interest and here we explore the vibrant religious practices of local natives from all over Tibetan province. We further visit the famous Drepung and Shera monasteries, which are considered as one of the wonders of Asia. Eventually, we take a panoramic flight from Lhasa to Kathmandu. Experience unreal aerial views of the Himalayan mountain range, which includes Makalu, Lhotse, Shisapangma, and Mount Everest. Finally, our Tibet Overland Journey comes to an end, leaving us with wonderful memories of majistic Tibetan cities and several world's highest plateaus.
After you arrive at the international terminal of Kathmandu airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our company representative. You will be picked up from the airport and taken to a hotel by the Himalayan Forever staff. When you arrive at the hotel, check out your incredible rooms, and then, once you've had a chance to rest, visit the Himalayan Forever office for a meeting.
There are several landmarks and monuments within Kathmandu valley. This city holds seven UNESCO listed world heritage sites within a radius of 20km. This comprises the Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath Stupa, the durbar squares of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur, among many other places. We can visit these locations or any other location of your choice.
After having breakfast in Kathmandu, start your journey by heading towards the north from the valley. Enjoy the scenic views of the lush, rolling hills and valleys while riding in the comfort of a jeep. The route passes through several farming villages and cities, and travelers may see several snow-capped peaks in the northwestern direction. The route continues on through twisting hills until it reaches Dhunche, the headquarter of the Rasuwa district. This city is the gateway to entering Langtang National Park, the first park established in Himalayan region.
Moreover, this region is basically the home of Tamang people, the indigenous old tribes interwoven with Buddhism religion and culture. Take a short refreshing break at Dhunche, and then drive downhill to Syabrubesi village to spend the night, before entering Tibet.
Take a short drive from Syabrubesi in the morning and you will reach to the border of Nepal and Tibet at Rasuwagaddi. The route is 15km long and the drive takes around 1 hours. Our Tibetan drivers and guides will receive you at the border and help you with the necessary immigration and customs formalities. Hop on new jeep and after driving for few hours on a good road, you will reach Kyirong, a small town in Tibet.
Kyirong a famous religious and historical place in Tibet, and a great saint named Guru Millerepa lived here during the 11th century. He is renowned for his tantric insight, poetry, folk singing, and his song are still sang by local herdsman and villagers. Our guide will book the best available lodge or guest house available in this city for you to spent the night. During the spare time in afternoon, relax and enjoy views of Ganesh and Langtang Himal that lies between the border of Nepal and Tibet.
Depart from Kyirong after breakfast and head toward the enormous Tibetan plateau. Drive through a number of farming communities as you head into the heart of Tibet. Enjoy the jawdropping views of Langtang and Shisapangma Himalaya range on the way and you will reach on top of Lalung-la Pass at 5,050 m. Enjoy amazing view of Mt. Shisapangma, the 14th tallest peak in the world that stands at a height of 8, 013 m.
From Lalung-La, drive through the wide windswept Tibetan plateau and you will reach the old town of Tingri. Stay there for a while or for a possible launch and enjoy the view of Mt. Everest and Cho-Oyo peaks. Drive for a few hours toward Shegar, commonly known as New Tingri, in the afternoon. Our staff will make arrangements for you to spend the night there in a pleasant hotel or lodge.
Start the morning drive from New Tingri/Shegar (Xegar) on winding road towards Gyatsho-La. This is the highest point of our trip which stands 5,220 m high, and the route is filled with thousands of Buddhist flags and religious monuments. After passing across the Gyatsho-La pass, descend to Larze town for a possible lunch break. Larze is a small town located on route to holy Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarover in far South West of Tibet. From here, drive for a few hours in the afternoon and you will reach Shigatse.
Besides, Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet where you can find much better hotels and lodges. Here, our team will arrange a nice hotel for you which offers modern facilities such as fast internet service and money exchange counter desk.
After breakfast, drive for a while towards center of Shigatse city for exciting tour of famous Tashilumpo Monastery. It is a large complex decorated with magnificent golden roofs and this place holds high religious value. Enter inside this magnificent monument and explore some old tombs with stupa of late Panchen Lamas. The Panchen Lama is the 2nd biggest state head and priest in Tibet after Dalai Lama (present XIV Dali Lama resides in India).
After the monastery tour, explore the local busy Tibetan market and return back to hotel. Drive form Shigatse for few hours during the afternoon time and you will reach to Gyantse, another large city of Tibet. Gyantse was a flourishing city during the 19th and 20th century which facilitated trade between Nepal-Bhutan and Sikkim. Stay in a good hotel or guest home in Gyantse and spend the afternoon exploring the magnificent terracotta Stupa of Kumbum and the historic Phalkor Monastery. These are famous historical monuments located within great surrounding walls of a holy complex.
After a short morning tour of Gyantse, we will head towards our main and final destination to the city of Lhasa. This route traverses Simi-La pass where you can see the Yaks and cattle grazing on a green meadow. This route again traverses through Karo-La pass(5,050 m), and offers a close views of Nzongkhangsa peak(7,100 m). On the top of Karo-La Pass, you will witness melting ice that creates glaciers flows.
Our drive continues and reaches a small town of Nagarktse of Nagarktse, where we will take a short break and have lunch in a good restaurant. The drive further reaches on the shore of Yamdrok Tsho, a turquoise Lake. Drive upward from the lake to Khamba-La(4,800 m), our Tibet Overland Tour's final pass. From here, enjoy the amazing view of Tibetan landscapes that features snow-capped peaks and Yamdrok Tsho Lake.
Drive downhill from Khamba-Lato and cross a bridge over Yalung Tsangpo / Brahmaputra River. Our journey finally reaches to the Lhasa city, and the route offers close views of magnificent Potala Palace. You can find many good hotels in the old eastern region of Lhasa. This region is also close to the vibrant and fascinating Barkhor Square market.
We spend two days in Lhasa exploring the city's top religious and cultural attractions. Our Tibetan guide will take you to a short drive towards the west to a large and reputed Drepung Monastery. This monastery lies on a hill-top, and it was the residence of all high priest including the Dalai Lamas before Potala Palace was built. We then head to the main prayer halls where monks are engaged in intense prayer and meditation. Additionally, the word "Drepung" means "a heap of rice," and the palace looks like a white washed building from distance.
Now, drive to Shera Monastery towards the north and witness the young monks engaged in lively discussion that will help them advance their knowledge before for becoming priests. Have a good time with lunch break in local Tibetan / Chinese restaurants and enjoy a stroll around the busy Barkhor market during the afternoon time. Also, visit the Jhorkhang Temple.
Our next morning tour leads us to magnificent Potala Palace, which means 'Heavenly Realm'. This palace has 1000 rooms but visitors can enter only the main parts of interiors which has 8 to 10 rooms and holds great religious and cultural significant. Potala Palace is the main landmark of Tibet and is situated in the center of the city. Here, the superior priests Dalai Lama lived till the last 14th Dalai Lama, and this place is now converted to a museum. During the spare afternoon time, visit the Summer Palace of Norbulinka which has lovely gardens, and was home to some few Dalai Lamas in the past. Besides, carry out all the individual activities around Lhasa throughout the day.
Our guide will meet you for an hour drive to Gongar airport. After bidding farewell to our Tibetan guide and drivers, enter the terminal for visa and passport formalities with custom check. Book a flight in Air China or similar airlines that lands you Kathmandu after an hour. Enjoy amazing views of Himalayan range that offers the close view of Mt. Everest and Mt. Makalu. The flight will eventually land at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport.
Our personnel will be waiting for you in the airport and will direct you to your hotel once you have finished the necessary immigration and visa procedures. Carry out all individual activities and shopping during afternoon time.
This is your last day in Nepal and you should get ready for final departure as per your international flight time. You will be escorted to the airport by the Himalayan Forever Trek guide and team. Our guide and staff will bid you a farewell as you depart for your country. You will surely never forget this wonderful experience and adventure of Tibet Overland Tour. Namesty!
The average elevation within all Tibet is above 3,000 m high, and crossing passes of above 5,000 meters. The highest point on this journey is at 5,220 m on top of Gyatsho-La Pass and Lhasa city at 3,650 m high.
Dry and barren landscapes with close views of giant snow-capped peaks of Himalaya range. Includes views of world’s three highest peaks, namely Mt. Shisapangma, Mt. Cho-Oyu and Mt. Everest. Tour leads to many traditional farm villages with yellow mustard and barley fields with Yaks grazing on the meadows. Visit leads to interesting monasteries and palaces of Dalai and Panchen Lamas, the former principal rulers of Tibet. 90 % Tibetans follows Buddhism with interesting age-old heritage culture and custom.
As season wise, during spring and autumn the best time for tour in Tibet most days are fine and clear. To enjoy views and pleasant walks, however can expect snow on higher altitude sometimes. But bright and sunny days in best seasons from April to pre-summer month of June. As well in autumn / fall from September to November, in spring season, above 3,000 m high. Minimum temperatures of minus 0° and maximum of 20° Celsius not adding extra wind-chill factor. In autumn the sun rise late by 5:30 a.m. and sunsets by 5 p.m. makes the morning and night time much colder with minimum temperatures from minus 5° to 10° Celsius.
Depending upon altitude wise. Maximum of 15° to 20° Celsius, around high altitude above 2,500 the sunlight gets bright with strong UV. All visitors needs to carry sun-blocks and wearing sun-hats to block the sun against the UV rays around higher altitude, especially in direct sunlight of afternoon.
Traveling in Tibet involves high altitude areas could be strenuous sometimes, travelers with known heart or lung or blood diseases. Needs the doctor's advice before booking Tibet trip. It is always advisable to drink at least 2-3 liters of water every day while on the tour against AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) and dehydrations. Taking slowly and having much rest and doing things slowly will help against the Altitude Sickness.
The Time Zone used in Tibet is Beijing Mean Time (GMT + 7:45 Hours). Which is 2 hrs. 15 minutes ahead of Nepal Standard Time. The currencies in Tibet is Chinese Renminbi Yuan which is 1 Yuan to US$ 8 but subject to change any time.
