Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour - 12 Days

On arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, a representative from Himalayan Trekkers will greet you and transfer you to the hotel. After checking in, you can rest and freshen up before we sit for a short discussion session regarding this Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour. Your passports and required papers will also be collected for the Chinese Group Visa if your arrival is early. But if you arrive late, after the business hour, they will be collected tomorrow morning. Then, in the evening, we will take you for a stroll around the Thamel market where you can get a peek at the lifestyle of this commercial hub of Kathmandu. 

After breakfast, we start the full-day Kathmandu guided tour from Boudhanath Stupa which is just 30 minutes from your hotel. Boudhanath is one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley. It is the biggest stupa and one of the most important Buddhist sites in Nepal. The giant white dome draped with colorful prayer flags sits in the center of the big mandala and overlooks every direction with its giant Buddha eyes. Being one of the most famous tourist sites and a favorite place for locals, it is always flocked by visitors and pilgrims. 

After enjoying the peaceful time in Boudhanath, we will drive to one of the most important Hindu Sites in the world called Pashupatinath Temple. The temple complex is situated at the holy Bagmati River and consists of more than a hundred temples and monuments dedicated to many gods and goddesses along with the main temple of Lord Shiva. The main temple is the most beautiful one but non-Hindus are not allowed to enter it. One can view it from the other side of the river while also witnessing the open-air cremation ceremony at the bank of the river. 

After lunch, we will drive to the neighboring city Lalitpur which is also a medieval city along with Kathmandu and Bhaktapur inside the Kathmandu Valley. Lalitpur is often referred to as Patan and is also known as the “city of beauty” or “city or artisans” as the cultural beauty of the city is unmatchable. Patan Durbar Square and the Patan Museum are the prime highlights of the city that represents the uniqueness and richness of Newari culture and craftsmanship. After exploring all these World Heritage Site, we return to Kathmandu. 

We have added a day hike to Champadevi for acclimatization purposes as you will be traveling to Tibet, where the average elevation is 4000 meters. This climb will be beneficial for acclimatization as well as allowing us to take in the breathtaking vista of the valley, surroundings, and Himalayan peaks such as Mountain peaks such as Mt. Ganesh, Mt. Langtang Lirung, Mt. Annapurna, Mt. Gaurishankar, and Mt. Everest on a clear day. 

Note: If you are not fond of hikes and want to skip the activity, we can organize the activities in the city. Or, we can hike to other famous hills such as Shivapuri and Nagarkot.  

As soon as the Chinese Embassy is opened, one of our representatives will collect your Chinese Group Visa and your passport and we start our overland journey from Kathmandu to Lhasa. We slowly move out from Kathmandu and drive towards Trishuli Bazaar along the Prithivi Highway for the halfway and Trishuli Khola (Rover). We take a short lunch break at Trishuli Bazaar before driving towards our final destination for today, Syabrubesi in the Rasuwa district. Today’s whole journey is a scenic and amazing off-road drive with amazing views of rivers, hills, mountains, and terraced farms. Once we are in Syabrubesi, we check in at the lodge and rest for the remainder of the day. 

Note: We can also drive further up to Kerung if your immigration & visa formalities are already completed on the previous day as it is a long (~10 hours) drive from Kathmandu and we have to start very early in the morning. Otherwise, we will spend the night in Syabrubesi and drive to Kerung the next day being relaxed. 

After breakfast, we start our short drive from Syabrubesi to Gyirong via the Nepal Tibet Friendship Bridge where you will bid farewell to your Nepali guide and driver and meet our Tibetan driver and guide on the Tibetan side. After the border formalities at the border port, the drive goes to Gyirong County, a little settlement nestled into the Himalayan mountainside which will be our overnight stay. After checking in, and resting for a bit, we will explore the highlights of Gyirong while also slowly acclimatizing to the higher altitude. 

Gyirong is also known as Kerung and is a wonderful place to take a rest during the road trip from Nepal to Tibet. In addition to being a resting place, Gyirong has lovely flora and faunas and some historical and cultural sites to make the visitors engaged. Bhrikuti Cave is one of the highlights of the town which can be closed without prior information depending upon the time and situation. You can also visit Pakba Monastery, a Gelugpa temple built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gambo in order to protect the border. There are also the ruins of the Gongtang kingdom where Dolma Lhakhang deserves a visit. 

Our journey resumes as we move from Gyirong County to Tingri County today while enjoying the stunning view of Mount Shishapangma (8012 M) and Pelkutso Lake. On the route, we will stop at Milarepa Cave if the time permits. We will also pass through the Thong La Pass (5050m) and Lalung La Pass (5082m) which also provide us with stunning views of the Himalayan highlands such as Mt. Cho Oyu (8201 M) and Shishapangma. 

Once we reach Tingri, we get a magnificent view of Mount Everest. We leave Tingri after lunch and drive towards Rongbuk Monastery which is the world’s highest situated monastery at 5000 meters above sea level. It belongs to the Nyingmapa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and it stands out because nuns and monks coexist there. We can spend the night at Rongbuk Monastery or drive further to Everest Base Camp and set up for the night at the tented camp guest house. 

The morning view from Rongbuk is mesmerizing as you witness the sunrise on the summit of Mt. Everest and enjoy a complete view of the beautiful Mt. Everest standing in front of you like a snow-capped pyramid. Then, we will drive for just 30 minutes to reach Everest Base Camp where we will enjoy the magnificent view of Everest and other notable mountains. After spending an ample amount of time and taking enough pictures, we return back to Rongbuk and leave for Sakya via Shegar/New Tingri. Once we reach Sakya, we will rest at our accommodation and explore the surroundings in the evening. 

Following breakfast, you will explore the Sakya (Sa’ Gya) Monastery, which was established in 1073 by the famous Lama Khon Kunchok Gyalpo. Sa’ Gya Monastery is an ancient temple in the Sakyapa section of Tibetan Buddhism. The Sakya sect is distinctive in that its leader doesn't believe in the reincarnation of lamas, wears white robes, and is permitted to marry and have children. The northern monastery, which was divided into two portions, is now simply a ruin, whereas the southern monastery, which was constructed like a fortification with a moat, is still in continuous use.

In the afternoon, we drive to Shigatse which is the second major town in Tibet. In Shigatse, we will explore the renowned monastery called Tashilhunpo after hotel check-in and a brief rest. Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is the seat of the Panchen Lamas who are the second-highest spiritual figure in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lamas. The monastery was founded by the His Holiness the First Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Gedun Drupe in 1447. It houses an old figure of Jampa, the "future god." If time permits, we will also observe how the barley is turned into flour to make tsampa, the traditional dish of the Tibetan people, as well as the barley fields surrounding the monastery.

Following our breakfast, we leave for the capital, Lhasa via Gyantse. In Gyantse, we will visit the renowned Pelkor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa. The monastery, which includes hundreds of Buddhist sutras, scripts, and artifacts as well as numerous paintings that have had a significant influence on Tibetan art, is the major monastery for Buddhists in Gyantse.

As we continue our drive to Lhasa along Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway and Tibet's longest and broadest river, the Yarlung Tsangpo River we will also enjoy the varied landscape view. We will also pass by the Manak Dam Lake and come across the Simila Mountain Pass where interested can hang their prayer flags. Then, we will continue on where we come across another stunning pass with its immaculate white ice face called Karola Glacier. 

The famed blue waters of Yamdrok also fall en route today. This visually satisfying lake is one of the three holy lakes in Tibetan Buddhism and is surrounded by snow-clad peaks including the stunning Nyenchen Khangsar, the highest mountain close to Lhasa. After reaching Lhasa, we will explore the market and spend a comfortable night at the hotel. 

Our first Lhasa sightseeing will be the most iconic structure in the city, Potala Palace which is situated on Red Hill. It was initially constructed by King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century and rebuilt by the 5th Dalai Lama after the structure was destroyed by war and lightning. It was then expanded by the 13th Dalai Lama to its current dimensions, measuring 117 meters in height and 360 meters in width, with a floor area of more than 130,000 square meters. The Potala Palace, which is primarily made up of the White Palace world known as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, an administrative building, and the Red Palace, a religious edifice, is renowned for its opulent structures, intricate architecture, devout atmosphere, and magnificent artworks. 

After lunch, we will drive towards the Jokhang Temple, the most sacred temple for Tibetan Buddhists. The Jokhang temple is located in the center of Lhasa and is revered across the world as a spiritual center of Tibet. A life-size statue of Shakyamuni which is 5-foot-tall is one of this temple/main monastery's major attractions. Buddha, the golden roof, and other deities are honored with numerous statues and temples. You will also enjoy the breathtaking views from the Golden roof of Jokhang Temple.

After spending some time at the Jokhang temple we will walk through Barkhor Street, a typical, historic Lhasa Street that circles the Jokhang Temple. It is referred to as a holy path by the locals where they move clockwise direction making the kora of Jokhang Temple. It is also a well-known commercial and commodities distribution hub with more than 200 stalls and more than 120 shops selling handicrafts. You can take this opportunity to purchase anything related to Tibet, from bundles of incense to bits of yak butter to monk attire. We return to the hotel for the night. 

We leave the busy Lhasa and drive 5 kilometers outside of Lhasa to the base of Gambo Utse to explore the Drepung Monastery, one of the Great Three monasteries of the Gelugpa sect. It was established in the 14the century by Jamyang Choge, a student of Tsong Khapa. The monastery complex’s Coqen Hall's first floor contains statues of Manjushri Bodhisattva, Sitatapatra, and rare sutras. The second story contains rare sutras, while the third story contains Jamyang Qoigy's conch shell, which was presented to him by Tsong Khapa. It was once known as the mother of monasteries and is now regarded as one of the most sacred places in the country. 

Then, we return to Lhasa and drive to the northern suburbs in the afternoon to see Sera Monastery, one of the Great Three monasteries. The name Sera, which translates to "wild rose" in Tibetan, was given to the structure in 1419 because roses were in blossom on the hill behind it at the time. The monks' lively and unique debates, which take place every afternoon in the debating field under the trees, are the monastery's main draw. 

If time permits, we will cover another top attraction of Lhasa, Norbulingka Palace. It was the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, located two kilometers west of the Potala Palace. This Palace has a huge garden covering 360,000 square meters, making it the biggest man-made garden in Tibet and the highest situated horticulture garden in the world. 
After a full day of exploring the giant and rich history monasteries, we return to the town and explore the streets for the one last time. 

As your Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Trip comes to an end, you will be transferred to the Gonggar Airport today for your flight to mainland China or Kathmandu from where you can board the connecting flight to your home country or onward destination.