On arrival at Kathmandu, Nepal International Airport our guide and staff will receives you with traditional welcome. After knowing the staff of Himalayan Forever Treks, a short drive to your hotels. Located in the heart of a city within an exciting Thamel area, an interesting place where most good hotels and restaurants situated. Reaching at the hotel, check your lovely rooms, after getting refreshed join in for group briefing. Provided by your guide or Group Leader, offers useful and important information for Tibet Scenic & Cultural Tour.
Morning after breakfast, our city and cultural guide receives you at the hotel for exciting tour. The drive leads in the heart of Kathmandu city, where interesting historical Durbar Square / Palace Courtyard located. The right spot to observe Nepalese cultures. Tour of ancient monuments listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites, next tour takes you to old Swayambhunath Stupa of more than 2,600 years history. A Buddhist monument situated on a hillock west of Kathmandu city outskirt, the famous landmark of the country. From here back to hotel, afternoon at leisure and preparation for Tibet Scenic & Cultural Tour.
Fabled Lhasa City Tour starts with scenic flight of one hour to Lhasa, during flight eye-catching views of world’s highest mountains includes Mount Everest, on reaching at Tibet at Gongar Airport, at Gongor airport received by our Tibetan guide and driver for short exciting drive in the hub of Lhasa city. Afternoon relax and take a short walk around Barkhor market square where most of the hotels are located.
Two days in Lhasa for exciting tour around great places of religious and cultural interest. Our Tibetan guide takes you for a short drive west of Lhasa to a large and important Drepung Monastery. Located on a hill top, in early day it was the residence of all high priest including the Dalai Lamas, before Potala Palace was built. Tour leads to the main prayer halls with monks on deep prayers, Drepung means a heap of rice. As it looks from the distance with white washed buildings after a great interesting visit. Drive to Shera Monastery witness the young monks on exciting debate, which deepens their knowledge before reaching the priesthood.
Shera monastery located north of Lhasa, after an interesting time with lunch break in local Tibetan / Chinese restaurants. Afternoon enjoy a stroll around the busy Barkhor market and visit the Jhorkang Temple.
Next morning tour of magnificent Potala Palace, which means 'Heavenly Realm' with 1,000 rooms. The visitors can enter only the main important interiors of 8 to 10 rooms of great religious and cultural significant.
Potala Palace stands as Landmark of Tibet situated in the hub of the city, where high and superior priests Dalai Lama lived till the last 14th Dalai Lama, at present it is a museum. Afternoon free at leisure or visit the Summer Palace of Norbulingkha with lovely gardens, the palace of few past Dalai Lamas.
As the day end in Lhasa, with time for individual activities around Lhasa before dinner time.
Today our tour leads outside the city and one of the best way to see Tibetan country landscapes and rural life of villagers with chance to watch Yak grazing on wide open pastureland. Morning a pleasant drive to Ganden Monastery area, a distance of 45 k.m. towards east of Lhasa, on leaving the main road heading uphill as Ganden monastery located 18 k.m from main highway, on reaching the top sacred ridge of Wangku Ri at Ganden area.
Ganden a foremost monastery of Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism (Yellow Hat), all Great Six monasteries (Ganden, Sera, Drepung, Tashilumpo, Labrang, Kumbum) are of Yellow Sects, none suffered as disastrously as Ganden during Cultural Revolution when artillery and vast quantities of dynamite where deployed, at present built into its original form after much destruction.
In early time over 2,000 monks lived here; now there are hardly 300 monks, after a nice and interesting tour of Ganden drive back to Lhasa.
Morning as time for flight to Kathmandu, the guide meets you for an hour drive to Gongar airport. After bidding farewell to the Tibetan guide and drivers then enter the terminal for visa and passport formalities with custom check.
Board in Air China or similar airlines for super panoramic flight of an hour to land at Kathmandu. During flight enjoy superb views of Himalayan arrays of peaks with close views of Mt. Everest and Mt. Makalu. Slowly the flight lands at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport.
After migration and visa formalities, walk outside the terminal our staff transfer you back into your hotel, with time in the afternoon for individual activities and shopping.
Last day in Nepal and at Kathmandu, get ready for final departure as per your international flight time. Himalayan Forever Trek guide and staff transfer you to the airport. Bidding farewell to the guide and staff as you depart for homeward-bound flight, after a wonderful experience on Tibet Scenic & Cultural Tour.
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 3,830 m on top of a high hill at Ganden Monastery and Lhasa city at 3,650 m high.
Dry and barren landscapes with close views of giant snow-capped peaks of Himalaya range. On flights 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 Lamas, the former principal rulers of Tibet. About 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.
Yes, can continue your personal trip to mainland China, either by flight or taking a train journey. But needs to inform Himalayan Forever Treks well in advance, as for Tibet Tour it will be a group visa. On separating from the group, people leaving for China, must obtain another visa and cancel the name from the main list.
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.
